Golfing for Beginners: Part I

By Rhys Jones

The popularity of the game of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty-five years, giving us great champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.

Why has golf become so popular these days? Its the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never play perfectly.

Your scorecard shows your progress, or lack of it, and this can spur you on to want to play again.

Here follows an elementary lesson for those who know nothing about golf.

Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course. Each hole has its own "par" (value), which is the combined number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts (on the green) you should need to take.

This 'par' value is based on the length and difficulty of the hole in question. Pars range from three to six, so if you get the ball into the hole in four shots on a 'par four' hole, you made 'par'. However, if you took three shots, it's called a 'birdie' or five shots a 'bogie'.

There are usually "hazards" of some sort or other on all the holes. Bodies of water, sand traps, and trees are strategically placed to make reaching the hole more challenging. Beginner golfers should seek to find courses to play that are easier to play with fewer hazards.

Players keep their own score of the total number of shots taken for each hole. After the eighteenth hole, they add up their scores and the one with the lowest is the winner.

It is vital that beginners to golfing should not take the game too seriously, because it takes a very long time to play golf proficiently, even if the professionals on TV make it look so easy.

Take a lesson or two at the start of your golfing 'career', because it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.

About the Author:

Are you new to golf? We have some great tips for the truly novice golfer at http://golfing.the-real-way.com/ Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

Kids are Painting on Acrylic

By Mercie Hallow

I was once a member of a painting class back in high school and I would say that it was one experience I would always remember. Apart from it being the case where I met my future husband, it opened me to the joy and excitement of painting. I took watercolor classes and was inspired at how much I can do with these brilliant colors in front of me. I had been a huge art fan since then.

The Pendleton Art Center in 1537 Winchester Ave., Ashland Kentucky holds an Acrylic Painting class for beginners. Kids and little ones are encouraged to join in this event where they can be creative through hands-on lessons and trainings. If given an opportunity, I would love to have my own kid attend this class so she can enhance her creativity and her social skills.

Acrylic paints are different from watercolor, although both are water-based meaning they can be thinned down by water. Acrylic paints are thicker and dries quickly and thickly. It is more often used in large canvas applications. Acrylics come off opaque although it can be thinned down by mixing drops of water into the paint. Solvents called as mediums can also be used to make acrylic more fluid without thinning the color unlike water.

Acrylic chemical properties tend to dry fast so you need to mix the desired color quickly. Kids in acrylic painting classes are shown on how to be creative without using brushes. They are sometimes taught to paint using their hands and other stamps that they can use.

"Cheap" acrylic paints are handed over to the kids during beginners' classes for them to work on. Cheap means, not the real branded acrylic paints. They are given wide sheets of paper to work on and be creative with. They are allowed to spread paint on the white sheet and not reprimanded if some went to their clothes or faces. These paints are water based and can be washed down with water after.

About the Author:

Mercie Hallow is a writer and a researcher on events in Travel and Leisure. Visiting events such as the Kentucky craft fairs will open ones spirit on the beauty of the world beyond home's borders. If youre staying in Kentucky, the author suggests checking out the Kentucky craft shows for entertainments to make your stay memorable.

African Wildlife Safari: Enjoy the Finest at Kruger National Park

By Andrew Muigai

There is no better place to view African wildlife than Kruger National Park, South Africa's oldest and most popular national park. This fact is attested to by the one million or so visitors who tour the national park annually. Kruger National Park has its origin in the Sabi Reserve, which was set up in 1898 to stem the effects of over-hunting, and is named after Paul Kruger- once president of the Transvaal Republic that later became part of the Union of South Africa.

Kruger stretches from the Crocodile River in the south, to the Limpopo River in the north and runs for 350 km along the Mozambique-South Africa border. The park is fed by six rivers and has a wide variety of ecosystems; it carries 16 vegetation zones. Kruger is generally flat with an average height of 269 metres above sea level.

The southern part of the 20,000 sq kilometer park, which is located in the Mpumalanga region, is more lush and wooded. This area is very popular with visitors and is accessed though the five gates at Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Numbi, Phabeni and Paul Kruger. On the other hand, the northern and central sections are more arid and fall in the Limpopo region. Fewer visitors come here; giving rise to an air of mystery that beckons the adventurous. You get there via the Orpen and Phalaborwa gates.

Kruger is the most celebrated national park in South Africa due to its wide variety of game and bird life. Hundreds of different species can be found here: 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians. It offers an unforgettable wildlife experience that can rival the best in Africa. In South Africa, this is the best place to see the fabled big five- lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino.

Other animals to see include cheetah, zebra, giraffe, baboon, hippo, impala, and warthog. The prolific mix of animals, including the presence of complete food chains, attracts scientists researching animal interaction.

Kruger has an extensive road network connecting the nine access gates in the national park. Pafuri gate in the north for example is a 414 km drive away from Malelane gate in the south. Within the national park, one activity you must engage in is a game drive. You can take a ranger guide to enhance your game watching experience, or you can also navigate yourself. Night game drives in Kruger give you the opportunity to observe nocturnal wildlife like Leopards, owls, bushbabies, nightjars, and hyenas.

Most visitors take game drives aboard a vehicle on regular trails. But ranger guided walking safaris are available to more adventurous spirits. On any of the seven guided wilderness trails for walkers, you take in nature's aromas as you view game up close. The trails include three nights stay in a wilderness camp. This option is quite popular and early booking is advised.

There are several means of getting to Kruger national park including scheduled flights from Cape town, Johannesburg, or Durban. The main airports where Kruger flights land are Kruger/Mpumalanga International airport, Phalaborwa airport, and Hoedspruit airport. Chartered flights are also available to the above airports and to the East Gate airport, from where you can also hire rental cars for your safari. Accommodation in Kruger ranges from self-catering and camping sites to more expensive luxury lodges, catering to different likes and budgets of travelers.

About the Author:

The author works with Africapoint - Online travel agents for Africa. Visit the Africapoint website for South Africa flights reservations and South Africa accommodation booking.