Sidebar: Stretch Goals for Golfers

Physical conditioning is part of any cutting-edge strategy for improving one's golf game. So we asked Randy Myers, the fitness director at PGA National Resort and Spa, and the author of The Official PGA National Golf Stretching Guide, to put together a workout regimen for golfers. The entire drill takes less than 30 minutes to complete; Myers suggests doing it three to four times per week.

Front-shoulder stretch: improves golf posture and relieves upper-spine tightness. Stand up, and raise one arm to shoulder height. With your raised hand, grasp a sturdy object, such as a golf cart. Slowly turn your body away from your hand, going as far as your shoulder will allow. Hold that position for at least 10 seconds per stretch. Repeat with each arm three times.

Incline push-up: stretches shoulder and chest muscles; strengthens the arms and upper back. Position your body at a 45-degree angle to the floor by placing your hands on a stable object. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet far enough away from the object to allow your body to remain straight. Then do two sets of 10 to 12 push-ups.

Squat: strengthens the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the calves. To help you maintain balance, grab a club at both ends and rest it across the back of your shoulders. Next, sit on a chair, bending your knees at a 90-degree angle. Then stand up. Hold that position for one second. Now squat back down until your butt is just touching -- but not resting on -- the chair. Hold that position for several seconds while you feel the burn. Do two sets of 10 squats.

Back and hamstring stretch: works the lower back and the back of the legs. Hold onto something stable with your right hand, and slowly lower your body backward. Place your left foot in front of your right foot. With your left hand, pull the top of your left foot toward the sky. Hold the stretch steady for at least 10 seconds. Repeat with your right leg.

Coordinates: $4.95. The Official PGA National Golf Stretching Guide, Cart One Corp., 561-625-3107

Sidebar: Hit These Links

Even if you're too busy to get out on a course, you can still satisfy your golf fix. Just boot up your browser and take a tour of the Web. Colin Berry, who writes the "Cybergolf" column for Golf Journal, keeps track of links-related links. Here are three of his favorites.

Global Golf Guide Cruise to the guide and take a multimedia tour of golf courses around the world. You'll find facts, photos, and video clips that will help you pick courses to play.

Coordinates: www.globalgolfguide.com

Bad Golf Monthly The place to go after you've played a lousy round: The site is packed with postings about golf-course disasters and embarrassingly high scores.

Coordinates: www.badgolfmonthly.com

GolfWeb Click here for daily updates on the pro tour, plus information on golf courses worldwide.

Coordinates: www.golfweb.com

-- Marni Futterman

Sidebar: Golf Clubs

When only a round of golf will do, you may want to consider the interclub privileges offered through membership in the Cobblestone Golf Group, based in Del Mar, California.

Cobblestone's network of 45 clubs includes courses designed by Reese Jones, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. A tiered system of nominal upgrade fees entitles members to such privileges as the ability to reserve tee times 30 days in advance, complimentary or discounted greens fees, and a toll-free concierge service. Interclub privileges require membership at one of the network's clubs (where initiation fees range from $3,000 to $30,000).

Coordinates: The Cobblestone Golf Group, 619-794-6600

Sidebar: Golf Shrinks

Golf is a head game. here are three prescriptions from master therapists.

The Malady: You can't sink that putt.
The Shrink: Bruce Warren Ollstein, author of Combat Golf (Viking, 1996).
The Therapy: "Take 100 putts from one foot away from the hole. You'll drill each one, and you'll drill your brain to believe that every putt will go in."

The Malady: You've lost your groove.
The Shrink: Mike Hebron, a PGA pro.
The Therapy: "Don't rush the shot. You can't achieve a uniform rhythm unless you slow down and think."

The Malady: Your shots are erratic -- varying from right on to way off.
The Shrink: Jeff Troesch, a top-flight sports-psychology consultant.
The Therapy: "Use a relaxation technique. That way, you'll learn to take the same approach to every shot."

Tom Harack (tomharack@aol.com) is a freelance writer based in New York City. He has written on golf for Men's Journal, Playboy, and the New York Times.