A) Balance Surfing

GOLF BENEFIT: Improves balance and pro-prioception (an awareness of where your body is in space), helping you swing the club faster and with greater control.

HOW TO DO IT: Stand barefoot on the roller, balancing for up to 30 seconds. When you can do this without falling, try a squat or standing on one leg. (Put both hands on a wall when starting out until balance improves.)

B) Snow Angels

GOLF BENEFIT: Forces shoulder blades to retract, reducing upper-back roundness; lengthens chest and shoulder muscles, allowing for a bigger shoulder turn.

HOW TO DO IT: Lie lengthwise on the roller, knees bent, feet flat. Slide arms up and down along the floor as if making a snow angel. Do 15 reps.

C) Knee-To-Chest Hold

GOLF BENEFIT: Engages abdominals for a stronger core; stretches lower back and glutes for better posture during the swing.

HOW TO DO IT: Lie lengthwise on the roller, knees bent, feet flat. Cross arms over chest and slowly bring the right knee toward your chest, stop­ping when the thigh is perpendicular to the ground. Hold for 20 seconds. Do three reps on each leg.

D) Thigh Roll

GOLF BENEFIT: Massages the iliotibial band (a fibrous tissue that stabilizes the knee and hip), improving pelvic range of motion for a more powerful swing.

HOW TO DO IT: Place roller just below right hip. Balancing on right forearm, roll your body up and down, keeping hips perpendicular to the floor so the roller massages the outer thigh. Massage each leg for two minutes.

Instead of plunking down several million dollars for a waterfront villa in Hawaii, for example, you can purchase nearly one month’s worth of use in an island vacation home for a fraction of the cost. As a Club member, you and your guests will appreciate the comforts of home while being treated to the legendary services and lavish amenities that Ritz-Carlton hotel guests enjoy.

Among the locations—and more on the way—are some delightful golf prop­erties. Now open, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa (Jupiter, Fla.) boasts an im­peccably manicured Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and Addison Mizner-inspired architecture. Available for occupancy in the next few years, ad­ditional locations will offer a variety of golf experiences. Five consecutive ocean­front holes will inspire players at The Ritz- Carlton Club, Kauai lagoons (Hawaii). Golfers will also be enchanted by The Ritz-Carlton Club, Kapalua Bay (Hawaii), located in the famed Kapalua Resort, which has set the standard of sophistication on Maui.

Each location serves up unique activities with a local flair, along with all the extravagances Ritz-Carlton fans have come to expect: rejuvenating spa services, palate-tantalizing cuisine, attentive staff and elegant decor. Floor plans range from one to four bedrooms, and all residences are well appointed with fully equipped kitchens, appliances and plush interiors. As an added benefit, members may explore other Ritz-Carlton Club residences through reciprocal-used privileges.

Fractional ownership with The Ritz-Carlton Club is changing the future of vacation-home ownership.

In Hot Springs,Va., The Homestead first welcomed guests in 1766. J.P. Morgan bought the place in 1888, adding the main building, the famed spa with its gorgeous indoor pool and a Donald Ross golf course, the first of three 18-hole layouts. New owner KSL Resorts has updated the bathrooms in all 486 rooms, put in a new driving range at The Cascades Course and restored  the Old Course bunkers to Ross’ original 1913 design. Darling, you look marvelous.

On the one hand, there is Sorenstam, who has been temporarily sidelined with a neck injury. Only a year ago, Sorenstam won her third U.S. Women’s Open title and seemed prepared to add limitlessly to her 10 major championships. Now she’s trying to recuperate from ruptured and bulging disks, the type of ailments that could mean playing in pain, and which prompted Andre Agassi to end his tennis career last summer. Rehabilitation and motivation may be especially problematic for a 36-year-old who has accomplished nearly everything she set out to do in the games, and whose intense drive may be lessening as she explores fresh interests, such as her new golf academy.

Whatever Sorenstam’s thoughts on retirement are, she should care­fully study the experience of Lopez, who is still strug­gling with the idea at age 50, and who offers cautionary lessons about comebacks. Even after Lopez announced that the 2002 season would be her last, she was never reconciled to quitting the game she loves and has played in 25 events since then. She recently dropped more than 30 pounds and declared last March that she still feels capable of competing against young studs like Paula Creamer. “I know I have to get in real good shape to try to compete with the young girls,” Lopez said. “But I think I still have the mental capac­ity to go out there and play good golf.” It’s a noble sentiment, but the problem is that Lopez hasn’t finished in the top 10 since 1998. In April she entered the Ginn Open and finished dead last in the field with rounds of 83 and 80.

Fans have a tendency to want their beloved stars to go out on top, becomingly, so that we can preserve our visions of them of them in their prime. We don’t want to see them battle with  physical decline. But that isn’t necessarily fair to them. Athletes are in the business of exhausting every last possibility in them, and it can’t be easy for them to reverse their competitive engines.

Many champi­ons find that the effort to stave off the inevitable becomes a contest in itself. After retiring twice from the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan played two relatively ordinary final seasons with the Washington Wizards, which may have disappointed his fans, but which gratified him personally “An itch to scratch,” he called his desire to keep play­ing. Asked if the comeback would be a letdown if he failed to make the playoffs, he simply replied, “Nope.” Kareem Abdul­ Jabbar enjoyed his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but once they were over he described retirement to me this way: “Your pride and vanity get in the ‘ray of dealing with it.”

Chris Evert was 34 and still a viable player when she decided to quit; she was tired of the pressure and wanted to start a family. Her retirement was relatively graceful, but even she found that life after competition felt aimless at first. “In the beginning, you want to be missed,” she told me. Once, when she was working as a broadcaster, she went out to hit tennis balls for pleasure and found herself on a court next to Steffi Graf, who was still at her peak. Evert changed courts, embar­rassed to be seen hitting less than well.

She vacillated between emptiness and relief, uncertain how to feel. Then one day it struck her: “My God, I don’t have to win and I don’t have to lose today. That’s free­dom.” Gradually, Evert got used to a more ordinary routine. She spent time with her kids, cooked dinners and visited her sister. “It should be an adjustment, not a catas­trophe,” she observed.

But more often than not, retirement is not a neat, graceful completion. Rather, it’s messy, open-ended and occasionally unflattering. It’s a difficult move to slip seamlessly into ordinary life at the end of an extraordinary career.

The tournament will be contested on Waikoloa’s legendary Kings’ Course, a collaboration of Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, which contains design elements reminiscent of a Scottish links course while simultaneously offering amazing views of Big Island volcanoes, wildflowers and towering palm trees. Golfers always enjoy the Scottish-style double green shared by the third and sixth holes. On the free day, competitors can also tee it up on the sister Beach Course, which hugs the water and was literally carved from the lava flow along the picturesque Wailulua Bay. Its signature is the par-5 12th, bordering the ocean from tee to green. Perhaps the biggest challenge is not being distracted by the frolicking humpback whales.

As diverse as its courses are the Waikoloa lodging options—which include the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and the Hilton Waikoloa Village, as well as no less than a half dozen luxurious condominium properties—all with wonderful views and comfortable furnishings. More than a few golfers have paid a first-time visit, fell in love with every aspect of this gorgeous 1,350-acre master-planned residential resort community and ended up buying a vacation home before they left.

MODEL YEAR: 2007

BEST FOR : Going fast without sacrificing seating and lug­gage space.

LOOKS : Low and aggressive, like the muscle car your first boyfriend had back in the day.

ENGINE : 6.1 liter SRT Hemi V8; 425 hp.

PROS AND CONS : This high-performance version of the 300 sedan is a living room on wheels. But its interior lacks the panache of the European luxury sedans.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY : Two to three.

HOW IT DRIVES: Loud and proud. The Hemi engine provides snap-your-neck acceleration, and the sport-tuned suspension gives this rear-wheel-drive vehicle a firmer ride for better handling.

COOL OPTIONS : Satellite navigation system, chrome-detailed side molding, chromed mirrors and door handles, rear entertainment system.

Infiniti G35X AWD

MODEL YEAR : 2007

BEST FOR: A high-spirited romp through the urban jungle.

LOOKS : Performance meets sex appeal.

ENGINE : 3.5 liter V6; 306 hp.

PROS AND CONS : This all-wheel-drive version of the second-generation G35 is a low-slung sedan with a luxurious feel, thanks to the leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated seats, violet-hued gauges and knobs, and textured aluminum trim. Some of our older passengers found it a bit too low to the ground.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY :Two Golf Bag.

HOW IT DRIVES : Even better than the original: quicker on the straightaway, and smoother on its feet in the twisters. It practically danced around tight corners.

COOL OPTIONS : XM satellite radio, Bose sound system, Blue- tooth hands-free phone system, African rosewood trim.

VW EOS

MODEL YEAR : 2007

BEST FOR : Having fun, fun, fun till your husband takes the car keys away.

LOOKS : Cute as a button.

ENGINE : 2.0 liter, turbocharged inline four cylinder; 200 hp.

PROS AND CONS : Named after the Greek goddess of dawn, the Eos is one of the best convertible val­ues around. It’s also the only hardtop with a power sunroof. But the top hogs the trunk when down, so throw your bag in the backseat.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY : One with top up, zero with top down.

HOW IT DRIVES : The turbo engine provides lots of smooth, easy power, and the car handled like a champ.

COOL OPTIONS: DVD navigation system, leather seats, Dynaudio sound system.

(Sometimes it helps to feel as if your left shoulder is pointing toward the ground.) Amateurs often tilt their left shoulder upward, as if they were playing a full shot, which causes the club-head to bot­tom out behind the ball and hit it fat or thin. Place the ball slightly back in your stance and shift your weight to your left side. This will promote a steeper, more descending down­swing and the proper ball-turf contact for a solid shot.

Good chipping  and pitching is all about distance control. If the ball stops within a yard or two of the hole, you can expect to one-putt more. This drill is one of my favorites. Chip one ball about three yards, then pitch your next shot so it lands on top of the first ball and rolls beyond it. Try to land the third ball on top of the second and so on.

The object is to finish with a fairly straight line of evenly spaced balls. This drill improves your hand-eye coordination and teaches you how to incrementally increase the dis­tance you carry—or fly—the ball. It also improves your ability to judge early, which is essential to chipping and pitching as you move farther away from the green.

Low, Running Chip

A back pin location with plenty of green to work with, or a flat run-up to the green. With these shots, I use a less-lofted club (my gap wedge; amateurs might consider using an 8- or 9-iron) because I want to keep the ball low to the ground. Play the ball back in your stance, in line with the big toe on your right foot.

This positions your hands in front of the ball, reducing the club’s loft even more. Keep your left wrist firm and swing the club- head down and through the ball. Make sure you take a big enough back swing to get the ball to the hole.

Short Pitch

This is the shot to hit if you don’t want the ball to run too much and you need. ‘to carry an obstacle. Center the ball between your feet and dis­tribute your weight equally. Your hands should be even with the ball and the shaft perpendicular to the ground.

You don’t want the shaft leaning forward in this shot because that delofts the club, and you need maximum loft. As you swing back and through, try to keep the shaft pointing at your belly. This will encourage you to hit the ball with the club’s full loft, producing a higher shot with less roll

Downhill Floater

This is a tough shot, especially if the green is running away from you and you’re hitting out of the rough. To pop the ball out softly, play it back in your stance with your weight favoring your left side and knees bent.

Using your most-lofted wedge, open the clubface slightly and swing the club-head down the slope past your left foot, keeping the face pointing toward the sky. Allow your knees to give a little and chase the slope with the club as you follow through; otherwise, you’ll hit up on the ball and skull it.

Try Up : For Left Hand Player.

Players often try to add loft to their chips by scooping with their right hand, which results in poor contact. Practice hitting chip shots with your left arm only. With no interference from your right hand, you’ll find it easier to keep your left wrist firm and make solid contact. Feel as if you’re swinging the handle of the club and brush the turf in front of the ball.

Bentley Continental GTC

MODEL YEAR : 2007

BEST FOR : Instilling extreme envy in the hearts of friends and strangers alike.

LOOKS : Elegant and ultrarefined.

ENGINE 6.0 liter twin, turbocharged 12 cylinder; 552 horsepower (hp).

PROS AND CONS : The stylish cabin is cocooned in sumptuous leather and boasts every bell and whistle imaginable, including an easy-to-use DVD navigation system and a Breitling clock. But as with all hardtop convertibles, the top takes up the entire trunk when down.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY : One in the trunk with top up, zero with top down.

HOW IT DRIVES: The Bentley is agile and fun. You’ll love the race-car rumble and the power on demand.

COOL OPTIONS : 19-inch alloy sport wheels, front-seat lumbar massage.

Porshe Cayenne Turbo

MODEL YEAR: 2008

BEST FOR : Shuttling your foursome and their bags in style-and burning up asphalt along the way.

LOOKS : Simple and stylish, with that iconic Porsche nose.

ENGINE: Supercharged 4.8 liter V8; 500 hp.

PROS AND CONS : The high-tech cockpit’s easy-to-use amenities include an optional hands-free call feature. While the elevated seat position offers a commanding view of the road, the high ground clearance may make getting in and out tough for a smaller, less-mobile adult.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY : Four.

HOW IT DRIVES : Though heavy, the Cayenne handles itself almost like a Porsche sports cat powerful, aggressive and even somewhat agile.

COOL OPTIONS : 21-inch sport wheels, power moon roof, Bose Surround Sound system.

Audi S6

MODEL YEAR : 2007

BEST FOR : Getting to and from the course at speeds that will terrify most old-school duffers.

LOOKS : Conservative yet classy.

ENGINE : 5.2 liter V10; 435 hp.

PROS AND CONS : This driving enthusiast’s version of the A6 sedan has a luxurious, impeccably crafted cockpit, with easy-to-read gauges and a simple-to-use multimedia interface in the console. While the bucket front seats held as in on the turns, our older passengers found them hard to get out of.

GOLF BAG CAPACITY : Two to three.

HOW IT DRIVES : Exhilarating and quick, with the responsiveness of a wunderbar German motorcar.

COOL OPTIONS : DVD navigation system, Sirius satellite radio and a rearview parking system that helps you avoid backing up into signposts and delivery trucks.

SUN MOUNTAIN SUPERLIGHT 3.5 WITH HUG TECHNOLOGY

Weighing in at less than four pounds, this new bag features a unique padded aluminum arm that fits snugly around your waist, transfer­ring most of its weight from your shoulders to your hips.

OGIO DIVA

Another featherweight at just over four pounds, the Diva has an innovative top
that keeps each wood separate for easy access. With a comfortable double strap and eight pockets, it’s everything a girl could want.

NIKE XTREME SPORT

This five-pound women’s bag features a double strap that becomes a single strap with a simple click. Extras include seven roomy pockets, a sturdy stand and six-way, full-length club dividers.

by John Updike.

No other writer brings the pain and the pleasure of golf to life as intensely and as exquisitely as John Updike. In this compilation of pub­lished essays and excerpts from his works of fiction, Updike portrays himself and his characters as morose, gloomy and immersed in a futile, maddening pastime (a topic addressed in “Is Life Too Short for Golf?”).

While it has an indisputably male perspective, Golf Dreams is worth reading for the beauty and originality of its language—Updike’s description of making a great shot in “Tips on a Trip” should be read aloud. Our favorite chapter is “Women’s Work,” a fascinating glimpse into a man’s thoughts on watching women compete, origi­nally published in the program for the 1984 U.S. Women’s Open. While other great writers of the 20th century didn’t bother to veil their misogyny, Updike writes of his awe of the players, whom he compares to Amazon warriors “doing authen­tic battle.”

FROM BIRDIES TO BUNKERS by Alice Dye, with Mark Shaw

The first lady of golf course design published her memoir in 2004; nine years after husband Pete’s classic Bury Me in a Pot Bunker. Subtitled “Discover How Golf Can Bring Love, Humor, and Success into Your Life,” Dye’s effort is a delightful compendium of lyrical anecdotes and observations on the game.

She describes her own competitive career, which includes numerous amateur championships and a berth on the 1970 U.S. Curtis Cup team, dishes on friends like Jack Nicklaus, opines on topics from grooves to gambling and, best of all, describes the process of designing courses with Pete, making sure women would enjoy playing them as much as men. The book is pep­pered with photographs: Dye seated atop a bulldozer, with her husband and children, with famous tour players, clearly a woman who enjoys life to the fullest.

GOLFING MEMORIES AND METHODS by Joyce Wethered.

Originally published in 1934, this modest, old- fashioned book is part memoir, part instruction manual and all heart. Wethered, who was born in Surrey England, in 1901, won four British Ladies’ Amateur and five English Ladies’ Championships, and became famous for her beautiful swing.

In a distinctive, upper-crust tone that makes you feel like you’re having tea with the Queen, she describes how she retired at 23 because she found competition so stressful, then returned briefly to compete in the 1929 British Ladies’ Amateur Championship at St Andrews. The book’s high point is her moment-by­moment description of her match against U.S. champion Glenna Collett, in which Wethered pre­vailed, 3 and 1. It’s been said to be one of the most exciting matches ever.

Even the great Bobby Jones remarked, after playing around with Wethered: “I had never played golf with anyone, man or woman, amateur or professional, who made me feel so utterly outclassed.”