GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

  • Home
  • About
  • Most Popular
  • Categories
    • Stinky Golfer Paradise
    • Golf Life
    • The Pro Tours
    • Reviews
    • The Economics of Golf
    • Golf Growth & Diversity
    • Health & Environment
    • Golf Destinations
  • Golf Terms
  • Newsletter

Golf Life

Keep up on the trends and news surrounding the golf lifestyle.

4 Reasons To Take Golf Lessons

November 1, 2014 | By Pete Girotto | 2 Comments

smiling-golfNormally it is not our thing to give tips, advice or promote some crappy game improvement gadget. In fact we have been known to poke a few light hearted jokes at that sort of stuff. That said, we do want everyone to enjoy their round of golf and speak positively about the game. Through the years of hacking up these courses, I’ve noticed a good 95% or more of the people I’ve played with could use a lesson or two, myself included.

After doing some research, I’ve taken the liberty and compiled 5 reasons why we should take golf lessons. When I speak to other golfers about taking lessons the general sentiment is they’re expensive and not necessary. These two reasons are obvious indicators that no research was done. I would suggest taking a few moments and look into finding a good golf pro in your area that offers his or her services. So here we go…

  1. It’s an investment – Think of it this way, the money spent now will have a good ROI in the many years ahead. You can always refer back to what was learned to help shoot a better round.
  2. Short game techniques – Learning how to perform approach shots, chipping and pitching is perhaps the most important part to your game besides…
  3. Putting – Let’s face it, a 3 putt sucks and is very frustrating. Getting some insight on this boosts our confidence and could put a couple extra dollars in our pockets…but I never said that.
  4. Makes our round more enjoyable – As with anything, knowledge and experience gives us the advantage to do whatever task is at hand. And whenever we are prepared it’s a lot easier to have fun.

There you have it. Don’t be afraid to to spend a little of your hard earned money on something that will keep giving back to you. The object is to have a good time on the course. Even if you only take a couple lessons it’s worth it. Heading to the 19th hole in a good mood because we played well and not because they serve alcohol is a great feeling. Now go get learned!

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: #enjoygolf, enjoying golf, golf lessons, golf pro

Why You Should Skip Work to Play Golf On Halloween

October 29, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

Woodhaven Country Club, Connecticut
Woodhaven Country Club, Connecticut (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Why should the kiddies have all the fun on Halloween? The much-beloved holiday of tricks or treats is a mere two days away, yet I bet you’re planning on going into work like it’s just any other day, aren’t you? Not only is it All Hollows’ Eve, but it’s also a Friday! You deserve a skip day, don’t you? I mean, who doesn’t love a 3-day weekend?

Simsbury Farms Golf Course, Connecticut
Simsbury Farms Golf Course, Connecticut (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Let’s face it, the year is winding down and you need to use that PTO before you lose it…Am I right? And the golf season – well, that’s almost extinct if you live in the northern half of the United States. You need to get out there while you still can! Plus, I bet the course will be pretty empty.

Now I realize some of you may have blown through your vacation time during the summer. Or maybe you’re saving your last few days for the holiday season. Don’t fret, there are some very clever ways to get in a round of golf on company time (see HERE).

Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Connecticut
Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Connecticut (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

See? No more excuses – get out on the course and give yourself a treat on Halloween for a change. And while you’re at it, make sure the camera is close at hand – I bet there’ll be some great leaf peeping opportunities. And once you’ve captured the foliage, go ahead and add it to our Autumn Golf Courses Pinterest board:

Follow GolfStinks’s board Autumn Golf Courses on Pinterest.

So grab your favorite pumpkin-flavored beverage (latte or ale) and get out to the golf course this Halloween – you deserve it.

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: autumn, ditch day, fall, foliage, halloween, pto, vacation, work

Golf With A Grump

October 20, 2014 | By Chris Chirico | 1 Comment

thWe here at GolfStinks always joke about some of the characters on the golf course, but because we tend to play together, times are few and far between that we actually get paired up with them.  But this past weekend, I went out for a nine-hole round with a fellow stinky golfer.  And sure enough, we joined up for a few holes with Mr. Grumpy “Rules-Guru” Golfer.  Though it lasted only three holes, it was quite the experience.

We start out playing only as a twosome, and that continued through six holes before we caught up with the twosome in front of us.  Under a bit of pressure from the group behind us, we ask to join them, although it did seem as if they were not too happy about our request.  What we were in store for was quite the surprise.

It started on the seventh hole when we joined an older gentleman playing with his daughter.  This particular gentleman seemed annoyed that we were trying to join him, and had no interest at all in even speaking to us.  This was a complete one-eighty from the friendly nature of most golfers we encounter.  It wasn’t until walking off the seventh green that he even uttered  a word to us, and even that seemed at the behest of his daughter.

The eight hole continued the same until, while on the eighth green, Mr. Grumpypants scolded my playing partner when he attempted to tend the pin.  I didn’t notice the situation as I was walking to my ball, but I heard him mutter something about a two-stroke penalty and knowing the rules of golf.  At this point, I wanted to (but didn’t) tell this guy “Look, this is a $20 nine-hole course.  No one out here right now is a stickler for the rules…only you.  Further, everyone else out on this course is here for fun…except you.”

The ninth hole continued and ended without a word.   The only time we were acknowledged was when my playing partner found the grumps ball under a tree.  Barely a “thank you wave” was given.  My partner tried to make a polite joke about moving the ball out from under the tree…which of course went without even a smirk.  And in true gentleman golfer fashion, after Captain Crabby sank his last putt, he hurried away without a hand-shake, a word, tip of his hat or any acknowledgement whatsoever.  At least his daughter was polite enough to, almost apologetically, wish us a good day before she went to meet him.

Until this day, we’ve had the pleasure of being paired up with many different types of golfers.  Male and female.  Good players and well, not-so-good.  Those who looked the part and didn’t play it.  Those who looked to be with the tennis shoe crowd but played like they could attempt qualifying for a tour.  But never with a golfer who just flat-out wanted nothing to do with us.  It was certainly an experience, but one I hope not to repeat.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: mad golfer, rules of golf, tennis shoe crowd

What Animals are Lurking on your Golf Course?

October 15, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

(photo
Turkeys roaming the fairway at Woodhaven Country Club, CT (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

This past weekend, I was playing a local 9-hole golf course and was held-up on the third tee because of a flock of turkeys in the fairway (see photo above). This is why I love golf – because it’s out in nature and not some fenced-in field somewhere.

And fall is a good time to spy creatures on the course as many are out and about foraging. Earlier this year, I saw a few deer in the fairway during one round, but they were too fast for me to get a photo.

Besides the obvious birds (including hawks, geese, ducks, swans, cranes, roadrunners, etc.) and many deer and squirrels, I’ve also seen foxes; rabbits; alligators (on Hilton Head Island, SC); snakes (on multiple occasions); chipmunks; coatimundi (on a course in Mexico); lizards; frogs; bison; turtles; and even some cool fish (including a koi-stocked pond on one course). I’ve also seen a scorpion stinger stuck into a course worker’s boot (though I didn’t see the actual scorpion).

Coatimundi just off the cart path - the Golf Club at Moon Palace, Mexico
Coatimundi just off the cart path – the Golf Club at Moon Palace, Mexico (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

What I have not seen is Bigfoot – though I’m still holding out hope (someone in the Pacific Northwest must have seen a squatch on the course??).

bigfoot stole my golf ball
I think Bigfoot just stole my golf ball!

Anyway, we’ve started our own photo collection of animals on golf courses on our Pinterest page – check out the board: Creatures on the Course (see below).

Follow GolfStinks’s board Creatures on the Course on Pinterest.

So, what creatures have you seen on your local course – anything cool, scary or interesting? Let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: alligator, bigfoot, creatures on the course, golf course, Hilton Head Island, Sasquatch, wildlife

What’s Your Favorite Season For Golf?

October 8, 2014 | By Chris Chirico | Leave a Comment

Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Connecticut
Sleeping Giant Golf Course, Connecticut (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Well, we’re into my favorite part of the year – autumn.  You can have the spring and summer.  Being a native New Englander, I live for the cooler temperatures, crisp night air, the changing of the leaves, breaking out the jackets and sweaters.  This is the weather I wait all summer for.  So not surprisingly, it’s also my favorite season for golf.  Besides the cooler temperatures and no humidity, making your round of golf much more comfortable, it’s the changing of the leaves that can help make your favorite course even prettier, or bring an ordinarily dull course much more to life.  But what about you?  What’s your favorite golf season?

Is it spring?  I can understand why may golfers are fans of the spring time.  The spring usually means the beginning of the golf season.  A fresh, new start.  The winter chill is gone, temps are rising.  Trees and flowers are blooming and the courses are drying out.  It’s a chance to get a good bunch of golf in until the real summer heat and humidity kick in.

Maybe it’s the summer?  The summer is probably the time of year when you have the most consistent good weather.  Some of us can’t think of a better way to beat the summer heat than to head out for a ride in the old golf cart, grab a couple of beers from the Mofobete, and hope to whack your ball into a shady spot.  Just, no one writing this post.  But others…sure.  But mid-summer golf, for me, can be summed up in five simple words once uttered by Stinky Golfer Pete after a missed putt – “It’s too hot to miss.”

For me it’s the fall.  For all of the reasons mentioned above, and then some, the fall is far and away my favorite time of year for golf.  Really, who wants to sweat in places where you can’t quite get your towel to while in a public place?  Who wants to play golf when you feel like you just stepped out of a hot shower each time you walk to your ball?  I’d rather wait out the heat in order to play a little more golf in weather like this!  Hey, it’s fall in New England.  There’s a reason people travel here at this time of year.

Maybe you enjoy the winter for golf.  Wait…what?  OK, so no one (or very few anyway) are out playing golf in the snow.  But for many golfers who live in the northern portion of the country, maybe the winter means traveling south to play golf.  Maybe you have a second home or a timeshare.  Maybe the winter is simply time for your yearly big golf trip.  If you live in the south, then maybe you’re waiting for the cooler winter temperatures to play more often.  Whatever the reason, maybe the winter’s your time.

No matter your choice or your favorite season, to each their own.  Whatever gets you out on the course is good reason enough.  Whether you prefer the heat or the cooler weather.  Be it the lush green of mid-summer or the vibrant colors of the fall.  Hell, maybe your out there in the freezing mid-winter temperatures.  Whatever it is that gets you out there, enjoy it!

Swing ’til you’re happy! And take the poll below!

What's your favorite season for golf?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Filed Under: Golf Life Tagged With: autumn, fall, golf trip, poll, seasons, spring, summer, winter

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • …
  • 54
  • Next Page »

Awards

Badges Badges Badges Best Mens Blogs Badges

Advertisements

GPI


 


Archives – Read all 1,000+ GolfStinks Posts!

Blogroll

  • Aussie Golfer
  • Black Girls Golf
  • Devil Ball Golf
  • Front9Back9 Golf Blog
  • Geoff Shackelford
  • Golf Blogger
  • Golf For Beginners
  • Golf Gear Geeks
  • Golf Girl's Diary
  • Golf News Net (GNN)
  • Golf Refugees
  • Golf State of Mind
  • Golfgal
  • My Daily Slice of Golf
  • Pillars of Golf
  • Ruthless Golf
  • The Breakfast Ball
  • The Grateful Golfer
  • UniqueGolfGears.com

Questions / Advertise

info@golfstinks.com

Disclaimers

See here

Privacy Policy

See here

Copyright © 2009-2024 GolfStinks.com - All rights reserved.