Golf, the Marmite of the sporting world, you either love it or hate it. But it doesn't seem to be the latter with our HelpHounders. There are pages upon pages of golf-related reviews. So we thought we'd take a look into the game that can be played all over the UK come rain or shine, preferably shine. As it is now the Summer we thought it would be the perfect time to feature Golf as this week's HotTopic. We've got information on courses, where to get your equipment and clothing, Golfing Hotels and even some golf-themed jokes.
Clothing
For many, golf is a traditional game accompanied by tweed, checks and flat caps. For these golfers, youths with their tops off, their denim and 'lad-ish' behaviour on the greens is hugely frowned upon. Golf has had a revamp in its appeal in recent years with a fresh new wave of enthusiastic learners excitedly taking their positions at driving ranges and courses all over the UK. With this in mind the golfing image has also had to step up and shake off the cobwebs and introduce brands and new fashion lines to reflect the wants and needs of its new following. Well, fear no longer fashion-aware golfers of HelpHound! Your fellow members have highlighted a few companies that sell golf clothing and shoes for men, women and juniors which allow you to bring lots of individuality to your game. There are websites such as trendygolf.com which pleases Corrina as she sees "absolutely no reason at all why I should be forced to wear dodgy clothes in various shades of pastel, high waisted tapered trousers and bad shoes", subseventy.co.uk and golfposer.com that offer some funky alternatives to the run of the mill golfing outfit. For women there are some sites that specialize purely in female clothing such as ladygolfers.co.uk
Courses
Golf seems to be quite popular among our HelpHounders and you have done a great job at reviewing courses spread right across the UK, and even further! Upon searching HelpHound for golf course you are presented with a long list of reviewed courses that stretch the length of the UK. The top three rated courses are: Newton St Cyres Golf Club in Devon, Oakdale Golf Club in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and Hayling Golf Club on Hayling Island, Hampshire which according to Lewrichardson has been rated in the top 100 courses in Britain for a number of years. Amongst the list is the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, which according to minno is a "once in a lifetime MUST for all serious golfers." Then there's Trevose Golf & Country Club in Padstow, Cornwall, which seems to be a hit with Rachelp and Freddie L who have both been there and rated it positively. Saunton Golf Club in Saunton, Devon, is one of the "few courses in the West Country to have made it into Golf Monthly's top 100" according to Buster. North Yorkshire's Ilkley Golf Club in Ilkley is "voted in the top 150 best courses in England, and rightly so" according to Ferg. As you can see there's a nice spread of courses there that come highly recommended by your fellow HelpHounders, so why not take their advice this summer and give some of the listed courses a go.
Equipment
asimov recommends Direct Golf UK where he purchased his first driver. Upon searching HelpHound for golf shop you are presented with a good list of recommended businesses with locations ranging from Inverness to Exeter. A lot of these stores are also online so it doesn't matter where you are in the UK, there's a HelpHounder recommended Golf shop at your fingertips... literally! The Golf Shop Online is also reviewed on here as being a great help when it comes to Golfing conundrums, like Buster says, "just ring Golf Shop Online and they'll sort you out". JJB Sports also has a mention but the specialist stores, such as Mizuno Corp UK, appear to be more satisfactory and pleasing for our HelpHounders.
Golfing Hotels / Resorts
Why rush your game? After all, golf is meant to be a slow-paced and calculated game, so extend your stay by visiting a Golf Hotel or Resort. There have been quite a few recommended on the site. There's the Carnoustie Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Angus. Les Mielles Golf & Country Club in Jersey is, in minno's humble opinion, "the greatest of them all". And finally there is the Bank House Hotel Golf & Country Club in Worcestershire, which served as the venue for AlexaHP's Prom, lucky her! To find your very own golfing break venue then search through the golfing pages on HelpHound.
Golfing Jokes
Bill was 26 over par by the eighth hole; he had landed a fleet of golf balls in the water hazard, and dug himself into a trench fighting his way out of the rough. When his caddy coughed during a 12-inch putt, Bill exploded.
"You've got to be the worst caddy in the world!" he screamed.
"I doubt it," replied the caddy. "That would be too much of a coincidence."
Why do golfers always carry two pairs of trousers with them?
...Just in case they had a hole in one.
What should you do if your round of golf is interrupted by a lightning storm?
Walk around holding your 1-iron above your head, because even God can't hit a 1-iron!
Two long time golfers were standing overlooking the river.
One golfer turned to the other and said, "Look at those idiots fishin' in the rain."
Jokes courtesy of golfjokes.co.uk
Finally a thought from our very own Asimov:
"A man once said that if there is no golf in heaven he's not going. If I can't take my clubs with me I'm not going either!"