Here's a pastime that's almost as old as the game itself: taking aim at the poor soul who's picking balls off the driving range while you practice.

Most golfers are wired the same way. Even if you can't even spell d-r-a-w, you line up a four-iron in the back of your stance and attempt to rip a sweeping hook that only rises 10 yards off the ground to nail the iron-clad range-picking cart some 150 yards down the fairway.

Once you have heard the satisfying "ding" of the dimples clanging against metal, you immediately crave more. (Thank goodness for the thin mesh lining of the cart that protects the driver from the elements.) So we understand Padraig Harrington's desire to search out the range-picker in the above ad campaign "Every Shot Imaginable" for the European Tour. It's only natural.

Harrington just happens to be a lot better than us at it.

Northern Ireland golfer Gareth Maybin is ranking 470th in the world, but when it comes to trick shots he might be No. 1. Check out Maybin's amazing shots in this video:

No pants, no problem.

Danish golfer Andreas Hartos had to hit a shot from near the water hazard on the 14th hole in the final round of the European Tour's Trophee Hassan II event in Morocco. So he took off his pants so they wouldn't get wet.

Then Hartos admirably chose speedy play over dignity when he walked onto the green in his underwear to mark his ball. Hartos made bogey on the hole and finished the event T15.

Sergio Garcia in the second round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club (Getty Images).

Most Tour pros would be happy to make four birdies and an eagle on the front nine. Then again, Sergio Garcia isn't like most Tour pros.

Playing the back nine first, Garcia made birdies on Nos. 10, 13, 16 and 17 and an eagle on 18 in the second round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic en route to a five-under-par 67. Afterward, he sounded crestfallen since those low numbers meant he would have to continue playing with a sore shoulder, according to Reuters. Garcia is currently tied for eighth, three shots behind leader Richard Sterne.

"On the 14th green I told my caddie if it does not get any better after 18 (his ninth hole) we will probably walk," Garcia told reporters.

"Then unfortunately we started making birdies and eagle and I thought 'What do we do now?'

"I got the physio out and he worked on it. It feels a little bit better, but needs to get better."

Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday. (Getty Images)

After losing to Rory McIlroy in the final round of the DP World Tour Championship, Luke Donald said that McIlroy's performance reminded him of Tiger Woods in his prime, according to an ESPN report.

McIlroy, who began the day tied for the lead with Donald and then trailed Justin Rose on the back nine, made birdies in his final five holes to secure a victory.

Rose, who shot a course-record 62 on Sunday, was magnanimous in defeat. "I thought I had him, but he's class," admitted the Englishman.

Donald, who faded for a share of third with Charl Schwartzel, went even further. "That was like Tiger Woods in his prime," said the world No. 2. "To able to do that when needed, that is the sign of a great. "It was extremely impressive and it shows us all how hard we will have to work to stay up with him."

McIlroy's win at Dubai was his fifth of the season, including the PGA Championship. He has won the PGA of America's Player of the Year award and the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average, and he's expected to be named the PGA Tour Player of the Year later this month.

Matteo Manassero won Barclays Singapore Open, and Rory McIlroy clinched the European money title:

Long but successful week in Singapore! Great final round to wrap up the R2D... Well done @manasseromatteo, 3 wins and counting!!

- Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) November 11, 2012

Congrats @mannaseromatteo on a great win in Singapore. Young player with a huge future!#ciao

- Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) November 11, 2012

@mcilroyrory @manasseromatteo Boys, great respective weeks! Rors, great achievement fella.Manny, still only 19?!! Now I do feel old!

- Justin Rose (@JustinRose99) November 11, 2012

Congrats to my superstar boyfriend @mcilroyroryfor grabbing both moneytitles this year! Unbelievable achievement, what a year!

- Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) November 11, 2012

Cristie Kerr ended a slump, and Stacy Lewis ended an American POY drought:

Congrats to @ckgolferchic on her win in Mexico, as well as @stacy_lewis on clinching the LPGA POY! Awesome week for American women's golf!!!

- Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) November 11, 2012

Winner winner chicken dinner! and also wanted to win for @stacy_lewis so she could lock up player of the year!

- Cristie Kerr (@CKGolferChic) November 12, 2012

Well done to Stacy Lewis for winning the prestigious @rolex Player of the Year Award on the LPGA

- Gary Player (@garyplayer) November 12, 2012

PGA and LPGA players thanked those who have served:

Happy Veterans Day to those who have defended our country. I’m proud of you Pop, and everyone that has served our country.

- Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 12, 2012

Happy Veterans Day, I'm thankful for the men and women who serve and keep us safe everyday!!. #VeteransDay

- Natalie Gulbis (@natalie_gulbis) November 11, 2012

My dad fought in 2 wars in his 20 years of military service. He's 82 years old and still going strong. #Proud #Veterans

- Paul Azinger (@PaulAzinger) November 12, 2012

Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson on the return of Golf Boys:

Finally going to bed...short nap RT @bencranegolf: Late hang w @matkearney @bubbawatson @rickiefowlerpga #golfboys twitter.com/bencranegolf/s…

- Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowlerPGA) November 8, 2012

. @bubbawatson making sure vocals are layin down right. twitter.com/bencranegolf/s…

- Ben Crane (@bencranegolf) November 8, 2012

Euros travel to Asia to compete in the BMW Masters:

Just in case anyone fancies coming to watch this week, I can probably sort a few tickets. Here's the location. #BMW moby.to/5filvb

- Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) October 22, 2012October 22, 2012

What do you think the first thing out of Westwood's mouth this morning. 2 1/2 hours of shit from him oh great. twitter.com/IanJamesPoulte…

- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) October 21, 2012

LPGA pros finished the second event of their Asian swing, the HanaBank Championship:

It was awesome meeting Kim Bum Soo this week. He is an amazing performer! twitter.com/themichellewie…

- Michelle Wie (@themichellewie) October 22, 2012

Had a group of girls follow me yesterday with "it's go time Lexi" puma t-shirts! #soawesome instagr.am/p/RBdoaGRCDd/

— Lexi Thompson (@Lexi) October 20, 2012

Tommy Gainey, Bo Van Pelt and Suzann Pettersen won tournaments:

Had I go all the way I Korea to get my green jacket!!! It's a keeper for the trophy room! twitter.com/suzannpetterse…

- Suzann Pettersen (@suzannpettersen) October 21, 2012

@twoglovesgolf Congratulations Tommy on your first @pgatour win! Great round today!#60

- Bob Estes (@BobEstesPGA) October 21, 2012

Very nice to see Bo Van Pelt win ISPS Handa Perth International event in Australia. Well done

- Gary Player (@garyplayer) October 21, 2012

Golfers also enjoyed some downtime as the 2012 season winds down:

At the game with @the_rubes #broncs twitter.com/GrahamDeLaet/s…

- Graham DeLaet (@GrahamDeLaet) October 20, 2012

Yes it was that DAY!!... Father/ daughter magic ... Annie wrestled this 40lb Ling into the boat ... twitter.com/elkpga/status/…

- Steve Elkington (@elkpga) October 20, 2012

Ah, just you and me, sun. A reward for a good day's practice. instagr.am/p/RBXxAAFrkx/

- Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) October 20, 2012

Way cool twitter.com/DickyPride/sta…

- Dicky Pride (@DickyPride) October 21, 2012

Has his 2012 season brought too much of a good thing -- O.K., a great, occasionally transcendent thing --  for Rory McIlroy?

With obligations piling up throughout his would-be offseason, he seems to think so. McIlroy told ESPN UK on Monday that he was "ready to be done" with this year, despite having a handful of tournaments left to play, including the four parts of the Race to Dubai that ends the European Tour's season, and a heads-up exhibition match against Tiger Woods in China at the end of October.

So far, McIlroy has played 21 tournaments in 2012, not including the Ryder Cup. By the time the year is wrapped, he'll probably be up to 26 -- an event every other week. Don't expect as many Rory sightings in 2013:

"I would just love to cut my schedule back even further and I think next year I will cut it down again to a max play of 22 or 23," McIlroy continued.

"I still have got some big events left and I would love to win the Race to Dubai and repeat what Luke did also winning the money list on the PGA Tour, so I am going to give it one last push.

"It has been a great season and I am ready to be done. It is just such a long season these days. But then I feel I have got an obligation to play some of these big events leading up to Dubai."

McIlroy did add that he "won't find it hard" to motivate himself to play the year out, especially since a strong finish would likely place him atop both the American and European money lists. If he does it, McIlroy would match Luke Donald, who accomplished the same feat in 2011.

RELATED PHOTOS: Rory McIlroy career in pictures | 2012 PGA Championship win

This one just in from the mutual admiration society most of us know as the European Tour.

Leave it to the Euros to come up with this simple, brilliant idea: What happens when you mix golf…and magic. Apparently, a lot of gasps and wows delivered in various, accented ways.

Here's the extended promo issued by the tour, which features the British magician DMC and some faces you may well recognize. We're not sure what's more impressive: Richard Finch's back-handed birdie, or the illusions...

What strikes your fancy? Let us know in comments below.

Greg Norman came crashing into Switzerland for the Omega European Masters on Tuesday when the wheels on his private jet malfunctioned upon landing in Geneva, according to Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte.

"We were going 60, 70, 80 knots, the wheel went 90 degrees, the nose started kangarooing and stuff in the cabin was going everywhere," Norman told Rosaforte later that day. "All the cabinets in the galley came out. The shaking was pretty violent. Nobody knew what was going on."

That's about the the Aussiest description we've ever heard of a near-death experience. Next time Greg, just take the yacht.