Golf Exclusives E-Newsletter - January 1, 2004

Thanks for a Great Year
We want to thank all of you for your inquiries and purchases this past year. As you know, we are a website that specializes in only a few of the best golf destinations, sites that we have visited and played. 2003 was a record year for us. We expect to serve you even better in 2004. Please contact us if you have any ideas for serving you better

Welcome to the Golf Exclusives Hole In One Club
All of us love to get a hole in one, and when we do to brag about it to our friends, relatives and fellow golfers. With that in mind we created a club, so you can publicize your skill(luck) and also get a reward.

Only one new addition to the club this quarter. He is Tom Thanas. He got his ace at Heritage Bluffs in Channahon IL on September 28, 2003 It was a 6 iron on # 8 which measured 156 yards . There was a betting hole contest there that day, and the sponsor told him he "would get the course if he got a hole in one" After sanity prevailed, he did get a round of golf for a foursome. Congratulations Tom! Your Gift certificate is on its way to you

If you or another member of your group has a hole in one, send us the information. It will be included in the next issue of our Newsletter. The golfer will receive a $25 Gift Certificate from Golf Exclusives, good for future golf travel with us.

Select the Perfect Iron Set for Your Game
By Frank J. Peter, editor at LearnAboutGolf.com

Having a good set of irons that you can trust is very comforting. Sure, driving the ball is fun, but in a round of golf it's the irons you count on to get you on the green and in position to do well. The good news is that modern technology has made irons easier to hit than ever. This buyers' guide will help you learn the basics of iron design, how they've improved, and which clubs are best suited for your game.

Iron Essentials
Most iron sets consist of a 3-iron through pitching wedge (listed as 3-PW). This accounts for 8 of the 14 clubs you can carry according to the Rules of Golf, leaving room for a putter and three woods. Some players substitute a high-lofted wood for the 3-iron because they find it easier to hit. This is a good strategy. However, stronger players who don't have a problem getting the ball up may still prefer to use the more accurate long irons.

Here's a guide to the key features of today's irons:

Blade versus cavity-back
A blade iron offers a smaller hitting surface and a thin top-line (portion of the club head viewed at address). It also has more mass behind the middle of the club head, sometimes called a "muscle-back," that gives a very soft feeling when hit properly. In contrast, a cavity-back or perimeter-weighted club has more weight around the outside edges of the club head to produce a larger sweet-spot. The easiest-hitting irons of all generally have a large cavity-back, thick top-line, and oversize club face. But increasingly, club makers are offering designs that incorporate the forgiving benefits of cavity-back in a blade style with a thinner top-line. For many traditionalist golfers, this is the answer.

Casting versus forging
Up until the early 1970s, forged steel club heads accounted for more than 90% of all irons made. This model involves hammering and shaping the club head. Now, investment casting has taken over as the primary manufacturing method. Casting, in which the metal is poured into a mold, costs less and makes it easier to produce the complex shapes of today's perimeter-weighted, cavity-back designs within tight specifications. However, forging is not likely to disappear because many golfers believe it offers better feel and ball "workability." It also offers a cleaner look for the tradition-minded golfer.

Hosel offset
This is measured from the leading edge of the hosel (where the shaft enters the club head) to the farthest front portion of the club face. Why is it important? A club with offset contacts the ball later than a club without offset. This helps "square" the club face at impact and reduces the tendency to slice (ball going right for right-handed golfers).

Progressive weighting
This involves placing a heavier material, such as copper or tungsten, in the sole of lower-lofted irons. This helps lower the center of gravity and get the ball in the air. Progressive weighting is generally eliminated in the shorter irons to help produce a lower, flatter trajectory.

Other Features
Grooves or scoring lines Grooves add spin and control to the ball's flight. An iron with no grooves causes the ball to "squirt" off the face. Backspin may decrease distance slightly but greatly enhances control. Karsten Solheim, legendary founder of Ping, brought attention to the value of grooves when players of his clubs with larger, sharper grooves began showing superior control - especially out of rough lies. The USGA strictly controls the depth and distance between scoring lines on the club face to ensure fairness.

Lie
This is the angle of the sole (bottom) of the club as it relates to the shaft. Too "flat" a lie places the heel of the club in the air, while too upright a lie angle causes the toe to be in the air at address.

Loft
This is the club face angle relative to the shaft, and determines the trajectory of your shots. It varies from about 22 degrees in a 3-iron for a lower, longer trajectory to 64 degrees in a wedge for short, high shots.

Satin finish vs. polish or chrome
This is merely a cosmetic question. A satin finish can be very attractive, but in general has a duller appearance than polished or chrome-finish club heads.

Sole
This is the very bottom part of the club head. If you look closely at the sole of your club, you'll notice it has a slight curvature from toe to heel and from leading edge to trailing edge. This "camber" or "radius sole" makes it easier to hit consistent shots. Sole width is another factor. A narrower sole works better from fairway and tight lie conditions while a wider sole is better for plush lies.

Frank J. Peter is the CEO of LearnAboutGolf.com, a free website especially for the golf beginner offering extensive golf lessons and golf tips, a golf fitness section, a Lady Golfer section, golf equipment reviews, free newsletter and more.

On The Road Again ( Part 2 of 2)
Well not quite yet! The partners of Golf Exclusives are planning our first ever golf trip to Ireland in 2004. I have been there for travel, but never to golf. Part 1 of 2 was in the 0ctober 1, 2003 issue of the Golf Exclusives E Newsletter. It focused on travel questions you may have. To read this article, simply go to the Golf Exclusives website, click on Newsletter archives, and see the article there. This article will give you a brief course description of some of the courses you are likely to play if you travel to Ireland for golf.

Ireland at present has an international reputation as the 'Golf Mecca of Europe'. Whether you are an experienced golf enthusiast or would just like to try some golf on your visit to Ireland, this information will help you plan your golfing holiday. Foremost among Ireland's special activities is golf. For well over 100 years, Ireland and golf have been synonymous. The Irish may not have invented the game, but they certainly have taken to it like second nature, playing 12 months a year. There are now 394 clubs Golf has become Ireland's single biggest sporting holiday attraction with 219,000 overseas golfing visitors. The island of Ireland also claims no less than one third of all the links courses in the world. The building of new parkland courses has helped in the consolidation of Ireland's reputation as the Mecca of golf in Europe, a title that will culminate in the holding of the prestigious Ryder Cup in the near future.

A breathtaking challenge awaits the golfers at Ballybunion, the glorious links course as one of the best in the world. A magnificent test of golf which meanders menacingly through massive dunes on the shores of the Atlantic. Ballybunion actually boasts two separate courses, the Old Course and the Cashen Course which was created by the famous Robert Trent Jones Sr. The Old Course, consistently ranked as one of the world's top ten courses. The Old Course is rated #8 of "The 100 greatest courses in the British Isles". Even on a less windy day walking is not easy here. If the wind is blowing strongly you will be happy to have survived. Close by, the Cashen Course, with its succession of formidable par fives and breathtaking beauty, amply qualifies as one of the world's masterpieces. The Cashen Course is rated #77 of "The 100 greatest courses in the British Isles".

Dooks is a testing eighteen-hole links situated of the most picturesque corners of the Ring of Kerry. A truly traditional experience awaits the visitors in Dooks. The golf course is laid out on one of three stretches of sand-dunes at the head of Dingle Bay. The first hole of some 400 yards is far from a gentle opening with a sloping fairway combining with a tightly guarded green. The second is a prime example of the deceptively subtle nature of the course. Little more than a crisply struck wedge in these days of advanced technology, the hole nonetheless demands an accurately played shot with bunkers and other dangers awaiting the errant stroke. Hole no. 13 best illustrates the charm and magic of Dooks. It is a throw back hole to the time when golf began. Greens lay where they fell and were the better for it; they are not very large but well-protected and accuracy is required. The course, not very long but sometimes very narrow gets tougher when the wind is blowing.

Set in scenic countryside in County Wicklow, is not only a privilege but a delight. Words hardly do justice to its beauty and when the sun shines, there is more than a casual resemblance to Augusta in the look of some of the holes. Indeed, while Augusta has its Amen Corner, Druids Glen can boast a stretch covering the 8th, 12th and 13th where some feel they only survive on a wing and a prayer. But a few quick words at the Druids Altar, a stone-pre-Christian place of worship, which overlooks the 12th green, may help. Druids Glen is the work of Irish designer Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock. Landscaping played a major role in the designers' creation. A small stream that meandered through the site has been dammed to form lakes and waterfalls in the lower part of the layout. Following in the footsteps of Mount Juliet, Druids Glen is already one of Ireland's great inland courses, it is rated #2 of "The Top 10 New Courses" in the British Isles". Courses nearby: Powerscourt, Blainroe, The European, Woodenbridge, and Charlesland.

Many , many courses to choose from. If you want the details on one of your favorites, please contact mike@golfexclusives.com and I will get the information to you promptly.

Golf Exclusives Specials

Ryder Cup: Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills MI
Dates: September 16-20, 2004

Includes:
4 nights double occupancy accommodations at the Hilton Garden Inn
Match badges for Friday-Sunday
Breakfast each morning
4 day compact car rental
All state and local taxes

Not Included:
Badge for opening ceremony.
Gas, tax and insurance on rental vehicle
Airfare. We can provide airfare if needed.

Cost per person: $1,995.

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Scottsdale AZ
3 nights from $1360 per person/double
7 nights from $2530 per person/double
for travel January 15 through April 17, 2004

Includes:
3 or 7nts Accommodation Fairmont room
3 or 7 day Hertz Mid-size car with Unlimited mileage (tax and insurance paid locally)
3 or 6 rounds of Golf with Cart and Pre-Booked Tee Times at the following courses- TPC Stadium(on-site), We-Ko-Pa, Wildfire Faldo and Sunridge Canyon, Wildfire Palmer and Grayhawk Talon)
Tax and Service Charges (except on car)
Some Surcharges May Apply

Marco Island Marriott Resort Marco Island FL
3 nights from $825 per person/double
7 nights from $1620 per person/double
for travel December 21, 2003 through May 1, 2004

Includes:
3 or 7nts Accommodation Hotel room
Full Breakfast daily
3 or 7 day Hertz Mid-size car with Unlimited mileage (tax and insurance paid locally)
3 or 6 rounds of Golf with Cart and Pre-Booked Tee Times at on-site course
Tax and Service Charges (except on car)