The options include online sites that are very simple to use. The golfer enters his or her information online and the program does all the calculations. Some golf organizations include the use of this type of program as a benefit of membership.

Evaluating a player's swing has always been the bane of golf professionals and instructors. Where exactly is the player going wrong? And how can it be corrected? There are a couple of major programs for swing analysis available. Typically, a movie is taken of the golfer while he executes a typical swing. Then the computer software overlays an image of a perfect swing, giving the golfer and the instructor a frame-by-frame analysis. Not only is the golf swing slowed down for a critical look, but it's easy to pinpoint any problems.

Practice is another area improved by technology. Those who want to practice their golf games often have very limited options. They can go to a driving range or golf course to get in real practice, or they can practice putting in limited space. But the golfer who lives in a crowded neighborhood can now use one of several golf aids to practice swings right in the backyard.

In this case, the answer doesn't have to be high-tech, though there are some really great technical options. Some golfers use a net to catch the ball a few feet past the swing, though this does at least slightly limit the benefits of practice because there's no way for the golfer to tell whether it would have been an excellent shot. Some of the high-tech golf aids allow you to see how far the ball would have traveled and the exact path it would have taken.

There will probably never be a time when computerized golf takes the place of 18 holes on your favorite golf course, but there's no doubt that technology has an important role in golf today.

Bob Benson is the founder of >Golf Tips online. We provide information on >Golf Lessons.