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40 Games FORE The Golf Course

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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!

Book Review: Psych-Out Golf

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product_thumbnailBeing that we’re not your average golf blog, we typically don’t review your average golf book. And nothing fits the atypical golf book mold better than Psych-Out Golf. They say golf is half mental. If that’s true, this book can help you in ways you could have never imagined!

Written by a father/son team (Todd and Judah Domke), the recently published Psych-Out Golf has ten chapters and none of them help you shave strokes off your game. Instead, this book helps you add strokes to your playing partner’s game – genius!

Messrs. Domke and Domke have brilliantly put together countless ways to get the best of your opponent on the links – from making subtle yet mentally debilitating statements to getting them a bit tipsy, Psych-Out Golf is packed with ways to win a hole or round without actually playing well yourself!

Now the authors do point out this book is really for those of us who like to wager on the course. That’s when the pressure is really on, and subsequently when a good POG (psych-out golf) will work its magic. But it can be utilized in other situations. As one of their POG “Commandments” states: “Thou shall not practice Psych-Out Golf unless money or pride is at stake. Or if the opponent is a jackass.” Beautifully said if you ask me.

So what are some of these POGs? Well, let’s take the chapter on putting, for example. Messrs. Domke and Domke give you plenty of ammo for launching an all-out assault on your opponent whilst on the greens – from not granting that 18-inch gimme when skins are on the line (after you’ve been granting them the rest of the round) to saying something like “Those [short] putts kill me. The hardest putts can be the easiest” just before your opponent’s seemingly easy putt. While you’re not saying anything flagrant, you are definitely getting into his head!

But the aforementioned POGs while putting are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a chapter on using the rangers or MOFOBETEs to make your opponent nervous; a chapter on citing rules to incite mental disruption in your opponent; and there’s even a section on how to use the (motorized) golf cart to your advantage!

Now I have to admit, I don’t bet too often on the course. But I do like to have fun out there so I’m anxious to put some of these POGs to the test! And who knows, if they seem to work, maybe a friendly wager will be in order!

Psych-Out Golf is a rollicking guide to winning a few skins on the course while driving your playing partners batty – and it’s all in good fun. You can purchase your copy of the book HERE. But as always, the Domke gentleman have graciously provided us with a copy to giveaway to one of you! Simple head on over to our Facebook page, find the “Psych-Out Golf” post on our wall and tell us why you can’t wait to psych-out your golf buddies! That’s it – we’ll choose one winner next week!

Good luck!

Do You Bet on Your Golf Game?

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Are you a gambling golfer?
Are you a gambling golfer?

A while back, I was asked to partake in a golf betting game called Wolf (we’ve written about Wolf and other popular golf bets like Nassau before). It was my first time betting on my own golf game and it was a bit of an adrenaline rush.

On the last hole, I crushed a drive straight down the middle and decided to go “lone wolf” (which basically means I play the hole on my own against the other three and if I win, I get triple the bet). To make a long story short, I birdied the hole, which effectively voided the money I was down from the rest of the round – I had broken even.

Though I didn’t win any cash that day, there was a seed planted in me and over the next couple of golf seasons, my golf buddies and I would place a little wager on our round – mostly the game of Nassau (front nine winner; back nine winner; and overall winner).

Today, it’s been a few years since I’ve put money on my round, but I do get the urge to every once in a while. And nowadays it’s even easier to keep track of the wager because there are many quality golf apps that are geared toward betting on your round, like Golf Money from POD LLC.

All this being said, I was wondering how many of you bet on your golf round? Do you bet all the time? Have you ever bet on your round? Perhaps gambling is something you will never partake in? Take the poll below and let us know!

Do You Bet on Your Golf Game?

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5 Ways to Start a Fight on the Golf Course

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golfingrage3I’ve never seen anyone go full-on fisticuffs at the golf course, but I’ve witnessed a few close calls (most of which happened following one of the 5 events below). You wouldn’t think the course would be a setting for a throw-down, but when tempers flare, anything is possible.

And in golf, tempers most certainly can flare. Imagine this: You’re having a bad round; 4-putted for triple bogey on the previous hole; hooked your drive OB on the current hole and then…

#1 – Someone hits into your group.
I actually hit into the group ahead of me last week. Now in my defense, I wasn’t trying to hasten their pace, rather I didn’t see them in the woods on the left. After a quick apology shouted down the fairway, all was forgiven. But it could have easily gone the other way. Hitting into the group ahead of you can definitely send the wrong message. I remember once we had mistakenly hit into the same group twice.

Though a mistake, I can understand why they took offense. It had been a long, slow round and everyone was annoyed. So when we roped one by them for the second time, the shouting began. We apologized; they didn’t really accept it; and when we drove up behind them to wait on the next tee, words were exchanged. Though tempers eventually cooled, hitting into the group ahead of you is perhaps the easiest way to start a brawl on the course.

#2 – Someone steals your ball (or purposely misplaces it).
We’ve all claimed to have this happen to us at one point or another; “I swear it was right here…someone must have picked it up.” Perhaps, or perhaps your drive wasn’t as good as you thought. But when you actually witness the thief in the act, that’s another story completely. You see them heading to your ball from 200 yards away and you immediately know they are going to take it – “Hey!” you yell, “That’s my ball!”

What’s worse, they flagrantly steal your ball because you’ve hit into them! I’ve witnessed this on multiple occasions. I’ve seen people kick balls into the woods or a sand trap for being hit into. And when things like that happen, you’re one step away from a melee.

#3 – Someone steals your club.
A couple of rounds ago, I found an 8-iron on the tee box of a par 3. Obviously, someone brought two clubs with them to tee-off and left behind the one they didn’t use to hit. Now, I did the proper thing. I asked the group ahead of us and when it wasn’t them, I left it with the clubhouse manager after our round. But what if I didn’t do the “proper thing?” What if I needed an 8-iron and decided to claim that club as my own? Well, one time I witnessed a confrontation in the course parking lot where one guy spotted his club in another guy’s bag.

Clearly you can assume the guy with the club planned on taking it (after all he was already at his vehicle with his trunk open). The two exchanged words with the accused using the excuse that he simply “forgot” to leave it at the clubhouse when he finished (which was possibly true). But I remember thinking “this could get ugly” until the club was handed over to its rightful owner who then, after a few more choice words, headed back to his car. Remember, if you find a club, do the right thing.

#4 – Swindle someone out of money.
If you’ve ever played for money, you’ll know there are certain things that cross your mind: Are they cheating? Should you cheat? Will they pay up? Remember, when money is on the line, so is your credibility. And if you prove not credible, then you might have to pay the price (one way or another). Keep that in mind the next time a few skins are on the line.

#5 – Continually pointing out what someone is doing wrong.
One time years ago, when Stinky Golfer Chris was just beginning, he was having a difficult time in the trap. After flubbing a couple, the rest of our foursome (including me) started giving him advice. After each of us served up a bit of knowledge (which was promptly followed by yet another flub), Chris finally had enough: “EVERYBODY JUST STOP WITH THE F*$%ING ADVICE! IT’S OBVIOUSLY NOT F*$%ING HELPING!” Now Chris is a good friend, but at that moment, I think he may have been ready to go 12 rounds with all three of us! Fortunately, we’ve all remained good friends. Unfortunately, Chris’ trap play still needs work (see video here).

Know The Next Golf Tournament Winner? Wanna Bet?

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I like betting.  I can’t help it.., it’s just fun for me.  I’m not an addict.  I’m not at the casino every other night.  I haven’t lost my house or my car.  Maybe my shirt, but that’s about it.  I’ll bet on individual games, drop money into fantasy sports and, of course, the brackets going on this time of year.     

The thing about betting is, it just makes the game, or whatever you’re betting on, that much more interesting.  Whether you’re betting on the NCAA Championship game, or the day your co-worker’s baby is born – it makes you care that much more about the result. 

We here at golfstinks have touched on different kinds of betting in the past.  Be it betting while out on the course or creating a bracket in the hopes for a real PGA championship, we’re always looking for a way to put our hard-earned greenbacks on the line.  But let’s be honest, golf isn’t exactly a big-time sport for betting. 

Now we’ve all seen the odds posted for the favorites in golf tournaments – especially the majors.  But golf doesn’t get nearly the betting action that most major sports get, be it legal or illegal.  I think a lot of that has to do with the relative anonymity of the players on the tour.  But what if you found yourself in a golf pool?  What if you were in a Vegas sports book and you saw the odds pop up for The Masters?  What would you do?  Who would you choose?  How much would you bet?

See, you can check just about anywhere for betting assistance on football or basketball – the internet, the newspaper, even the phone!  But golf?  Not so much.  However, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  Sites such as Golf Picks are out there to help you. 

Now, if there was only a way to raise golf into the ranks of the top wager-worthy sports, we could put all of this to better use.  But I guess until the PGA recognizes the opportunity it has at a gold-mine with an actual PGA Championship, the world of golf betting will remain a lesser interesting option. 

But let it be known, golfstinks will do what it can to raise interest in all things golf, including the occasional wager – on-course or off.  You can bet on it.

Swing ’til you’re happy!            

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