Best Quotes from Golf For Dummies by Mccord with Page Numbers

Golf is a simple game. You’ve got clubs and a ball.

You may want to go to a bar and tell lies about your on-course feats to anyone you didn’t play with that day.

Golf should be played with total concentration and a complete disregard for your ego.

The game lies in the journey.

You alone determine your success or failure.

Take the talents that you have and explore this ever-fascinating game of maneuvering a ball through the hazards of your mind.

Golf is a physical and mental challenge — it tests your skill and your will.

Golf is magic. It’s maddening, frustrating, crazy — and totally addictive.

You can barely imagine life without it.

Anyone can smack a ball aimlessly around a course. But that doesn’t make you a real golfer.

There’s too much information out there to help you.

You have no excuse for playing with equipment ill-suited to your swing, body, and game.

The game may be inherently the same, but the implements used to get from tee to green are unrecognizable.

Trying out different types of clubs can help you judge what feels good for your game.

Dressing well can elevate your game and your confidence.

You should start out with rental clubs at a driving range.

Being properly fitted for clubs can significantly improve your performance.

The most important thing to consider when buying golf balls is your own game, your own tendencies, and your own needs.

Most players on tour still rely on steel shafts, which are stable and reliable.

Finding a whole set of clubs that matches the temperament of your golf swing is hard; find the ones that have your fingerprints on them and stick with 'em.

The flight of the ball told me everything.

Tracking all these things may seem like overkill, but doing so helps the pro quickly detect tendencies or weaknesses in your game.

If nothing else, tracking your play saves time — time you’re paying for!

Golf schools are great for beginners. You’ll find yourself in a group — anything from 3 to 20 strong, which is perfect for you.

You can learn a lot by paying attention to what your fellow students are being told.

Take regular breaks — especially if you’re not used to hitting a lot of balls — and use the time to learn.

Don’t rate the success or failure of a session on how many balls you hit.

You should feel weird. What you’ve been doing wrong has become ingrained into your method so that it feels comfortable.

The bottom line is that the pro needs to know anything that helps create an accurate picture of you and your game.

Anxious people make lousy pupils. Look on the lesson as the learning experience it is.

"It's time to end this madness. I’m going to exercise!"

"If you’re going to play golf, you have to get your body ready to play golf for a lifetime."

"The purpose of this chapter is to embarrass you into getting into shape so that you can hit a little white ball around 150 acres of green grass without falling down."

"When this process is learned and practiced, it is called integrated performance enhancement, or 'you da man,' as I call it."

"Simply going out and buying new drivers that are touted to hit the ball 50 yards farther is not going to cut it."

"Today’s golfers are getting into great physical shape."

"If you’re deficient in one of these areas, you may develop some bad habits in your golf swing to compensate."

"Physical training improves structure."

"You have to have proper mental skills; use them in this case. Promise me."

"Exercise programs must be golf-specific and, ideally, customized."

Golf is played in three places: at public facilities, at private clubs, and on resort courses.

Driving ranges are fun. You can make all the mistakes you want.

The worst thing you can do is delay play.

Just don’t complain or make excuses. Nobody likes a whiner.

For a beginner, don’t worry about scores.

Your host won’t expect that. Even if you happen to play badly, he won’t be too bothered as long as you look as if you’re having fun and keep trying.

The game not only tests character, it builds character.

Play your game and be glad you’ll only be spending a few hours with Golfzilla.

Golf is all about dealing with adversity.

If you can keep your head and make a good swing despite the jerk, you’ll be a tougher, better golfer tomorrow.

Balance is the key to this whole swinging process.

You cannot hit the ball with consistency if at any time during your swing, you fall over.

The key to optimum power is to try to turn your back to the target on your backswing.

Building your swing is about mastering the building blocks.

Getting comfortable and confident in your alignment is one reason Jack Nicklaus was as great as he was.

Your swing should suit your personality.

The action of the parts will soon become the whole, and you’ll develop a feel for your swing.

Good rhythm doesn’t just happen.

You need a running start to build up momentum and to keep your swing from getting off to an abrupt, jerky beginning.

What your swing feels like versus what really occurs can be deceiving.

"You need to know yourself psychologically."

"If you feel like you’re playing okay, then your swing must be okay, too."

"For a driver or analytic to score well, he needs confidence in his mechanics."

"Being an amiable or an expressive is to your advantage."

"If the end of the grip is pointing along the target line, you’re on plane."

"Mastering your checkpoints is a perfect-world situation."

"You can’t go too far wrong if you make a swing like his your model."

"Notice how the attitudes of famous players affect not only how they play but also how much they enjoy the game."

"Golf is an individualist’s game."

"You can mix and match facets of great players’ styles, or develop your own — whatever works for you."

Putting is mystical; it comes and goes like the tide.

The best way to look at putting is to break it down to its simplest level: The hole. The ball. The ball fits into the hole.

Every putt has only two possibilities: You either miss it or hole it.

In putting, visualization is everything.

Accept that if you miss, you can try again, and that can take the pressure off your putting.

You can putt — and putt successfully — in myriad ways.

Putting is more about those ghostly intangibles — feel, touch, and nerve — than about mechanics.

You must create a situation in which missing hurts.

The only putts I know that never drop are the ones you leave short of the hole.

Keep your alignment parallel to the target line.

Golf is more than hitting the ball well — golf is a game of managing your misses.

Always take time to smell the flowers.

You can make up for a lot of bad play with one good putt.

How you get that job done is up to you. No rule says that you have to look pretty when you play golf.

Practice, and only practice, makes you better.

The more you practice this part of your game, the better your instincts become.

In golf, you get better by doing; you don’t get better by doing nothing.

Focus on not biting down on it. That’ll keep you relaxed.

Get the ball back to the ground as soon as possible.

See the shot in your mind’s eye before you hit the ball.

Getting the ball out of a bunker can be easy if you practice enough and get a feel for it.

The clubhead is the part that, when you hold the club in front of your face, hangs below the leading edge.

Golf, and especially bunker play, is only the creation of the proper angle that the clubhead must take into the ball.

Aiming for a bunker actually makes sense—on a long, difficult approach shot, for example.

If you can throw sand, the ball will be carried along for the ride.

If the sand at your home club is typically pretty firm underfoot, you need a sand wedge with very little bounce.

Sometimes the root of the duffs, hacks, slashes, and any other sort of poor shot is ball position.

You want to keep the slowdown to a minimum.

Forget the ball—all you’re trying to do is throw sand out of the bunker.

Always smooth out your footprints when leaving a bunker.

The trick is catching your faults before they spoil your outlook on your game.

Faults left unattended often turn into major problems and ruin your game.

If your head moves too much during the swing, you have little chance to correct things before impact.

You need to keep your head as steady as possible.

Topping isn’t much fun. Plus, it’s a lot of effort for very little return.

With practice, you start to “see” the line on the golf course as you lurk over those 6-foot putts.

A shank is sometimes called a pitch out, a Chinese hook, El Hosel, a scud, or a snake killer — you get the idea.

In a world full of new, emerging viruses, we have the technology to lash back at this golfing disease and eliminate it altogether from our DNA.

If you can picture the line and keep the face of your putter square to it, you’ll find it easier to stroke the ball along that line to the hole.

Golfers who hook have the opposite tendency — too much hand action, not enough body.

Golf isn’t often so straightforward. For one thing, you’re going to make mistakes. We all do.

The more you play this game, the more you’ll hit these shots, and the more you’ll understand how to play them.

Keep your sense of humor and a firm grip on the club, and enjoy your roughage.

How you cope with those moments and shots determines your score for the day and, ultimately, your ability to play well.

A vivid imagination is a great asset on the golf course.

The best way to practice these weird and wonderful shots is to challenge yourself.

The common factor in all these shots is the relationship between your shoulders and the slope.

Your attitude is the best weapon for a harsh winter day.

Lower your expectations as the weather worsens.

Winter is a good time to become one with your swing.

You must always find someone or something else to blame for any misfortune.

Whatever they perceive themselves to be, they become.

Golf is a game of numbers.

It’s better to be in a spot where you can hit the ball cleanly than in a tough spot.

Whatever you say to yourself, just remember to focus internally, not externally.

You shouldn’t make any last-minute changes to your swing.

The best players start every round with a plan for how they’re going to approach the course.

The fewer mental errors you make, the lower your score will be.

Practice can be fun.

If you’re not on some kind of exercise program, get on one.

Golf is not a game lacking in structure. In fact, it is rife with rules of play, rules of etiquette, and rules of scoring.

Play the course as you find it. Play the ball as it lies. If you can’t do either of those things, do what’s fair.

The handicap system is one reason I think that golf is the best of all games.

Golf is an easy game to cheat at, so every player is on his or her honor.

In golf, unlike almost any of the trash-talking sports, sportsmanship is paramount.

Don’t talk while someone is playing a stroke. Give your partners time and silence.

If in doubt, stand still and shut up.

Help out the greenskeeper. Repair any ball marks you see on the greens.

Stepping aside makes your round more enjoyable. Think about it. Who likes to ruin someone else’s day?

You’re responsible for the accuracy of the score recorded under your name for each hole.

"The winner will be the one who plays better that day."

"Never play for more than you can afford to lose."

"Pressure is $5 on the front nine, $5 on the back, and $5 for the 18 with $2 in your pocket."

"Quitters never win. Don’t be a quitter. Be a grinder — that’s what golfers call a player who gives his all on every shot."

"The first tee is the arena of negotiation, I call it."

"If you must give strokes, take all your strokes, because they’ll be on the toughest holes."

"Strategize your play: Never lose your temper. Nothing gives your opponent more heart than watching you lose your cool."

"Always ask yourself if you would fancy hitting the putt. If the answer is 'no,' say nothing and watch."

"Never second-guess yourself...If you’re going for it, really do it. Even if you miss, you’ll feel better."

"If you do bet, make it a straightforward nassau (front, back, 18 bet)."

It is a medium that reaches the far corners of humanity; its video displays teach and formulate a way of life.

Golf sucks.

I was a golfer caught in the headlights of bankruptcy.

Golf looks incredibly easy from way up there. How can those guys screw up so many shots?

This is my legacy; I am bound by its structure.

Golf may be the only game in which the players police themselves.

You can learn a lot from watching not only their swings but also their whole demeanor on the course.

Soak it all in. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere and ambience of golf.

Professional players make most of their decisions with their heads, not their hearts.

When Tiger smiles, it seems that the whole golf world smiles with him.

You’ll be amazed at the world of golf you can explore without leaving your desk.

The Internet offers a nearly infinite array of golf stuff.

Together, these sites offer 99 percent of what you need on the information superhighway.

From the comfort of your own desk chair, you can explore championship layouts from Alabama to Zimbabwe.

If you don’t have enough time or money to play all the world’s great courses, don’t fret. The Net can take you to them for free.

Now it’s time for a virtual tour of about a zillion golf courses.

While I’m at it, this is the place to be during the annual PGA Championship.

The brainchild of founder Ran Morrissett, GolfClubAtlas.com is dedicated to all things having to do with golf-course design.

The information superhighway has an on-ramp called Fore! Reservations.

When juniors purchase a set of clubs, Nevada Bob’s gives them half the money back when they grow out of those clubs and buy a new set.

Millions of consumers are introduced to golf through virtual versions of the game.

Video golf is fun! And the competition can be fierce.

You can use one of them or build your own golfer, Frankenstein-style, by mixing and matching.

Conquer them all and you go head-to-head against Tiger for the all-time title.

Being stuck in a room with Feherty all day is not unlike spending eight hours in a phone booth with 30 adolescent baboons.

When the grandkids come over... my granddaughter Terra... beats the tar out of me and then she taunts me.

The graphics in such games may not quite match those of PC and console entertainments, but it’s nice to use more muscles than just the ones in your thumbs.

Some of these golf simulators are so good that you’ll never get any work done.

Golden Tee is fun, addictive, and fairly realistic when you get used to the trackball.

Sometimes, for instance, you can drive the green on a par-4 hole by slicing the ball around a mountain.

Take Enough Club to Get to Your Target.

If You Can Putt the Ball, Do It.

Keep Your Head Fairly Steady.

Keep Your Sense of Humor.

Bet Only What You Can Afford to Lose.

Keep the Ball Low in the Wind.

Take Some Golf Lessons.

Do Not Give Lessons to Your Spouse.

Always Tee It Up at the Tee Boxes.

Never Blame Yourself for a Bad Shot.

Golf has made it popular, and the land has made it legendary.

One of the reasons this game is so much fun is that the playing field is always changing.

You measure a golf course by how many holes you can remember after playing one round on it.

I’m in total fascination when I walk through Pine Valley’s corridor of perfectly maintained grass.

Cypress Point is a golf course of such beauty and solitude you’d think that it has holy qualities.

At this course, you play the game as it was designed to be played — along the ground when the wind blows.

Pinehurst No. 2 is a masterpiece of design.

Bandon Dunes is a purist’s delight — golf carts aren’t allowed, and Kidd let this gorgeous stretch of land help dictate the routing of the course.

From the porch of the nation’s oldest clubhouse all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean, Shinnecock Hills is an American-bred beauty.

After you play this game long enough, you learn that you can play the best-looking, most immaculately conditioned golf course in the world, but if you don’t enjoy the company, the course’s condition doesn’t matter.

To watch people of this caliber is to gaze upon the brightest of stars.

They’ve got game.

Hagen changed all that with his game and his flamboyant personality.

He would arrive at the course in a limousine, park next to the clubhouse he was barred from entering.

He is a voice of reason in days of madness.

Phil’s first major victory was one of the most popular in recent history.

Arnold Palmer...was responsible for all the attention that golf got in those early cathode-ray moments.

Sam started playing golf by carving up an old stick to resemble a club and then whacking away at rocks.

He lived by his wits and imagination and added to the lore of golf.

Lee talks his way through 27 tour victories, making this sometimes staid game fun.

Babe Zaharias is considered by some to be the greatest athlete — male or female — who ever lived.

Kathy Whitworth has won more tournaments than anybody else who has ever picked up a golf club.

These women have shown the world that they can play this game, and they have done it with dignity and élan.

JoAnne Carner is one of the reasons the LPGA became a popular major sport.

Laura Davies has an engaging way about her and is still a blast to watch as she destroys golf courses.

Juli Inkster’s infectious smile and talent have made her a beloved figure in women’s golf.

Nancy Lopez constantly plays the game with youthful zest.

Meg Mallon flirts with the golf course, always trying something new to see if it will help her play better.

Annika Sorenstam is a perfectionist whose work ethic is esteemed by her peers.

Mickey Wright was responsible for raising women’s professional golf to a new level.

In golf, there’s no place to hide.

The golfer who’s brave enough to reach the lead has an extra kind of courage.

Awful as they are, these meltdowns happen to the best players on the planet.

A collapse is your fault, but a disaster is something beyond your control.

Norman exhibited such dignity in the face of crushing disappointment.

He took more from the loss than he would have gained from a win.

In golf, it’s never over until the ball is in the hole.

I missed my putt for an 11.

I’m almost delighted I lost, in fact. Otherwise, I might have turned pro.

The way I played, I deserve whatever they do to me.