By Gareth McGray

Golf betting can be lucrative - if you know what you're doing. But, what if you are just starting out? How do you make sure you don't lose your shirt?

The first thing that you need to know is that there are typically three different types of bets that you can make in any given golf tournament:

* On a certain golfer to win the whole game

* Who's going to come in the top three places

* Whether a golfer will place higher than another golfer

But, although this is important information, it's not enough to help you win. Additional tips include:

Never bet with your heart

If you are a golf fan, chances are you believe that betting on your favorite golfer will bring in the big bucks. But, this couldn't be further than the truth -- more than likely you'll find that you won't win very often and if you do, it won't be much. The key to making money on specific players is by making sure you do your research into the field.

Keep this in mind - top players like Rory McElroy tend to have odds that are often around 9/1 or less. But when you consider that this is out of the field of over 140, is not really that great of value. If you want to win, you have to find players that offer bigger odds.

Understanding Your Odds

It's important to pay attention here because for every 15/21 winner like Adam Scott, Justin Rose, or Bubba Watson, there are just as many 50/1 shots being handed from players likes Justin Thomas, Zach Johnson, Russell Knox, and Branden Many of these players are winning tournaments and are likely to provide you with better returns than the golfers priced at 8/1.

Once you understand that your chances of winning big money on your favorite golfer are virtually non-existent, it'll take you one step closer to getting more value from your golf picks. Still, if you are looking for the best odds, you can't go wrong with www.allslotscasino.com/ca/. Not only is this site powered by the reputable Microgaming software - which ensures high quality and unparalleled security - beginners can also get up to 1,600 in bonus cash for signing up.

Do your research

Although you may not want to do it, you will have to bite the bullet and check out the other players on the list. There have been many times where players priced at 80/1 have won the European and PGA Tours. Thus, it's worth it to do some research to see who those potential big winners are.

Begin by studying previous tournament results. There are some players that love certain courses and no matter what their current form, will raise their game accordingly. Knowing this information will give you a better idea of the players that have a good chance of winning from week to week.

Stick to your budget

To make things easier for yourself create a budget, about 10 pounds should be enough, and place all your focus on one tour. We recommend the PGA tour for three reasons:

* Most of the tournaments on the PGA tour take place in America, which means that course conditions are very consistent

* It's possible to watch live games at night, which will free you up to pursue your weekend activities.

* It has the most statistics available

When you have a consistent budget, you won't be tempted to place more bets when you start losing. If you want long-term results, you have to understand that losing and winning are relative i.e. you win some and you lose some. Keeping this in mind will ensure that you don't lose control when you make the wrong bet.