ALSO AVAILABLE AT:

 
Austad’s.com - $199.99 New (sale)

Amazon.com - $199,99 Used

Callaway Preowned.com - $113.99 Used

Ebay – $159.95 Used

Golfsmith.com – $159.95 Used, $199.99 New (sale)

Golf Galaxy.com – $199.99 New (sale)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Callaway is one of the leading makers of golfing equipment, including high quality drivers. The names itself is as intimidating as the actual driver.

This golf driver features the Hyperbolic Face Technology which is a specific face design that combines math and engineering.  The face is lighter and stiffer in various parts in order to add forgiveness. The outcome is a driver that delivers extremely high ball speeds all across the face. It helps you hit the ball farther and straighter whether you hit the ball well or not. The Diablo is known for its Edge Technology which helps you get higher Moment of Inertia (MOI), more forgiveness, and a greatly expanded sweet-spot that makes even an amateur look like a pro.

While the Diablo looks traditional, it actually has a club head with grooves.  These grooves add discretionary weight to the heel area, which help avoid slices.  This Callaway driver is designed for players who are looking for increased ball speeds and more distance.  You can also achieve better off-center hits as the driver is one of the straightest out there. The Big Bertha Diablo is all about power and performance when it comes to a driver

 PROS:

A driver that makes it practically impossible to slice the ball to the right and any golfer that has ever suffered with this problem will appreciate how many points they will shave off the round totals with the Diablo. 

CONS:

Some players have complained about the extra side spin created by the driver.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

With the largest permitted driver clubface, along with superior technology for distance and control, this driver is suitable for both amateurs and professionals.

ALSO AVAILABLE AT:

Callaway X-22 (4-PWAW) Irons at Austads - $699.99 New

Callaway X-22 on Amazon.com - $579.99 Used, $699.99 New

Ebay – $499.99 Used

Golfsmith.com – $699.99 New

Golf Galaxy – $699.99 New

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: 

The X-22 irons are Callaway’s latest development targeting the player who is seeking the ultimate combination of playability and forgiveness. Callaway continues to expand their designs and push the limits of innovation. The X-22 irons are a perfect example of Callaway’s commitment of setting the industry standard for performance and forgiveness. Perhaps one of Callaway’s trademarks is the bore through design. That is when the shaft goes all the way through the club head and is visible on the sole plate. In the Callaway X22 irons, Callaway used a modified Tru-Bore. This is just simply a new and improved version of the traditional bore through. The modified Tru-Bore has a polycarbonate tip plug at the bottom of the shaft when it is visible on the sole plate. The tip plug absorbs the vibration from the club head hitting the ground or ball resulting in a softer feel for the golfer. The shape is very much “Player’s type” with just a thicker overall feeling. Definitely a thinner topline than we have been used to in the past.

Callaway has starting using the VFT technology in most of its golf clubs these days. VFT stands for Variable Face Thickness and when used in irons it lowers the center of gravity creating the perfect trajectory. That perfect trajectory results in a higher launch angle in the lower irons and better control of trajectory in the shorter irons.

 PROS: 

Great MOI and forgiveness that will match any iron out there.

 CONS: 

Limited shaft options.  Great graphite selection but only  a UniFlex selection in steel. Also, Callaway equipment is known to be costlier than its competition.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Callaway X-22 needs to be on every recreational player’s short list.  It offers everything a game-improvement iron should.

ALSO AVAILABLE AT:

Titleist Golf Equipment at Austad’s Golf - $999.99 New

Titleist AP2 Irons on Amazon.com - $699.99 Used, $899.99 New

 Ebay – $629.99 Used

Golfsmith.com – $779.93 Used: $999.99 New

Golf Galaxy – $899.99 New

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: 

Titleist “AP” stands for “Advaned Performance” .The Forged AP2 are formed with a 1025 carbon steel body. Laser welded to the back and sole, a tungsten nickel box lowers the center of gravity, creating an optimal CG location low and deep in the clubhead. The lower, deeper CG results in improved launch conditions with consistent ball speed for distance control and optimal launch and spin for trajectory control. The elastomer cushion and the metallic cavity plate soften the feel at impact, tune the sound for optimal pitch, and generally make everything feel just a bit sweeter.

Titleist considers the AP2 a “dual cavity design.” The first cavity is obvious: it’s the top portion of the club, above the elastomer cushion and below the topline of the club. The second cavity is hidden by the tungsten nickel box. Both cavities push the weight to the perimeter, improving forgiveness on off-center shots.  The iron has a metal shelf that connects the back of the cavity to the clubface, right behind the impact area, and it improves the rigidity of the rather thin clubface while acting in cooperation with the elastomer cushion to reduce face vibration.

Finally, the sole itself is optimized for better players. It features a relieved trailing edge and optimized bounce that seek to achieve the delicate blend between forgiveness and playability for the better golfer.

 PROS:

Titleist AP2 offers traditional solid feel, looks, and shot control for the skilled player.

 CONS:

The sole is a bit wider than most good players are accustomed to.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Recommended for professionals since amateurs may find it difficult to adjust to the wide sole and derive maximum benefit out of this awesome iron.

The Nike SQ Dymo and Nike SQ Dymo2 is definitely an attempt by Nike to significantly optimize launch and spin rates based on loft.Nike PowerBow Weighting Technology places the the Center of Gravity (COG) to be placed where it’s most needed, by loft.  The lower the loft, the more forward and higher the COG, allowing for a more penetrating ball flight.  The higher the loft, the deeper and lower the COG, allowing for increased spin rates and generous launch results. By all indications of the reviews, Nike has done well with the Dymo.  However, even though the #1 player in the world plays this driver, it does not necessarily mean it serves the mere mortals well.  So let’s take a closer look at this driver. The Nike Dymo has four models – Dymo, Dymo2, Dymo STR8-Fit, and the Dymo2 STR8-Fit.  The basic differences between the two models (less the STR8-Fit) is one of shape, or as Nike puts it Round or Square Geometry.  The Dymo2 has a square-shape and the Dymo is more conventional in nature.  The Square is supposedly more “straight” while the round allows more shot shaping.  The STR8-Fit is a shaft adapter and hosel fitting system that allows the player to adjust the shape of his shot through a change in the setting, to up to 8 different shot shapes, Draw to Fade. Actual Player Feedback- “I was playing with the Ping Rapture driver and when i tried this driver i just had to get it great club gained 15yds on my drives. Its well worth the money” “best driver i’ve had by far” Pros/Positives- This driver is made for the masses for sure.  The technology that went into this club definitely allows the average golfer to make strides in both accuracy and distance off the tee.  The PowerBow Weighting Technology definitely puts this driver on the map and worthy of consideration. Cons/Negatives- The stock shaft, the UST Wide Body with AXIV core is questionable.  Even though it is a lightweight shaft made by one of the best shaft manufacturers, having only one shaft option, in my opinion, severely limits the capability of this driver. This is a nice review of the Nike Dymo- Overall Rating- The Nike SQ Dymo along with the added feature STR8-Fit is definitely worth a look.  Given that Nike has top-notch R&D, you are assured they will come out with decent products.

Private Clubs have historically structured their membership offerings to include a provision for the return or refund of all or some portion of the initiation fee/ new members pay to join a club. This initial payment is subject to certain terms and conditions as set forth in the club’s membership plan and by-laws. A common scenario provides a refund to a resigning member based on some formula, such as for every 3 or 4 new members who join, one resigning member receives a refund. This formula continues until the golf club reaches its membership cap after which resigning members are repaid on a one to one basis. Additionally, sometimes the continuation of the payment of dues is required in order to receive a refund. Can you answer the following question? Every single week I speak to a private club having problems with membership. To increase my understanding of their particular situation I ask a series of questions that include the initiation fee obligatory to join the golf club. The majority of time, there is a provision for the return of a fraction or in some cases all of the initiation golf membership fee that is required. I then will question the business reason behind the membership initiation fee structure that is in place and I typically get a response like, “I am not sure of the reason” or “that is something I have never really thought about”. Your golf resort has the wrong kind of waiting list! The return of an initiation fee can make sense if there is a sound business reason behind the plan and it works very well if the club is in a great market and is enrolling new members at a rapid pace. However, more often than not, membership velocity begins to slow long before the club has reached a full complement of members and members who have decided to resign cannot be repaid at the time they wish to resign. And membership resignations will always occur. Even in the finest of golf clubs, attrition rates are six percent or greater as members in many cases, even if they are totally satisfied with their golf club, resign due to relocation, health issues, change of employment, and other interests. And, as noted earlier in this article, they may even be required to continue to pay for dues in order to receive their refund payment. This leaves the club in the unenviable position of having a waiting list to leave the club, which not only poses a significant financial hurdle, but also is a deterrent to having new members join. How can I get my club out of this situation? Now, there are solutions to getting out of a situation like this including:

• Establishing new categories of membership.
• Providing the refunds to resigning members at a reduced rate. This typically would require member consent.
• Establishing a means for members to rent their membership or designate a beneficial user of the membership.
• Establishing a non-refundable golf membership.
• Making changes to the golf clubs by-laws.
• Creating a re-callable golf club membership.

However, caution must at all times be exercised. Trying any new approach without carefully considering the many factors involved including clearly understanding your market and where your golf club fits in it, your competition, your approach to prospecting for new golf members, your enrollment and attrition rates, what you are permitted to do legally, and the effects the changes may have on the golf club’s financial stability, may actually turn a bad situation into a worse one. You need to get professional assistance now! Does your golf club currently have a waiting list to of members wanting leave? Are you just opening a new golf club and structuring your golf membership offer? Does you golf management firm have a golf membership sales program in place to preserve your current members as well as bring in new ones? Do not simply believe that the way golf membership plans have been set up for decades is the correct approach for you and your golf course. Do not fall into the trap of short term thinking or advice from well intentioned friends or board members who are not professionals with experience in the membership or golf club business. The decisions and plans you make today have a considerable impact on how successful or not your golf club will be in enrolling new members three or four years from now.

  The problem with some people who are into golf is that they thought all the while there is no sweat learning this game. You just need to hold a stick or whatever they call it and with all your might, whack the ball right across the golf course. But that’s not what golf is really all about. Like many other games, you need some real effective training beforehand and once you did, you can now get ”going to the greens. You need to practice your swing, you need to practice your putt and you need to a good “golf slice fix”. There are dozens of training aids that can help you in fixing your golf slice, but many don’t help you accomplish this. But some of these trainings in the form of book guides and other downloadable “How to Golf Slice” learning tools are not that effective or are not reliable at all. Isn’t that a little bit painful to the head? You get so very elated, you go out and buy that product only to discover it was a dud. There are many stories that you can hear regarding this. It’s really very remarkable how much money is wasted on these phony training tools that can never solve the maladies of a golfer. These golf equipment companies seem to care for themselves more than their customers and they are becoming good at it, wouldn’t you agree? Marketing illusionists. Anyway, it’s good that today there is an existence of the Internet and for golfers who need to learn how to fix golf slice, they can just sit at home, browse the World Wide Web and hopefully find a good book guide or anything that can help them learn how to do golf slices the right way. One particular e-book guide is called The Golf Slice Cure which has been the most sought-after book guide for golfers for fixing their golf slice. You can assure yourself that this is the real thing because it was not created by any golf equipment companies but by a professional golfer.

 El Valle golf resort in Murcia, Spain is one of the most exclusive in the region and with its championship golf course consistently rated in the top five of the current Murcia courses, now would be a good time to pick up a great deal on El Valle resales. El Valle is a low-build resort and the developer is unlikely to create another like this with so few properties. Luxury villas and apartments built on over one million square metres of beautiful Murcia land with views across the Mar Menor…what more could you ask for?

Getting to El Valle Golf Resort

Flying in from the UK will take approximately two hours and by 2010 there’ll be a choice of airports. Currently, San Javier airport is the closest with just a 20 minute drive to El Valle. Alternatively, Alicante airport is a 45 minute journey but by next year the new airport under construction at Corvera will open which means journey time to El Valle will be down to just 15 minutes.

If you’re looking to travel within the country or perhaps are already located in Spain, the golf resort is 3.5 hours drive from Madrid, 2.5 hours from Valencia and 2 hours from Granada.

Location of El Valle Golf Resort

As the name of the resort suggests, El Valle is located in a valley at the foot of the Carrascoy Mountains next to Baños Y Mendigo, a hamlet with only 340 inhabitants. The name ‘Baños Y Mendigo’ translates as ‘Baths and Beggar (or pauper)’ and refers to the historical waters which were used for irrigation and bathing of locals and a small chapel which was once home to a beggar.

The beaches at Mar Menor and the other golf resorts of La Loma, La Torre, Hacienda Riquelme, Laa Terrazas de la Torre and Mar Menor are within a 15 minute drive.

Facilities and things to do at El Valle

As with many of the golf resorts in Murcia, construction is still ongoing but once complete El Valle will boast some high quality facilities. The clubhouse opened last summer and is home to the El Asador restaurant, the Sandalo Bar and the Clover Irish Bar. Once the town centre is complete, all the amenities you would expect such as shops, gym and a health spa will become available.

In the meantime, El Valle is on the Polaris World shuttle bus route which means as a resident you can travel to the nearby resorts of Hacienda Riquelme, La Torre and Mar Menor and take advantage of their facilities without having to drive.

If you want a break from golfing, the city of Murcia is a 15 minute drive from El Valle. There you’ll find stunning architecture, a grand cathedral, museums, high street shops and pavement cafés. The Aqua Natura water park is also close to Murcia city combining water slides with a zoo.

The clear blue seas of Mar Menor and its splendid beaches are just 10 minutes from El Valle. Mar Menor is perfect for the water sports enthusiast. If water isn’t your thing, you can go hiking, cycling and fishing around the nature reserves and mountains of Murcia.

El Valle Resale Golf Property

Just 668 properties including apartments and three types of villa have been built at El Valle. Apartments range from two bedroom/1bathroom to 2 bed/2 bathroom. Villas are available as three bedroom/two bathroom, three bed/three bathroom and huge five bed/five bathroom. Interiors have been fitted with superior finishes including air conditioning, fully fitted kitchens, timber shutters and private pools.

El Valle Golf Course

The real reason for buying a property at El Valle is to play the Jack Nicklaus designed championship golf course. An 18-hole desert-style par 71 challenge awaits you each day and this undulating course utilises the natural terrain and hazards you’d expect of golfing set in Murcian hills and countryside.

El Valle is by no means a long course at 6,161 yards and any golfer with a long game will score well provided they stay away from the many hazards. With few trees and very little out of bounds areas even the wayward shots off the tee can pick up an advance forward on the ball and get back in play without problem.

Residents of El Valle are eligible for favourable discounts on Green Fees. Special promotional periods where you can get free buggies are also sometimes available. Once you’ve played the El Valle challenge, there’s the other Nicklaus golf trail courses located at each of the Polaris World resorts to visit where you can receive up to 50% of your Green Fees.

If ever you have put any effort into considering how deep we are into technology, stop and consider this: a person can find software to do practically anything you could conceive of. For the less technologically-inclined; software is a computer program which automatically does some normally complicated jobs. This is different from hardware, which is the physical computer parts and sub-systems. A great system for you to consider is the Garmin Golflogix GPS.

When a particluar product or practice is wildly popular, there will be an enormous array of software manufactured for it. However, a wide amount of software usually leads to wide variations in quality. As an example, golf is a popular game which has a wide range of software applications. One kind of golf software can complement the game and even improve your score. Other golf software can be either so inconvenient to apply or so specialized that it could possibly hamper your game, unless you use a good system like the Garmin Golflogix GPS.

Usually,  golf software enables  you to properly predict how many yards your ball will fly and how your ball will respond in different weather conditions, as well as as you use a range of clubs. With the introduction of a Global Positioning System or GPS, the possible applications of golf software expand considerably. The basic idea is that satellite linking software can calculate the distances between different points on a golf course, enabling the player to make calculated judgments. The GPS becomes useful when you need data concerning your current location relative to surrounding water hazards and tees. You will have several variables to explore when purchasing any golf GPS software.

The initial point to be considered when considering software is your hardware specifications. These will influence the speed at which a program is able to perform, or whether it can work at all on a given machine. Golf GPS systems are devices that serve just as computerized golf assistants, whereas golf GPS software will function on a handheld computer like a Pocket PC. Some of the information you need to look up concerning your next purchase of software includes what devices will it run on, what operating system does it require, and the amount RAM and hard memory must it use? Portable devices have less memory space than laptop and desktop computers, therefore knowing these factors becomes considerably more crucial.

Your next considerations are the functions of the software itself. Is it easy to install? Will it update easily with new modules or maps? Because it is not feasible to store data on every single golf course in the world on one handheld device, exchanging data in and out needs to be a simple task. On top of that, you ought to decide on software with regards to whether the manufacturer provides free data downloads or subscriptions.

In the game is where this software will show its true colors. The user interface needs to be logical, easy to read while at the same time, easy to use. If the software includes enhanced maps such as aerial or satellite photos, are the photos recognizable? Of course, the information and calculations have to be correct to be worth a dime.

Golf GPS software is redefining the way we all play golf. Golf is a sport, and a golfer’s achievement is something everyone looks at. With some golfers, however, the enjoyment will always be in peacefully taking pleasure in a friendly game and not their score. The Garmin Golflogix GPS is a great system to complement your software.

For special Myrtle Beach golf packages, follow along the Historic Waccamaw River as you enjoy a great round or two of golf along the Waccamaw Golf Trail!

Waccamaw, after the Waccamaw Indians is a name long familar to the Carolinas. The Waccamaw River (perhaps better known as the Intracoastal Waterway in that area) flows from North Carolina to Winyah Bay, in Georgetown, South Carolina and now instead of old rice fields and former plantations, the river meanders past some of the finest Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island Golf.

You’ll see wildlife you don’t see in other areas, pileated woodpeckers are common as are “monkey squirrels”. You might even spot a Black Bear. Azaleas and dogwood flood the banks and bloom in the spring. Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park are just two year-round attractions.

Unlike the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, which offers golf courses strung out along many miles, this is a concentration of 12 great golf courses all within minutes of each other. Famous golf designers with golf course designs you’ll find hard to match. Golf awards are many among this group of golf courses. Golf Digest has issued “America’s Top 100 Public Courses to four of them. Willbrook is a favorite for the ladies and the list goes on.

Superior golf courses, short, short travel time and little traffic make these very special golf packages indeed? Whoa! no more getting up at the crack of dawn to meet that early tee time.

Blackmoor and TPC are located on route 707 at the north end of this golf trail with Wachesaw East just off Highway 17 East in Murrells Inlet. Just a few miles south, you’ll find great Pawleys Island Golf, Litchfield, Tradition Golf and River Club, just 3 great golf courses in Litchfield area. Just a couple of miles past Litchfield you’ll find the Heritage, Caledonia and True Blue on the Old Kings Highway and on the Highway 17 Bypass you can play Pawleys Plantation and Founders Club.

What a golfing experience…you don’t find golf courses like these clustered together everyday no matter where you play! 

Beautiful Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, has enviable views of the old rice fields from it’s club house and sometimes the comments from the porch that overlooks the 18thhole will hassle you, but never doubt you are playing one of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” as named by Golf Digest. It’s also considered one of the most beautiful courses in the area due to old plantings, a welcoming avenue of Oaks and other scenery. Built on the original site of “Waverly Plantation”, the grounds date back to 1750 and before the golf course was built in the mid ’90s was home to “Ducks Unlimited” and other fantastic parties. Doc Lachicotte & Wilson Springs, the founders of Caledonia can be spotted many times at the little “fish camp” just before you make the turn into the road leading to the clubhouse. True Blue Golf Course and sister to Caledonia was ranked in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” in 2003.

Do yourself a favor and consider these super golf courses everytime you come to Myrtle Beach. It’s easy to play five or six of these golf courses in a 3 day package as they are so close to each other! Whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy a different kind of golf vacation and true Southern hospitality.

Explore more information about Myrtle Beach golf that incorporates the Waccamaw Golf Trail and other great golf courses.