For enthusiasts of golf, one of the highlights of the sport is the Ryder Cup.  For those who don't know, the Ryder Cup is a competition between golfers from the United States and Europe. Administered by the PGA of American and the European PGA, the competition is held every two years, alternating its location between Europe and the United States. The competition is named after the Ryder Cup itself, which is the tournament prize named for it's donator Samuel Ryder.  The Ryder Cup is one of the most hotly anticipated events of the sporting year, and for golf lovers it is one of the most coveted competitions to attend.  The cups changing location makes it exciting to learn where and when each event will take place, and many people wait all year for the chance to travel to the beautiful locations and watch skilled golfers do what they do best. 

The Ryder Cup 2010 competition is going to take place from the 1st to the 3rd of October in the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport in Wales.  The course at the manor has been specifically designed to host the Ryder Cup this year.  The course contains nine new holes, spectacularly designed by European Golf Design. It also contains nine holes from the original Robert Trent Jones Junior-designed Wentwood Hills golf course, however these have been remodeled extensively and will be very challenging for even the most seasoned players. 

The challenge in building the course was to create a space that was capable of catering to the particular challenges of a Ryder Cup tournament while simultaneously remaining challenging enough to present difficulties for the many talented and well-practiced competitors who would be playing.  The course is designed to afford incredible views of the Usk valley for both players and spectators.  It is important to note that the design of the course was done with the utmost care to avoid any negative impact on the environment that course design and construction could have possibly had.  Tremendous emphasis was placed on developing the creation of habitats, by making a variety of plant and vegetation available alongside the course, it's streams, wetlands and green areas.  The environmental climate of the space is critical as is the historical and archaeological value of the space, the site of discovery of numerous ruins and artifacts from as long ago as the Roman Empire.  

For those interested in attending the competition the Ryder Cup Travel Services department has been organizing accommodations and ticketing services in both countries for over ten years.  If you so desire to attend the events in Wales, you can purchase a comprehensive package that allows you to stay in the hotels, flights and tickets to the events.  If you choose to simply book your hotel and other travel accommodations independently, you also have the option of purchasing only the tickets and attending the games at your leisure.  All of the games at the Ryder Cup 2010 are played under match play rules, where the outcome of each game is determined by the number of holes won. While the first two days of play will be Fourball in the morning and Foursomes in the afternoon, the entirely of the final day's play will be conducted in Singles format. 

For anyone who plays golf themselves, is at all interested in golf, competition or the good-natured sportsman rivalry between Europe and the United States, the Ryder Cup 2010 presents an excellent opportunity for a few days of watching athletes at the top of their game compete in an incredibly beautiful setting for cash prizes and the coveted Ryder Cup.  

Ever wanted to get into the golf industry? With the right golf career college you may be a few steps closer to achieving your dream, and having a chance to participate in the Ryder Cup or many other golf tournaments. 

Whether you are a budding young player who plays golf in college and dreams of a golf career or a seasoned player already with a professional golf career, no matter who you are, you look forward to The Players Championship.

This year's championship was a tournament of twists and turns (no pun intended about Tiger's neck injury). Woods, the number one player in the world, off-course issues and an underwhelming tie for fourth at the recent Masters tournament notwithstanding, had to take an early leave from the championship. He says it may be a bulging disk and that it's been bothering him since before the Masters, but he's played through it. He decided he couldn't play through it anymore and left the competition.

This left the arena wide open for other hopefuls, not least of which was the 34-year-old South African Tim Clark who eventually sealed the victory. Known as the player with an arguable distinction of richest player without a PGA TOUR victory, Clark stayed focused and grounded. After 204 frustrating tournaments, he had the chance to finally take a victory on the PGA TOUR and he grabbed it. He played the last 26 holes without a bogey and set the record at Stadium Course with his phenomenal comeback over 36 holes. He joked when he clinched the win that no one would want to talk to him anymore because now he was just another guy with a win, not a scrappy underdog who was always almost-there but not-quite.

Meanwhile, Robert Allenby had the chance to tie with eventual-winner Clark but his putt came up short on the 17th and cost him the opportunity. Aggravatingly, it didn't just come up short. The ball made it up to the cup, took a look inside, and then retreated away. Allenby called it "a bit rude" of the ball to do so. He said he did everything he could do to try to win the tournament but that the golfing gods were with Clark that day. Allenby came in at second place, trailed by Lucas Glover in third.

Lee Westwood, another major contender who eventually placed in a 5-way tie for 4th place, stated that he didn't deserve to win because he didn't play well enough to.

In other big news, this Players championship was of course also Phil Mickelson's big chance to move into the Number 1 spot in the world, leap-frogging Tiger Woods and effectively ending his reign as golf king. With his personal life in disarray, his physical health not in its prime and being toppled as the world's golf leader, it's tough to say if Woods would recover if Mickelson had managed to edge in with a victory at this tournament. Woods' game and professional golf career is in question and Mickelson is gaining momentum with his recent triumph at the Masters. The rivalry is certainly heating up.

But the Tiger Kingdom remains intact, for now. As for Mickelson, he's taking it easy on himself - not too easy, but not too hard either. He's going to work on his short game that failed him for this tournament and spend time with his family. He knows he'll have more chances to advance and slide into that coveted Number 1 spot.

Tell us, The College of Golf, a little bit about what you thought of the Players Championship Tournament.

Mickelson's triumph in the Masters is a satisfying conclusion to a tournament that had focused most of its attention on returning champion Tiger Woods.

Even Phil Mickelson has been one of the top players in the professional golf career, winning the Masters twice before, it was rather a surprise to everyone that he won this year's Masters Tournament.  Indeed, he came to the Masters without even finishing in the top five at any tournament this year. No doubt he was distracted by a troubled personal life this year that included both his wife and mother being diagnosed with cancer. Amy had been there to help Mickelson celebrate his two previous wins, but this year her attendance was somewhat in doubt due to her health problems. According to an AP article recounting Mickelson's victory, he was quoted as saying, "She didn't feel well and she doesn't have energy...To have her here and share this moment and share the joy of winning on (hole) 18, and to share this with our kids, is something that we'll love back on the rest of our lives." Mickelson played an extremely strong last round, finishing 5 under par for a 67, and beating his nearest rival, Briton Lee Westwood by three strokes. Despite a strong start on the first day, Tiger Woods did not play consistently well over the four days of the Masters, and by the last day, it seemed his legendary focus had unraveled, and Woods finished fourth, tied with Korean pro K.J. Choi.

Despite the presence of other superstars like Mickelson, Westwood, and Anthony Kim, the golf fans in attendance were clearly the most excited about seeing Tiger Woods return to the game after months of self-enforced exile. Woods, careful that he needs to rebuild his battered image, seemed grateful for the fans' polite, friendly reception, but his carefully cultivated friendly demeanor began to come apart over the course of the tournament as he began to play worse and worse and fell further back in the pack. Some days, it seemed like Tiger Woods couldn't do anything right, while Phil Mickelson played with verve and confidence. He got a 5-under 67 the first day, and then followed that up with two more 67-stroke scores on succeeding days. He showed the other golfers that he owned the Masters this year with a terrific 207-yard drive through some trees on the 13th hole, dropping the ball a mere four feet from the hole. It was the kind of shot the fans love to see and pro golfers love to accomplish. As rival Westwood noted in the same AP article cited above, "It's one of those shots only Phil could pull off. I think most people would have chipped that one out. But that's what great players do: they pull of great shots at the right time.

Not only did Mickelson play brilliantly, he was very consistent about it. Stroke by measured stroke he built up a solid lead on the final day, making impossible for the other golfers to catch him. By the last three or four holes on the last day of the tournament, about the only person who could have beaten Phil Mickelson was Mickelson himself, but fortunately for him, he didn't clutch, and just kept playing well right to the bitter end. But while Tiger Woods remained the main attraction at the Masters this year, Phil Mickelson was clearly the one golfer most of the fans were rooting for, not only because he played so well, but also because of the personal problems he was up against. Mickelson's victory embrace of his ailing wife on the 18th green had a special sweetness that seemed just right, creating an imperishable moment of classic golf history. This year's Masters seemed to have it all, drama, scandal, and a very high level of play by the tournament leaders. 

About the Author: The College of Golf is a division of Keiser University and a pro golf school. To view the program options at the College of Golf, visit CollegeofGolf.com. Keiser University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, 404.679.4501, to award certificates, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

At the professional level, golf tournaments are separated by gender. The men have tournaments and the women have their own. But what about at the amateur level? Should all tournaments be segregated based on sex? Amateur golfer Elaine Joyce doesn't think so and she filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit to prove her point.

Back in March of 2007, Joyce was denied the opportunity to play in a Dennis Pines golf course tournament with her father because it was for men only. She filed suit against that golf course, Dennis Highlands golf course, the town of Dennis, former-Town Administrator Bob Canevazzi, former Golf Director Dennis Penner, former Golf Professional Russ Champoux and Golf Director Mike Cummings.

Late last month U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton ruled in Joyce's favor.  The ruling said that a town, and its golf courses (which are public) could be made liable under the United States equal-protection laws, if they were found to have engaged in gender discrimination through conduct, policy or custom. In this case, Gorton only held the town liable.

This is not the first time Joyce has gone to bat for women's equality on the golf course. Back in the late 90s she fought a similar battle in Yarmouth. She also won her case back then, but was left with such bad feelings about the whole ordeal she never golfed there again. But this recent battle is receiving more press and attention, which means that it could change things in the game of golf.

This ruling could have a huge impact on golf tournaments, both amateur and professional, throughout the country and possibly the world. Precedence has now been set that could see men and women playing together in tournaments whether the golf clubs like it or not. While some people see this as a positive step forward, others will balk at the court's decision, wanting the game of golf to continue being segregated based on sex.

Those who are all for having  joint male and female tournaments think that it's high time that the sport of golf saw some equality. If a woman wants to play with the men, and vice versa, then they should be allowed. The game of golf is all about manners and etiquette and what is more proper than allowing women to join forces with the men in tournaments?  Moreover, when vying for a clubs top spot as the best golfer, it only makes sense that a player is being compared to all players, not just the ones that happen to be the same sex.

But there are also those who will greatly oppose this ruling, those who think that the game of golf should continue to be played along gender lines.  Difference in strength may factor into this opinion. Also, the logistics of men and women playing together in tournaments could be messy.

Women generally tee off from a different spot than men. The women's tee is closer to the hole. If men and women were to play together, would the women continue using the women's tee? Would this give them an unfair advantage? Or, should they tee off from the same spot as the men?

If more women come forward with similar lawsuits, it could turn the game of golf on its head. One also has to wonder if it could seep into other sports and what the repercussions could be for the sports world in general.  And with other sports that are considered contact sports, like hockey, basketball and football, the repercussions of allowing men and women to play together could be much graver.

For more information about the golf industry, or golf colleges, go to CollegeofGolf.com