In the Rough

Golf is a real passion for a lot of people. It goes beyond a way to relax or a way to spend time with your friends. There is something about the early mornings, the fresh air and the precision of the sport that really gets people hooked. This is why it is such a shame if you love your golf but you find it a struggle to afford all that goes with it.

Golf is not a cheap hobby to have. In fact it’s very expensive. You obviously need a full set of golf clubs, but you also need the right shoes and clothing. Membership fees for golf courses can be pretty high and days out at the driving range cost a fair bit to. In order to afford all this it makes sense to try and find new ways of earning money.

Online bingo is a good way of earning a bit of cash on the side and it is something that is overlooked a lot of the time. However, with the cash prizes at Posh Bingo and other sites, people looking to get into golf should ignore it at their peril. Resources like ohmybingo.com also have plenty of news on offers and promotions for online bingo websites.

The Irish Open has been hit by a sponsorship setback with mobile network Three deciding not to renew their sponsorship for 2011. Three have been sponsoring the Irish Open for the last two years but recently announced they will be putting more money into the sponsorship of the Republic of Ireland football team. This news followed a recent meeting between Opens organisers and the mobile network regarding a venue or the tournament next year. It had been tipped that a course in Northern Ireland would be the likely venue however the organisers will now need to address funding.

Ian Poulter secured his second title of the year winning the Hong Kong open. Poulter bogeyed the last hole but still finished in front of Simon Dyson and Matteo Mannassero. Poulter is confident he can can continue to climb the world leader board after moving up three places from fourteenth to eleventh. He isn’t getting carried away though because two years ago he was adamant he was Tiger Woods main challenger and he ended up falling further away from the former world number one. Poulter is concentrating on one tournament at a time.

Ian Poulter believes that too many events on the European circuit will cause problems when taking part in US events. Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood have rejected to take part in the PGA Tour. For players to retain their card in in Europe they will need to part in thirteen events. Poulters aim is to become world number one but he is concerned over where he will be playing his golf next year. Many other golfers may follow McIlroy and Westwood as they aim to closer to their families rather than spending week after week away from home.

At the beginning of November Lee Westwood became the new World Number One. Tiger Woods has held the number one position for two hundred and eighty one weeks but following problems in his personal life in 2009 has lead to very poor form since having a break from the game and returning earlier this year. Lee Westwood becomes the thirteenth number one since the rankings began twenty four years ago. Westwood will be favourite to win the Open when it comes to Royal St George in July 2011 even though he is yet to win a major. Every world number one has been successful in winning a major.

This is the time of year where playing golf can become difficult. Motivating yourself to get out on the golf course while the cold winds are blowing and the rain is coming down with force can be difficult. It is so easy to turn your back on golf for winter and maybe just pop down to driving range once in a while. However there can be some great satisfaction when playing golf in the winter months. Battling against the wind and rain can really help you to improve the judgement of your swing and power, and you can also fell a huge sense of achievement when completing a round when you have battled against mother nature.

Good news for all golf fans, it has just been announced that the BBC will continue to broadcast the Masters live on terrestrial TV. The news comes as excitement about the Ryder Cup, which will only be shown live on satellite television, reaches fever point.

The digital broadcaster will show the final two rounds of the tournament live. The director of sport at the BBC, Barbara Slater stated:

“The BBC is very proud we have broadcast the Masters every year since 1986 and we are delighted that this new deal enables us to continue this relationship.

“It means terrestrial audiences can continue to enjoy live coverage of the concluding rounds of this hugely prestigious tournament on BBC TV, alongside our comprehensive coverage on radio and online.”

Phil Mickelson managed to beat Lee Westwood to claim his third green jacket. Mickelson managed to get to a final round of 67 to end on 16 under, which, in turn, was 3 shots clear of Westwood. This is now Mickelson’s fourth Masters. Westwood, an English golfer, was close to getting his first Masters, who got a one-under 71, although it was his highest finish, at second place (whereas in his other two previous positions were third). Tiger Woods and KJ Choi both finished fourth place, whereas Anthony Kim finished third. Woods has also won the Masters four times, before his affairs.

The worlds number one golfer, Tiger Woods, has admitted a break from golf after recently competing in the Master’s. Woods, who had a year to forget with several affairs, returned to the golf scene this year at the Master’s cup, where he finished fourth. Woods has since decided to take a break from golf, although he might take part in the US open, having sent an application. Woods didn’t believe he played well enough in the tournament, and was frustrated to come fourth. Woods is going to go into the US open believing he can win it, even though he admits it will be extremely tough.

Lee Westwood, one of the best English golfers around, recently came second at the Master’s. This hasn’t discouraged him though, with his next aim being the US open. Westwood only just came second in the Master’s, with his three recent, previous meetings he came third. Westwood is determined to carry on with his form, as he believes that the door will open one day for him, and that by playing the way he is, he is likely to succeed. The tournament will be tough though, with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods in good form. Westwood was in good praise for Mickelson though, as he believed he earned the win.