The last time The World toured the golf courses of the South Coast, Ocean Dunes in Florence was a little different.

The course hasn't changed. It still plays a little more than 6,000 yards from the back tees, the fairways are still narrow in places and houses still line five of the holes.

Playing every week sure has made a difference for both Ron and me.

We're hitting the ball well more consistently, getting better distance off the tee, and seemingly improving in every area except putting as we go from course to course with varying speeds on the greens.

We have all felt the anguish of three-putting a green after hitting a very good approach shot. Not only do we have to deal with the inner voice shouting quietly at ourselves, but we might have to endure the feeling of letting down a partner, or unwillingly accept those infamous ribbings from playing companions, or worse, maybe the loss of a few dollars.

Stop to think for a moment, when was the last time you had new grips put on your clubs? Have the grips ever been changed?

How about the last time you cleaned your clubs? When you did clean them, did you clean the grips as well as the club heads?

In golf, whenever a player intends to make a full swing the rule of thumb is that you should stand with your feet, knees, hips and shoulders on a line that is parallel to the line of shot - a position described as being "square" to the target.

Bunker play is an important part of scoring on the golf course. Better players would rather be in the sand than in the rough, because it is easier to judge a bunker shot than the thickness of the rough.