If you’re planning a golfing vacation, you’re going to need a golf travel bag to protect your clubs during travel.  This is especially important if you’ll be flying to your destination as luggage isn’t always handled as it should be.  There are a few different things you should look for as you are purchasing a bag and I’ll cover them in this article.

First, you’ll need to decide which type of bag best suites your needs, a hard travel bag or a soft nylon cover.  The hard plastic golf case is the choice most people make if they’ll be flying, but it is the much more expensive choice.  Hard cases and bags provide superior protection for your clubs and are the best choice in cases where you aren’t handling your own bags.  The one downside to a hard case for your clubs is the weight.  Most hard cases come with wheels, but you’ll still need to lift it from time to time. 

If you don’t need to hand off your bags to someone else, you’re in a much better position to choose the cheaper, soft cover golf bag.  This type of bag does not protect clubs very well, but since you’ll be handling them yourself, this shouldn’t be as much of a worry.  There is a much better selection of designs and styles with a soft cover bag as well. 

Whichever type of bag you choose, make sure that it has wheels.  Some soft cover bags don’t come with wheels and you should avoid this if at all possible.  Without wheels, you’ll be stuck carry your clubs from place to place and, considering the weight of most sets of clubs, you’re bound to get tired quickly.  Wheeled golf covers are generally a bit more expensive, but it’s well worth it to save your arms from a grueling workout.

I dread to think about the cost of my golfing habit (I call it a habit rather than a hobby – I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to).  Every year I buy a few more clubs, a few boxes of balls, maybe a new bag, and that’s before I even think of club fees.  Some years, I’m sure, golfing has cost me thousands.  It’s always a nice surprise, then, when I head out to buy yet another seemingly essential gadget to improve my game to find that it doesn’t cost the earth.

Last week I lost my beloved pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers.  I’ve had those things for years, and one day they just up and left.  I’ve no idea where I lost them, but I’ve turned the house upside down to no avail.  

Now, a pair of Ray Bans cost around $100, and to be honest I’m a little too short right now to be wasting money on sunglasses, but I’ll be hitting the links next week and I needed something to keep the glare away.  I hopped online to read some reviews and find a bargain, and almost straight away I found a review of these Radians shooting glasses.  For less than $15 (with free shipping) you can get a cool looking, high quality pair of glasses that work just as well as any $100+ pair.  For a man on a budget, these fit the bill.

For years now I’ve had a habit of losing my sunglasses at the drop of a hat – I lost three pairs in the space of a week on a trip to Bangkok last year – so it’s nice to know that a pair of the best cheap shooting glasses will only set me back $15-20.  If I lose a pair, no biggie.  

What’s more, my teenage son seems to have inherited my forgetfulness, so it’s nice to have a source of youth shooting glasses for around $10.  That kid can lose a pair of sunglasses in his sleep!

It’s not too hard to talk yourself into wanting to buy more golf equipment, whether it be golf clubs or a golf cart. The problem comes from knowing what to spend your hard earned money on. We’ve all learned the hard way that the prettiest, shiniest equipment is not always the best option.

If you’re like me, you need every advantage you can get on the links. But how do you know what to buy to give you that extra edge? I’ve turned to the internet to help me get real, honest opinions from real people who actually use what they are reviewing.

The best option I’ve discovered is ThemeField. This site, marketed as the ‘Social Knowledge Network’, scours the internet for up-to-minute reviews and information about anything you could possibly imagine. Head over to their site and search for that new titanium driver you’ve got your eye on. Within seconds, you will be shown what real people are actually saying about it right now. You can cut right through the marketing bull crap and get real-world opinions. Themefield brings all the social interactions about products into an easy to navigate location.

Another great service that ThemeField has going for it is it’s YouTube channel. Every week they put together their Smart Awards Show showcasing that week’s most talk about items compiled from the week’s social interactions. It’s a great source of information.

So the next time you’ve got the urge to buy that next big ticket golf item, be sure to check out ThemeField. Get the real-world opinion before wasting your money on another junk club.

One problem that I always seem to have with my golf game is that by the tenth hole my back hurts, my body is tight, and my game always drops off a stroke (or three) on the back nine.  This is especially true when I’m walking.

The problem with Golf is straightforward, and is the same problem that athletes find with tennis, baseball, and other one-sided dominated sports: by performing the same action over and over your body tends to get out of wack, which can lead to lot of back pain and poor performance.

Fortunately, there are somethings that you can do to get rid of the back pain and keep one side of your body from being much weaker than the other.  Here are 3 things my physical therapist has me doing and that have helped me improve my golf game by 4 strokes/round (seriously).

1. Lift weights specifically for golf.  Don’t go to the gym and start bench pressing right away.  Instead concentrate on core muscles first and individual weights.  By doing core workouts you will help build up those muscles which hold your body in place.  And by working out with individual weights you will see quickly which side of your body needs more working out.
2. Use an inversion table regularly before and after rounds of golf.  Using the best inversion table twice daily, especially after a round of golf can help get your back back into its proper position, reduce soreness, and help stretch out your muscles and ligaments.  

Using an inversion table was the suggestion from my doc that surprised me most, but honestly it has helped out my golf game a ton and has helped me feel much better after a full round.  If you suffer from back pain, then you may want to try one out as well.

In case you haven’t noticed, walking 18 holes can take a lot out of you. If just walking wasn’t bad enough, you’ve also got to lug around that huge, heavy golf bag with all your clubs, balls, tees, etc. At the end of the day, that leisurely day out on the links can end up wearing you out.

So, what can you do to avoid this? Well, you’re not going to like the answer, but it’s simple: you’re going have to start a golf-specific fitness routine. Before you start moaning and groaning, there’s three trains of thoughts for this: 1) a basic, not so intense workout, 2) an intense workout, or 3) do nothing at all.

I’m not going to address the third option, it’s pretty self explanatory. If you’re not motivated enough to make any changes on your own, I’m not real sure why you’re even reading this.

The basic, not so intense workout is what most folks will prefer, and even possibly stick to. This won’t include buying thousands of dollars of training gear to just shed a few pounds and gain a slight increase in stamina. What you’re going to need to do is change up your daily routine to incorporate healthy activities. Start with taking a brisk walk before you head to the office. After a few weeks, you may want to mix in some jogging during your stroll. Running and walking is a sure fire way of increasing your stamina. Next, modify your work station. Instead of sitting in your chair for 8 hours, try standing up for an hour or two during the duration of your day. If your hardcore, reposition your computer so that you can type while standing up. You burn more calories standing up than sitting. This can add to a significant weight loss over a period of time without you even noticing. The more weight you lose, the less weight you have to lug around on the golf course.

The intense workout is going to be tough. I highly recommend two options for this: 1.) join a gym and pay for a personal trainer or 2.) buy the P90X workout DVDs.

The benefit of joining the gym is that your trainer can tailor your workouts specifically for your body type and what you want to accomplish (golf fitness). Unfortunately, depending on your gym, this can get expensive quick. But on the other hand, if your spending your hard-earned money on a trainer, you’re more than likely to use it and get the results you desire.

My favorite, and significantly cheaper option, is to purchase the P90x workout discs from Beach Body. For less than $150, you will get an intense workout schedule that has been proven to get results and you’ll be able to do these within the comforts of your own home. Don’t worry about equipment either. All you’ll need is a few dumbells, resistance bands and/or a pull-up bar. You can acquire all this for under $50.

Let me warn you, P90x gets results if you stick to it, but it is an intense workout. You may want to consider a regime of nutritional bars, whey protein, sports drinks, and bottled water before you begin. If you stick to this program for at least 90 days, I guarantee you will lose your gut and increase your strength to the point that you will be running circles around your golfing buddies.

While you’re on your quest to increase your golf fitness, you’ll probably notice that being healthier is not only helpful on the links, but also in life in general. Feel free to use golf as an excuse to get in shape, but use being in shape as a reason to live a happy life.