My husband Bob is a proud Buckeye (Ohio State Grad) so typically sports a hat showing his colors.

His clothing is mix and match--he likes cotton shorts from LL Bean because he likes the elastic comfort waist. His latest shirt is a Grand Slam Airflow; he likes the modern moisture wickable materials that dry quickly but they need to have a pocket. A shirt pocket is his place to carry a required cell phone. I like him to have a cell phone on him at all times after hearing stories from his parents. He's in good health but its better to be safe then sorry.

For those who sit too much at a computer desk or just sit, this stretch is sure to loosen the muscles between your shoulder blades and allow you to swing freer.

HOW TO DO IT:

1. sit in the golf cart
2. grab the bars on either side
3. Lean your head back
4. Hold for a count of five, then relax

Repeat as often as needed. Don't try this with an injury, if it hurts, or if it goes contrary to a doctor's advice.

Savannah Golf Course near Cocoa Beach is a hidden wonder of southern charm. Many people don't realize its just off of the freeway, open to the public, and nit very crowded. This makes it a real win to play, especially since its priced very readonably.

It's a quality course as seen in the care they took building the clubhouse, maintaining the course, and creating a course where players feel they are alone on the course.

Despite water being present on many holes, they usually didn't come into play. Only one hole, the fourth, had a surprise, a ditch to cross near the green, and the starter was kind enough to warn us in advance.

Golf is very pleasant with lush fairways, white soft sand, and well maintained greens.

Although Cocoa Beach Country Club is nearer to the beach, Savannah Golf Course is less than 5 miles away, has similar ocean breezes, and a challenging course to test your skills.

I bought a new golf dress for my upcoming birthday from Nike. I like that it is roomy through the arms and chest and waist, so it allows me to swing a golf club with ease. The material is lightweight, a polyester with lots of holes to allow the wind to blow through, and helps to wick moisture from your body. The neckline is sure to please the PGA rulemakers as is the longer hemline. This dress doesn't come with shorts but also covers nicely when you bend. It comes in two colors which is welcome since one can only have so many black golf dresses. I'm also wearing Nike tennis shoes since the course was dry and there wasn't any need for traction.

I'm on the 17th green at Twin Rivers Golf Course in Winter Springs, Florida. The ball I use is a Pinnacle--I still prefer yellow.

A recent vacation to the panhandle of Florida after a side trip to Columbia, South Carolina to see the solar eclipse of the sun on Aug. 21, lead us to the much appreciated good food and nice beach locations in Destin, Florida. There are worse reasons to go golfing than a solar eclipse, see my best eclipse photo:

My favorite holes were at the end, this is the view of the Emerald Bay Golf Club clubhouse from the eighteenth fairway, headed toward the green. Before this hole, you finally reached holes with views of the bay, notice on the picture below, both Bob and I had our chips on the green with only one chip. A nicely maintained course allows chips to land and stop, with some roll, but not speeding across it like greased lightning, something that can happen in Florida where greens dry out.

One thing that was nice was the tees were all numbered, I through V (see photo below), using Roman Numerals, to allow golfers to select their tee by their handicap and by the associated usual score for the hole rating known as the course slope: read slope about from the Georgia State Golf Association webpage:
​www.gsga.org/index.php/Handicapping/detail/C86/course_rating_faqs.

My husband and I looked for comfortable golf shoes that were waterproof and wide enough to wear during the hot summer months in Florida. Summer can bring heavy rains and the golf courses can have puddles that are either muddy or spongy, so waterproof shoes keep your feet dry. Our favorite choice was Ecco golf shoes, mine are gray, while Bob's are brown. They come in a variety of colors. They don't use soft or hard spikes, instead the bottom is covered with a heavy tread of rubber boxes. They are enough to provide traction on most surfaces and clean with ease using a tee, broom, or other method of cleaning.

For those heading to Orlando for holidays like this past Christmas or the upcoming spring break, the four courses at Orange Lake Resort offer a chance to play a variety while staying local. To book a tee time, click on their book golf tab or click on my link then select one of the four golf courses. Prices vary per course and by day.

The golf course is located in Kissimee, Florida, right near Disney World at:

8505 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.
Kissimmee, FL 34747 

My husband and I played the Reserve at Orange Lake Resort for the first time along with the Central Florida Golf Club and had a great time. Stopping at the entrance and asking for a resort map and directions to the golf course really helped us find where we were going. Even for those staying at the resort (we live local) will find a map very helpful.

The Reserve at Orange Lake Golf Course has a very low key, friendly pro shop and check in went smoothly. The course, show below, winds through resort property with residences well out of play. I love it when it feels like you have the golf course all to your foursome.

I wish I could say that all of the sand traps lining the golf course didn't come into play, but for me they did. 

I've been suffering from tendinitis so I was off my game. The sand traps are full of good fluffy sand and are well maintained.

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Other hazards on the course include native grass clumps in waste bunkers, water hazards, like on this shot over the water onto the green, with a wooden wall, and sharp angles and trees.

Afterwards, we ate in the snack bar and had good sandwiches and good service.

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We started on the tenth hole at Avalon Golf Club by Landmark since we had a late tee time, 1:30 pm since we were traveling. As seen above, the course immediately offered challenges from side hill play. The main effect on my game meant extra strokes due to mishit balls that lost their power and distance. I still played around my average, 103 with thirty-eight putts, Bob did similar.

We ate lunch first in the Avalon clubhouse snack bar which was quiet and cool. Wait staff showed up with more beer for the freezer and a trainee, but we had good service.

We both tried their hamburger and found it tasty, Bob thought it a bit overdone.

Then I ordered a soda to go, and by the second hole, the cup holder in the cart had punched a hole in the cup and it leaked everywhere.

Luckily, the restroom stops had soda and water machines. The day was pretty warm, cooler than Orlando or Atlanta because of less humidity; I still needed the liquid.

I loved their fancy sandstone stairways up to the most tilted areas. Many of the holes were like the photo shown above, undulating, sometimes with huge drops, sometimes uphill or downhill. The course is very beautiful, very well maintained and is in an area that is quite beautiful, too. I will like
returning to Tennessee.

Despite the 4+* rating and beautiful homes around the course, most people were friendly and casual. This course was a fun outing for both of us, next time, maybe we will do better

From the first hole and even the second as shown above, golfers will feel the heat at Southern Hills Country Club in Hawkesville, Georgia. The climate was true southern, warm and humid but pleasantly so when we started. The course plays in similar mode due to the challenges encountered.

The first hole offers a deep ravine, the second, a narrow opening. The sixth hole is especially treacherous if the hole layout isn't checked because there is a hidden creek midway.

The golf course is laid out links style through a very nice golfing community with lovely homes. Most of the homes are brick and sit back from the golf course and never come into play. They are just developing the residential properties.

Most of the time, we managed to stay out of the hazards. Ponds were there for the long distance player who hooks or slices but not if you played high on the hillside and avoided rolls into them. Most of the greens were well protected by sand traps with loose sand.

The best part was the sense of being out on your own. The course was somewhat crowded on a Saturday morning but moved at a 4 hour pace.

The hardest part was the very fast greens where the ball picked up speed until off the green; a light touch on the putter was required.

All in all, the course plays fun until it gets warmer, noseeums, gnats, biting flies, mosquitos grew more numerous as the morning progressed.

When my husband and I visited Ireland, we chose to play at four fairly reasonable golf courses that were close to our other places of interest. We chose Athlone Golf Club because of it was between Dublin and Galway, close to the famous peat bogs near Shannonbridge, and also close to Clanmacnoise, a site established by St. Ciaran in the mid 6th century which has quite notable High Crosses.

Golf at Athlone Golf Club was quite friendly; we were paired with a local lady golfer and had a great time. The golf course is quite pleasant, some areas winding through forest, some looking like meadowland, other greens getting close to the water.

The dress code allowed for my golf tee with a collar and slacks. We were able to walk the course with rental pull carts. Here I am on one of the more challenging greens with a very narrow profile and if you want to reach it without going over the water, it costs you another stroke.

Golf in Ireland in May is very pleasant since May is the month with the least rain. We found only two days of rain during our month long visit.  To get your self in the mood for golf, check out these I, or listen to Robin Williams doing his Irish Drinking Golf routine.