GolfStinks

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Man Sentenced for Defrauding Charity Golf Tournaments

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holeinoneprizeAs if hitting a hole-in-one isn’t hard enough…

Image this: You’re playing in a local charity golf tournament and arrive at the par 3 designated as the “hole-in-one challenge.” The rules are simple – ace the hole and win $25,000! You step up to the tee; waggle; and swing…and watch as your ball lands softly a few yards before the hole and then rolls into the cup.

The celebration begins; you buy everyone in the tournament a round of drinks in the 19th hole and wait to receive your check for 25 grand. But there’s one catch: There is no check. Turns out the insurance the tournament organizers took out on the hole-in-one challenge was fraudulent.

According to an article in The Seattle Times, Kevin Kolenda – a man in his early 50’s from GolfStinks’ home state of Connecticut – had made good money over the past two decades scamming golf tournament organizers (or even in some cases – the charities sponsoring the outing) out of money by selling them fraudulent prize insurance.

Since 1995, Mr. Kolenda has operated a golf-related business that provides insurance on things like a hole-in-one challenge. His fees would depend on how much the payout was to be, but needless to say, payouts rarely happened – a fact Mr. Kolenda apparently took advantage of for profit.

Since 2003, authorities have been aware of Mr. Kolenda’s scams as periodically someone would “win” the prize but he would fail to pay. At one point in 2004 he was issued a cease and desist order, but ignored it.

It wasn’t until this past December that the state of Washington (where many of his scams took place) decided to arrest him – and to that end, they extradited him from his home in Connecticut to stand trial in Washington.

Finally, last week, Mr. Kolenda was sentenced to three months in prison and fined $15,000.

So tournament organizers beware – charlatans are out there. This guy exploited the fact that hole-in-ones, in general, are extremely rare – let alone specifying when and where you get one – like a particular hole at a golf tournament. Beyond this, he took advantage of real charities in need.

Somehow, three months and $15K doesn’t seem a fitting punishment. Perhaps as a community service, he should help shag all the balls on local driving ranges…without wearing any protective gear. Hey, he shouldn’t be too nervous – after all, hole-in-one’s are extremely rare.

Course Closures Today For A Better Tomorrow

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Closed

Every year around this time, the National Golf Foundation (NGF) releases its Golf Course Openings and Closures Update. And every year for the past eight years, the number of course closures in the U.S. has significantly outpaced the number of openings – 2013 being no exception.

For example, in 2013, 157.5 golf courses closed their doors, while only 14 opened. Many of you might know one of those 157.5 courses that are now defunct. In fact, some of you may have frequented one of them. But you shouldn’t let it get you down for long, because there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Obviously the courses that closed were struggling – most likely a direct result of the 20-year golf course boon between 1986 and 2006, where more than 200 courses were built per year on average. When the real estate market crashed in 2007, something had to give – and that has translated into a reverse of what we saw from ’86 to ’06 (and according to the NGF, we’ll probably continue to see for at least the next few more years).

This is what we call “market correction.” For over twenty years, golf courses sprang up like weeds across the U.S. landscape. And while we golfers might have indulged in the gluttonous pleasures for a time, course owners and developers were pushing beyond the logical limits of market demand.

So now the market has taken things into its own proverbial hands. We are witnessing almost the exact opposite of what we saw during the boon on a year-over-year basis – golf courses are closing so the market can readjust to actual demand. And, according to the NGF report, the majority (66%) of the closures were courses that were public and had sub-$40 greens fees. This is reminiscent of a thinning of the herd.

In nature, a thinning of the herd is a good thing – it supports survival of the fittest and those remaining are typically of higher quality. From an economic standpoint, these closures are positive for golf in general – especially in the long-term.

So while your local muni closing may have you worried that the golf industry is at the precipice, fear not. When the dust settles (and it will), the industry will be stronger than ever – with higher quality courses at more competitive prices. And that bodes well for all golfers – especially those who haven’t even swung a club yet.

Book Review: The Grumpy Old Golfer’s Putting Tips

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PuttingTipsI’ve never been one to spend a ton of money on a putter. To spend $100+ for something that, in essence, could be replaced by any flat-faced object with a handle never made much sense to me.

For me, it’s always been about the “feel” of the putter in my hands. If I had confidence in it, then I would have success with it. For some, having confidence means spending a ton of money on the latest mallet or blade style putter; for others, like Happy Gilmore, a modified hockey stick did the trick.

So it struck a cord when I read Tip #6 in “The Grumpy Old Golfer’s Putting Tips” book:

“When choosing a putter, confidence in the putter is more important than the cost.”

And then Tip #10 too:

“Choosing the correct putter for you is a very individualistic and personal decision. Never let someone choose your putter for you.”

The Grumpy Old Golfer’s Putting Tips has 300 quips like those mentioned above. Author E.P. Murphy explains at the beginning that many of the tips will convey similar sentiments, but will be stated differently. This is done to address the varying personalities of those reading the book – a tip that connects with one person, may only connect with someone else after a being restated in a different way. Plus the repetitiveness helps drive home his points.

Mr. Murphy is extremely transparent from the start, stating his book alone isn’t going to make you a great putter…but it will make you a better one. He has drawn from his 40+ years on the links and his collection of notes along the way: “This grumpy old golfer and his old worn notebooks will provide all you need to take you to another plateau in your putting skills.” And he might be on to something. After all, putting is a very important part of the game – as he states in his book; “Over 40 percent of the average golfer’s score comes from putting.”

Some of the tips you might have heard before (“Tip #127: On short puts aim to the back of the hole“) while others are unfamiliar, but effective: “Tip #119: On short putts, visualize yourself frozen in a block of ice up to your waist. Use only your upper body to execute the putt.”

But the book isn’t just a collection of tips. Each chapter is a theme (the approach; the setup; etc.) and at the beginning of each theme, Mr. Murphy digs a bit deeper with his narrative. The last chapter (Putting in a Nutshell) is a standalone pocket guide in and of itself, providing tips for short putts; long putts; and even preparing mentally.

But the tips make this book a must read. Perhaps my favorite is this one:

“The only club in the bag specifically made to hit the ball into the cup is the putter. Master it first, master it best.”

When you think about it, the above statement is perhaps one of the most profound pieces of golf advice you may ever receive. And the source is not your typical confusing and hard-to-read golf self-help book. Instead, The Grumpy Old Golfer’s Putting Tips is a simple and easy way to help keep you focused while on the greens.

The Grumpy Old Golfer’s Putting Tips is officially being released today via Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers.

Trekkie Golf

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star-trek-command-golf-balls-gold-set-of-12_360I’ll never forget the first time I heard someone tell me I was playing “Trekkie Golf” – I had just launched my drive way out of bounds. As we watched my ball disappear deep into the woods, one member of my foursome said; “I guess you’re playing Trekkie golf.”

We all turned and looked at this guy a bit confused. “Yeah, Trekkie golf,” he said. “Because your ball just went where no ball has gone before.”

Being a fan of Star Trek, I have since used that line whenever I get the opportunity (which is quite frequently amongst my foursome). In fact, we even added the term “Trekkie Golf” to the GolfStinks Golf Glossary.

However, beside this one reference, golf and Star Trek don’t share much in common together. After all, to many fans, Star Trek is a guilty pleasure. Unless you can put yourself in the same class as the the male cast members of The Big Bang Theory (who wear their love for Trek out in public…literally), then you are probably a closet Trekkie (or at least someone that doesn’t talk about it too much).

ultimate-star-trek-golf-bundle_360But now, the official website of Star Trek (startrek.com) has launched a line of golf accessories at its online store (shop.startrek.com). Now we Trek fans can show-off our Starfleet pride out on the golf course with balls; club-head covers; and a sweet Enterprise divot tool! And if you really want to garner some attention out on the links, you can also sport a Star Trek Uniform Polo (in your choice of three bright colors: command yellow, engineering red or science blue)!

So my fellow Trekkies (you know who you are) – let’s test your knowledge of golf and the Star Trek Universe. To win a sleeve of Star Trek golf balls (your choice of yellow, red or blue), come up with a Star Trek-related phrase that can be used out on the course. For example: “That ball went Warp speed into the undiscovered country!”

Once you’ve got your phrase, head over to our Facebook Page (facebook.com/golfstinks) and post it to our wall – that’s it! The phrase we feel is the best will win the free sleeve of balls!

Hit ’em Long and Prosper!

Marriott Golf Focuses on the Environment

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Perhaps you’ve never thought about golf’s impact on the environment – or perhaps you don’t care. But the reality is, golf courses make a tremendous impact on our environment and we should be doing all we can to help minimize that impact.

marriottgolfMeanwhile, Marriott Golf announced its ESPA award initiative last week. The ESPA (Environmental Sustainability Performance Award) program is the hotel chain’s way of implementing “greener” golf courses at its resorts around the world – and others should take note.

At first glance, hardcore environmentalists (who have long criticized golf as extremely anti-environmental) might dismiss the ESPA program as nothing more than a good public relations piece with only a minor impact to the environment. But the fact that Marriott – a corporation that manages several golf courses in multiple countries – has implemented an initiative towards more sustainable golf is a good sign for the environment.

This is actually the second positive step Marriott Golf has taken with regards to the environment. In 2008, the company mandated that all its golf resorts become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries – a designation that protects areas of wildlife habitat on its courses.

This latest step (implementation of the ESPA) will take their eco-friendly initiatives a bit further: For starters, Marriott Golf will require 60 of its golf courses across the globe to complete the ESPA program by the end of this year.

All 60 courses must (in addition to being certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries) implement a water conservation strategy (specifically focusing on reducing irrigation water consumption); reduce their overall carbon footprint (by completing a program Marriott and agribusiness corporation Syngenta created in 2011 – more HERE); and achieve a set of conservation standards (established by the Marriott Golf Conservation Scorecard – “a newly developed exclusive evaluation of nearly 100 key conservation standards”).

So, is this ESPA program the most comprehensive environmental initiative for golf that could be implemented? No. Not by a long shot. There is so much more that could/should be done (to that end, see GolfStinks’ previous posts about golf and the environment HERE). But the ESPA program is a step in the right direction – and one that was sorely needed in golf. Kudos to Marriott Golf – let’s hope this trend catches on and expands exponetially.

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