For me it's still 'The Grande Dame' of Algarve courses - The Old Course at Vilamoura. Granted I'm yet to play in the States, and I havn't played the Old Course in the last 5 years (not making much of a case at the moment). However, those of you lucky enough to have played, will know the class and sheer quality of the place. It's not the most spectacular course in the world, or even the Algarve, but you know you're somewhere special as soon as you drive up to the club house. Friendly staff, who didnt even mind my dad in his cricket spikes (they put soft spikes in for free) or the fact that his divot went further than his ball on the first tee - the starter simply smiled and said ''I'm sure it will get better'' (it didnt) and the picturesque course has always been in immaculate condition when I've played.

Favourite Hole - 4th S.I. 15. Short par 3 over a pond and tree. Not a tough hole as the hazards are more psychological than anything else. However, it looks good and I hit the flag in my first round there.

Toughest hole -  8th S.I. 1. Only 420 yards, until you realise you're abroad and its 420 metres (460 yards). All slightly uphill. A tight drive made even tighter if you drove like I did on that day. The treeline leads you towards a bunker on the left with not much hope of reaching the green if you find it.

If you're in the Algarve it's a must play!

If you know of anywhere better we would love to hear about it.

Oli - MJGA

In my humble opinion Tiger really needs to get back to basics and start playing golf again.  Rumour has it he won't return until 2012, I guess Phil, Rory, Sergio and the guys must be loving that news!!  I just think if he's ever going to move on from this, he has to get back to winning events, then a few months from now people will be talking about what a great golfer he is and less of the other issues in his life.  I appreciate he will never be seen in the same light again, but proving what he's the best player ever to play the game will go some way in keeping him sane.

What do you folks think, play or retire?  What's the better option for Tiger and indeed golf?

Following on from my "Patience to Teach" blog.  Only one thing drives me slightly round the bend, no not getting beaten by my 3.5 year old son on the Rory Racing Car game, although that is a poor effort !!  It's to watch golfers hit the range with like 4 baskets of balls, all the gear money can buy and not a blooming clue on what they are working on.

Please, please have a game plan when you hit the range with let's face it all good intention.  If you just know what is the root cause of that slice or maybe that heavy strike, then you can actually do something about changing the flight or strike and move your game forwards.  Every time you practise you should see some improvement and change to what the ball normally does.  I think if your working on the correct "root cause" information, at the right pace and have some simple drills/thoughts as to stop the rot, then that ball really and truly should do something new and improved.  If your simply plugging info out of thin air or getting help from the lads, then it's not specific to you and although you might get lucky once in a while, there is no long term solution to your problems with this crazy approach.

KNOW THE ROOT CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEM SHOT?

GET SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO CHANGE THE FLAW IN YOUR GAME?

HIT THE RANGE WITH A GAME PLAN!

TRY NOT TO HIT 4 BALLS IN THE AIR AT ONCE (ONLY JOKING, BUT SEE THIS ALL THE TIME) LESS IS MORE IN GOLF!

YOU SHOULD SEE A CHANGE IN FLIGHT OR STRIKE, OTHERWISE YOUR NOT WORKING ON THE RIGHT STUFF!

LITTLE AND OFTEN ON THE RANGE!

SMILE AND ENJOY!!! (WAY TOO MANY GRUMPY GOLFERS OUT THERE)

It's often commented that you need a huge amount of patience to teach golf!  I always reply that actually if you simply understand how difficult  this game is then you should be well positioned to help people improve.  I would suggest the client is the person who requires the patience and also a realistic expectation to what they can achieve in a certain time scale.

No one ever masters golf,  so don't go into the game with that intension, otherwise your in for a long ride and one that won't be that enjoyable!  Set realistic goals and take into consideration your family and work committments, just how much time do you have to work on your game?  Talk through with your Pro what it is you want to achieve and he will help you plan a suitable practise schedule etc.

If your expectation and your teachers are aligned correctly, then we all know what is expected and I guarantee you, you'll enjoy the ride and achieve great success in a much shorter period of time.