Perhaps nothing has a greater effect on golfers and creates more satisfaction with their rounds of golf as the playing conditions of the course. Perfectly manicured tees, with fairways and greens as smooth as silk, are the dream of any golfer.

The natural surrounding and pure beauty of the outdoors is one of the intrinsic and captivating pulls that golf has on both players and spectators. Hopefully, you will take time to pause during your next round of golf and experience the uniqueness and natural beauty of the venue you are playing.

Perhaps, no place is a more beautiful presentation of golf and nature then Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club, host to the Masters Tournament -- which just concluded this past week. The Masters traditionally marks the beginning of a new golf season nationwide and the plentiful rounds that await us in the warm days ahead.

Throughout golf's storied history, course conditions are one aspect of the game that has consistently evolved. Since the days of the first PGA Championship in 1916 -- as well as the first Masters in 1934 -- the set-up of the exact same course to hold a major Championship is sometimes unrecognizable, due to its evolution in keeping pace with the changing face of the game. This is true of the length, hazard placement and conditioning of the holes.

For example, last year's PGA Championship at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club featured a Rees Jones redesign that repositioned holes and changed the way the course played from the 1999 PGA Championship. Similarly, Jack Nicklaus is modifying Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., to prepare the course that hosted the 2000 PGA Championship for the 2008 Ryder Cup.

Meanwhile, while the tradition and beauty of Augusta National remains, the course has certainly undergone significant changes since the days of Bobby Jones. Over the past few years, the course was lengthened, new trees planted, some existing trees moved to new locations and a "second cut" -- Augusta's term for the deep rough -- was added.

The strategies of the players and the equipment they chose to play have also evolved with the course changes. Before the creation of modernized water systems, the ground was so hard that players were able to roll their tees shots more than 40 yards, as well as use the slopes of the fairways to create distance.

To counteract today's golf equipment, which features high-tech drivers and balls that allow players to reach greater distances than their counterparts of previous eras, expertly conditioned fairways and greens have managed to take the roll out of the game.

As you play your next round, make sure that your strategy takes into account the design of the new equipment and how it has transformed the way we play the game. And don't forget to stop and smell your course's roses -- or if you are at Augusta National -- then be sure to stop and smell the azaleas!

PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month and Complimentary Demo Days

With golf season here, April marks PGA Free Fitting & Trade-up Month, where you can work with a PGA Professional to get the proper equipment for your game. For more information on this complimentary fitting all month long, visit www.PlayGolfAmerica.com. You can also utilize the site's zip code search engine to find a PGA Professional near you.

Also, I invite everyone in the South Florida area on Saturday, April 21, to join us at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, for a complimentary Titleist Demo Day from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. You can also mark your calendars for the Callaway Golf Demo Day at the PGA Learning Center, on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At both of these events, you and your family can test out the latest innovations in golf equipment from some of the game's top manufacturers.

To learn more about the PGA Learning Center, call 800-800-GOLF (800-800-4653) or log on to www.pgavillage.com.

Here's to better golf!

Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.