Turning Your Golf Hobby into a Job

February 21st, 2008

newbie golf player

If you love the idea of playing golf and being paid, there are a few options that you have that are available for you to explore. The chances to actually get paid to enjoy your hobby are always growing and with a bit of creative thinking you can turn it into a very nice source of income on the side or even potentially turn it into enough money to replace your full time income. However, just jumping into the idea is not a wise decision, you want to ensure that you have the skills necessary in order to be successful, after all without the necessary skills your potential job will not work out and you could become very frustrated.

The first thing that you can consider is doing a bit of caddying. This would allow you to brush up on your skills on the green and make some connections. Many low level caddies earn $20 per bag for a game and if you are playing a short game this translates into some decent money. Higher level caddies can earn as much as $100 per bag and the top level caddies are also allowed to carry more than a single bag, which allows you to double your potential money. Once you add everything up this can turn into a very good source of money.

Another option that you can explore is teaching golf lessons if you are highly skilled. This would allow you to set your own hours, choose whom you would like to teach and even within a sliding scale determine your own pay. This can allow you to choose the group of people that you work best with. For example, if you do individual lessons you are looking at charging much higher rates than if you offered group lessons. However, in order to actually make good money at lessons you would need to have a very solid basis in the game and be at least an advanced player. If you are only a beginner or intermediate level player you would have quite a bit more work to do before you could start teaching classes successfully.

If you are good at writing and have an extensive knowledge basis for golf, you could even consider writing a book or even some articles to help others. This would allow you to spread your knowledge to people at a time that is convenient for them. If you are not very good at writing this might be a bit difficult to do, but you could consider creating video tutorials as an alternative. Regardless, there are people all around the world who are always looking for tips and tricks that would allow them to improve their skills.

If you are good at golf, it is very much possible to make some money from it. The best jobs in the world are those that revolve around something that you love. With a passion comes a certain determination to succeed and improve your entire overall lifestyle, both financially and personally. If you are able to take your hobby and turn it into an enjoyable money making venture without overworking yourself you can still improve your skills, help others enjoy golf and make a bit of money all at the same time. This is one of the best ways to enjoy golf, or even any other hobby that you have.

Basics of Tennis Explained

February 15th, 2008

Tennis if you have ever stopped to consider what it is can be called a fairly basic sport.  Because of this virtually anyone can learn how to play successfully, the hard part is the physical aspect.  In terms of how the game is actually played, there are some basic guidelines that will allow you to play successfully without feeling as if you are lost.  Even if you are not interested in playing but merely watching, having an idea about what is going on and why will give you a much better understanding of the game overall.

The first thing to know is that tennis involves playing with at least 2 people, sometimes 4 if you are playing doubles and the equipment that is used is a tennis ball, tennis racquet and a tennis court.  For each individual player there is also tennis shoes and of course suitable tennis clothes.  Otherwise, there is no other equipment that is needed.  This makes it a sport that is fairly light to play, unlike football, which has a large amount of heavy equipment that is involved as well.

The tennis court that is used must be a regulation court.  This ensures that the overall size and maintenance are all the same so that games are not lost or won based upon the position of a player on a court.  The net goes in the center of the court and on each side there is a service line that runs parallel to the net.  Further back on the outer edge of the court there is another set of parallel lines with one on each side of the net, this is called the baseline.  This is typically where players start playing.

Along the side of the court are lines that mark the outer edges, and these edges are called the alleys.  It is important to understand the difference between singles and doubles now.  In singles tennis the alley is out of bounds and when a ball hits the alley it is immediately out.  However, in doubles tennis the alley is allowed to be used without a penalty.  This as you can imagine can cause a much different result in a doubles game than in a singles game.

To actually start the tame once you have at least two players you would need to serve the ball.  To serve the ball successfully you would be required to serve the ball into the other player’s side of the court and hit the service box on their side.  The service box is a small box on the left hand side of the court for each player.  There is a service box on each side and regardless of which player is serving the box must be hit during the initial serve.  Obviously, the ball should not just land in the service box, but it must bounce in the service box at least once in order for the serve to be considered good.  Otherwise the serve must be repeated.

Once the ball has successfully hit the service box, it is then the aspect of tennis that most people recognize.  That is the ball is to be hit back and forth across the tennis court until a player fails to hit the ball back across, or it hits the alley in a singles tennis match.  In order to score points you must not hit the ball into the alley and you must always hit the ball when it comes to you.  If you fail to hit the ball and your opponent has always hit it then you will not gain a point but they will.

Each time the ball is missed, it will need to be reserved, and for each time it is served the players will take turns serving.  This will allow both players to server equally during the game.  This is obviously the condensed version, which does not take into account specific scoring or even specific scoring strategies, but it gives you a good basic foundation of exactly how tennis is played successfully.

Bungee Jumping Accidents

February 12th, 2008

Bungee jumping is, by it’s nature, a dangerous sport.  There is no denying that fact.  However, modern manufacturing methods and safety practices have made the sport much safer over the past decade.  It is certainly safer than the land diving of the South Pacific natives.  Unfortunately, even with all of these advances in the sport, bungee jumping accidents still occur.  In this article we will examine what can happen as a result of bungee jumping.

The most severe bungee jumping accidents can actually be fatal.  Most of the fatalities that have occurred in bungee jumping occur as a result of head trauma.  Miscalculation of the length of bungee cord necessary to complete the jump safely has resulted in several deaths since the sport became a public phenomenon in the late 1970s.  One of the most infamous deaths from bungee jumping occurred during practice for the half-time show of Superbowl XXXI, in 1997.  Laura Patterson, who was practicing with members of her professional team, died upon impact when she jumped from the top level of the Louisianna Superdome.  The accident was blamed on the bungee cords being handled incorrectly.  The half-time show was subsequently cancelled, and a tribute to Laura was performed instead.  Other deaths have resulted from people actually coming loose from the ankle harness.  This has led to the common practice of using a body harness as a back-up safety precaution.

Bungee jumping enthusiasts will be quick to point out, however, that there are only a handful of deaths from among millions of jumps that have been performed over the last few decades.  Even though this is true, there are many other types of bungee jumping accidents that can occur if strict safety guidelines are not followed.  Rope burn, pinched fingers and bruises are among the most common injuries suffered from bungee jumping.  While these may not be attributable to actual bungee jumping accidents, they can be considered an adverse side-effect by most people.

More serious than sprains and bruises are the possibilities of other bungee jumping accidents, such as severe eye trauma, dislocation, back injury, and even broken bones.  These are not highly publicized events, but they do occur nonetheless.  In the case of the eye trauma, increased pressure in the eye an cause a blood vessel to burst near the retina.  This results in blurred vision or loss of eyesight completely.  Although it sounds horrific, this is only temporary, until the body repairs the damage done.  Of more concern would be back injuries and broken bones.  In the case of back injuries, a dislocation or strain on the spine can cause a lifetime of pain and suffering.  That is something to take into account when weighing the risks of bungee jumping.

Bungee jumping accidents do occur, but they can be minimized by following established safety procedures.  It is up to you to ask the right questions.  It is up to the commercial company or club to ensure they have the right equipment and trained operators.  Bungee jumping can be fun, and does not have to involve serious injury if done correctly by trained operators and jumpers.

Tips for Buying a Golf Cart

February 11th, 2008

golf cart

There are very few people who actually have a good reason for purchasing a golf cart for their own personal usage, but if you decide that you do need a golf cart there are a few things that you should keep in mind so that you can make the best purchase decision possible. Of course purchasing a used model will allow you to save a lot of money, but you should know what you are looking at when you look to buy a golf cart in order to ensure that you get a good deal, rather than waste your money on something that does you no good.

Your first step if you want to look into purchasing a golf cart for your own personal use at a golf course is to find out if the course even allows you to use a cart on the course. Many do not allow carts, however many others do. The main reason you may want to purchase a golf cart is if you live on a golf course and would rather drive the cart to the clubhouse rather than your actual car. With the increasing expenses for gas alone, this can be a huge savings over several years and more than pay for the expense of the golf cart itself. However, still check with your local area to ensure that it will not be a problem driving it on the roads in your area, as well as with the golf course to ensure that it is ok with them.

Once you have done all of the research for your area you have several things that you need to consider. An electric golf cart is obviously a much wiser and cheaper purchase in the long run. Not only are you not having to purchase gasoline continuously but there are typically fewer parts that may need to be repaired or fixed as well. This will make the maintenance expenses much cheaper as well which will allow you to get further usage from the golf cart before it needs to be replaced or repaired.

As you look around at golf carts, you need to look for a cart that has a new battery as well as battery connectors. You should also look for a cart that has a nice clean connector and charger that looks in good condition. The cart itself should be clean and in good working order. Never purchase a cart that is not working with the hopes that you can fix it cheaply. Many times this turns into a nightmare project because of the continuous repairs that are needed. If the cart does not operate correctly at the time of purchase, you simply should move on.

You want to also ensure that you can take the cart for a test drive. If you are not able to take the cart for a drive, you should walk away. If you do take it for a test drive ensure that you can stop within a space of 10-15 feet without sliding. Golf courses are not going to appreciate you bringing a cart to the green that can cause damage of any sort. You also want to check the steering and ensure that the cart turns properly. Your final consideration should be looking at all of the wheels to ensure that they are in good shape. With a big of careful research and knowing what you are looking for you can save as much as 75% off the price of a new golf cart by purchasing a used model.

Are Golf Shoes Essential to Play Golf?

February 10th, 2008

play golf

As most people know, there are shoes for virtually every sport imaginable. There are very few sports that do not have a special shoe that is intended to improve the way you play while wearing them. Yet many people cannot afford to always purchase all of the additional shoes that are necessary. This leaves many people to wonder if it is really necessary to purchase golf shoes in order to actually play golf. In trying to balance money considerations with safety considerations there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Your first consideration should be your skill level. A beginner usually cannot justify the expense to buy golf shoes. They are certainly not cheap, and since they can only be worn while on the golf course they have a very limited usage outside of the golf course. While basketball and tennis shoes can be worn in different circumstances, the golf shoes must remain on the golf course in order to avoid damaging them, or the flooring in which you walk on.

If you are a highly skilled player or even tend to play quite often, you may need to invest in a good pair of golf shoes. Typically investing in golf shoes will require you to find a pair of shoes that you are actually thoroughly comfortable wearing. You need to remember that many golf courses require you to do a lot of walking so you need something that fits comfortably. Something with plenty of cushioning as well as a good fit is essential.

You should also contact the golf courses where you plan on playing. There are some who require golf shoes in order for you to play. While this may seem like a bit of a killjoy if you were not planning to buy golf shoes initially, the golf course requiring the shoes is a safety consideration to ensure that you do not slip or slide while you are swinging your club. A good pair of golf shoes has spikes that dig into the ground a bit while you are standing which will provide a bit of additional traction and ensure that you are not slipping the first moment you swing.

Taking your time to shop around for golf shoes is a very wise idea. There are dozens if not hundreds of different colors so sometimes selecting the best color that you like can be a bit of a hard decision. In addition, not all shoes are created equally. The shoe that is best for your foot may not be best for someone else. In addition, there are numerous different material styles that you can choose from, specifically those that are hard materials or even soft materials.

Choosing the right shoes to play in will ensure that you are comfortable, as well as have the traction that you need while playing. If you are playing a lot of golf, you will quickly see how a good pair of golf shoes can do wonders to help improve your comfort level as well as your game itself. Never discount the ability of a pair of shoes to dramatically increase your overall performance during a game. Taking the time to really try on several pairs of shoes will ensure your final selection is durable as well as comfortable in a style that you like and enjoy wearing.

Meet Senior Golf Pro Tommy Bolt And More

November 20th, 2007

Tommy Bolt also known as “Thunder” or “Terrible Tommy” got his nicknames because on the green he had quite a temper. Tommy had fifteen tour wins and one major win in a championship game back in 1958. Tommy was born in 1918 and made it into the World Golf Hall of fame and was a member of the Ryder Cup team twice. His senior golf years were spent winning the PGA Seniors Golf Championship in 1969 after which he became a key player in the creation of the Champion Tour formerly the Senior PGA. He had a temper and through his clubs, but he knew the game. At the age of eighty, Bolt was still playing senior golf.

Gene Littler was born in 1930 and became pro golfer. Gene had twenty-nine tour wins with the PGA and eight wins with the Senior PGA. In 1961, he gained one win in the U.S. Open. He also took a win in the Amateur in 1953. He was a member of the World Golf Hall of fame, Walker Cup Team as well as eight Ryder Cup teams. He was voted Comeback Player of the Year in 1973. After taking a break from senior golf in 1972, Gene came back and won in Saint Louis. He did have a great career in the golfing circle.

Cary Middlecoff was born in 1921 and died in 1998. Cary had forty tour wins and three major wins. He was a member of the World Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and in 1956 he won the Vardon Trophy. Cary was a great senior golf pro and was dentist before joining the PGA. He wrote a book called the “Golf Swing” as well as did some broadcasting before he died. He was known as slow paced senior golf pro.

Harry Cooper was born in 1904 and died in 2000. He Cooper took thirty-one tour wins, but had no championship wins in the majors. In 1937, he won the Vardon trophy and was a leader in money win with the PGA. He was a member of the World Hall of Fame. Cooper went on to teach golfing lessons in New York for twenty-six years. He then moved to the Westchester Country Club were he continued teaching until he was ninety-three years old. This shows you that you can be a senior golfer for as long as you want.

Ben Hogan was another great senior golf pro who was born in 1912 and died in 1997. Hogan had sixty-four tour wins and nine major championship wins. Hogan was also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and won the Vardon Trophy in 1940, 1948 and 1941. Ben Hogan played his first tour event in 1932 and won the money purse of $8.50. In 1927, Hogan turned pro at the age of seventeen. Hogan also had golf clubs that bore his name and were considered some of the best clubs one could buy for many years.

Increase Your Distance With Tips For Senior Golf Players

October 15th, 2007

Just because you play senior golf does mean you lose that distance. If you have been playing regularly, you may have already adjusted your fitness and your clubs and other equipment. If you continue to play, you always make adjustment for age. You never have to stop playing golf. Golfing is probably one of the most popular recreational games an older person can play without hurting himself or herself. You might need some instructions or tips on how to maintain that distance that every golfer wants.

While your body changes as you get older, you want to stay fit. This is the reasoning behind doing some strengthening exercises and some flexibility training. Keeping your body strong and flexible will only enhance the game and help you achieve the distance you need. Maybe a little weight lifting to keep the upper body in shape is needed as you get older. Stretching the legs daily will help to keep you flexible for a natural string, which helps with the distance you get from your swing. The more flexible you keep the body, the better you will be in you swing. Fitness is also necessary to walk the distances between holes as well. If you are not use to walking, you could tire easily. Not all golf courses will have golf cart for you.

Having the right equipment also makes a difference in your swing and the distance you get on the ball. As a person ages, they need different clubs that can help you swing better and drive the ball farther. The thing to look for is the club shaft flex, the length of the club and of course the lie angle. These are important factors in a golf club. Sometimes the senior golfer may take a lesson or two from a pro. This just enhances the game and you can learn some techniques that the pros use.

The clubs you use do make a difference when you participate in senior golf. Even the pros change golf clubs as their body and age changes. The more flex you have in a club should give you more distance. This is seen by seasoned players as well as the pros. If you are just starting out, you will probably want to take a few lessons and practice on the driving range to get the most distance on the ball before trying the greens.

Senior golf has become very popular even for beginners. It is a nice way to spend your retirement and stay fit at the same time. Some of the pros do suggest starting out slow if you are new to golf and before you take any lessons or play a round of golf, you should have some type of fitness regiment to keep the body flexible. This will help your game as well as prevent injury. A good pair of shoes is also very important not only for walking in but also for your stance. If your shoes are uncomfortable, you are not going to stand correctly when hitting the golf ball.

Five Top Female Senior Golf Pros

September 14th, 2007

Dorothy Campbell was born in 1883 and died in 1845. She was known as Dorothy Howe and Dorothy Hurd as she was married and divorced a few times in her career as a senior golf pro. Dorothy only had five major championship wins in the amateurs. She won the British Women’s and the U.S> Women’s Amateur in the same year, which was 1909. She came from a family of golfers as her sisters and uncles play the game as well as her father. Campbell’s last win was the U.S. Senior Amateur in 1938. She died in a car accident at the young age of sixty-one.

Glenna Collett Vare was born in 1903 and died in 1989. She had no known tour wins but had six major championship wins. She started playing golf at the age of fourteen and by the time she was nineteen in 1922, she won the U.S Women’s Amateur and continued to do it five more times. She played until her late fifties, Vare wrote two books in the 10920’s. She was well respected as a woman golfer and had a great game play when it came to making the green. She has a trophy given out every year to junior girls, it is call the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy.

Joyce Wethered was born in 1901 and died in 1991. She had four major championship wins and was a member of the British Curtis Cup team. When Wethered and Vare came to play together three times in their golfing history, Wethered beat Vare all three times. Although she never competed in the senior golf tours, she could however drive the ball two hundred and forty yards with precision. Wethered was known more in the British circles more so than in the United States. She married and became Lady Heathcoat-Amory.

Patty Berg was a top leader in the senior golf circle. She was born in 1918 and died in 2006. She had sixty tour wins, which includes wins before the LPGA was even formed. Patty also had fifteen major championship wins to add to her golfing career. She was successful in winning the first U.S. Women’s Open back in 1946. She set a record for being the only woman to win fifteen major championship tours. Patty turned pro in the year 1940 but joined the Navy until 1945. The “Patty Berg” award is given out every year to the woman who makes the greatest contribution to the game of golf for women. This tradition was started in 1978.

There are many great senior golf pros and they have been made members of the World Golf Hall of Fame, as have these ladies. They have contributed to the golfing circuit and have become well known by many of the men senior golf pros. Many women still compete in the senior golf tournaments and have made a name for themselves. Some are good at the long drive and some are famous for their short game. These women have made way for the new generation of golfers.

Find The Right Senior Golf Clubs

August 13th, 2007

When you are thinking about changing golf clubs to fit you better as you age, you want to look for golf clubs that will give you distance as well. You may want to have an iron that is custom made, a hybrid club or a clone wood. These are just a few different ideas when you are thinking about golf clubs. Although the clone clubs are slightly different from the original clubs, many golfers find that these clubs are more suited for their changing needs. Whether you need new irons, woods or drivers you can find some with just enough flex in the shaft that will help you gain more distance.

There are many manufacturers of senior golf clubs such as Calloway, Wedgewood, Adams and Nike. You need to choose a golf club that has enough flex in the shaft, but not too much. It will depend on your ability to swing the club as the amount of flex you need. The flex is what allows the golf club to bend as you swing and connect with the ball. You will choose from the ladies flex, senior flex, regular, stiff and extra stiff flex. If the flex of the shaft is not matched with your swing, you could miscalculate your swing. A senior golf club has a little more flex that that of a beginning golfer.

Many golf course pro shops do have golf clubs with different flex shaft ratings that you can use out on the driving range. This allows the senior golf player to find the right club that will give you the distance. Before you buy a club, trying different shaft flexes will enable you to find the one you need without mistakenly buying the wrong one. You can also find a shop that custom makes golf clubs for senior golfers and have a set of clubs make especially to enhance your game.

Whether you buy an expensive senior golf club or a discounted club will not matter as long as you buy the right club with the right amount of flex. You do however need to buy something durable, this is where it pays to be critical with discount clubs. Just because the club gives you, the distance might not mean it will be the best. Some discount clubs may loosen up as you use it more. This could cause the flex to become softer than what you need.

Senior golf players have more advantages today then what they have in the past. The clubs are designed more for their use and flexibility where as golfers in the past usually only had a few club flexes to choose from as they gained more experience in the game. Finding the different golf clubs and understanding the best clubs will help your game. You can look at different websites under the manufacturers of the clubs to see what they offer and what the ratings are before you seek a pro shop to try the club on the greens.

8 Things To Becoming A Great Senior Golf Pro

July 12th, 2007

Eight things will help make you a great senior golf player. There is attitude, concentration and focus, recovery of the game, practice, fitness, technique and foundation, balance and distance. Keep in mind that these are the foundation to becoming a seasoned golf player and will help you become as good as the pros and maybe even a pro. You need to play the game of golf with determination and stay with what works for you the best.

Your attitude about the game has to be focused on the win. Having a positive, “I can do it” attitude is the only way to succeed as a professional golf player. If you want to play the senior golf tournaments, you have to work up to it and dedicate your time to enhancing your game. Your concentration and focus, plan your shot before you even reach the tee. Never change your mind once you are over the ball. Second-guessing yourself does not make a pro golfer. When you address the ball, you already know where the ball is going and how you are going to get there without any hesitation.

Talent and recovery are what help you win the game. If you have a talent for thinking and hitting the ball right where you need it to be, you have a better chance of coming in with a scratch shot, however even the senior golf pros do have an eagle or a bogy here and there. If you do have a bad hit, you need to know how to recover from that shot and make your next play make up for the previous bad shot. This is all apart of golfing. If you have a two over par on the previous hole, try to go under par on the next hole. It is all in the recovery and the planning.

To become a senior golf pro, you need to be fit and practice. Just because you have been playing golf for years does not mean, as you get older you do not need a little more fitness in your day. You need to stay in shape and practice your game regularly. Keep in mind, you might need different equipment as you get older and this is going to require plenty of practice time with the new equipment to improve your game.

You need to learn techniques that lead to a solid foundation in your game. A senior golf pro does not stop learning and improving their techniques. You want to change as your age changes to get the same distance that you were getting before you started reaching the senior age. You are going to need your balance and your Zen for golfing to play with the pros. If you keep practicing and stay fit, you should be able to play golf well into your nineties if you wish. Most importantly, keep your distance or enhance your distance to stay in the game and compete on the same level as the rest of the senior golf players.