GolfStinks

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A Masters Party…Yeah!

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Is this how you'd envision a party for The Masters?
Is this how you’d envision a party for The Masters?

As the Masters gets closer I’ve been thinking; Why not have a Masters party! Normally, when we associate throwing a party for a sporting event it’s usually the Super Bowl. It’s time to change that. I understand baseball and basketball could have scheduling conflicts with their championships because they are best out of 7 and fall on any given day. Not golf, my friend.

Golf tournaments start on Thursday and 99% of the time end on Sunday. It’s a set schedule we can plan around. As an added bonus there are 4 majors. That’s 4 opportunities if you ask me. It couldn’t work out any better especially considering the warmer weather during golf season.

So how does this thing go down? It’s simple, just like in golf we can approach this like a hack, amateur or pro.  As a hack,  you invite your buddies over on Sunday, throw out some grub and play drinking games that coincide with the tournament. For instance, when Tiger or whoever misses the fairway, you drink. As an amateur,  you follow the same outline as a hack but the festivities run from Saturday to Sunday. Also, you class it up a bit.  You know, have different flavor wings instead of just Buffalo and maybe a couple imported beers as well.

As a pro, it is our job to perform as such. We must adhere to very strict rules. So, following the basic outline of an amateur, we again raise the standard. No paper plates, plastic cutlery or plastic glasses. We begin on Monday and continue to Sunday. This includes “practice rounds” and the tournament. Most importantly, we are pro’s, a green jacket must be worn the whole week.

I think I’m on to something here…

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Nothing Better Than New Clubs…

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WarehouseNew to me that is. You know the saying, one man’s trash is another man’s golf equipment…or something like that. I like to consider myself a “Jeff Smith” when it comes to golf. The frugal golfer if you will. Buying golf clubs can be quite taxing on the wallet especially in a down economy. I lucked out on my set of Mizuno’s. It just so happened that when I walked into my local golf shop there sat these barely used beauties. And luck was definitely the factor there. If I walked in a day later they would have been gone and I really despise paying retail for anything.

That was a handful (or two) of years ago and times have definitely changed. Thanks to the internet I can scour the world for pre-owned golf equipment right from my home. Unfortunately, it eliminates the local pro shop but it ups my chances of finding what I want. Using my trusty researching skills (google) I came across www.golfbidder.com and was pretty impressed at the pre-owned inventory available. The clubs are discounted and come with a warranty! Sites like this can be useful to us hacks on a budget. I see it like buying a pre owned car – no sticker shock.

You know, I think a great idea for local golf shops would be to connect with sites like this and offer their services to custom fit clubs to golfers. Create a network of companies with pre owned inventory and make it exclusive to shops. The golfer can go  in and get custom fitted. The measurements are sent out to these pre owned inventory stocking companies and if there is a match the local shop can offer the option of a pre-owned, discounted and guaranteed set or new. This eliminates any quality issues or uncertainty we may have with purchasing clubs online.

It doesn’t have to be just with custom fitted stuff only. The customer can buy whatever they want. I feel this can bring back the Mom and Pop shop and give people a warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing they got a deal and someone local they can turn to. Just my $.02…

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Holy Soreness Practice Range!

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Spsorenessring is officially here but you would never be able to tell here in Norway…I mean the Northeast. I figured by now when I look out the window in the morning there would be  stuff budding and not snow. Wtf! That still didn’t stop me though. Damn right I hit up the practice range…two extra large buckets!

And what a mistake that was. I tend to suffer from 18/80 syndrome and unfortunately there is still no known cure. You see, the fever had set in and I was blinded by memories of warm summer days on the course. Although I agree with the whole doing things in moderation, I wouldn’t be a male species if I actually practiced it.

It’s great to tell your friends about dieting and exercising in moderation because it makes you seem like you got your s*** together and that you’re intelligent. In reality, I go hit 300 balls and then ingest 3000 calories at the nearest drive thru because I just “worked out” and need to feed those starving muscles. So much for moderation.

Today, I am ecstatic my keyboard is below shoulder level. I had to use water for my cereal this morning because milk is on the top shelf. Ok, I’m exaggerating a little but I’m definitely more aware of muscle groups I never knew existed. Here’s to moderation!

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

From Pool Halls To Golf Courses.

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golf ball moneyIt’s not often I associate the act of hustling someone out of their money with golf. When I think of hustling and as the title implies, I imagine a pool hall (sorry for stereotyping) with Fast Eddie and Vince (The Color of Money) type characters scheming on their next mark. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is a good amount of gambling done on the course amongst golfers, but how often do we consider it hustling?

I was reading an older article from a famous cigar magazine geared towards…uhhh…aficionados and the story told of an anonymous hustler, “Leon”, that took millions of dollars from other golfers. His victims ranged from oil tycoons to touring pro’s. You know, I’m not 100% sure if this story was glamorized or not but there were definitely some interesting points made.

A good rule of thumb I learned that applies to most situations involving making a deal, bet or whatever, is to take a good look around and spot the sucker. If you don’t see one then guess what…it’s probably you. With that in mind, I had a better understanding of Leon’s strategy.

His multifaceted plan to hustle people on the golf course is quite impressive. In fact it probably would be a great strategy for businesses. The key here was he wouldn’t play unless he knew he had the advantage. Secondly, he was a great match maker. He would put together matches that seemed fair but obviously he had the leg up.

One thing to mention is he never faked he couldn’t play. That’s just a slime ball move very easily detected. All of his opponents did know he was a good golfer but insisted they could still beat him. Another significant strength for Leon was the ability to play under pressure when big money was on the line. He pointed out that most people (including pros) would crumble when their money was at stake. Go figure…

It’s pretty interesting to know there are golf sharks out there. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it sure adds a layer of character to the game. So remember to keep this story in mind next time someone asks, “Do you want to make this round more interesting?”

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

P.S. Almost forgot…you can view the story here.

Shoveling Snow Helps Your Golf Game.

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shovel-snowActually, I’m not really sure if it does or doesn’t help but this is more of turning a negative into a positive. Nobody I know likes to shovel snow but it’s inevitable living in the Northeast. At some point or other we will have to face these crystallized flakes of water and it sucks knowing I have to shovel water.

So where’s the positive? Well, it’s no secret it’s a physical activity that uses a majority of the muscles in our body. What it comes down to is us making the most of the situation and maximizing the benefits of the opportunity. Our good friend Jim over at thegratefulgolfer.com posted about this a couple months ago. He discusses the importance of your legs in a golf swing (and shoveling snow) and touches upon the use of arms too.

The important thing to keep in mind is moderation and performing within your limits. We golfers in the northern parts of the U.S. might slack off a bit during the winter months. Here’s a great chance to get outside and use those dormant golf muscles. Again, I can’t stress enough the importance of using proper technique and not over doing it.

The more I think about it the more I can see similarities between the two. Before we golf or shovel we should do a little stretching and warm up. We usually think before swinging, right? We have a general idea of where we want the ball to land. It usually doesn’t happen but when we shovel we also have an idea of where the snow is going to go. Tossing that crap around randomly gets us nowhere. Finally, we approach the task with a game plan of getting it done as efficiently and with the least amount of shovel-fulls (or strokes) as possible.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Disclaimer: We are NOT trainers, doctors or in any way certified to give workout advice. Also, shoveling snow can be potentially dangerous. We do not condone shoveling snow and actually dislike it…a lot.

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