Game - Mutt and Jeff

Mutt and Jeff is a tournament format or side bet in which the focus is on par-3s and par-5s only. The round of golf is completed, then the total net score for each player or each group on the par-3 and par-5 holes is recorded. The low net on those long and short holes is the winner.

Golf Game - Nines

Nines is a points-based competition between players in a group of four, or a side bet in any competition where groups of four are playing (in a four ball or foursomes match, for example, the players in the match might agree to a side bet using Nines).

Nine points are at stake on each hole, hence the name of the game. The low score on a hole is worth 5 points, the second-lowest 3 points, the next lowest 1 point and the high score 0 points.

The bet can be based on total points - the high-point player is paid by the other three - or can involve point differentials and a per-point value.

How to Rake Sand Bunkers

1. Locate the lowest spot around the edge of the bunker that is convenient to your ball. This will be your entry and exit point. Identifying this spot keeps you from walking down a steep facing (possibly damaging the turf), stepping off a higher rim (leaving deeper footprints), or having to walk a longer distance which would require raking a greater area of sand.
2. Once you've identified the most convenient low spot from which to enter and exit ... enter! Contrary to what some golfers believe, it is not only within the rules to take a rake into the bunker with you, it is advisable to do so because it speeds up the process.
3. Play the shot. Drop the rake directly behind the area where you have taken your stance. You should drop the rake at a convenient spot, within reaching distance. Otherwise, in retrieving the rake, you'll just add more area of sand that needs to be tended.
4. Begin raking over the signs of play from the sand - the area where your club made contact with the sand, and your footprints. Pull the tines of the rake toward you as you begin moving back to the rim of the bunker. But be careful not to pull too much sand toward you. The idea is to restore an even surface to the sand without displacing too much sand. If you are pulling too much sand toward you, try pushing the tines outward a few times, too. All the while, you should be progressing back to the edge of the bunker.

Pre-shot Routine

The process you go through before every shot brings together all the aspects of your set up, especially aim and alignment. If you are diligent about building a good set up, you will also develop a strong pre-shot routine. The elements of your set up become so routine that there is no chance of forgetting something because they have become ingrained and thus a habit. Your pre-shot routine can be your best friend because when the pressure is on and your mind is racing, you can make the correct plan and build a good set up automatically. To make it a habit, go through the process of building your set up exactly the same way for each shot you hit in your practice. Before you know it, you won't even think about taking your grip, your stance, posture or ball position, and this frees you to focus on your target.

How to Repair Ball Marks

Ball marks - also called pitch marks - are the bane of smooth-putting and healthy greens on golf courses all over the world. They're the little depressions, or craters, sometimes made when a golf ball descends from the sky and impacts the putting surface.

Repairing those little depressions is very important. Equally important is doing it the right way. Because while many golfers fail to repair ball marks - and shame on you if you are one of them - there are also many well-meaning golfers who do "repair" the pitch marks, only to do so incorrectly.

A ball mark can cause the grass in the depression to die, leaving not just a scar but also a pit in the putting surface that can knock well-struck putts offline. Repairing a ball mark restores a smooth surface and helps keep the grass healthy.

Correct Alignment

In the jargon of instruction, it is possible to have your shoulders open, your hips closed and your feet square, so when ou check your body lines check them all. Golfers often make the mistake of aiming their body lines at the target instead of parallel left of it. In this case, the club face usually aims right of the target and the body is in a closed position. Only a well-manipulated swing can direct this shot to the target, but to do so consistently will be all but impossible. Remember in golf you aim your club face and align your body.

Maintain a Good Pace

• Keep the round moving by being prepared to hit your shot when it is your turn. You probably don't like waiting on other groups - don't make other groups wait on you.
• The player who is away hits first in a group. However, in friendly matches (as opposed to tournament play), this rule can be ignored in favor of "ready play" - players hit as they are ready. All players should agree to "ready play" before it is put into effect.
• Do not spend too much time looking for a lost ball, particularly if there is a group behind you ready to play. If you insist on taking the full five minutes alloted in the rulebook to look for lost balls, golf etiquette says wave up the group behind to allow them to play through.
• Always try to keep pace with the group ahead of you. If space opens in front of you, allow a faster group to play through.
• When two players in a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole, drive to first ball and drop off that player with his club, then drive to the second ball. After both players hit, meet up farther down the hole.
• When walking from your cart to your ball, take a couple clubs with you. Taking only one club, then having to return to the cart to retrieve a different club, is a huge time-waster.
• Always leave the putting green as soon as your group has finished putting.