Hilton Head Vacations
By admin | July 15, 2008
Hilton Head Island is beautifully perched off the coast of South Carolina and is teeming with activities that are bound to excite and delight every member of your family. A popular tourist destination, Hilton Head is overflowing with pristine sandy beaches and gorgeous nature preserves that are perfect for outdoor adventures and exploration. Whether you are heading to Hilton Head for the gorgeous scenery or as a getaway from a hectic lifestyle, you are sure to find this island more relaxing than you ever imagined.
Hilton Head offers beachgoers more than twelve miles of sparkling white sand that borders on the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. You can find bustling beaches that are ripe for people-watching or more secluded areas that are perfect for a romantic stroll in the sand as the water gently brushes against your feet. One of the biggest differences between Hilton Head and other vacation destinations is that although the beaches are public, in most cases the access areas are private. Therefore, it is important to note in advance or ask a knowledgeable local where the best access points are so you do not end up wandering aimlessly in search of your desired beach.
There are quite a few beaches for such a small island, but two of the best for families and activities are Driessen Beach and Islander Beach Park. Driessen has the most amenities of all the area beaches, including a boardwalk, pavilion, playground, and easy to find metered parking. However, both of these beaches are great places to catch some sun, build sandcastles, and play in the waves of the ocean. Those who are looking for a more private beach experience will want to try Burkes Beach. It does not have any of the facilities the more popular beaches have but is great for anyone who wants a quiet afternoon for reflection near the water.
If you or anyone in your family is interested in marine life or wildlife, Hilton Head can certainly provide some interesting and worthwhile sights. Bottle nose dolphins are frequently spotted along the shore throughout the summer since this is where they come to catch their meals. For a more informative experience, outlets for dolphin-watching excursions can easily be found at several of the public marinas. Another local is the loggerhead turtle, which is an endangered species that buries its eggs in the soft sands of the Hilton Head beaches. Although it is rare to spot one of these giants, anyone with a strong interest can participate in a late night Turtle Watch that is offered by the Coastal Discovery Museum.
For views of the numerous four legged creatures that stalk the Island, make your way to the Sea Pines Forest Preserve for an informative, nature-based horseback or walking tour. Some of the animals you are likely to see include deer, minks, otters, and possibly even a few wild boar. It is unlikely, however, that you will see the elusive bobcat, which is usually only found in the forest preserves and the underdeveloped areas of Hilton Head Island.
While Hilton Head is a great place to escape from stress and relax on the beach, it is also the perfect place for duffers to hit some of the most beautiful links in the country. The scenic courses and rolling greens have been designed by some the games best, including Robert Trent Jones, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, and George Cobb, so get ready for some interesting shots and difficult holes. There are an abundance of courses here, but one public course that certainly should not be missed is Harbour Town Golf Links, the most sought after course on the Island and the number one course in South Carolina.
Hilton Head Island is bound to have an attraction that suits your tastes and provides for a memorable and exciting adventure. For your next vacation to the Island, consider Hilton Head vacation rentals for your lodging needs. They are ideally situated not only near the sparkling sand and warm waters, but they are also close to the numerous attractions that are on your itinerary. Enjoy all the amenities of home in a location whose breathtaking beauty will melt all your stress away by staying in a vacation home or condo for your next trip to the coast.
HomeAway.com has the most comprehensive selection of vacation rental homes on the Internet. For an alternative lodging option, consider Hilton Head vacation rentals for your next trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Tags: head, hilton, hilton head, travel, trip, vacationHistory of Golf- How it all Started
By admin | July 14, 2008
Since before the time Mary Queen of Scots was disciplined for playing golf two Sundays after the murder of her husband Lord Dernley in 1567. Golf is known to have been played at St. Andrews before the founding of the university in 1411. It is a safe bet to say that golf was played in some form or another as much as a century before this.
Golf is the only game whose objective it is to hit a ball across a course of some kind that had sand traps, bunkers, and other obstacles to prevent you from accomplishing this. The ball is balanced in mid-air and hit to another spot below the ground.
It was the Scots who introduced the golf hole into the game. It was a national pastime more than four hundred years before Prince Charles fled Culloden in defeat at the hands of the English in 1513 at the Battle of Flodden Field.
At Flodden the Scots were no match for the English in the first assault and were defeated 50 years earlier. King James II banned the game of Golf because he believed it was interfering with archery practice and he did this with a Scottish Act of Parliament. The first documented record makes references to modern golf. James III also banned the game in 1471.
The origin of Golf is a mystery however there is a few theories out there.
The first theory says that fisherman on their way back from their boats would pick up a piece of driftwood and whack a pebble to see how far it would go. They would do this repeatedly until they reached the river.
Golf is thought to have been played in Kirk Session (Church Court). The only evidence of it is found in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Golf is still a very popular game today. A time line is presented below that will provide you with a general idea of the evolution of Golf into the game we know today.
16th century - Gold became established on the east coast of Scotland and began to spread. Golf was played by James the VI before he acceded the throne as James the 1st did in 1603.
1501 - James the IV had his treasurer pay 14 Shillings to a bow-maker in Perth to supply them with clubs. Golf became associated with royalty, The Church, and education (i.e. St. Andrews)
17th century Golf was pursued from the south east to as far north as the Orkney Islands.
1754 - The beginning of construction of new courses.
1880 - The arrival of the gutter perch ball was a major influence on the popularity of golf. Little has changed in the past 250 years.
1925 - In Texas the Bark Hollow Golf Club becomes the first club with a complete fairway irrigation system. The British Open is played for the last time at Prestwick Golf Club. The Royal Canadian Golf Association makes a ruling that the use of steel-shafted clubs is legal. They joined the United States Golf Association.
1973 - Johnny Mailer shoots 63 at Oakmont Country Club to win the U.S. Open. Arnold Palmer wins the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, his fifth win in the event and his 62nd win in the PGA Tour.
1985 - Europeans win the Ryder’s Cup for the first time in twenty-eight years.
1995 - Ben Crenshaw won his second Master’s. Tiger Woods wins second straight U.S. Amateur. The Golf Channel makes its debut in television.
1997 - Tiger Woods in his first year Championship had a 12 stroke win at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus tees off at the US Open for his 150th consecutive major championship appearance.
1999 - Aree Wongluekert (now known as Aree Song) wins the Girls Junior Amateur. At 13 she is the youngest winner of the USGA Championship.
2001 - The term “Tiger Slam” was coined after Tiger Woods wins the Master’s making him the first person to hold all four of Golf’s major professional titles at the same time. Annika Sorenstam shoots 59 in the LPGA Tour. The attacks of 9/11 caused the Ryder’s Cup to be delayed for a year.
2003 - Mike Weir wins the Masters becomes the second left-handed person to win a major championship. Michelle Wie won women’s amateur Public Links. She is the youngest winner of an adult USGA Championship. Michelle Wie played in every men’s event on the Canadian and the nationwide tour. She didn’t make either cut.
2004 Michelle Wie is given an exemption into the PGA Tour Sony Open. She shoots 72-68 missing the cut by one stroke! Arnold Palmer plays The Masters for the fiftieth and very last time.
Golf has given us centuries of physical activity, excitement, and it has been and is exciting to watch a game in progress. Within the last 250 years Golf hasn’t changed all that much. For those who play the game, there are all kinds of resources available to improve their game.
About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes
Golf Apparel. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.
The Role Model of Tiger Woods
By admin | July 13, 2008
Earl Woods, the father of the world’s top golfer Tiger Woods, died of prostate cancer in early-May 2006 at the age of 74. Most people regarded Earl with great respect for being the architect and driving force behind Tiger’s awesome career. But to Tiger, his father meant something else.
“My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply,” said Tiger. “I’m overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, and I’m honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring.”
“It’s not often that a father of an athlete commands so much respect and attention,” golfer Paul Azinger said.
Another great golfer, Jack Nicklaus, said he had long “admired and related to the close bond” shared by Tiger and Earl. Nicklaus was also 30 when his father died.
Such devotion by a son for his father deserves more than a second look. Perhaps the greatest tribute one can say about Earl Woods is not that he raised a great golfer, but that he raised a great person and a great son.
Earl Woods was more than just a golfer’s dad. In college, he was a catcher for Kansas State and earned the distinction of becoming the first African-American to play baseball in the Big Eight Conference
A Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam, Earl rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces. On his second tour, he met Kultida Punsawad, who was working as a receptionist in Thailand, and married her in 1969. He fought alongside Lt. Col. Nguyen T. Phong of the South Vietnamese army, a friend he nicknamed “Tiger” because of his courage and bravery. Woods promised Tiger Phong that he would name a son after him.
Early on, Earl felt his true purpose was to train Tiger, who had shown early signs of being a golf prodigy. “I knew Tiger was special the day he was born,” Earl said. “But I made it very, very clear that my purpose in raising Tiger was not to raise a golfer. I wanted to raise a good person,” Woods told Golf Digest magazine.
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Family, Games, and Relationships
Tags: Family, people, Role Model