I'm sure you must have seen at least one Samurai movie in your lifetime. You know the scene, with the warrior standing erect and stiff, while tightly holding a sheathed sword in his left hand and the villagers scattering for their lives. The camera zooms in on his face, his eyes move slowly from left to right and beads of sweat trickle down his forehead. time seems to stop, and after what appears to be a lifetime, he slowly unsheathes the traditional weapon and assumes a fighting stance. Focused and unstoppable he then proceeds to wipe out the villains and save the poor villagers from the bad guys.

How many times have you felt like a samurai as you approach the green. A tournament deciding putt awaits and your partner looks on in helplessness as you prepare your mind for the task ahead. Slowly, you remove the putter from the bag and walk towards the ball. Ouch! That chip shot didn't go exactly as planned and you've left yourself with a ten meter long putt on a green with more hills than Rome. Genuflecting on one knee and holding the putter plumb at 90 degrees, your eyes follow the curves and contour to find the exact line to the cup. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves and bravely stand up. Trying to keeping mind all the factors that will enable you to succeed in making this difficult but possible shot you assume your stance.

Are my feet correctly positioned?

Are my shoulders straight?

Did I get the right line?

Am I focusing on the ball?

Will I keep my head down?

How much power do I need to give it?

Is my grip alright?

You can hear your heart beating in your chest and time slows down.

You could hear a pin drop. (If it weren't for the grass)

again, another deep breath, but this time holding it in, as you bring back the club head and take the shot.

You cannot see where the ball is going as it roller-coasters the uneven terrain but you anxiously wait for the exhilarating sound as ball meets cup in perfect unison.

Nigel Nix has been playing Golf on and off since he was 5 years old. He is now 42 and runs a humorous Golf blog. Golf Mad Blog

¶ 4:26 PM 0 comments

How much golf do you play? Can you justify the cost of membership against the amount you spend on green fees every time you play a round at your country club golf course?

Lets say you only play once a week and the green fee is $25 for the round. That means your golf is costing you $1300 annually. If the membership is $2K a year, its not making much sense to join on the strength of the golf alone. If you play at least twice a week though then you would be saving money and it would be wise to join the club even if you were only going to use the golf facilities.

country club membership isn't just about golf though and you should check out what else is on offer such as a sauna and spa, gym, pool, tennis courts etc. As a golf player you should find out if there is a members league, how many competitions a week etc. Also, if you are taking a family membership, what is the youth program like for the younger members of your family and is there much for your partner to get involved in if golf is not there thing?

There is also the status that comes with being a member of the local country club. many a country club golf house is the hub of the local social calendar. It can be an important place to socialize and drum up business for your company and for your children to learn the correct etiquette. These are all things you will probably consider when deciding whether to become a full member or not.

For true golfers though, these are just added bonuses to being a member of what is hopefully a great golf course. As a golfer, what might be of interest is that many country club golf shops offer discounts to their members. These can range from 10% up to 20% and you could also be offered discount green fees to any none members who accompany you for a round of golf.

If you have only recently moved to an area and are unsure which country club to join, many offer a monthly membership so you can try them out before taking the plunge and taking out an annual subscription.

Country clubs sometimes have property for sale set amongst and around the golf course itself. These properties usually come with membership included. One such country club is Collier's Reserve in naples, florida. Situated along the Cocohatchee river it offers its homeowners the chance to enjoy fishing and boating as well championship golf. Now thats what I call a great life!

This type of country club has been hugely popular for some time now in Europe, particularly Spain and Portugal. Thousands of people from England and other northern European countries take early retirement and move there for the sunnier climate and superb country club golf.

Grab your complimentary ebook on country club golf Check out country club golf vacations for America's best golfing destinations.

¶ 8:00 AM 0 comments