Materials and design are so advanced today that even modest cost balls are typically superior for most golfers.

The golf ball has evolved considerably over several hundred years from its early use in Holland and Scotland.

Centuries ago the 'featherie' was designed, a leather pouch stuffed with wet goose feathers. As it dried, the feathers expanded and the leather shrunk, forming a very hard semi-elastic ball that could go quite a distance by historical standards. Around the turn of the 20th century, the gutta percha came into widespread use. Dimpled and made of Malayan rubber, it was the first major advance in golf ball construction and revolutionized the game.

Today, materials science and golf physics has brought the golf ball to new heights, figuratively and literally.

Covered with Surlyn (a special DuPont rubbery plastic) the ball comes in various forms. A 1-piece is essentially just a uniform hard plastic ball. They're cheap balls used only for practice by beginners. The 2-piece is a solid plastic resin core wrapped with Surlyn. The 3-piece uses a core wrapped with elastic windings that are then covered. A 4-piece adds another layer but is the same basic design.

All these changes in material and geometry helped improve flight and distance characteristics. The dimples break up airflow around the surface, reducing drag and providing longer flight times. That maximizes distance. A smaller proportion than you might think results from the compressive feature of the golf ball.

Weights today are not to be greater than 1.620 oz (45 g) and the size no more than 1.680 inches (38 mm) and the ball must be spherical. Even the maximum initial velocity is determined by professional golfing regulations, as is the maximum permissible distance it can travel on a drive.

When choosing a golf ball, golfers will examine the size and construction to meet their own goals, though. Some prefer the greater control afforded by a 3-piece, others will want the durability and lower cost of a 2-piece.

Knowledgeable golfers will also look to the compression value, a number that ranges from 0-200. All 3-piece balls and some 2-piece ones carry this number. A ball that has zero compression is rated 200 (not zero - go figure). A ball that will compress under load by 2/10th inches or more is rated zero. For every 1/1000th inch of compression under load they receive one lower point, starting from 200.

Golfers shouldn't put too much emphasis on the compression number. Surface geometry and material play a much larger role than elasticity in flight character, including distance traveled after impact.

Whichever you choose, it's hard to go wrong these days. Materials and design are so advanced today that even modest cost balls are typically superior to the average golfer. How they're struck has a much bigger effect than the exact size, weight, or construction.

Choose a golf ball based on your budget and whether you enjoy the way it feels and flies and you'll soon discover that's the one for you.

New clubs won't make all of your issues magically decrease or disappear.

Most golfers are always on the lookout for ways to enhance and increase their enjoyment by improving their performance in the game. It can be tempting to lay the blame of poor performance on environmental issues, like having a bad day, not getting a good nights sleep, or lousy weather. Ultimately, in the game of golf, it really all comes back to you and your golf swing. Having a consistent golf swing will automatically increase your overall game. That’s the starting point.

While a golf swing is not a natural motion for the body, there are many things involved in getting it just right. The quest to improve your golf swing and decrease the number of problems that can occur, often leads to all kinds of unsolicited advice from fellow golfers on how to fix it. Of all of the methods available, the best way is to make sure that you remain in the moment. Being very present allows you to make a conscious effort to focus on every part of the swing, and taking into account what motions your are making as you execute it.

As time passes, you may find that you've sunken into a set of bad habits that decrease your performance, and may be so automatic that they're hard to break. Only by concentrating as you swing will allow these things come to light, and you’ll be conscious of what you're doing. You can also add a video camera which will give you an unbiased look at what’s going on with your swing.

Another issue that could have an effect on your swing might be external. Your clubs can help or hurt your game, especially if they aren't sized correctly for you. They can cause you to form compensation habits that decrease your overall performance. Of course, you don't want to use this explanation as an excuse to purchase new clubs with the idea that using new clubs will eliminate all of your problems. In addition to taking out your wallet, new clubs won't make all of your issues magically decrease or disappear. If you don't have the basics of a good golf swing prior to buying new clubs, that skill won't magically come out of the box as you unpack your new clubs. Any issues you have will remain.

An alternative method you can use to hone a better golf swing is mental: clear your mind of any thoughts you might have prior to making the shot. While, at times, this can prove difficult, it really is possible, and it will lower your stress and take the pressure off. If you worry about messing up the shot, you probably will. So, do some breathing exercises and calm yourself prior to stepping up to your shot. As you swing, get a clear visual in your mind of the shot going straight, high, and far. All of these simple techniques will help improve your swing.

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Knowing some basic rules of golf will help keep the game enjoyable for you and those around you.

Golf is a fun, but dignified game of rules and manners, and it’s important that you know the basics before you play for the first time.

Whether you are playing alone, in a twosome, or a foursome, you have to wait your turn. Stay aware of the group in front of you and wait until they are well ahead of you before hitting your ball.

It’s never cool to “push” the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait for your turn to hit the ball, and never hit at the same time as another player.

While you wait for your turn, go to your ball and determine which club you’ll need and how you want to hit it. This is called "ready golf" and it keeps the game moving. But don’t rush your swing!

If your team is holding up the players behind you, let them play through. Simply wave them through, or if they're close enough, ask them if they’d like to play through. You will never make an enemy on the course by doing this!

When someone in your group is making a shot, you should be well behind them and you shouldn’t make a sound! It is so distracting when you're ready to hit or tee off, and just as you take your back swing, someone decides to jingle coins in their pocket, unwrap a piece of candy, or ask you what club you're hitting!

Replace your divots. When, in the fairway, you hit the ball and a clod of dirt and grass goes flying, replace it. On some courses you just put the clod back and step on it to press it on; on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on your card to put into the divot. If your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, use your divot tool or a tee to repair it.

As soon as you have completed a hole, replace the flag and leave the green promptly so that the next group of players behind you can play. Count your score and write it on the scorecard when you’re back at your cart and clear of the green.

Of course, there are many more rules of golf, but these simple ones will enable you to get through the course without coming to blows with anyone. Enjoy your round!

The Old Course is located in St Andrews in Fife, on the East Coast of Scotland. The exact date when golf was first played on the grounds of the Old Course is unknown but it is certainly one of the oldest golf courses in the world, and may be the oldest golf course in Scotland. The earliest evidence of golf being played there is a licence granted to the community by Archbishop John Hamilton in 1552, which allowed for golf and other recreational pastimes to take place. However, it was not until 1574 that the first written record of golf actually being played there was recorded. Documents do exist showing that King James IV bought golf clubs at St Andrews in 1506, which suggests the Old Course was used for golf much earlier than written records would have us believe.

The club house of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club Of St Andrews (R&A) is adjacent to the first tee. Many wrongly believe they own the course but they are only one of many clubs allowed to play on the Old Course along with the general public. The Old Course is, in fact, run by The St Andrews Links Trust; a charitable organisation established in 1974 by an Act of Parliament. The St Andrews Links Trust is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the other five golf courses at St Andrews.

The Old Course is basically naturally formed, although some adjustments were made by Tom Morris who became custodian of the links in 1875. Originally the course consisted of 22 holes but in 1764 this number was reduced to 18. This created what has become the standard round of golf throughout the world. Golf was also originally played in a clockwise direction and for many years clockwise and anti-clockwise play took place on alternate weeks. The anti-clockwise (right hand circuit) is now the accepted direction, although it is apparent that some of the 112 bunkers are designed to catch golfers playing in the clockwise direction.

One of the many unique features of the Old Course is the double greens. Only the 1st, 9th, 17th and 18th holes have their own greens. Until the 19 century, due to the natural layout, golfers played the same holes coming out as they did going in, which led to congestion as the game increased in popularity. To alleviate the problem two holes were cut in each green, the first 9 with a white flag and the second 9 with a red flag. The course can be quite easy to play when the weather is not windy although it also contains one of the most celebrated and feared holes in golf, the par 4 17th “Road Hole”.

The Open Championship was first played on the Old Course in 1873 and it has since staged this event more than any other venue in the world. St Andrews played host to the Open for the 27th time in 2005 when Tiger Woods joined the elite list of double winners. Many other famous tournaments are also held at St Andrews including The Dunhill Cup and later the Dunhill Links Championship, The Walker Cup and The Amateur Championship.

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