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Sports Gambling Season…Wanna Bet?

February 3, 2015 | By Pete Girotto | Leave a Comment

Does sports gambling taper-off after football season?
Does sports gambling taper-off after football season?

As the Patriots walk away with their 4th Super Bowl Championship and the NFL wraps up another season, this also means the end of “sports gambling season” is drawing near. Sports gambling season? Yep, you heard right. With college and pro football out of the way, we have March Madness in a few weeks and then the NBA finals. After that, sports gambling season will go into hibernation until next September, more or less.

Now, this brings up a good point. Would golf see more gambling activity if it was a cold weather sport? As stupid as that sounds (obviously golf sucks in the cold weather) why do other warm weather sports like baseball see less action than football or basketball? I’m guessing it could be anything from the scoring system to the rules…who knows? It’s definitely not because the players are such morally upstanding athletes. I take that back, I shouldn’t let a few rotten apples spoil the bunch.

Maybe it’s just me but I see golf as an excellent sport to bet on. Hold on, let me set the record straight. I’m not telling anyone to gamble, this is just my opinion. That said, golf is ideal because it’s only one person, the scoring is double-digits and cheating is almost non-existent…as far as we know. And with websites like betfair, golf betting is also easily accessible (check out some of their unique videos featuring a ping pong-playing octopus here).

Again, I’m not saying to get on the phone with some guy named Vinny “the Ox” and bet the farm. I just find it rather odd that the cooler months seem to have more betting involved. During the warmer months, we’re too busy hacking up the local tracks that we forget about betting on sports…or maybe we’re still trying to pay off Mr. Ox before we need new knee caps.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: gambling, NBA, New England Patriots, nfl, sports betting, Super Bowl

40 Games FORE The Golf Course

October 22, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

40GamesFOREtheGolfCourse1
I love small, practical things you can carry with you on the golf course – from a simplified pocket rulebook to a pint-sized warmup guide, my golf bag pocket is stuffed with useful booklets I can easily access on the course.

The most recent addition to my collection is the booklet “40 Games FORE the Golf Course” published by a new golf company, ForeFun.com. Fore Fun has a great mission statement that really aligns well with what we’re all about here at GolfStinks:

Fore Fun is a company all about making the game of golf more fun, FORE everyone! All of the golf industry reports say that people aren’t playing as much golf today because they are not having enough fun. That just doesn’t make any sense to us because here at Fore Fun we can’t get enough of the fun that golf provides…Our first initiatives focus on educating golfers (both new and old) about all the fun that playing a game can add to the golf experience.

So, do you like to bet while golfing? Then this booklet is for you! Don’t necessarily bet, but like to play games within the game of golf? Then this booklet is for you! Perhaps you would just like to learn different types of golf games? Then this booklet is definitely for you!

Or maybe you’re like me – my problem is I can never remember the rules to all the different golf games to play. Do you know the difference between Bingo Bango Bongo and Stableford? How about Perfecto and Nassau? Remember how to play Skins? Well, 40 Games FORE the Golf Course has them all explained in an easy-to-digest format.

40GamesFOREtheGolfCourse2I also appreciate how the book is categorized – by how many players you have. Only have a threesome? No worries, just lift the “Three Players” tab and there are six games to choose from right at your fingertips. There are also games for twosomes, foursomes and even large groups too. And just to have all your bases covered, 40 Games FORE the Golf Course includes a section for “games on the side” too – all of which can be played in combination with any of the games listed or in the midst of a normal stroke- or match-play round.

The booklet is capped-off by a handicap projector – which is really a nice touch. Many games require some sense of your handicap to play fairly, but some golfers have no idea what their handicap is. Don’t fret – these handicap-less golfers can still partake in all the fun! 40 Games FORE the Golf Course includes a simple-to-use handicap estimator that is based on your average golf score. Just glance at the back page, find your average score and presto – you have a pretty good estimate of your handicap. Let the games begin!

There’s no doubt 40 Games FORE the Golf Course is a great addition to your golf bag. But what’s more, it can really help you get more fun out of this game – which, let’s face it, is the whole point of golf in the first place…to have fun! Furthermore, it’ll make a great gift or stocking stuffer for the holidays. And in all seriousness, I’m really looking forward to using it the next time I’m out on the links with my golf buddies.

40 Games FORE the Golf Course can be purchased HERE. But one lucky fan can get one “fore” free! Just head on over to our Facebook Page and “like” the post on our wall entitled “Win a copy of 40 Games FORE the Golf Course booklet!” (PS: It helps if you comment too!). That’s it – we’ll choose one winner at random next week.

Good luck!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: betting, Bingo Bango Bongo, fore fun, forefun.com, gambling, golf betting games, golf games, Nassau, pocket guide, Skins, Stableford

How Do You Bet On Golf?

September 8, 2014 | By Chris Chirico | 1 Comment

money-548948_1280
Placing a bet or two this fall? Don’t forget about golf!

Well, we’re headed into my favorite time of year.  It’s early September and right around the corner will be cooler temperatures, the changing of the leaves and of course…football will be in full swing.  Now I have said before that when football season starts, my golf season comes to an end.  But that’s not exactly true.

Fall is also my favorite time of year for golf, mainly for the first two reasons mentioned above – golf is much more fun to play when you are comfortable, and depending upon where you’re playing, the changing leaves make it a more aesthetically pleasing experience as well.

However, if I play golf on a Sunday, I want to be home on my sofa by 1:00. Besides just watching football, one of my favorite things about the sport is betting on it.  Whether it’s straight up betting, playing fantasy football or getting into a knock-out pool, putting a little money on the game makes everything more interesting.

As a matter of fact, it’s not just football.  I’d be willing to put money on anything.  However, I’ve never really done much along the lines of betting on golf, except of course for betting out on the course.  But maybe it’s time I change that. The problem for me is, I just don’t really know how to easily bet on golf.

Sure, I could go on a site such as Betfair and get the odds for each tournament.  But then what?  Do I go to a guy at work and tell him I’ll give him 7-to-5 on Rory?  People just don’t bet like that.  Maybe we just do it like we did some horse racing – all of the names go in a hat and you pull one.

Maybe you only put a certain number of names in there and one of them is “The field.”  Or maybe we do like we did World Cup Soccer where we just picked a country ourselves and went with it. I suppose there are plenty of options and ways to go, but choosing one is going to be the hard part.

However, the easy part is knowing that I need to get in on the action and bring some people along with me.  After all, if the money helps get people more interested in the game, then I may actually be doing the game a service, right?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: bet, betfair, betting on golf, fantasy football, gambling, golf tournament, World Cup soccer

Authorities Cracking Down On Golf Course Betting?

March 7, 2014 | By Pete Girotto | Leave a Comment

Gambling is illegal at Bushwood sir...
Gambling is illegal at Bushwood sir…

What a tough break for Tarpon Springs Golf Course in Florida. According to a news report, they are being investigated for, get this, if club officials collected money from members to fund a tournament purse. I mean, everyone enjoys a little gambling every now and then, right? It’s hard to believe there aren’t more important things to investigate or police over.

Florida law states something to the fact that it is illegal to bet on the results of a contest of skill. If that’s the case, they need to close down almost every course. Now, what if it’s a contest of luck? I’m sure 99% percent of golfers out there would agree that the few great shots they hit were more luck than something skillfully planned and executed.

So…if that’s the case, technically there should be no case. This is a democracy, and if 99% say it’s luck I would tend to agree. Tell me if you have ever witnessed this scenario:

Golfer hits a great shot. On the approach to his ball, the other members of the foursome congratulate him. Golfer replies “Thanks! Yeah, that was skill…” and is serious about it.

Never. Doesn’t happen. That must have been skill too when they sent two into the lumberyard and one in the drink on the same hole.

Unofficially, these tournaments and betting between golfers has been going on for a very long time. So much that it’s practically become a part of golf’s DNA. In Tarpon Springs situation, it’s a mystery to me why this would be an on going investigation and hopefully it all works out for them. I guess gambling is illegal at Bushwood.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: bushwood, gambling, Tarpon Springs Golf Course

British Open…You Bet.

July 19, 2013 | By Pete Girotto | 1 Comment

charl-club-1-1-590x442Literally. Every year  golf goes back to it’s motherland for a stop along the tour. Not just any stop but a major. Which I’m sure we all know. The opportunities to win some serious money and a major fuels these golfers to give it their all.

Since I’m on the topic of winning, I recently came across something interesting for any of you that like to bet on golf. Now we all know it’s the return of the Open Championship and mybettingsites.co.uk have put together a list of promotions from betting sites. It never ceases to amaze me what people can gamble on. For instance, betting that an Englishman will not win the British Open.

After watching a bit of it yesterday, it was quite entertaining! I couldn’t stop laughing when Charl Schwartzel threw his club and broke it. Not for nothing, he was hitting out of some serious caliche, but come on man, there’s no reason to throw a club when you’re a professional. I guess emotions fly high during times like this. I wouldn’t know for sure, the only thing I know about majors is what I took up in college for 8 years. It was actually 6 with a break in between…hey at least I finished.

I might watch more today. The course looked great yesterday and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store today. Now, if I just could figure out who’s going to win…

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Filed Under: Stinky Golfer Paradise Tagged With: british open, Charl Schwartzel, gambling, golf

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