The team side of golf

Not many people think about golf as a team sport. In fact, golf is one of the most individual sports in the world. Unlike other team sports where the athletes enter the arena in their team warm up suits and plenty of hype with the aim to work together to win the game, golfers simply step up to the tee box with a brief announcement and a polite clapping to begin a round that only they have control over. However, there is definitely a team side to this individual sport. Read on to find out more.

Team competition
Professional golfers occasionally compete in team events such as the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. These events are team orientated and provide for the team atmosphere often lacking from this sport. The team score in these events is the most important factor and even the most impressive individual performances can still find the golfer on the losing side. Many players list these events as some of their favorite golfing events of their career.

Team play
There are a number of alternative versions of golf that allow for team play. One of the most popular is known as best ball. In this version of golf a team of two hit alternate shots to try and achieve the best score. Other versions are also common and are very popular with social golfers.

The team behind the individual
Even in individual events professional golfers also have a team of staff to help them achieve their best play. Their caddy does more than just carry the club and offers advice during play. Their coach helps to improve their game. Some of the highest ranked professional golfers have other members of their team such as: physios, doctors, sports scientists, nutritionists and more.

Golf may not be the most team oriented sport in the world, but as you can see there are many team aspects that you may not have thought about before!

Why I Take a Golfing Holiday Each Year

Every year I visit the city of Melbourne in Australia for one reason, to play golf. Although this sounds like an odd place to visit I also have relatives there so I can pretend as if I am there to see them. Melbourne has some fine sand belt golf courses that require more than brute force to master, which is perfect for a short hitter like me. Most courses are open to the public and are the green fees are quite reasonable. There are literally hundreds of courses within a few hundred kilometres of the city, which means that I can play a different one each year.

Some of my friends have been known to visit other exotic golfing locations, such as Thailand or Hawaii. Their stories about these far away lands had me intrigued and I am planning on joining a group of friends for a golf break in Thailand later next year. I'm sure my family in Melbourne will miss my visit, but less family time means more golf! One place I have always wanted to visit is St. Andrews. Not only because it is the home of golf, but because my childhood idol Peter Thomson won his second Open Championship there. The best thing about visiting the United Kingdom is that there are hundreds of courses I would love to play. If Thailand is a success maybe I'll research golf breaks UK for 2013! Let me know in the comments your favourite golfing holiday destination.