Overview
All of the main sections of the site are identified in the main navigation menu that is located in the left column of each page. If a section contains a lot of information, it is organized into subsections. Each subsection is identified as a submenu item in the main menu, as shown below.
A few secondary links are provided at the bottom of each page to quickly jump to home page, to golf glossary page, User Guide, Site Map, and the Feedback page. At the bottom right of each page there are two supplemental links that may be useful at times; one is to send an email to a friend, the other to print the current page. Finally, there is a Search box at the top, right corner of each page to do search within A Real Golf Site! if you like.
The home page, which is shown below, is organized differently from the interior pages to provide brief notes and links for items that may have been added since your last visit. The right-most column provides Quick Links section, which includes links to frequently used items such as; a link to this week’s TV golf schedule, links to most of the major online golf publications, plus links for ordering tickets for upcoming golf tournaments. The bottom section, What's New?, provides a list of what's been added recently to the site plus appropriate links.
Site Organization
Since one of the main objectives of this site is to allow users to quickly find information and resources, logically organizing this information is critical. The primary entries in the main menu identify the main sections of this site, which are listed below.
| Equipment | Play Golf | Watch Golf | Golf Associations |
| Rules & Handicaps | Golf Instruction | Fitness & Health | Golf Publications |
| Junior Golf | College Golf | Just for Fun | Links |
| Feedback | | | |
In some cases, a section is divided into subsections to better organize the related information. In these cases, the main navigation menu includes submenu items that provide direct links to each of these subsection pages. Short descriptions for each section and subsection are provided below.
Equipment
This section includes many types of interesting and useful resources related to golf equipment. Instead of fumbling around the web each time you are looking for golf equipment information, this section provides well organized links to everything you’d want to know about any type of golf equipment. This section also includes links to all of the most current golf club reviews plus an assortment of tips when buying your next set of clubs.
| What’s New & Hot | Product release and promotion information that is particularly interesting because of recent tour player exposure or publicity. |
| Search | This section is designed to provide quick access to golf product information from manufacturers websites. Links are provided for all types of golf equipment, including; clubs, balls, bags, shafts, grips, shoes, carts, and travel bags. For more technical items such as clubs and shafts, direct links are also included for all product specifications. This is a quick and extremely useful tool when looking for new golf items to buy and comparing specifications of clubs and shafts. |
| Reviews | This section provides links to all of the best sources of golf club reviews. Included are links to club reviews for the past few years that were originally published in Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. Reviews are organized by year and club type. Before buying a new set of clubs it’s always good to read reviews and this section makes it as easy as possible to do. |
| Club Fitting | This section simply tries to take the mystery out of golf club fitting. Every serious golfer should be fitted for irons at least once in their life to better understand what a proper fit it for them. This section describes what is done during the fitting process. If you are interested in investing in a professional fitting like the tour players, links are provided to help make these arrangements. Since demo days are great way to start the club buying process, links to manufacturers demo day schedules are also provided. |
| Buying Tips | This section reviews the buying options for golf equipment. If you already know what you want to buy and are just interested in finding the best price, this section is worth a read. |
| eBay Tips | One of the options for buying new and used golf clubs is eBay. And if you want to sell some clubs that you no longer need, eBay is definitely your best option. If you don’t have any experience buying or selling on eBay this “how to” section provides some good information to get you started. |
| Golf Stores | This section provides descriptions and direct links to some of the best online golf stores in terms of prices and service and based upon national surveys and personal experience. |
| Golf Terms | This section provides a comprehensive golf glossary of terms to help you from becoming overwhelmed by high tech golf jargon. |
Play Golf
This main section focuses on places to play, including top golf resorts and golf destination areas. This section also includes information on major amateur golf tournaments and will in the future include tips regarding golf vacation planning. Currently, there are 4 subsections in Play Golf that are described below.
| Best Golf Resorts | This page includes information and links for over 100 golf resorts in the United States. To simply finding resorts in a particular region, resorts are organized by state. Each listing includes links to the resort’s resort website homepage, resort contact information, and direct links to golf course information. Each listing also included a link for the current weather at the resort, in case you want to take a quick trip and a link for average temperatures and rainfall during the year to help plan the best time for your next golf vacation. |
| Best Golf Destinations | This section provides information for the 14 most popular golf destination areas in the United States. Each destination area link jumps to a list of the best public and resort courses to play in that area. As with the previous section, current weather and average weather information is provided to help plan your vacation. Each course that is listed includes a link to the course website, course designer name, plus contact information for course proshop and tee time reservations. A number of sources were used to compile the list of best courses for each area. |
| Vacation Planning | This section provides a golf vacation planning guide and travel tips. |
| Golf Courses | If you are just want to get information for a course in your area or additional courses that you might want to play on your vacation, you can use the two course search tools that are linked in this section. Both search tools allow you to filter results based upon location, price, and rating. |
| Tee Times Reservations | This section provides access to discount tee time reservations on public courses throughout the United States. |
| Tournaments | This section provides information for some of the top amateur golf tournaments in the United States. Each listed tournament includes a link to the appropriate tournament website, which provides background information about that tournament and entry requirements. If you are looking for tournament schedules in your region, you can use the link that is provided to find your golf associations website, which will provide the tournament schedule in your area. |
Watch Golf
This section provides quick access to information related to watching golf either on TV or live. Quick links are provided display the current week’s TV schedules for each Tour event plus links to each Tour’s website to get the latest tournament news. If you are interesting in attending any professional tournament, information and links are provided to quickly make a ticket purchase. Ticket links are also provided for many of the major golf events that are handled separately, such President’s Cup, Ryder Cup, and PGA Championship. At the end of this section is a list of links to some of the most popular professional golfer websites.
Golf Associations
The United States Golf Association (USGA) maintains a very good website that provides a wealth of golf information including information for all USGA golf events, including the US Open and all of the USGA sponsored amateur tournaments. A link and contact information for the USGA is provided at the top of this page.
All of the local golf associations within the United States that are associated with the USGA, also have websites that provide useful information about golf in each area including membership information and local tournament information. Since you’re a serious golfer, you’re probably already involved with your local golf association. But if you want to find out about tournaments outside your area or just want to get information about another regional golf association, you’ll like this section. Links for the other golf associations outside your region are listed in alphabetical order for easy access.
Rules & Handicaps
The USGA actively works in conjunction with the R&A in Scotland to write, interpret, and maintain the Rules of Golf. The USGA is also responsible for the handicap system that is used throughout the United States. This section provides a number of links to key USGA references that are related to rules and handicaps.
| Rules Lookup | Online Rules of Golf reference. |
| 2008 Rule Changes | Summary of 2008 Rules of Golf changes. |
| GHIN Handicap Lookup | Quickly lookup your handicap index based upon your GHIN number. |
| Course Rating Lookup | Quickly lookup a golf course handicap rating, based upon course name and location. |
| Course Handicap Calculator | Quickly lookup your course handicap based upon your handicap index and course slope rating. |
| Handicap Manual | Online USGA Handicap System manual. |
| Handicap Formula | Quick reference explaining how handicap indexes are calculated. |
Golf Instruction
This section contains information, resources, and links that are related to improving your golf game.
| Golf Instructors | A directory of more than 400 of the top golf instructors in the United States. Instructors are organized by state. Each entry includes contact information, and if available, a link to their website to get more information about their services. |
| Golf Schools & Clinics | This subsection lists about 30 of the best golf schools and clinics in the United States. These schools are listed in alphabetical order. Many of these schools and clinics are held at multiple locations. The primary locations are noted in parentheses. Each entry is a link to the school’s/clinic’s website for more information about format, prices, and schedules. |
| Golf Swing Tips | This section provides useful tips to help you improve your golf game. |
| Golf Swing Resources | This section provides other useful golf swing information and lnks. |
| Golf Psychology | Since how well you play golf is highly dependent upon your state of mind, you might want to consider discussing your golf problems with a sports psychologist. A number of sports psychologists that specialize in golf are listed in this section. |
| Swing Instruction | The major golf publications provide more than enough swing instruction tips to keep a golfer’s mind occupied. However, if I run across some unusually good or interesting instructional information or a particular swing methodology that seems to be popular, it will be added to this section. For example, a link to SwingPlex is included, which provides slow motion swing videos for more than 40 of the top PGA players. |
Golf Fitness & Health
The purpose of this section is to provide useful golf fitness and health information and references that will help to keep you on the course and help you play at your best.
| Fitness Trainers | This section provides information and links for to help you find the best golf fitness trainers in your area. |
| Fitness Resources | This section provides information and links to a wide range of golf fitness information include exercises, yoga, and pilates. |
| Exercise Programs | This section provides specific exercise programs to help you strengthen specific areas of your body that are critical for improving your golf swing and avoiding injury. This section also provides a number of exercise programs that can be used help rehabilitate a golf injury. |
| Golf Health | This section provides information and links to help keep you healthy on the course. Information is provided to help you stay healthy and enjoy your round of golf. Topics include; proper eating, proper hydration, and sun exposure protection. |
Golf Publications
This section is divided into two subsections. The first provides access to all the major golf magazine publications that are available online. The second subsection lists some the best and most popular books and DVD's on golf instruction, golf psychology, and golf fitness. Links are provided to purchase any of these publications at discounted prices.
Junior Golf
If you have a son or a daughter that has shown an interest in golf or is already involved in junior golf, this is a section that you should read.
| Getting Started | Sometimes the hardest thing is finding programs in your area that are dedicated to getting more boys and girls involved with the game of golf. Information about starter programs, like The First Tee, are provided in this section. |
| Junior Golf Camps & Schools | Directory of junior golf camps and schools in the United States organized by state. |
| Equipment | Provides information how to select the best clubs for a junior golfer plus links to the best junior club sets. |
| Junior Golf Associations | Directory of regional junior golf associations throughout the United States. |
| Junior Tours & Tournaments | Directory of major junior golf tour in the United States plus a list of all major independent junior golf tournaments. |
| Rankings & News | This section provides information and links related to national rankings for junior boy and girl golfers. |
College Golf
This section provides useful resources for the aspiring college golfer, active college golfers, and their parents.
| How To Get Recruited | Section provides useful information and links to help an aspiring college golfer get recruited. |
| Rankings | Quick links to men and women individual and team college golf rankings. |
| Other College Information | Section provides additional information and links regarding college golf including links to the NCAA website that provides the rules associated with college golf. |
Just for Fun
As the name suggests, this is the section that you go to when you can’t get on the course and you just want to play some golf-related games online. Currently, links to two golf games are provide with others to be added when other good ones are discovered.
Feedback
This page is used to provide feedback back to the A Real Golf Site! webmaster and to add yourself onto the A Real Golf Site! email list. Golfers on the list will receive a monthly email notification that summarizes updates to the site.
