Why is it that golf is not such a big hit in Italy? This is the kind of pleasantly perplexing question that might float into one's mind while enjoying a walk in the rolling green hills of north Lazio, Tuscany or Umbria or while relaxing on the beach under a clear blue summer sky.

95% of golfers do not have a pre-shot routine. Find out how you can be the 5% that does inside!

The modern-day golfer has a support team of nutritionists, therapists, their caddy and various mentors in their back-room team there to optimize their playing ability during a championship. Their training regime, as with many professional athletes is focused on building up levels of energy, strength and flexibility. While the average amateur will not usually have the time to put in the same level of off-course training, they can benefit from the following key pillars of on-course performance optimization techniques.

Here is a scenario that may sound familiar to you. How many times have you rushed out of the house and sped to the golf course in order to get there for your designated tee-time. You turn up, organize your kit and head out to the first tee without so much as a practice putt on the putting green.

The shortest golf club in the bag happens to be one of the most important. Improve your putting and watch your scores lower dramatically around the golf course.

What if you could out-drive everyone else at the range? Imagine teeing off on the first and almost putting the ball into orbit! How good would that feel? Now if you could do that with really good consistency, you'd be on to a winner. The reality is, you can and you don't need the best golf driver on the market to do it either!

If you're anything like me you love teeing off and seeing the ball fly off down the fairway, directly on target. Think back to the last time when you drove a shot like that? How good did that feel? Now imagine being able to do that almost every time and with enough distance to make your playing partners jaws hit the floor! That's what the best golf driver in the world can do for you!

Particularly for beginners, a golf swing slice can be incredibly frustrating especially as most golfers do not even know what causes a slice shot. Here are two great tips that will give you the bedrock on which to build a slice free swing.

Stewart Cink didn’t have reason to hope he would survive the first round of the Match Play Championship.

I have spent 35 years playing golf in Ireland, and most of that time playing links golf. In particular, my home course is the Corballis links course just outside Dublin city. You probably will not have heard of it as it is not a championship course or normally targeted by the golfing tour packages.