Achim's Golf reviews- reviews about golf equipment, reviews about golf courses, reviews about golf

I need to work harder and be more focused on my cause - coming back from Naples Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 03:07:00 +0000

Another week has passed and I played two events this last weekend. One in Vero Beach, FL and one in Naples , FL.

To say I am satisfied with myself would be a straight up lie. While on both days I had my moments and played golf as it should be played. I am far from where I should be. This causes major stress issues which I did not encounter before like that.

On Saturday I had good round, but was not able to sink my putts as I should. It would not be a big deal, if there were not half a dozen putts which were very make able and within 5 feet.

My tee shots were acceptable and my approach shots were not bad. A few wrong decision in terms of club choice or shot choice really caused the biggest trouble. In all, I played a round which just does not reflect my game and my ability. I struggled my way through it and finished OK.

Last Sunday I then played at Esplanade in Naples. Small qualifier for the WGAT USA. My swing was in much better rhythm and my course management was by far better than the day before. Really did not make big mistakes and played along nicely. However, again I struggled to get my putts in and on 2 holes I clearly made choices which cost me an unbelievable 6 strokes! Now that is for sure not acceptable.

Again I have to say that those are mental errors. I am aware that I do not have the perfect swing and for sure I am not working hard enough on my game. However, with my current game I should never use more than 74 to 78 strokes to play the courses I am playing on. at this time

On a good note I have to say that I am able to get out of any crisis situation on the course and come back strong with good shots. Now that is a huge plus. The average player when shooting an 8 or so pretty much is done for the round. For me it is a hole by hole thing. Shoot an 8, follow up with a birdie and a par.

In all I have some positive things which I can take from both golf rounds I played, but clearly I am far away from were I was just a couple months ago. While there is some mental issues which I am not sure yet how I will master them, I know for sure that my daily routine simply is not what it needs to be.

But getting this routine done every day is not that easy. Even though I have plenty of opportunity and options, there is also plenty of other stuff around which continuously throws me off. It is not that those issues are existent, it is how I deal with them.

In other words, I am completely unsatisfied and frustrated with my daily golf routine, practice and play. Also I am not satisfied with my physical progress on top of that.

Here is the thing: I do not practice enough, play enough, work out enough, work on my mental game enough and get easily side tracked by things around me which really have no meaning for my golf future at all.

While you are reading this you now might think that I am on the edge of giving up and let it all go. And you are totally wrong! I am just getting started. But I need to make some serious changes. Changes which might have a profound impact on my life, social life, family life and environment around me. Not all of them will find a warm welcome from others. But that is the least I am worried about.

Right now I am worried that I spend all this time and $ and do not move forward in the right direction.

How shall my days look like? No answer here today. But I will write about it for sure and again will ask for more advice and tips.

I cut my tournament schedule down tremendously already. Not too excited about it, but needs to be done.

Mainly focusing on 2 things for the rest of the year:

1. Win the National Finals of the WGAT USA after winning the Tampa Bay Tour
2. Play the Mid Amateur and Mid Senior Amateur of Florida and get into the World Golf Ranking

In between trying to play some FSGA Events, which are most important for moving forward and some Golf Channel Tour Events, if they are on courses in my area.

2016 is already on the plan and despite I want to play as many events as possible, my focus in the future needs to be official ranking events and National Events. Only with those I ultimately will be able to move forward.

So yes, I am not happy with my current circumstances in golf and frustrated with the way I am doing my work, but all it does is making me more determined and more aggressive in pursuing my goals and my dream. After all my time is running and it is running fast. Now 47, I have 3 years to the Senior Tour and just need to keep going, working and believing ( the last one being my top strength), no matter what!

As always I appreciate comments, suggestions, tips, any info which might help to move the game forward or improve the basis in terms of sponsorship, equipment, travel, events etc.

Thank you for all your nice messages and support. Those alone represent a big help.

The Garmin Approach S2 - 18 months in use - is it still working?

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 13:37:00 +0000

In December 2013 I wrote a review about the Garmin Approach S 2. Just go to the archive and take a look at it.

Today I write a short follow up.

I have played well over 100 rounds of golf with this GPS watch. Tournament rounds as well as social rounds. All kinds of courses in different states. Played in good weather , bad weather and very bad weather.

All I can say is that the Garmin Approach S2 worked great every single round I played with it.

But I want point out a few things which you might consider before using it.

1. Accuracy

The Garmin Approach S 2 is accurate to a point. Away from what they say, I figure that I have plus/minus 3 yards, maybe a little less. It depends how good you are to determine the relevance of this distance. To me it is relevant, but I can live with it because I work with a rangefinder on top of the watch and use yardage books. Often I prepare a play book with google earth. I also heard that other watches do the same or are worse. I played with people who had the same watch and there was a difference or used other watches and there was no , small or huge differences.

2. Functionality

My Garmin Approach S 2 worked great (and still does) on every course I played. But I have to mention that there were a few occasions where it did not.

I played courses in several states. The GPS watch was able to find a satellite and give me data. However, here are the few things which did happen:

- a couple of times my watch did not find a signal. Both or all three times that happened we played in extreme weather. Clouds, storms and rain. So I understood and you understand, that the signal just could not be picked up properly

- on a couple of courses the holes were mixed up or the watch jumped to the wrong hole. So you stand on 5 , but get yardage for 8. That is a technical error which is also easy to understand. We are talking about satellites in the heavens and then my tee box is next to another tee box. The simple fix was to just scroll to the right hole

- One or two times I played a track which was not entered into the Garmin system yet. New courses or courses which were altered fall in this category. Champions Gate Country Club being one of them.
There was nothing I could do and there will be nothing you can do. But again, it was not the watches fault.

3. Others

- The loading cable had some issues. When I click my watch on to the loading clip it does not always start the loading process. I always check twice that it works. It happened a few times that I put it on and went to bed. Next morning I woke up and found my watch not loaded at all. So you need to watch that part after a while. Maybe it is dust or fat on the contacts.

That is it. I like the watch. All points above are no big deal. The watch is very durable, easy to wear and it works. That is what you are looking for in a watch.

It is true that they now have watches with all kinds of gadgets. But we need to focus on the game, not on all kinds of other things. For that matter what you need is 3 distances and a range finder.

My suggestion is to start with this watch and then determine if you want to spend more money later.
It would be nice to hear from other golfers about this watch and how they feel about it. Meanwhile I think it is a very helpful gadget for my game.

Did this short article help you? Please let me know. I am trying to create helpful information and am open to suggestions at any time.

The Rookery at Marco - Marriot Golf Resort in Naples, FL - played May 1st,

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Fri, 08 May 2015 03:20:00 +0000

Playing the WGAT USA has many fun advantages. One of them without a doubt is that we get to play all kinds of private clubs all over the state.

Last weekend I was scheduled to play in the WGAT USA Masters at The Rookery Golf course. The Rookery is part of the Marriott Resort of Marco Island. It is a private country club which too my knowledge allows play if you a member, a resort guest or part of a group like our tournament at that time.

After a two hour drive I finally arrived at the entrance to the property Friday morning at 11 am.. My GPS mistakenly took me past the entrance. So here is a tip for you. When your GPS guides you to the side entrance, which is close to a driving range off Collier Blvd., make sure you take a right into Fiddlers Creek. Although the name will raise questions in your mind, The Rookery is part of a property which has more than one courses.

Since I had a tee time , entrance was easy. I got a guest pass with a bar code for entrance and exit.. The drive to the course already leads you through a well maintained and groomed neighborhood. Right there I was sure that I will find a very nice facility.

Arriving on the parking lot my thought was confirmed. Everything looked immaculate. There was a bag drop and a few cart guys waiting. I did not use this service, but spoke with them briefly and they were very friendly, welcoming and gave me the feeling that they were concerned about me having a good time and enjoying my stay.

First I set my bag on the cart which was marked with my name and ready to go. Stocked with some cold water and ice as well as tees and a towel mine and all other carts were clean and equipped with a GPS system showing not only front, middle and back distances but even the hole layout itself. I liked it (on the course the distances the GPS provided were slightly different than what I got from my GPS watch and pin seeker. But overall they were very helpful).

As always I checked out the pro shop first. Looked nice. Was well stocked. But the pricing was way over the top. Marriott or not. Pro V1 golf balls , for example, should never be 60 $ plus tax. That is just one item, but I assure you , that most items where way over priced. Staff was friendly and asked several times if I needed any help.

The club house was impressive. All very well taken care off, nice restaurant with bar and a nice outside deck with view over the range and the course and many other rooms for other occasions. Restrooms in the club house were clean and well stocked.

I liked the atmosphere and the overall impression of the clubhouse. Next I went to the putting green. A big green with all kinds of breaks. The green was perfectly groomed and fast. I really liked the pitching and chipping area. A nice large bunker, big green with 2 pins and all kinds of possible lies you can choose to warm up.

After spending some time there I went over to the range, which was described as one of the best in the state. Nice range. Not sure if I would praise it that high. Plenty of pins to shoot for, good balls and grass tees in good condition. I could imagine to practice at this facility more often.

Finally ready I headed to the convenience station right behind the range. A small building which I thought had restrooms and a water station. But it had much more. There were restrooms, a water station, a refrigerator with cold wet towels, some chairs to rest and a box with markers, repair tools, score cards and pencils. Really a nice feature I must say.

The entire station was very clean and well stocked. I loaded up some towels and a couple waters. Also I took some other supplies and off I was to the 1st tee.

Right away I noticed that the tee boxes were not only in excellent condition but also level. As a matter of fact, I found them to be very level through out the entire course. I appreciate good tee boxes. Being able to hit your tee shot of a level ground makes live much easier.

My first tee shot was not in the fairway but close to the water on the right. Gave me the opportunity to check out the water, the rough and the bunker next to it. All looked great. My shot out of the rough was good, but I could tell that the rough on this course was not the place to be. While looking light, it was strong and caught my club big time.

When my ball hit the green it did not even make an attempt to stop. It ran right through it. Not unusal when hitting out of the rough. But once I got there , it became clear, that not only was my ball coming out hot out of the rough but the greens where pretty new ( I later found out that they were redone about 6 months ago). In other words: The greens were like concrete. But they were in very good condition and rolled nicely. Very fast and true.

From here on I found great tee boxes on every hole. Most fairways were excellent and all greens were fast, hard and tough to read. All things which I found very enjoyable as a low handicap player. For the beginner or the high handicap player the greens alone could cause some serious issues.

Pretty much every tee shot was intimidating. Much tougher than I expected. Once I got of the tee and could see the hole backwards, it was not all that bad. Good course design. The ideal tee shot would be dead straight down the middle, which made it all even tougher.

There were plenty of hazards, tight fairways and traps ( both: fairway and green side). I found a few hazards and a ton of traps. The reason though why I found those obstacles was not that I hit my balls too long or not straight enough. The reason was that the fairways were pretty hard as well. A couple times I got 30 yards plus roll out of my tee shot or my second on shot on a par 5.

You for sure need to consider that when playing this course. It makes this course even tougher, but at the same time it gives the shorter hitter the opportunity to play some old fashion bounce shots. Be it towards the green or as a lay up on a par 5.

I also learned that being long is a big no - no. If you miss a shot, miss it short. Better short or in a trap than long and in the hazard or in a collection area.

The entire course looks and probably is a sanctuary. We saw many gators, birds and fish. Wonderful. I really liked the landscape they put together there. It was fun to just ride along and look around. Naturally many good looking homes rounded that feeling up. Another positive thing I thought was , that the homes were not too close. You never felt like you had people right in your neck.

It was a tough round, but a wonderful golf day on that course. After the round we went straight to the club house. I wanted to check out the bar and see what food they serve.

No luck with the food though. They stopped serving at about 3 pm or so. They had a full bar there including some interesting drafts. I opted for a draft beer. Good choice. It was cold and fresh. The girl serving at the bar was very friendly and on top of things. Nobody had to ever ask for a drink. She always followed up.

The prices for the beer were a little high. Not a surprise, but I would not go there every day.

Getting off the property was no challenge. The bar code worked fine ( despite some stories I heard that it would not).

Overall : I really liked this golf course. It was tough, but beautiful, challenging but fair. If your handicap is higher, make sure you play it forward. There was no easy hole and in order to have fun you want to hit some greens and hit some fairways which naturally is easier if the hole is shorter.

I certainly was impressed with the practice area and would come back to spend time there any time if I would get an opportunity.

Everybody was very friendly and I felt welcome.

No doubt that I will play this course again soon when I get a chance. Great course, great experience. If you ever get an invite to this place, make sure you make it.

The Rookery at Marco makes my top 20 list in Florida at this point.

Have you played there? What was your experience.

Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples - Played on April 19th 2015

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 10:51:00 +0000

The World Golf Amateur Golf Tour holds events on all kinds of golf courses around Florida. Last weekend I was scheduled to play on the Ft Myers / Naples tour yet again.

Eagle Lakes Golf Club was on the list. I have never heard of the golf course before, but the name sounded interesting since I figured they did not give the place this name without a reason.

I checked out the website before hand. Usually I check if they have a hold by hole description of the course. Just so I get an idea on how to play a course which I did not play before. The website offered all kinds of helpful information. Like a score card, green fees , membership info and some photos.

The hole by hole page however was still not ready at that point. Seemed like they are still working on the website.

After a 2 1/2 hour travel we finally pulled into the community where Eagle Lakes Golf Club is located. As we pulled in we saw a driving range ( Aqua) on the right hand side. At that point we did not think that this range belonged to the golf course.

The club house is only about 1 mile from the entrance. Easy to find. A bag drop is available , but the parking lost is relatively small. So you can just park and carry the bag if you can.

We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who directed us to our cart. Cart was clean and seemed new. Also he told us where we can sign in and where the pro shop is located. That was a good start.

Went around the house and signed in for the tournament. Sign in table was on the front deck. Looked very nice. View on a lake and some homes. There we saw our first eagle. Very nice. When I saw the deck I right away was looking forward to a drink after the round.

Went inside and found a nice looking restaurant and bar area. All seemed pretty new and I thought it was inviting. Because I wanted to get ready to play I did not check the prices , menu or anything in there.

In the restaurant I also met the pro for the first time who helped me find the restrooms. Restrooms in the locker room were clean. Locker room was clean as well.

From there I moved on to the pro shop. They have some selection of product. Nothing special. Everything you need for a round you can get. Pro shop also was clean and organized. I bought some golf tees. Priced like on most golf courses.

Talked to the pro for a little about the course and how to play it. He told me that I should miss to the right when missing and that the greens are pretty flat. Further that I should play half the break I read and that there is water on all 18 holes. Good enough for me. Last I asked him where the range is.

To my surprise he told me that the range I saw at the entrance is the range where I could hit balls, but that it does not belong to the golf course. A separate entity. But I also was told that I can take my golf cart there.

So I went to get my cart and started my way to the range. I found that funny. I was told that I could not take the cart to my car, but I can drive the cart through the entire neighborhood on a regular street to a golf range which does not belong to the golf course.

Oh well. The ride gave me a better view of the community. Seemed like there is plenty of lots empty and the place is still in the growing phase. Made to the range after about 5 minutes. So it is not a very long ride. Just watch for the cars.

Went straight into the shop. Small golf shop with products of all kinds. The place is a golf school, owned by the course but operated by a third party. The person behind the counter was friendly and asked me what I needed. After seeing the pricing I opted for a 20 ball bucket for 5 $. I thought that I medium bucket for 10 $ was pretty hefty. The large bucket was 15 $ and not even close to being a large bucket. On top of it those balls were Aqua Range Balls.

They have grass tees which are in good shape and some targets. Worked out, but was not what you would expect from a golf club. Chipping area was ok. The green was nice and speedy and they had a bunker. I only spend 30 min there. Just did not feel right and the balls were ok , but Aqua Balls are simply not my favorite.

So I drove back to the club house and went on the putting green. Great putting green. Fast, in good shape and large. Many different breaks and you can also chip around the green. That was the better warm up.

The starter came and asked for my receipt. That was strange, because I was in the tournament and naturally the organizer paid. He did not seem to understand that at first. But left me alone. Next I know the same starter was calling for me. 10 min earlier than scheduled. Felt a little rushed at that moment. But not a big deal.

Off we went. I had never played the course and so I decided to follow the pros instructions. Played towards the right side of the fairways and tried to use the hole prints on the back of the card to make my way around.

Teen boxes through the course were ok. Maybe not in the best of shape, but green and I always found a level spot somewhere on that day. They have their boxes numbered 1 through 4 in Latin numbers. So what out what the number says. I almost made a couple mistakes. Colors are much easier to work with in regards to tee boxes.

The Fairways were in pretty good shape. Plenty of grass to play from and they groomed them well. You will get a lot of roll out of those fairways since they are pretty hard.

All greens were in great shape and were running at about 10.5 or so. So that was a nice speed and they were consistent through out the round. Which that is a bonus. Green size is not huge I must say, but they are not difficult greens and relatively easy to reach.

The course layout is what makes it interesting. On every hole water comes into play. Some times on both sides. Some times in front and sides. Behind greens and along fairways. That makes every tee shot more interesting. Although the layout overall is not too challenging , the fact that the water comes into play, makes this course a tough little thing.

We had one long hitter in the group and he was in the water often. So if you are a long hitter. A 3 wood might be a good choice on many holes. To me this all did not present a problem. I am not a very long hitter and even though we played from the II tee box, plenty of the trouble I could have gotten in to was far away. I used my 3 wood a few times.

There was plenty of wind on that day, which made the long par 4s even longer. But if you follow the pros instructions ( miss to the right and play the middle of the green) nothing can happen. Only a few holes have OB and that is pretty far of the line which needs to be played.

Had a few bunker shots and I liked the traps. There was not too much sand and it was a white , shell sand. Easy to hit from. The club does not get stuck that easily.

We played a pretty fast round of golf. 3 1/2 hours. There were not many players out there. Considering that we are still in season I was surprised. However, it was a good thing for us. I was looking forward to have a beer and maybe a snack.

When we came back to the club house however, we found that the club house was closed. And I mean completely closed. No pro shop, no restaurant and not restrooms. Only person left was the friendly cart boy. He cleaned our clubs and helped unload the car.

I was pretty disappointed. After all it was only 5 30 pm. The good news was that there is a toilet on the green side of the cart building. So if you come into the same situation, there is a tip.

Overall I had fun to play the course. I liked that there was plenty of water to challenge us. The greens were in nice shape, rolled nicely and acted as the pro described. Also I was happy with the fairways. Compared to some places we play, they were very good.

Even if you are not excited about water holes you could play there easily. The water is there, but it is not too threatening. Nothing to be too afraid off.

You find the rates on the website but for those rates I probably would not play this course again. However, if there would be another event and I could manage to play, I would.

The staff I met was friendly, club house and grounds were clean. Range and restaurant situation was strange.

The one thing which is really nice are the eagles you can watch there. Large wonderful birds who gracefully fly over those many lakes which are the main feature of this golf course. Have you played there before? What was your impression?

Official website for Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples , Florida

Fort Myers Country Club - April 4th 2015

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 17:03:00 +0000

The WGAT ( World Golf Amateur Tour) USA held an event at Ft Myers Country Club and this time I was able to be there. Drove by this golf course dozens of timesc but never stopped to even look.

My tee time was 2 pm. I liked that. Usually with a late tee time you have time to warm up and check out the clubhouse and all other facilities.

I arrived there with plenty of time. Signed in and right there found out that there is no driving range to warm up. Not a good thing. With Country Club in your name one might expect at least a short range (after the round I then found out that there must be an area where you can hit shots up to 150 yards, but I never saw it ?)

I headed to the putting green. I was impressed by that. The green was of good size and offers a variety of breaks. That gave me some hope because I read that the course is a Donald Ross Design and I was expecting tough greens.

So I spent time putting and chipping.trying to prepare as good as possible. The putting green was in very good shape and of good speed. There is plenty of great chip locations for you to play from.

Just before my tee off I checked out the restrooms which were well taken care off , always a positive sign. Last I checked out the pro shop. Well stocked and in good order. Staff was friendly and welcoming.

On first tee box I turned on my GPS watch and immediately noticed that the distance looked odd. It did not seem to match with the score card I had. But I did not give it much further thought. Sometimes the GPS just does not work too well for different reasons, like we weather, storms beside others.

Finished the first hole with a good two putt and noticed that the greens were pretty fast ( similar to the putting ) and very hard. Not a surprise because I read that they got new greens last November and it takes 12 to 24 month to soften.

Right after the 2nd hole I turned off my watch . The GPS seemed to be confused and the distances I got from my watch just looked wrong and at times were wrong. If you have a pin seeker, use that one instead.

I expected a lot from this golf course, but the truth is that it was not very interesting at all.

The tee boxes were OK , fairways were not in good shape at all (hard as rock, little grass ). The rough was well grown and groomed on some holes and not to find on others.

Best part of the course by far were the greens. They were at times very large and offered many tough breaking putts. But most difficult probably was to keep the ball on the green. Because they are new and so hard balls run off easily.

Best you can do is bounce the ball on and make sure you are short rather than long. When I started playing more this old fashioned way, I had many more opportunities for birdies and did not have to play tough lies behind the green.

Another challenge I found was the fact that there was little signage to guide you towards the next hole, which got us lost once and confused a couple times.

After a tough round I was looking forward to a cold beer in the clubhouse. The outside seating area looked very nice and they had a nice patio bar on the first floor. Very inviting.

I went up there and ordered a beer. The girl was OK friendly. The beer price was very friendly. Guess it was happy hour.

The view from the bar area is great. You over see the tough number 10, 18th green, putting green and first hole. Even from the lower seating area the view is nice. A little bit like in a southern country club. I enjoyed that and it made up for some minuses from the golf course.

My partner ordered some stuffed mushrooms and offered me to try one. Although not hungry I took the opportunity to test at least some of the food. The stuffed mushrooms were excellent. Crunchy with a nicely done filling of crab ( at least I think that is what it was) . Also I was able to try some pizza and I was positively surprised. The Menu looked very exotic but very interesting and prices looked OK as well. Not sure if the Edison Restaurant is run by the golf course, but it seems like a good place to go eat and even if I am not planning to play the golf course any time soon, I would stop at the restaurant for a drink and some food. If I do that, I will add a comment.

Overall I say that the staff was friendly, the course was not great and the restaurant inviting and offered a good menu and nice seating outside.

I would not play the course again other than in a tournament. But I would stop there for a beer and a bite.

Anybody has been at the Edison Restaurant in Ft Myers or played the Ft Myers Country Club? Comments are welcome.

Game Golf - How good is this golf game tracking device and does it work well?

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:57:00 +0000

The Game Golf - Digital Tracking System for Golf

Statistics are probably the best and most important indicator helping any professional golf player to see where he or she stands with their game.

Professionals as well as low handicap players keep constantly track of their game. Those statistics can range from 2 or 3 points to a very complex sheet which includes by far more references.

But it does take time, patience and effort to get this done and done correctly. This is where Game Golf comes into play. One of the most interesting devices you can get today.

I myself keep comprehensive stats at all times. The only way to find out the weaknesses and the strengths of your game is to take notes whenever you play and practice. If you do that enough, you eventually find patterns and then can work on specific things. Ultimately leading to better rounds and more fun.

When I heard about Game Golf and what it might do, I was immediately excited. Only took me a little research and I bought myself this brand new tracking system. The price at that time was 249 $ plus tax. However, I received a discount because I am a member of the GC Am Tour and we got a 50 $ of coupon. I saw that the device now is 199 $.

Set up:

It was very easy to set up the device and to attach the transmitters to the clubs. Most grips today have the proper hole in the back. You need to add your clubs to the software online. Identify each club and put the corresponding transmitter on the back. Does not take very long at all. Also I did not think it is invasive at all and does not bother me while playing.

1 hour after charging the device I was actually ready to go.

On the course :

When turning it on the first time, you need to be patient. At times it takes a little time to find a satellite. But most of the time it does not take longer than 2 minutes.

The LED lights will tell you when you are ready to go. There is nothing else to do. The device knows where you are and what course you play.

Once ready for your tee shot, tag the transmitter on the bag of your device to the bottom of the device itself. It will give you a little vibration. That means your device is ready to record the shot. Play your golf shot just as you always do and then continue to your ball.

There you do the same thing again and continue to do so before every shot. Do not worry about double tapping or anything.

I was not bothered or hindered by the Game Golf at all. As a matter of fact, it helped me to stay with my routine. When I was not sure if I tapped it right, I did it again and if I thought I forgot it, I made a note on my score card. ( you do not have to do that, but I like to be accurate and keep some stats anyhow).

Loading data to the website:

Really simple. You connect your Game Golf device and the computer will lead you through all further steps. Once you have an account on the Game Golf website, things go pretty much automatic. You will see the loading bar and it will tell you when your round is downloaded completely.

Final editing of the round:

This is one part I found not to exciting, in the beginning. When I opened my round and then the first hole I found that some of my tagging points where not consistent with my true location on the course at the time of play. Also I had some double tags as well as missed tags. Further I was not sure how to deal with hazard shots or OB balls which I had on other holes. Last , on the putting green many locations where not 100 % correct and at times I did not record putts.

So I had less strokes than I really had. I worked my way through my round. correcting locations as well as strokes and adding penalties etc. Took me a little while to get it right and to figure all things out. But once I was done, it looked great and I had my actual round right in front of me. Pretty exciting.

The second time around I did it in half the time and from there on the entire process only took me minutes. So you must be patient and see the big picture of the entire process and why you are doing it.

I suggest to do the download and edit as soon as possible after the round ( I do it immediately after every round I record). The computer screen picture shows you the holes and where you tagged the device. Your short term memory can help to make necessary corrections.

I used the help section to guide me through the process and also found advice from other users. It was a little different than I though, but again. Once you made it through the first time it gets easier and you start having fun doing it.

Statistics:

Once you have a few rounds in the system, you start to see patterns of your game. It really does not matter how good you edit the round when putting it in. A few yards will not make a different. You will find out some very interesting things about your game. Where you miss when teeing off and how many putts from what distance. Most interesting to me was distance of the tee and on approach shots.

At times I was surprised on how short I was. But in the end, the device seemed accurate. What I really liked what the visual. You see the hole, your shots and locations and you see stats at the bottom of the screen. This is much more helpful than just numbers.

What do I think about the Game Golf?

I love it. It is a great addition to my practice tools. It works well and is easy to work with. the quality of the product is good. The price seems high. But that is a matter of opinion. It all depends on what you are working on and how serious you are interested on improving your game.

Game Golf will help you to learn about your distances and tendencies. After working with it for many months now I can say that the distances I get are mostly accurate. But you will need to pay attention to your round to make sure that you can make final corrections if necessary.

First I thought the 200 $ were to much. After my first few rounds I thought the price is OK.

The Game Golf is a nice and good functioning GPS tracking device which might help you to improve your game. Certainly it will help you to see where on the course you actually play. I am glad I bought and will use it a few times each months to see where I stand with my game.

Note: I dropped my device many times. But it works great even after that. So it is durable. But I did lose the spring which helps the clip to hold the device to your belt and I was not able to put it back on. I will keep working on it and also I wrote to Game Golf asking for advice. But if I can not replace it I am sure I will find a way to get it done so that I can use it again.

Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers with World Golf Amateur Tour - March 22nd 2015

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:44:00 +0000

The WGAT USA brought us to many courses before this one and I will try to catch up as soon as I can. But first things first.

A couple days ago we were scheduled to play Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers. This golf course is run by the city. Based on that my expectations where not exactly high. The fact remains, that city golf courses do not have the funds needed to get their tracks in top condition.

When you go through my reviews you will find that I actually did a short review about the range some time ago. The range did not change at all since then. Almost looked like they did not replace any of the range balls as well. But it was good enough to get warmed up.

The course is easy to find and driving in to the parking lot is actually pretty nice. Lots of trees. Lots of green. Drove straight to the bag drop. Nobody around there to greet nor to provide me with a cart.

I did not stop at the pro shop because I signed in with the tournament director. Nothing I can say about the shop at all. The restaurant was empty. Looked like they have a kiosk where you can buy drinks and snacks. But I did not look any further as well. Looked a little strange and not to inviting.

Because I did not meet any of the staff members at this point I can not even tell if they were friendly or helpful. So let's go to the course.

The tee boxes through our round were OK. Nothing special. But they had a level spot to tee off and were green for the most part. We played the second set of tees , which gave us about 6500 yards or so.

Fairways were in good condition. Not to many brown spots or grounds under repair. For the most part if you found the fairway with your drive, you found a decent lie.

The rough was not too high, but represented a good challenge. Not sure what kind of grass they have there, but it was not the toughest one you can run in to. I think it is save to say, that you have a good chance to get out of the rough and back in the fairway or on to the green ( depending on your location). Now that is from the first and second cut. There was some deeper rough where the ball was sitting down. Yet again , you would be able to get it out.

Fairway bunkers were plenty and in good position. They were not to big and not to deep. So they represented a good challenge, but were not scary or intimidating. The sand was fluffy in general and there was plenty of it in it ( much better compared to most municipal tracks I played before).

What I really liked about the traps was the cut. They were cut, but in a way which made them almost look like in Scotland. A little rough and wild.

The traps around the green were a little more challenging, but not overly deep. There were plenty of them though. The greens were protected nicely by those bunkers.

Once you where on the green a real challenge came right on to you. Slow greens with tons of grain. It was not easy to put on those greens. For the most part I struggled to get the ball to the hole although I was hitting my putts pretty hard. I just could not get adjusted from the fast greens I usually play. On top of that the grain was tremendous. It was difficult to get the break right. Sometimes I even had the feeling the grain was going two ways on one putt.

Chipping was even more difficult. I could not find a way to find a middle between stopping the ball or letting it roll out. The greens seemed to have their own mind.

On a good note: They were all cut and green with no bad spots.

There were plenty of hazard areas on this course. Most of them marked OK. However, some hazard areas were marked so bad, that we did not know where to drop. No lines and the sticks were at times so far apart, that it was hard to find a line.

My favorite feature was the landscape. There is a lot of trees and bushes. Put that together with the water and you have a really nice looking golf course. Almost reminded me on WA at times. The thing is, that all those trees also can give you some headaches. You have to be straight on this track.

Overall I would say that Eastwood Golf Course is a medium municipal golf course which looks nice because of the landscape and plays tough because of the same. The course is not easy to play because you need to be in the fairway and away from trees to get your ball to the green fast.

While not of country club quality, the course is in decent condition to play. I did not pay in the pro shop , so I have no idea about the green fees, but would not think that they are very high. The course was not exactly full and thinking about quality it should be a good price Check out the official website for that part. ( I posted the link at the bottom).

If you are in the area and look for a quick round or some practice Eastwood Golf Course might be an option. I personally would not play this course unless there is an event going on or I have a great deal to play.

Let me know your experience if you played the course.

Official Website of Eastwood Golf Course in Ft Myers

Bobby Jones Golf Complex in Sarasota , Florida - How good is it? Round played July 25th 2014

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 16:12:00 +0000

I play Bobby Jones Golf Complex often. As a matter of fact, over the past 4 years I played almost every week one round of golf there.

Bobby Jones Golf Complex is a course with history. It was opened in 1927 and from there on was a place where all kinds of golf greats competed. This history was one of the reasons I actually went there the first time.

It is always exciting to walk a course where you know some of the most accomplished golfers in history have walked.

But back to the course. Yesterday I was back on Bobby Jones yet again for a game which is played there for over 30 years.

The pro shop and sign in:

My first way was to the pro shop. This shop has not the biggest selection of products, but you will find the most needed things for a round of golf. Also some shirts, bags, clubs and shoes. There was no long line, so I was up right away. The staff is a little slow and certainly not cheerful. A smile here and there would be nice, but yesterday I did not find that.

Right now the summer rate after 12 pm is 17 $ with cart. I had my nephew with me and had to pay 10 $ for him riding the cart. A little much for a 13 old who was not playing. The reasoning was that they could rent the cart space otherwise. Nonsense I thought, I would walk if not for my guest. Also, there was about 20 people on the entire golf course and an empty parking lot.

We bought some balls for the range as well. 3 $ for a small bucket is reasonable. Do not expect great balls though.

The Range:

I picked up my cart. The carts are always in good shape and clean. The cart boys are great. Friendly, always a joke on their lips and always helpful.

We drove to the range. A short range ( about 200 yards), mats only, no woods unless you are a short hitter. There is a few target pins. This time I got lucky with the balls. Plenty of lost golf balls of the course. So my warm up was good.

The course:

We played the British Course. This is the longer track ( Blue tees are 6700 yards). I have not played in a few weeks there. The last time I was on the course I was not to thrilled about the upkeep. So My hopes were high. The chipping green was in OK shape and the putting green improved a lot. So there was a good start. Signed in with the starter. All starters are retired staff members. They are friendly. A little more cheerfulness would help though.

On the tee box I noticed that they did put some effort in getting them in better shape. Looking at all tee boxes the staff succeeded on some. Over all they are OK but could use some leveling and seed. You will be able to get a good stand after looking for it.

The fairways were in good shape I though. Grass well grown and for the most part you find good lies. However, there are many sandy spots in front of greens, along cart path and at times in the fairway. Those lies do not help to enjoy the round any more. For the most part you should move the ball to a better lie to actually have a chance for a good golf shot. Some of the areas should be ground under repair.

The greens were mixed. The front 9 greens seemed to be better and in much better shape than just a few weeks ago. Not very fast, but they had some roll. Still bumpy. The back 9 greens were green, but oh boy where they slow. When you walked up to the green you could actually see the grass height. Not sure if they cut them at all on that day. They were all green and looked healthy for the most part, but they were not cut. So we were putting more on a lawn than a putting green.

I was in some bunkers and I think they have partly improved. But the traps are not of great quality. When it is wet, they are not playable. Just not enough sand. The rakes they had need to be replaced. Some of them are broken and all of them are very old.

The landscape on the course was taken care of. There were many nice old trees and bushes which are for the most part seem to be original. Some ponds add to the over all look of the course and a couple of them actually come into play.

I would say the course is not the toughest challenge, but has some very nice holes. It is wide open so it accommodates all kinds of players.

The 19th hole:

After the round we stopped by the restaurant for a drink. They offer all kinds of draft beers, pops, wine and they have a full bar. If you want to snack something, You will find all kinds of things there from nuts to chocolate bars and so on. There was free popcorn as well.

If you get hungry you might consider looking at their menu. We were not very hungry, but I did order some fries. In the past I had some fries which were not exactly tasty and of different quality every time I ordered them. I asked if the current fries are good and was told they were. That is why I ordered them.

This time we got fries which were the same like at Checkers. Brown and crispy. Not very tasty. In short. We did not like them to much. Ok to eat, but not my favorite.

In the past I had chicken wings there and hot dogs. Both I did not order more than 1 time. Self explanatory I guess. Prices for drinks are good. Beer is cold, pop is mixed well and the drinks are good quality. They have a wonderful bartender/server who takes great care of everyone, is very cheerful and always smiles. Very positive.

What I liked most was that you have a nice view of the golf course and putting green. So it is a good place. The restaurant could be improved.

Overall:

If you want to play for a good price, Bobby Jones Golf Complex might the course you are looking for. They offer 2 different courses ( British and American ) and a par 3 course ( which I did not try out yet. The British course is for the most part wide open which allows players with all kinds of handicaps to enjoy the round.

Do not expect top quality. It is a city course and it shows. But it is not in super bad shape either. It is reasonable for the price. The staff and marshals are not the friendliest but do their job. Bobby Jones Golf Complex to me is a good place to pay with your family and kids and a track which I will continue playing as long as summer rates apply.

In season rates go up to app 40 $ to 50 $ and for that price I would not play.

If you are in Sarasota I think you should check it out. The American course is a nice challenge as well, but I have no knowledge about the shape at this point. Same accounts for the par 3 course.

Have you played Bobby Jones Golf Complex? Tell us about your experiences. Maybe you have some older fun stories as well. I will follow up on this round in a few months and see how the course developed.

Rolling Green Golf Club in Sarasota - Review of course and club house

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 12:14:00 +0000

Rolling Green Golf Club at 4501 N Tuttle Ave, Sarasota, FL 34234 10

When I moved to Bradenton, FL about 5 years ago, I was looking to play golf within a 10 I mile radius and possibly finding a club where I can play and practice. Back then I actually stopped by at Rolling Green Golf Club to check it out. I only played once, but used the range several times.

My memories from back then are not very detailed. However I do remember that the course was in OK shape. Last week I had the opportunity to play in a skins game over there and decided to join in and see how the course has developed and if it is worth to spend time there.

I got there at about 6 40 am in the morning as we had an 7 30 am tee time. When I checked out the website I found that they have some green fee specials which would include breakfast, lunch and 2 drinks. So I wanted to try it and learn about the kitchen while I was there.

Arriving at the parking lot I already saw about 15 cars parked. So there was some people out there. A good sign. The parking lot was clean and there was plenty of space. Right away I realized that the club house , cart area, range and chipping area have not changed a single bit from the outside.

All looked exactly the same and was , as it was back then, well taken care off. I entered the club house where I friend Jerry Hinton already was waiting for me. He told me to check in , mention our group rate and make sure I get the food with it.

The assistant professional was on the phone while I was getting there and pretty much did not offer any greeting. While not unfriendly, he was not exactly showing inviting behavior. But I was there for golf and not for making a new friend.

Told him I am with the group. The green fee for that is 22 $ plus tax including the cart. I told him yes and that I also would like the food deal with it. Breakfast, lunch and two drinks.

He told me that this would be 29.63 $ including tax. Right away I thought that this sounds like a good deal, but before making up my mind I wanted to wait for the food.

Sat down with my friend. I ordered 2 Italian sausages, 2 eggs , toast and a coffee. The food came in about 5 minutes and it was very good. I have to say, that the sausage was perfect. Eggs just as I liked them and all was served by a friendly server.

After enjoying the good breakfast I was told I get some free range balls to warm up. I practiced on that range before and was looking forward to find out how the balls were and so on.

The range balls were the same they had 5 years ago. Maybe the added some new balls on top of that. I did not expect brand new range balls but was kind of hoping they improved the quality of the balls. After all they offer extensive range plans. The balls were free and so I was satisfied.

The range is actually pretty nice. They have plenty of targets and you can go deep with your driver ( unless you hit over 270 with the range ball). There is a nice pitching and bunker play area. The green was redone some time ago but still looks good.

The putting green is huge and very well taken care of. It runs nicely, has plenty of pins and you can also use it for chipping. There is plenty of room around it which gives you the opportunity to chip from all kinds of lies.

Tee time came up and we were ready to go. The first hole had a good looking tee box, which I like. It is nice to stand level when hitting the tee shot. Put it in the fairway which gave me a first look. I must say I was impressed. The fairway was nicely grown, no weeds, no dry spots. I had a good lie without clean , lift and placing ( which they do there ). I hit my second shot into the par 5 and made my way up there.

What I found was a good looking green. Also nicely taken care off and when I putted I found it was rolling great. Not super fast, but very nice. No bumps and dents.

The first hole set my expectations high for the rest of the round and I have to say that I was very satisfied with what I found. Most of the tee boxes were in good shape and gave you a good stand for your tee shot. Despite the fact that some fairways were very wet ( because they were close to wet areas or hazards) the fairways were in good shape and you found good lies for your second shots.

I think all greens were nice. That is a huge factor for me when I play golf. I can live with some bad fairways and tee boxes. But I do want some good fairways.

We made it around in a good time, enjoying a well kept golf course.

After finishing with an eagle on 18 I was hungry and looking forward to lunch. When I asked the server the told me that they make fresh burgers there. So I ordered it to find out how good they are.
Only took a few minutes and I got my burger and it was very good. You can see and taste, that it was not out of a freezer. It was nicely garnished. I had onion rings with it, which was only 1 $ more and they were OK as well.

2 free beers rounded up a good lunch.

So what do I think about Rolling Green Golf Club ?

I think it is a nice little golf course. Not the toughest lay out, but with some challenging holes along the way. The lands cape might not be stunning, but it is nice. There is some residence living around it, but it does not interfere at all with your game. There are two holes along the road, but the road is so far to the right, that you need to hit your worst shot ever to get on to it. The traffic does not bother at all.

They take well care of their course, which gives you good position on the tee, good lies in the fairway and the opportunity to make putts on greens which might be a little slow, but are actually green and in good shape.

The practice area is very nice. You can do all you need to do. The range balls might not be the best quality, but it works fine. I really like the putting green.

The club house is old. However, you find all you need. Good food for a good value, a little bar with cold beer and a pro shop with the most important things for a round of golf.

Servers and cooks were fun and friendly. The pros shop assistant might have been a little tired still. Not unfriendly but not cheering either. Since you just going to pay there, it does not matter.

The price value is I think OK. That is mainly because of the quality of the greens and the over all condition of the course. In summer time you are able to play country clubs and other good golf courses for less. However, often you find bad greens, dry fairways and so on.

Considering that breakfast, lunch and two drinks were only 6 $ plus tax to add, this is a great deal. You will not get that anywhere else and not of this quality.

Rolling Green Golf Club offers some special deals for golfing and for practice on top of that. Please visit their official site to learn more about that.

Rolling Green Golf Club is a place where you can enjoy a nice round of golf for a good price. So when you are in Sarasota, why not check it out.

Have you played at Rolling Green Golf Club? Have eaten at their restaurant? Did you try the monthly deal they offer? I always like to get comments on that. Keep it positive :)

Video of Rolling Green Golf Club in Sarasota

The Cradlz Smartphone Holder - Is it a good product?

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:24:00 +0000

The Cradlz Smartphone Holder

Technology in golf is moving on and I now start moving with it. It took me a while to read up on all my options on how to help myself and my game in a professional matter.

There is a few things I integrated in to my practice routine. One of them is videotaping my practice as often as possible.

I began with a JVC video cam and was not unhappy with that even though it was complicated. At least I thought it was. Then I learned that there are several sports analysis software applications for Smartphones on the market. After some research I found and purchased one and was pretty excited and looking forward to get to the driving range. Once there and ready to start however, I discovered that I had a challenge.

I was alone!

This represented a problem. Since I usually used a tripod or had a partner with me. Both were not available. So when coming home I started looking for a solution right away.

On one of my favorite golf shopping websites I found exactly what I was looking for.

The Cradlz Universal Smartphone holder.

I purchased the item and within a few days I had it on my doorstep. I unpacked it right away and was on the spot surprised on how solid the item felt. Pretty solid. Instructions were simple. All you need is a practice stick and you are ready to go.

Took it out to the range for a first session a couple days later. First I tried it with was chipping. I put the stick in the ground, opened the application, placed the Smartphone in the holder and secured it.

At that point I noticed that the screen was showing towards the back of the holder (away from you). That made not many functions on the screen accessible, but the record button was easily to reach, which is the most important thing.

I taped several swings through my application which made the above mentioned challenge even more obvious. Then I taped a couple sequences with my Smartphone camera feature and without the application. For that I was able to turn my phone around and use the front cam which had the benefit that I could see myself. Interesting thing, which I thought will be very useful in the future.

I then took the stick and went over to the range. Worked on my driver. First I taped some swings from behind and then from head on. All worked well.

The Cradlz Smartphone holder was really easy to operate.
It took seconds to attach it to the practice stick. Clips on really easy. I was able to secure the phone easily and take it out just as easy.

At the end of the day I can say the following about the Cradlz Smartphone Holder.

It is light but durable. You can attach it in any height which enables you to shoot videos even on just over ground level, which is great for putting and fitting.

The cushions on the inside of the Cradlz protect your device. So you can use it with or without your Smartphone protection case ( I find it better without because it fits better and more tight ).

They write it fits most Smartphones. I carry an HTC and there was plenty of room for wider phones. I would check before you order it.

Overall I think that the Cradlz Smartphone holder lives up to what they say it will do and look forward to work with it.

I paid 29.99 $. Not sure if that is the best price you can get it for. Surely you can shop around.

Great product. Somebody has the same item in use? Share your experience or opinion.

Couple more photos of the stick and the holder.

Cradlz Holder on Practice Stick from front

Cradlz from behind on Practice Stick

Backside of package with some professionals who used it. Front shows Bill Haas who said he likes it.

Florida State Golf Association - One day tournaments

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 00:37:00 +0000

I am playing tournaments for many years and just about 3 years ago I decided to start again on the amateur circuit and work my way towards other tournaments. There is all kinds of different golf tours I am playing, but today I just want to write a short overview about the FSGA ( Florida State Golf Association).
It was only last year when I first heard about this organization. I think the reason was that I played mainly skins game events in the area for which I never needed a handicap. So the first couple years I actually never signed up to get a GHIN number. Only when I joined the Golf Channel Amateur Golf Tour I got myself a handicap again.
Last year I was not to eager to actually play any tournaments in stroke play format. That changed towards the end of the year and so I decided to actually join the FSGA.
They have different levels of membership which you can find on their official website. I picked the 50 $ a year membership. This level gives you the opportunity to play tournaments and that is all I was interested in. The other membership levels give you other perks, but naturally they have their cost.

It was pretty simple to sign up. Just went to the website and used my credit card to get going. Got confirmed very fast and was ready to sign up.

That is exactly what I did. Signed up for my first tournament at the Longboat Key Country Club, Harbor Side. They had two one day events right after each other and since I only played one of the two courses (Island side) so far I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

Entry fees for those tournaments are were 50 $ each. That included play, cart, range balls and prize fund. What a deal. If you sign up after the entry due date, you are charged an extra 10 $ if you still can get in.

Considering the golf courses they play, this is a great price to get into competition, considering that most of the tracks you play are private and pretty expensive. Most of them you can not play at all unless you are a member or a guest of such member. Most of the time you can play a practice round for cart fee. That is another great bonus when playing on the FSGA. There is however some golf clubs who do not allow practice rounds. Although I think that is strange and there is really no good reason for it, we have to respect the club members wish.

I showed up for my first tournament at Long Boat Key Country Club about 1 hour before tee off. Sign up table was outside and easy to find. Jeff had all the info and I was checked in and ready to go within seconds. Paid money into the skins game fund ( it was and always is a reasonable 10 $ ) and started warming up with my free range balls.

I left my bag on the cart which was actually marked with my name and the name of my cart partner. We were told to be at the cart about 15 minutes before the shot gun start. But we did not have to watch the time since they actually made an announcement a few minutes before that time and again at exact 15 minutes before starting time.

The tournament director then welcomed everybody and shared information about rules and course rules. It all went down very fast and all was easy to understand. You also get a little sheet with info on it.
Staff members of the golf course then lead all players in direction of their tee box. After we arrived at ours we started right away. There was no horn or shot gun shot.

We got 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete our round. There were times for each hole printed on the score cards.

Penalties were to be given when you were caught causing slow play. Actually the entire group would have gotten a penalty ( I think there is a warning before that, please refer to the FSGA website).

I loved this part. In my mind there is no reason in tournaments like that or any tournament for that matter to play 5 hours or more. This particular course ( harbor side) we played in 3 hours and 58 minutes. We did not rush at all and took our time when looking for balls, getting ready or putting. It was fun.

Sometimes the FSGA representative checked groups and asked how things are going. I also liked that. They wanted to make sure that the tournament ran smooth and without incidents.

We came in , compared cards and brought it to the FSGA tournament director. The score was posted and even entered into the GHIN system right away. This is exciting. You do not have to do anything other than play golf. Because it was a shot gun start, groups came in pretty fast and all was done without long waiting times. The results were posted clearly on large boards and shortly after they announced the winners and gave out the pro shop certificates and paid out the skins.

All very simple, clear, easy. The second event at Longboat Key Country Club Island side was no different and as professional as the first one. As a matter of fact, the third event I played happened to be at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club and was consistent with the others. I even heard that they offered some breakfast.

The FSGA offers one day events, Championship events and team events for men and women. You play with your handicap and even have the choice to play in the gross division. So there is plenty of opportunity to compete against players of the same ability or better.

If you come to Florida and are interested in playing competitive golf for a good price in a fair and old fashioned matter, the FSGA is a great thing to be part of. FSGA tournaments are professionally organized, not expensive and you get to play on premier golf courses in the area.

I will play on this tour whenever I have a chance and when the events are close to my home or in reasonable travel distance.

Have you played on any FSGA golf tournament before? What was your experience?

If you have never heard of the Florida State Golf Association and want to check it out visit the official site below.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE FLORIDA STATE GOLF ASSOCIAION

Garmin Approach S2 GPS Watch - a short and simple review by a first time user

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 16:49:00 +0000

Garmin Approach S2 - GPS Watch ( more photos of features at bottom of article)

I play golf for over 25 years now. Some professional and some amateur golf and I did so using all the basic tools. Golf clubs, balls, clothes and whatever the course offered. That most likely was some distance markers, sprinkler heads with distances and yardage books. Later on I started using satellite imaging to prepare my rounds and then added google earth.

I must say I played well and made my way around the course in a confident way . playing good scores without caddy. It was not until 2011 that I decided I will give some technology a shot. So I got myself a range finder A great addition to my game and I was able to improve my game and learn about my true club distances. So with 45 I almost got back to where I was in terms of handicap and ability some 20 years ago.

Over the past 2 almost 3 years I was playing well with my gadget and never had any desire to add yet another one. What was interesting to me though, is that most players I was on the course with had a GPS or both a rangefinder and a GPS . I am talking

about low handicappers mostly. While I was working with pin sheets provided by tournament organizers most of them seem to use the two gadgets to find their way safely to and on the green. I observed that when in trouble , like trees or similar, those golfers were ready much faster than I was and seemed to have better results with their shots.

So a couple weeks ago I tried a GPS app on my phone. Free trial. Amazing. Together with my rangefinder I actually played the second best round of the year and that without any practice for 2 months because of a back injury I had to cure.

From there on I checked out GPS products in stores and online . Funny , but from the day I had interest in it it seemed to me that on TV they showed nothing but rangefinders The one I saw most often by far, Garmin Approach S 2. I did not think much about it and never really got going. 1 week ago though I was sitting with my sponsor talking about how we proceed and what can help me to progress. I told the story about the GPS golf round after my injury and explained that it seems like that having a GPS in addition to a rangefinder, the yardage book and the pin sheet, feels like having your own caddie on hand and that not only my confidence goes up when I have better information , but also I am learning more about my distances with my clubs on the course.

That same evening I looked online for the Garmin Approach S 2. Found some good reviews and compared to other GPS watches, it came out way ahead. Checking for prices I found a good offer at Dick’s Sporting Goods online. So we actually went there right away since I had a tournament round the next day anyway.

Entering the store, the store professional , an old friend of mine, already was at the entrance and he actually had a coupon in hand for exactly what I was looking for. On top of that the price was reduced another 50 $ . So I ended up getting the Garmin Approach S 2 for 149 $ plus tax after 50 $ mail in rebate and instance store rebate. What a deal . I would have paid 299 $ without even asking and now I paid half.

I was excited to get it ready to use. The rest of the evening I spend preparing and learning. It was really easy to go through the manual and learn how the product works. I charged it all the way , which took a couple hours or so and then started to check it out. I would say it took me about 15 minutes and I had my new gadget under control .

So, in terms of getting started I have to say, it is easy and anybody can do it. Next morning I was scheduled to play a skins game tournament and was pretty excited to give this GPS watch a try. My biggest concern was if I can handle something on my arm/wrist while playing golf. After all I stopped wearing a watch about 7 years ago and I never considered to wear one again especially while golfing.

So I put it on very early to give it some time. similar to shoes. Amazingly I hardly felt it on my wrist or arm. The Garmin Approach S 2 is so light and sits nicely on my wrist. Felt good even just wearing it as a watch, which I will do more often now.

Of I was to the course to give it a shot. First I thought I might not be able to handle all the buttons, but I did not have anything to lose. After all it was a test run.

Coming to the first tee I started my round. It took 30 seconds to find the satellite and then my course showed up. I selected it and I was ready to go. I had absolutely no problem wearing it. It does not hinder me in any way. Also I had no trouble using all the features.

I was able to get all distances and even checked them with markers and range finder and they were all very accurate. I used the lay up option and it is super accurate and a nice feature to have. It is nice to know how far you have to move the ball forward to have a 100 yard shot into a par 5 green and it is also nice to know how far you need to move the ball to not overshoot any dogleg. Using the scorecard was easy and actually is kind of convenient. You can even save it on the watch and then print it at home. I am always skeptical of those things because they mostly distract your game. But this one is so easy to operate, that it had no impact.

One thing which you have to pay attention to is that the GPS sometimes jumps to a different hole. That is because some of the tee boxes are so close together with greens and other boxes, that the GPS needs to pick one. and at times picks a different one. But, if you are paying attention before you start playing teach hole or each shot this is not a problem. Check the hole and if necessary scroll down or up to the hole you are on. Not a big deal.

I have to say , it is so easy to use and so practical, that even after the first round I was very excited about my new GPS watch. There were several situations I was not able to use a rangefinder and was far away from any distance marker. The GPS told me how far to the front , middle and back and I was able to get the ball to or even on the green even out of trees. Nice.

I did not use the shot measure feature yet. Just did not want to focus on that. My focus was more on the game itself. But I will do so this coming Friday and I am sure it will work fine and give me some good idea about the true distances of my drives. Also I did not use the Odometer. Again, no doubt it works great and I will try to use it this coming Friday or Sunday.

When I came home I checked the battery status and found that I used about 50 % of my power. So I think , I can play about 2 rounds with it. That is close to what I have read in reviews about that matter before. Some writers even said you might be able to play 3 rounds. Not sure about that, but I will try it in the near future.

So I have to say, the Garmin Approach S 2 lived up to all my expectations and does exactly what the website tells you it will .You still need to play your ball, but the info you get can help you to make better decisions.

Meanwhile I played another round and this time it was even better. Love this product.

The fact that I have it on my wrist is actually super positive. I can not lose it, I can not leave it behind in the cart while going to my ball and it is very safe in that place.

In my mind, most amateur players should have a GPS. It would make their round more pleasant and would help regulate speed of play. No more distance marker searching, yelling, guessing and so on.

A GPS can be bought for as low as 129 $. Prices vary and there is differences between models. But one thing they all tell is front , middle and back of the green and that is the most important.

The Garmin Approach S 2 comes in a nice box with manuals in many languages. It

also comes with a USB charging cable which is easy to operate and also serves as connection to your computer to transfer data. I was a little disappointed that they did not include a outlet adapter so I would not have to charge it on my computer. But I can live with that and just buy one along the way. It is extremely easy to get started with this GPS and you are ready to go after you charged it all the way.

The numbers are easy to read and it even has a light feature ( which I will not use much because of power usage). The buttons are easy to press and of good size. The watch sits light on your arm and after a little while I did not even notice that it was there any more.

The wristband is soft and looks good. The Garmin Approach S 2 has all the features you really need.

This GPS watch is easy to handle and will help you to learn about your distances , make better decisions and ultimately play better scores. With over 30000 courses pre loaded and no monthly or annual fee or upgrade fee, the Garmin Approach S2 is simply an incredible machine.

The way it looks I even will wear it as a watch.

I love this GPS watch and think it makes a great gift for any golfer in any handicap bracket.

Hole view giving you hole number, front, middle, back and the little dots show you what is par.

Dogleg lay up view. Shows the end of fairway and a layup distance.

Par 5 lay up view. Gives you different options for laying up a ball to a distance you like. Goes down while you are moving forward.

Score card view. Gives you hole #, par and a box for your score which you can easily move up or down.

Time view. Nice big numbers. Indicator for GPS running and odometer running.

The Garmin Approach S 2 comes in some nice colors. I think there is a color for everyone and I think you can actually buy different wrist bands. But for that you need to go to the official website.

Let me know if you have a GPS watch or GPS and what you think. Always good to hear different stories and opinions.

Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers, FL - Driving Range practice on November 18th 2013

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:23:00 +0000

Eastwood Golf Course 4600 Bruce Herd Ln, Fort Myers · (239) 321-7485

(find more photos at the end of article)

We are on the road a lot. Mostly for business all over Florida. One of the places we visit often is Fort Myers. Since most of the work is done by my partner, I find time to practice along the way. I try to visit different places to learn more about the golf courses in different cities.
This time I did a online search trying to find a range which was close to our hotel and public.
I found Eastwood Golf Course. We called them to find out if it is public and if I could practice there for a while. We were told that it was no problem to come by and use the range.
I arrived at the course around noon . It was not very busy. Walked into the pro shop and was served right away. Not too friendly and not unfriendly. I was told about pricing and where I could find the balls. I bought two tokens at 3$ each. That gave me about 65 range balls.
The range was wide open. Of the app. 20.stalls only 4.were occupied. I picked one towards the left side or lake side. The boxes had good room. Also they had some plastic stand for clubs and bag. They had grass tees only, which I prefer.
Unfortunately the grass was not in good condition at all. There was some grass, but mostly it was sand and soil. Not very nice for iron practice.
They had about 5 targets of low quality, but at least they had some.
The range balls were old and used. So do not expect to do your distance chart there.
I did a good practice session with what I had mostly working with woods.

After the range I found the putting and chipping green. It was of great size and they had a smaller one a little bit offside the building. I stayed around the bigger one. It had all kinds of elevations, great view on the lake and 6 holes. Spend a good amount of time chipping and there was never more than 3 players. Did some putting as well.

The green looked good and had good speed. You cans do all kinds of practice there. Only the huge presence of ants I did not like at all. They did not do a good job in terms of pest control. But, I stayed away from them and was fine.

They have a snack bar there with hot dogs and refreshments. Since I did not buy anything I can not write about it.

The range is not of best quality and the balls are certainly very old. However, it was nice and quiet and for 3 $ a bucket it is a fair deal. If I am in the area again I will go there again. Next time I pick a different spot and will check out the grape they have for practice.

Worth to be mentioned was the pro shop. They had a good selection of items considering they are a city course. Following are some photos I made.

Eastwood Golf Course Driving Range is nothing special, but it works and the price is reasonable even in season. So I might visit again. Really liked the views around me.

That was my view from my tee box on left side of range

Looking to the right from the same tee box

View to the left from my tee box. Pretty nice.

This was my tee box. Not of the best. Mostly sand.

View from my tee box to large putting and chipping green

Large putting and chipping green

For rates and further info about the course visit the official website of Eastwood Golf Course

Is the Nike Sport II Golf Bag a good golf bag? - short review on the Nike Sport II Golf Bag

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 02:03:00 +0000

The Nike Sport Cart Bag II

( you find some more photos from my own bag in this short article).

After a few years with a staff bag and then with a cart bag from the company I worked for I was tired of those huge heavy bags. I needed something I can put on a cart and also carry on my push cart. Something light, with plenty of compartments, looking sporty and for a good price.

I got lucky. When playing the Sarasota City Championship I was able to win my flight and win a pretty good gift certificate. When I went shopping there I looked for the bag I wanted and got lucky again, I found just the bag I needed and described above.

It happened to be the Nike Sport II Golf Bag. I liked it right away. The color, the weight and all the compartments. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

So I decided to get right away and what I deal I got. 139 $ plus tax. I did check online and found prices from 139 to 169 plus shipping.

It has been a few months now since I got this bag. I play and practice every day. So I can assure you, my bag gets plenty of usage. On the course and on the range. I walk and I ride carts.

First the compartments.

This bag has plenty of them and they are nicely organized. I can hold everything I was holding in my large staff bag with ease. But I make it a point to only take what I really need. What is really nice is, that this bag looks slim ,but if you want to take more stuff the two large compartments extend and let you put plenty of items in it. I really like the cooling compartment on the side. Also the pencil holders are convenient. I play tournaments often and need to carry enough balls, rain gear, snacks, drinks and so on. No problem whatsoever.

Club area

I always was thinking about getting tubes. But this bags has dividers right build in. So you can sort your clubs nicely. The dividers to not go all the way down. so if you want to really separate your clubs, you need to add tubes. But I am totally happy with the set up as it is.

Weight

This bag is super light. I love it. Many round I actually walk using my push cart and at times it got really heavy. Not with this bag. I can make it as light as I want by not carrying my closet with me. No doubt that I could carry this bag for the entire round.

Looks

I think it looks sporty, fresh and streamlined. Just as I wanted. I like colorful on the course and do not like boring golf bags. This bag you see and it is not imposing.

Quality of product

For the price you get a decent golf bag. Because it is a light sporty bag, the material is thin and it is more build like a stand bag. However, the material they use works for me. It all depends on how you treat your bag. I might play all the time and use the bag all the time and even travel, but I do take care of my bag and do not throw it around and watch where it stored. Also I have a pro travel case to protect it.

The entire bag is made light and not as durable as in the days. But hey, for that price? What do you expect. Some people might have this bag for a couple years and it will be gone. I easily will get 5 years out of it and only have regular wear.

Only thing I could find as not that great was on the small bags where you put your wallet etc. Look at the photo:

When you look at the zipper area you will find there is some spots which are frayed. That is poor quality. So I am not to happy about that. But that is the only spot where it occurs.

One thing which really did and does not help me is, that the bag does only stand upright on a very flat service and if not loaded. Otherwise it tips over often.

When I go practice for 3 or 4 hours around the green, I need to lay it down. That is not my favorite here in Florida, with all the ants and stuff. However, I got used to it and can live with it.

I am not sure if I would buy the bag for 169 $. But The Nike Sport II Golf Bag is otherwise a good bag for the player who takes care of his things.

Here are some more photos.

Find even more info on the Nike Website

Update of my review of IMG Academy Golf and Country Club from September 15th 2013

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:09:00 +0000

I had the pleasure to play this course again last weekend, being October 13th 2013.
Everything I wrote in my review about this golf course on September 15th 2013 still applies. However, there is two things I can add now.

This time I actually ordered myself a sandwich at the half way house. First I thought about a hot dog. But at 4 $ and with what I saw she had as fixings, I thought I am better off with a sandwich. It did not look to good.

I decided to get a ham sandwich with all the fixings on rye. In my mind, she had those ready to go and I thought it will take me a second to get it. That would have been great, because it was my turn to tee of first. However, she did not.

She asked what I want on it. I told her, everything she has available. Meaning, mustard, mayonees, ketchup, tomato. lettuce and onions.

Next I saw her taking out the bread and putting mustard on it. next the ham , then lettuce and tomato. I am not even sure if there was onions on it. For sure there was no mayonnaise. But I did not say anything because I had to go.

So I waited for her to get it done and bring it. Which she did after cutting it and putting it on one napkin. How should that work out for me? I am playing golf, riding a cart and have birds trying to get it. I can not believe the did not wrap it. I actually had to ask for that and the lady did seem surprised.

I paid my 5 $ plus a 1 $ tip and was off to tee off.

The bread was OK, a little dry. The mustard was plenty, but I missed my mayonnaise and my ketchup. The lettuce was brown on all sides , which was not inviting. But being hungry, I ate it anyway.

Overall I will not buy a sandwich there again.

After the round I went in the club house. This time I was able to have a beer. They have some good drafts. The beer was cold, glass was clean and server friendly. I had Stella which is a little more. Totally forgot the mandatory service fee, which they apply to members and non members alike. Not a good thing because it is almost 2 $, but not a surprise also. I still gave the server an extra tip. Not exactly a cheap beer, but if you sit with friends after a round of golf, why not. Some guys ate something.

I saw a couple cheese burgers with fries. The burgers looked great, the fries looked like they were a kids portion. Since I did not have them I can not tell you more about it, but surely will update that once I get to it.

The view from the bar and restaurant was perfect on that day and I am sure that is why you pay a little extra. It would not be a place where I would sit for longer.

I have to mention, that I was a member for one summer at this course. The food which they serve on events for members was always very good, so I want to believe it is good at the bar. But after the half way house experience with this sandwich, I would not bet on it. Next time I will eat something and let you guys know.

If you have eaten there, let me know or write a comment.

Venice City Championship - 19th Annual amateur golf championship of venice

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:28:00 +0000

Presented by Lake Venice Golf Club (seems like they used last years entry form )

( find more photos at the end of this article!)

I started playing at Lake Venice in a Friday game a few months ago. Referred by some friends who played in games all over for years. They told me that the course is not the best, but it is not an easy track and in a great location.

Unfortunately I started to join this group in summer time, which here in Florida is the rainy season and did it rain this summer.

Which led to soaked courses and tough conditions. I for sure was surprised when I one Saturday found out about the 18th Annual Venice City Championship which was scheduled for October 5th and 6th. An individual stroke play tournament.

I started to ask about it right away. The pro shop assistant told me I have plenty of time to sign up and there will be no problem to get in.

So I talked to some friends who play here for years and they all told me, that this is a good tournament to play in.

So 2 weeks before the date I called them up. I told the person on the other line that I want to sign up. It was very simply. I just needed to give my name, handicap, address and the size I need for my shirt ( which I did not know was included). I wanted to pay over the phone right on that day, but was told that I do not need to pay until the day I get there.

I also was told to call a couple days before for my tee time. This was easy and I got friendly service.

2 days before the tournament I called and asked for my tee time, which I got within a minute and then I told them I would like to pay over the phone right now because a third party will sponsor me. That was no problem as well.

The day before the tournament I received a call from a lady asking me if I could play earlier than the tee time I was given. I told her that this is tough for me and so she said I should not worry about it and was really friendly about it. I liked that, because my travel time to the tournament was about 1 hour.

I showed up about 1 hour before my tee time. Just to sign in and so on. I was greeted by a few people on the table, got my shirt, my scorecard and was send of to play. Easy, fast and no questions.

The starter was the same as always and he was happy to see me and informed me that we are up after the next group and that so far only three players were present. I warmed up and got ready. On the tee box I greeted the other two players.

I was by myself on the cart.

The course was not prepared differently than the weeks before on Saturdays. Meaning, they did not do anything special to make it better, the greens faster or whatever could have been done. This was not very good, but it was what it was.

As a result we had to deal with lots of mud on golf balls which we had to play down and with greens which had no consistency at all. Somewhere fast, some where not.

The pace at first was slow, but then picked up and we played our 18 holes in a reasonable amount of time. That I found amazing, considering that I did not encounter one single Marshall throughout the round. It speaks for all players.

After the round we brought in the cards and our results were posted on a big board outside. Asking about my tee time for the next day, I was told to call after 5 pm that same day.

I did just that and received my tee time right away.

Sunday morning I came in about 45 minutes before my time. Again I was greeted friendly, got my scorecard and was told I had plenty of time before we are on the tee. I believe that breakfast ( donuts and coffee) was included, but I do not eat any sweets and so I do not know how that turned out. Looked good.

Before going out I went back to the tournament table and asked about the pin placement. I was wondering if they had color code because there was no pin sheet. To my surprise I was told, that the greens are so small, that whenever I hit the middle of the green I have no more than 15 feet to the pin. That was interesting and not satisfying. Considering the fact that I can put the ball closer to any pin if I know where it is and it has other impacts on how you approach the green. However, considering the tournament and the fact that I know the course, I moved on without questions.

We were right on time yet again and again we were only three players. This time I decided riding with someone. Again I saw right on the first hole that the course did not get any special additional treatment as you would expect.

On the second hole my cart buddy put is drive in a muddy area. Getting there he looked at it and then turned to me and asked if he can drop it. I was hesitant, because we played it down and so we called our third player and asked him. He was not sure either.

We decided to call the pro shop and confirm with the pro. We reached him right away and he said that if there was tire marks ( which my partner said there was ) , then he can move it.

After taking another look, we agreed that he can drop. What I liked in that case was , that the pro was immediately available to answer the question. We moved on and again we played a relatively fast round of golf without any further incidents or hold ups.

Coming in we turned over our score cards and were told that the food was ready and we could go ahead and eat.

They had pasta, sausage , some sandwiches, beans and salad. Nothing out of the ordinary. The sandwiches were OK. The pasta was very good and the meatballs were very good. Salad was simple salad and I did not try the beans.

Got unlimited soft drinks. We started eating right away. I was good with it.

While eating the pro came up to me and gave me a certificate and congratulated me to my 2nd place in the 1st flight. Fast , easy and no big show.

He did that with all winners including the champion and runner up. I thanked them and they thanked me for coming.

Overall I have to say, that for 100 $ entry fee, that is a tournament which is on my schedule for next year again. You get two rounds of golf, some breakfast, prices ( they paid out 5 spots, 1st place got a golf bag on top of it ), a very nice golf shirt and a good lunch.

The people are friendly and very easy to deal with. All is relaxed and without any stress or pressure. The course I think could be prepared better for such an occasion. There were many spots which should have been ground under repair, there could be a pin sheet or at least they could use colored flags to mark the location. The greens should be cut and rolled to make them consistent. I am not so sure about the pick , clean and place rule. We had lots of very muddy balls on day one. Day two was better, but that could have been because I had better lies.

In any case. If you are in the area and like to play tournaments for a good value, The Venice City Championship for Amateurs is an event I would suggest you should enter. I know I will play for sure next year again.

Note:

1 week after the tournament I went shopping with my certificate and it was as easy as it gets. Although the shop does not have lots of things, they have some good deals of which I could take advantage. So the 100 $ I won for my second place made this tournament pretty much a plus event for myself and I met some very nice people I will play with again for sure.

They used a simple leader board with markers, which was sufficient.

Lake Venice Golf Club Gift Certificate - was as simple as the complete tournament.

Nice polo shirt. Dry fit with nice embroidery.

Official website of Lake Venice Golf Club

FootJoy ProDry Golf Socks - how good are they? Unbiased review of FootJoy golf socks

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 01:54:00 +0000

FootJoy ProDry golf socks low cut - # 1 sock in golf ( statement by FJ )

To play your best golf, you need to feel comfortable.

When I say comfortable, I mean you need to like the way you feel about your equipment, about your preparedness and what most people forget about your clothes.

When talking about clothes I am not suggesting that you necessarily need to like the looks of what you are wearing nor that you need to buy the newest fashion or most expensive brands.

What I mean is that you need to feel comfortable in what you play. It does not matter if your shirt is 20 years old or if your shorts are a no brand , burned out shorts you own for many rounds. As long as you feel great in what you wear, you are good to go and the better you feel, the better your situation.

However, there is one piece of clothing which I never did pay enough attention too and honestly never thought I have too.

Socks!

Believe it or not, for the most part of my life I was simply buying the best deal wherever I could get it. Markets, department stores and so on. The cheaper the better. It did not matter to me if they were worn out fast, because they were cheap. So I just bought new socks.

A couple weeks ago my sock attitude changed. I won some certificate at a tournament and when I went shopping in the pro shop I was told I should try the FootJoy Pro Dry Golf Sock.

I was not too excited about it. 12.99 $ for two pair of golf socks? Not exactly the deal I was looking for. But I decided to give them a try. After all I just bought very good shoes ( refer to my Ecco Biom Hybrid Golf Shoe review from a few weeks ago) and was very happy about the fact that my feet did not hurt one time since I bought those shoes.

So why not buy some higher end socks and see what they can do for me.

Here is what I read on the back :

1. Dry Sof Moisture Control Technology throughout the sock

2. Comfort Seam Toe Enclosure for a comfortable smooth fit

3. Double -Layer Reinforced Heel for added durability

4. Fully Cushioned Sole for added support and maximum support

I tell you, all of the above sounded very good but I had no idea really what it all means. Sounded like a high tech sock. The lady referring it to me simply told me they feel great and are good.

That was easier to understand.

I now have those socks for 2 weeks and played several rounds with them.

Here is what I think:

The FootJoy Pro Dry Golf sock is a great sock, period.

It feels very comfortable. The cushion makes you feel like walking on a cloud ( at least that is what I thought), since there is no seam, there is no strange feeling inside the shoe anymore.

I was sweating in Florida’s heat, but the socks felt nice, dry and breathing. It is my believe that this is due to the material which they call Lycra Spandex.

In all, my foot actually had a better fit in my shoe and the sock was like a glove on my foot. No slipping and gliding. Just a solid good feel. Love the fact that my ankles are not covered which I always hated the feeling of my other socks doing it. On top, I get more tanning when out in the sun.

Compared to some of my 6 pair for 10 $ amateur socks, this was a huge step forward towards feeling even more comfortable.

That is exactly what I was looking for. When I put on my socks and then my shoes, I feel like I can walk a marathon. Combined with my new other clothing, I feel confident and comfortable.

I have to agree, that the price is higher and I am not even sure yet how long they will last. But for the time being, the FootJoy ProDry golf socks are without a doubt a winner and I would recommend them without hesitation.

Surely you will find sales for it. But I would even try them at original price. Your feet are very important. In golf and in everything you do. So it is important to treat them well. With good shoes and good socks.

The fact, that those socks are Made in China is not the most exciting fact. However, I am looking for other high end socks and who knows , I might get lucky and find some Made in USA, which I would prefer by far. Suggestions and comments are as always welcome.

Give me a few more rounds and the socks a few more times in the washer and I will write an update.

The Practice Stick - a great practice tool Made in USA

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:42:00 +0000

The Practice Stick - great caddy for your short game practice

(find a short video at the end of this article)

Do you practice a lot ? Are you planning to practice a lot of short game? Do you have back problems or afraid that you will get them because you practice putting and chipping and pitching a lot?

Well, I know exactly what it means to constantly bend over and reach down when around the practice green. I practice all the time and my practice consists 80 % of short game.

Can you imagine to play about 200 to 300 balls a day around the green and pick them up in between? Well this is what I do and I can assure you, it gets to you.

So my first solution was a shag bag. I used to practice on the driving range where I started many years ago with it. It works great, holds plenty of balls but has one big disadvantage: It is bulky and big. Also it is pretty hard to take along.

So I started to look for a better solution.
A device which helps me to pick up my balls, is light and easy to carry.
Was no surprise: The Practice Stick.
Luckily I just had won some money at a tournament and got one at the shop.
This plastic tube is light, holds up to 23 balls and is very easy to handle.

On the bottom there is a little mechanism with a spring which makes it very easy to pick up your balls after chipping, pitching or putting.

The Practice stick is easy to take with you. I have a bag with compartments and I simply turn it upside down and slide it in. That simple.

I filled it up with the same brand of balls ( 23 of them), so I get the best of my practice time. Since I never lose those balls, they stay nice and in good shape. After all you only work with them around the green.

Made in USA , my Practice Stick is very durable. I now use it for 3 months pretty much every day and pick up an average of 120 balls per session with it. The spring works great.

No more bending, no more senseless practice with old and broken range balls and I have it with me all the time other than when I am playing tournaments.

So, if you want to improve your game, you need to practice a lot around the green. The Practice Stick will help anyone who had back problems, afraid to get them or is of age. It is like having your own driving range with you around the green. Your own caddy as well.

The Practice Stick comes in all kinds of price ranges and I am sure there is all kinds of names for it from different companies. I have the original one because it is Made in USA. It cost me about 17.99 $ as I recall and it is worth every penny.

Improve your short game faster with this little helper.

Video of myself using The Practice Stick

Manatee County Amateur Championships 2013 - personal recap of 3 days golf at the first version of this golf tournament

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Playing in the first Manatee County Amateur Championship - My experience in short

This year was the year for the first Manatee County Open Amateur Championship of golf.

Presented by Pope Golf.

Right when I heard about it about 3 weeks ago or so, I decided that this could be an interesting tournament.

3 days of golf on 3 different golf courses for an amateur title in Manatee County. I liked it from the get go.

So I checked my schedule and found that I would be able to play. My next step was to get the application form. That was easy, as I was playing Manatee County for a skins game to check out the highly anticipated new greens ( which by the way turned out well).

I took the application home without further reading it. Only at home I glanced over it and found that that there was no online sign up or anything like it. Usually we pay all tournaments with CC and so I emailed Ken Powell, the head professional at Manatee County to find out if I could call in with a credit card, which he answered was no problem.

So I did. Gave the CC number and all the needed info to Brian and was told that I am signed up and ready to go. That was a week before the final date of entry.

Thinking that all is OK , I never gave it another thought and started preparing. A few days before the tournament the tee times for the first round were published on the website. That I found was a good service. Saves time and you can print it out.

Only problem I had was, that I was not on the pairings sheet. Not too happy about it, I emailed Ken yet again and asked him what the deal was. As always he was very fast responding to my question and told me that it is no problem and I will get a tee time the next morning and I am in.

On Friday the 19th I then showed up at Manatee County Golf course. My first way was to the sign in desk, where I was greeted by two very friendly female staff members. They both smiled and it was a nice feeling to be welcome ( I actually knew one of them for years from a different course). I was pleasantly surprised that my name was on the list.

So I received my welcome package, consisting of a bag with a book of some coupons, some cheese crackers, a box with Callaway coasters and balls as well as some advertising for Pope Golf and a drink coupon.

Happy to be in , I made my way to get a cart where I was greeted by a nice gentleman who showed me my cart which was tagged with my name, clean and ready to go.

On the range we found plenty of range balls and I warmed up for a few minutes.

I did not have much time, so I talked to some players and then found my group and introduced myself to my fellow players. We checked in on the tee with Ken, the head pro and he told us that they are a little bit behind. It was about 10 minutes or so, so no big deal.

When our turn came Ken gave us the cards, told us about some rules and then announced each player and off we went

On the course we did not see any tournament staff at all. Although I found it strange, I was never worried about it. The pace was good and the rules were clearly explained, so we navigated through the entire course nicely and without incident.

After the round I turned in my scorecard and was told that the tee times for Saturday will be posted after 5 pm on the Pope Golf website. I got myself my free drink and was on my way home. So , the first day was nice, relaxed and everything went smooth.

As promised I found my tee time after 5 pm on the website. I like when things happen like I am told they are.

Saturday I showed up a little earlier at Buffalo Creek Golf Course for my second round. Just wanted to have some more time to warm up. There was no check in. The carts were marked and ready to go. So I got mine and started to warm up.

Again we were running late a few minutes. Nothing significant. Again Ken was at the 1st tee , handing out score cards, explaining rules and announcing the players. We also received our drink coupon for the day.

As the first round, the second round went well and without any incidents. I saw a ranger out there, but there was no work for him at all. We cruised the course nicely and there was no rule questions which we needed help for.

After the round we dropped our card in the restaurant, where Ken and Ryan had a table set up and a big paper flight board on the wall to post the scores. It all went fast and looked fine to me even if I expected a little more technology from this company. After all they manage all kinds of good courses and clubs.

Again we were told that the tee times will be on the website after 5 pm the same day, which they were. I really liked that.

The final day we were scheduled to play River Wilderness Country Club. I know the course well and was looking forward to play this track. Showed up early to warm up properly. Everything was in order. My cart was ready and marked, plenty of balls on the range and the chipping green. No sign in table again ( I did not think it was necessary anyhow).

I will not get into the course and range and in what shape they were. Just talking about the tournament in this entry.

Again we were running late. About 15 minutes. No big deal again. Same scenario. Ken was at the tee box, handing out the score cards, explaining the local rules and announcing the players.

The round went well. We saw more rangers this time) ( maybe it was the same one, but he was around. However, they did not have much to do. The round was smooth and everybody was moving along nicely.

We came in after a fun round and first put our stuff in the cars. Then went in to bring in the score cards in time.

There was a big room set up with the leader boards and table to sit and sign the cards. There also was a little buffet on one side. Fruit, different meats like roast beef and ham, cheese, salad, blackened prime rib and some bread. It all looked good and the food tasted good as well. It was nice to not find hot dogs and burgers yet again.

Soft drinks were for free. Beer and liquor was available for payment.

I enjoyed the food and the fact that there was some guys hanging out to talk golf and exchange experiences. After a while Ken marked the results of our flight and told us to be ready for a photo.

I came in tied for second but after count back I finished 3rd. At least I won some money, so I was happy. There was no big announcement or celebration . Everything was fast, organized and simple.

That was it. My experience of the 1st Manatee County Amateur Open Championship of golf.

Here are my thoughts.

The experience was a nice one. Everything was well organized and the tournament was running very smooth. I have to say that K. Powell , the head professional , was on top of everything . From sign up to finish and in between. Ken had answers and got things done.

The courses were in good shape, although I believe that did not much extra preparation for the tournaments. However, they were good and offered a good test. We played blue tees, but often had pins towards the front, which made the course shorter than shown on the scorecard.

The entry fee was fair. 125 $ for 3 rounds of golf with cart, range balls, welcome bag with gifts, 2 free drinks on the first two days ( 1 each day and no alcohol), all you can drink soft drinks and a small buffet on the final day and prices for the first three per flight.

Gift bag included :

1 sleeve Titleist Velocity ( app. 7 $)

1 Callaway coaster gift set ( app. 18 $)

1 bounce back coupon for Manatee ( value is not exactly clear but I would say savings of

about 40 $?)

1 coupon 20 % of at the clam factory of entire check

1 coupon 10 % of any non sale item at Manatee

1 free order of Selmon Brothers wings

Some coupons for Dicks Sporting Goods

If you add it all up, green fees, bag, drinks and food. 125 $ is a great deal.

I won 60 $. If you minus that from the 125 $ I actually had a great golfing weekend with competition for free.

All staff members were very friendly and read to help at any time.

I was disappointed about the turnout. There was not enough players to make it a great tournament and although it is true that we are in off season and that it is a new tournament, I strongly believe that it was bad advertising that caused this to be a small tournament instead of a big tournament. No doubt in my mind , that there could have been double the players.

I only knew about it because of a friend. Without him, I would not have played as well because of not knowing about it. A further drawback might have been that the first round was on Friday. But there was plenty of players there. So why not get double ?

However, it is not my job to analyze why there was not enough players. Fact is , that I was satisfied for the price and that I will be playing next year if I am able.

No doubt , that the company will learn and evolve until next year and change what needs to be changed. I believe , that this could be a huge tournament with hundreds of players and I also believe that with this head pros lead, they can make it happen.

Find an update of this tournament next year. Meanwhile I hope to get some comments and maybe some players who read this entry share a little about how they experienced this tournament.

Thank you very much for checking out this review.

Peridia Golf and Country Club - short review of playing golf at Peridia Golf and Country Club

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:16:00 +0000

Peridia Golf and Country Club - 4950 Peridia Blvd. E , Bradenton, FL 34203

Find more photos below the review including the scorecard!

I drive by this entrance sign for 4 years now. Also I saw the advertisement for this club on TV for years. Yet, I have never driven into the complex nor did I play or visit the pro shop there.

Amazing to say the least. After all , I worked in golf wholesale and visited hundreds of locations all over Florida.

So why did I not stop here at a course which is only 15 minutes from my home? The answer is simple. I have no idea! I just did not. Maybe because it is an executive course or maybe because I just did not think there was a course worth my time there.

But let us leave this behind. I am lucky to work with a friend, who is an artist, once in awhile on some projects in neighborhoods across the area. This time it happened to be a project right in this country club.

So there was my chance to finally drive in there and see what homes are there, what course was there and so on.

But I got even more lucky. The last day of our work in this complex my friend asked me if I would like to play a round on this course. I was excited right away. Although I by then knew that it was an executive course, I strongly believe that all courses are fun to play and even executive course can be a great challenge and of very good quality.

We had a tee time for 12:26 pm on a Thursday. Weather looked good even though cloudy, so I was sure we will make it without getting wet.

I did not go into the pro shop for check in. Since I was invited I totally forgot to take a look just for my writings. However, I will add a comment about the shop when I actually was in there. Same counts for restaurant and other parts of the club.

We got the cart fast. It was clean and ready to go. The cart boy was friendly from what I saw and we were told to tee off whenever we are ready. We went over to the water station and got ourselves fresh water with ice, as we did not know if there is any water on the course. Which there is.

Right beside number 1 is a putting green and we took some time to putt, but it was sanded and not in best shape. So we decided to take off.

The tee boxes all over the course are acceptable. You find level stance on each one of them even though at some you have to take a good look.

Custom Search

The fairways were all in good shape and for the most part the ball finds good lies.

All the greens were in good shape as well and although not the fastest, it was nice putting them. Seems like they try hard to make them as pure as possible.

The landscape of the course is nice for how it was build. There is ponds and trees and some brushes. All of them adding to making this course a decent challenge.

It was nice to see that the course is well taken care off. Surely they have a good greens keeper and a crew who pays attention to detail when they work on the course.

The par 4s are interesting and although not long, they offer a tight landing zone and lots of trouble around it.

Par 3s are of different length and have a good layout.

There is not much more to tell about the course. It is a short executive course in very good shape offering challenging holes and a nice landscape.

To me the atmosphere was friendly and I can see it being a very busy place in season.

We paid 11.95 plus tax for 18 holes including cart, which is a great deal. I am not sure about the price in season but will add the info later.

I must say, that I was pleasantly surprised and am excited to have this course so close by. There is no doubt, that I will return if I can. It is a nice practice course and always good for a fast afternoon round for a good deal.

Not sure what they offer in terms of memberships, but know that the advertise it heavily on TV as the best executive course deal around.

If you are in the area and look for a fast round of golf on a good executive course for a fair price, stop by at Peridia Golf and Country Club.

Scorecard of Peridia Golf and Country Club

Back side of scorecard of Peridia Golf and Country Club

Hole 12 at Peridia Golf and Country Club

Hole 15 at Peridia Golf and Country Club

Hole 17 at Peridia Golf and Country Club

Official Website of Peridia Golf and Country Club

IMG Academies Golf and Country Club - A short review after a Sunday round of golf in September 2013

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:38:00 +0000

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IMG Academies Golf and Country Club - find some more photos all the way at the bottom of this article .

After a few weeks I was able to play the IMG Academies golf course again. After playing a lot of wet and not in so good shape golf courses, I was looking forward to play a course with good drainage.

I just wanted to have some dry fairways with good lies and some roll and some greens which are actually true and not soft. Further some sand traps which are not hard as concrete.

We had tee times beginning at 8 23 am. Early start. So I was not sure if I will get a chance to practice on their facility and warm up properly. I have played this course many times before and was never disappointed at all.

I go there in time and found about 25 cars on the lot. That was a great sign because it meant there were not too many players out there, which I like. It gives you the opportunity to play golf and not rush through the course.

Since I parked , I did not have contact with the cart boy at the bag drop. But I did notice, that he did not say good morning although I walked by him and said just that.

The pro shop was empty. As a matter of fact, it was only a girl behind the counter and what seemed to be the assistant professional or professional. That came in handy to me as I wanted to go and warm up a little. I told them with what group I am . The girl was very friendly, confirmed and asked for my name. She then told me the price, which came too about 29 $. That is a good price including cart.

Went and picked up my cart and the cart guy was friendly as well. I drove to the water station to pick up some water and ice. I knew they have water stations, but not how many and if it was cold water. The machines is a little beat, but works fine.

Next of to the practice area of which I forgot to take a photo , but will try to add that later. The just redid the area and I was looking forward to see it.

It looks great. There is the mats which they had before and to the left there is grass tees from which you can chip on. Looks all very nice and well taken care of at this point.

There were plenty of range balls available which are included in the green fee. So I warmed up a little bit. Also tried the bunker to see how the sand was and found it dry but very fluffy, which I was not used to.

From there I went on to the driving range. They put down new green there as well, which is artificial grass but very nice. It looks good and feels good. Still wondering why the entire range is kind of downhill. You now can hit all your clubs including your woods. That was not possible before because the range is limited of length. But with the range balls most amateurs have plenty of room here.

The starter was waiting for us already and we checked in. He was friendly.

We had to start from 10 today. That was also fine with me. It is a par 5 and so you can get going easily.

All tee boxes were in excellent shape. You find level spots so you can focus on a great tee shot instead of compensating for bumps and so on.

In the pro shop we were told to use the 90 degree rule as much as possible, but it was not mandatory. Right on the first hole I could see, that despite all the rain we got over the past weeks, the fairways were in great shape. Actually the fairways on all holes were good. On a few spots were muddy. But nothing significant. It was nice to get some roll and bounce on your drive.

That makes a round of golf much more enjoyable.

3 shots found the bunkers. My first bunker shot was from a fairway bunker. This trap was dry, as all the once I saw, and the sand was not to fluffy. So it was not to difficult to put it on the green.

The two green side bunkers I was in were in great shape, but compared to the fairway trap very fluffy. Both off my balls very buried deep. I am not sure if that is the intend or not, but it sure makes for tough bunker shots for amateurs or beginners.

I was able to save one of the holes with tremendous skill.

The greens of this course are all looking great. Today they were not exactly fast, but had a true and good roll to it. This is nice and it shows you, that courses of this class simply have better drainage and care. Very enjoyable to play on those greens, even though I missed some fairly short putts.

So I am very pleased with the condition of the course and for that price, this was a great deal.

In terms of amenities there is room for improvement. Although there is water stations on the golf course, the water is warm and does not taste good. Even Manatee County has by far more and better water available.

There is a kiosk on the course where you can buy all kinds of things, get ice and water as well as use the restrooms. This is OK, but for a course of that quality it is pretty poor.

The girl waiting for customers was very nice and had a big smile to show. That is always nice and gives you a feeling of being welcome.

Using the restroom there was OK. Nothing too special, but clean. I used another one on the course , which looks old and could use a do over, but was also clean.

The speed of play was very good. Took us about 4 ½ hours to get done and we did not rush one time. Surely it helped that it was not very busy. That might chance in season though.

I did not go to the restaurant this time and am not sure if there was any changes from last time. So I will wait with any comments on that one.

I dropped of the car ( I need to mention here, that our cart barely made it to the clubhouse. The batteries were clearly not full when we got it, so make sure you ask) and took a peek into the pro shop. It was well stocked and looks inviting. Since I did not check any prices or merchandise, I will need to add to that later or write a separate article.

Overall , IMG Academies Golf and Country Club is a course worth playing, especially in off season when the price is as low as it was today.

Because the IMG schools bring their students out here and it is a championship course, this course is very well taken care of and in excellent playing condition. Surely the greens could be and will be faster in season and in tournaments. If you want to play a course which is in good shape even in rainy season, IMG Academies Golf course is a great choice. It is not too busy, has good service and a very good challenge. It is not an easy course and yet, there is plenty of room.

A nice feature to mention here is the GPS attached to every cart. So you know exactly front, middle and back from every point where you are at. I checked it with my laser device and it matches nicely. Both of them together help you greatly.

So , if you get a chance to play, even for not the best deal, go and do it. This is a nice experience and you will see how much more enjoyable golf can be if played on a good golf course.

If you played there, share your experience if you like. I will certainly write updates after future visits.

Here are some of the photos. Although this course is practically a city course, the landscape is pretty nice and offers trees, ponds and all kinds of plants.

General view

Birds eye view on greens 10 (front) and 17 of IMG Academies Golf and Country Club

View towards the gulf over the 10th fairway of IMG Academies Golf and Country Club

We look for blogging friends

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 00:44:00 +0000

Ok, since I started blogging, I realized, that I actually love it. Still need to learn plenty about it, but I simply love to create content. Meaningful content. Content which might help others, warn others or motivate others.
There is plenty of reviews waiting to be written, I just need to learn on how to be more productive and more helpful. One of the steps I would like to take is to create a partner page.
This partner page for blogger shall be a page where I post a blog with s short description of the content of this specific blog.

In return the owner of this specific blog will post my link on their page. I am sure this is not new to many of you and probably I am really behind times. But I am ready to learn, ready to connect and ready to get things done.

So here is what I would like to do. You message me with your suggestion. I will check it out and then we connect. Please remember, I am looking for golf related blogs.

They will be posted in order of interest. Meaning. Travel, shopping, reviews and so on and so on. Not sure how big this list will be, but I am willing to work with whatever I will find out.

If you know someone who owns a blog or own a blog yourself, you are the person or persons I am looking for to connect.

Thank you very much. I am looking forward to meet many new friends.

SKLZ Smash Bag - a short review of an impact training aid - Is the SKLZ Smash Bag good?

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 16:24:00 +0000

The SKLZ Smash Bag - great impact trainer

Official website quote:

Learn the feeling of the correct ball impact for your swing with a high quality impact trainer. Hitting into the Smash Bag helps eliminate fat and thin golf shots, helps cure slices and improves overall accuracy.

The most important moment in golf is without a doubt the impact. I think we all agree on that.

You will see all kinds of different swings on all Professional Golf Tours. But all pro players have one moment in common: The Impact Moment.

There is a simple reason for it, if you are not in proper position with your clubface at impact for the shot you are attempting to execute, you will not be able to do so. You swing can be pretty and technically perfect, but if you are not square at impact your shot will be a miss hit.

So how do I arrive at the correct impact position ? By entering and exiting the impact zone in proper timing. This zone is only a few inches long. Yet , those few inches are crucial to your golf game and can make a huge difference to your score.

There is a long list of training aids and instructional books and videos which are covering this matter and I have to agree that some of them are very good and helpful. Surely I will write about some of them in the future.

One of the greatest and oldest training aids however is the impact bag ( not the product with that name itself, I just used the term), which comes in all kinds of different models made by different companies, endorsed by different top golf teachers.

That should make a point right here. Different top golf teachers recommend this tool and endorse it.

After years of watching the commercials and reading about it I finally decided that I need to add this tool to my top 10 collection. That decision came after I began struggling with my turn, timing, opening my hips too late and not being in the correct position at impact, which resulted in plenty of bad shots costing me tons of strokes.

After some research online I decided to go for the SKLZ Smash Bag endorsed by Rick Smith ( one of the great teachers out there). But I have to admit , that my decision to buy this specific product was not because of Rick or the brand, but simply because it looked good and the text read well.

I also liked the fact, that it had the wanted impact position on the bag as a target. This really helps and makes it much better then a regular sports bag. Further I liked the shape of it. Round and of good height.

When I received the package I was a little surprised about the size. It was much smaller than I expected it to be. Opening it and reading the instructions explained that very fast.

When you order the SKLZ Smash Bag you get an empty bag which you need to fill with old clothes or blankets. This worked out great for me as I was about ready to bring plenty of old clothes to the Goodwill Store. So I planned to use those clothes to fill it up.

I filled the Smash Bag fairly fast ( still need some more ) and was ready to go in minutes.

Filling the SKLZ Smash Bag with old clothes and securing it with the durable looking zipper.

While doing that I was able to touch and examine the material and it felt very strong and actually pretty good. It is some kind of plastic. It is thick, which it needs to be when you consider that we hit irons and woods with tremendous force into it. Somehow reminded me on material they would use for boats.

Reading the instructions I new I need a wall, fence, block or something to put it against to start using it, as it would move when I hit into it.

Also they wrote , that there is a little loop or hook on the back side of it , which can be used to pin it down on a lawn or the driving range with an old cut of club ( steel shaft) or any pole you might find which works.

First I tried it against a wall, both inside and outside.

The SKLZ Smash Bag in my little garage

SKLZ Smash Bag against the outside wall of our house

It worked great in both spots and really did not require a lot of room and I found it exciting that I can use it in my garage, as my garage is small and converted into an office space with some storage. My first swings were a little on the weak side because I did not know what to expect. But it felt great and so I started taking full swings and really liked the feeling of it. Much better than hitting and old tire, which does not look that great in the house either.

Next I used it on the driving range while I went out for a long practice session. Here the strap it has on top really comes in handy. When you walk from your car to the range with a golf bag on one shoulder and balls in one hand you can carry the SKLZ Smash Bag easily like a sports bag. But watch out, with all the clothes it is pretty heavy.

I pinned it down with a cut of iron club ( steel shafted) and was ready to go in seconds.

See how I used an old steel shaft club to pin it to the ground through the loop.

SKLZ Smash Bag on the range

Here I would go and hit about 5 times into the Smash Bag and then go and hit a few balls. Then do it again and so on. You do not have to do 5 times, but that is what I did at this point.

It felt good and helped me reinforce the feeling I seemed to have lost over time. I really liked the fact, that the bag did not move one inch after I pinned it down.

So in both situations the SKLZ Smash Bag delivered exactly what it said in the description.

The material is strong and the bag well made. It looks good and seems to be very durable.

As for the benefit, I can not say yet a 100 % because I only have it for a couple weeks and only used it a few times. What I can say is that my turn and my timing opening my hips improved already. My timing was great before and I truly believe using the SKLZ Smash Bag did and will further improve my timing and positioning at impact and bring me back to my old me.

Next I will see if I can improve my swing speed and square up my clubface at impact with it. But for that I will have to write an update in a few weeks or so.

I think the SKLZ Smash Bag is a great training aid for a good price. The quality of the product is good for the amount you pay. It seems like a durable product which will be usable for a longer period of time.

It also is much safer to hit into a Smash Bag than to hit into an old tire. There is no or little risk for injuries. Also I think that it is better than using an old sports bag. Those bags are simply not designed to withstand that force to many times and again you might have the potential for injuries as a result of not having a flat impact zone, zippers, handles and so on.

In my mind there is not a doubt, that the SKLZ Smash Bag will help you to improve your game when following the instructions and working with it over a longer period of time and a regular base.

At this point I can not compare it to other products of similar kind simply because I did not try them yet, but will write an article as soon as I get my hands on a different product.

Prices for this product differ from store to store and website to website. It is a matter of searching and comparing shipping options and shipping charges.

As I always I look forward to get comments and hear about experiences.

Buy it for a good deal right now.

The Golf Channel AM Tour - what is it? how it works? what it costs? short personal review about Golf Channel AM Tour

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:17:00 +0000

Golf Channel AM Tour presented by Golf Galaxy - amateur golf tour professionally organized and nation wide for all handicaps

I am in the golf business for over 20 years. Successfully selling , teaching and managing. But why did I get into the golf business in the first place? To play professional golf. Playing professional golf was and is my goal and dream. I had a good start many years ago, but because of work and personal situations I had to take several brakes. As a matter of fact, for almost 10 years I had to step aside and do something different.

About 8 years ago my love and passion was turned back on again and I decided to go for it another time. Yet, it took me another 6 years to actually begin to work on it.

Another year later I was ready to go. I committed myself to play again. Knowing the way to professional golf I knew that I need to put in a lot of practice and play. So I needed to find 1. practice opportunity and B. Tournaments and amateur golf tours.

I started with skins game groups and the West Florida Amateur Tour. Both helped me to get back in tournament mode. However, both are small and although organized, not even close to a professional tournament setup.

So I was looking for something else. An amateur golf tour which is competitive, plays stroke play, is affordable, national and holds it’s tournaments based on the same structure like professional golf tours.

It took me a little , but I found exactly what I was looking for.

The Golf Channel Amateur Golf Tour - presented by Golf Galaxy.

I found this tour through the Internet. There is many others, but this one appealed to me by just looking at the website’s first page.

It looked professional and gave me the feeling of a big amateur golf tour playing all over the nation by just looking at it.

My first click was on the schedule link. I wanted to find out where this tour is holding tournaments and how much are the entry fees are.

I was pleasantly surprised about all the tournaments which were offered all across the Nation. That immediately appealed to me. Then I checked out Florida, the state I am living in and got really excited. There was plenty of tournaments available all over Florida.

Also I found , that there is one day, two day and even championship type tournaments. So you can play , qualify and test yourself against big fields.

A very positive point I found was that your official handicap determines your flight, of which there was plenty. Making this a fair and real test for every player.

Next I checked out the About section to learn more about the history of the tour and was impressed. Last I checked out some comments and read a little bit in the results section.

At that point I made up my mind that I want to play on this tour. Making it the second official amateur tour to help me prepare to go back to professional golf.

Before signing up I checked out what I will get for my money, after all I was ready to pay 199 $ for 12 months to be part of the tour. If I would get lots of merchandise was not a big issue, but I thought I will find out what it is and again I was pleasantly surprised.

In 2012, when I signed up first signed up I received a shirt, hat , balls, tags, stickers, discount cards for Golf Galaxy and a tour card. Since I do not recall all of it and do not have any photos I will add photos from my renewal in 2013 below.

Signing up was really easy. You can do it online and just use your Credit card. You will get confirmation emails and then be part of the tour. Your welcome package takes a few weeks to get to your home, which I did not like, but was OK with it as I did not expect anything in the first place from any tour.

After signing up you are ready to go. You can build a great profile and create good statistics. Most important, you can sign up for tournaments with a discount. The average discount is , I believe 25 $. So going by money online, you need to play 10 times to get back your membership fee.

But this is not entirely accurate. The shirt you get looks great and is very good quality. A shirt like this costs about 40 $ to 70 $ alone. The hat is great and of good quality probably costing you 20 $ to 25 $ when you buy it. Two sleeves of balls worth 15 $ and a discount card for 10 $. Adding all that up, you only need 3 tournaments to make it worth your while.

I played 3 tournaments, 2 in Florida and 1 in Washington State. Despite the fact I was not very successful I have to report , that those tournaments are organized very professional.

Sign up is very easy. Go to the website, log in to your account, find the schedule, pick the tournament and sign up with Credit Card. You will get a confirmation within minutes and are ready to go.

Once signed up you are eligible for a practice round on the course the tournament will be held. That is another , sometimes overseen benefit. Some country clubs do not let you play at all or you need to pay lots of money.

If you are a Tour Member you often get practice rounds on country clubs for 25 $ to 50 $. That includes are cart and makes it a great deal.

I usually play a few days before the tournament.

On the day of the event show up about 1 hour before you tee off. That gives you time to sign up, get ready and warm up. You get your tee time 3 days before the event via email.

They have a sign up table which has all your info. Side games are offered , but you do not have to enter any of them if you do not like. I personally like to do that, because it makes it more interesting and you could win substantial amounts at times.

You will receive 2 tickets at sign up. One for a drink and one for a lunch. This is unique and I only know that the tour in Florida I am playing on does it. In Washington they did not do that. I would ask the tour in your state.

Next you get free range balls to warm up. After warming up you should be at the assigned tee box about 10 to 15 min before play. They usually have a little tent there with the starter.

Typical starter tent at Golf Channel AM Tour event ( not sure where that was)

It is great. You get free tees, free water, pin placement sheet .

When it is your turn you are greeted and the starter explains local rules or any other rules for that day. Then he announces who starts first , second, third and fourth.

Last the starter is loudly announcing every player with name and residence which is followed by applause from fellow players and people who are around.

Clearly the attempt to help you get used to tour play.

Score cards are exchanged and the first thing you will notice is , that on every hole there is a time printed when you should be there. Reason being, that the Golf Channel AM Tour is actually timing you and assessing penalties for slow play.

I love it. This keeps the game moving and you almost for sure accomplish the target time without being in a hurry.

After the round you bring in your signed scorecard which will be entered in a computer and you can see all flights live on a large computer screen and the Internet. I love this scoreboard feature.

All you need to do is wait for everybody to come in to find out if you won anything. While you are doing that you can enjoy a free lunch and a free drink.

The price ceremony will be held after all players are in and all results are put in the system.

It all goes very fluent and with much fun. You receive certificates and if at times cash for hole in ones or skins games.

Overall I have to say , that the Golf Channel Amateur Golf tour is a very well organized amateur tour for players of all abilities and age. Playing all across the Nation with national championship. It is affordable and much fun.

This I think is the best organized amateur golf tour I have played in and they really try to make it feel like a professional tournament.

I renewed in 2013 and received the following package after only 3 weeks.

Already played 1 tournament and finished 2nd , which gave me certificates and some cash.

Membership package off Golf Channel Amateur Golf Tour

Official hat and bag tag of the Golf Channel Amateur Tour - two items of package

If you want to play tournament golf in a professional setting, the Golf Channel Amateur Golf Tour is a good start and great way to go. It will teach you how professional tournament play works. If you can succeed here, you can succeed on any amateur golf tour.

Have you tried any amateur tours or played on the Golf Channel tour? What do you think about this tour and others. Always like to learn more about new tours where I can play , learn and get better.

( Make sure to put my name in as a referral if you sign up and learn about the referral program which they also have as an additional benefit.

Official Website of GC Am Tour

Manatee County Golf Course - How are the new greens? How does it play? short review

noreply@blogger.com (astworldwide) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Manatee County Golf Course in Bradenton, FL

Sunday September 1st I had my first opportunity to play Manatee County Golf Course after it was reopened. Pope Golf ( a golf course management company) announced some time ago, that they will redo the greens. I have not played on that course for a while, but do remember, that the greens where in need of some redoing.

I signed up with good skins game group for an Sunday morning round. When I got there I had plenty of time to sign in. Right when I walked into the club house I saw that they remodeled the food area and the pro shop.

The pro shop before was mostly in white and neutral colors, having no character whatsoever and not giving you the feel that you are entering course which is closing soon rather then a well run operation.

The young staff member behind the counter was friendly and handled the line pretty well. Sign up took about 5 minutes. It was nice Since it was labor day weekend, we got a free bucket of balls and a free drink ( which I forgot to drink lol). Next I picked up my cart and the golf balls.

Cart was very clean, looked new and running well. They have a ball machine with tokens, which made it easy to get them as well.

Manatee County Golf Course has a good driving range. It is all grass tees and they have so much space, that they can move nicely with their tees, making it a good practice area. I saw that they have new targets. Much easier to read the distances, see flags etc. I was very happy with the changes on the range as well. I think they bought new range balls a year ago or so. That makes it a good experience and if you know the % of lost distance, you can really work on your distances and shots.

We start at 9 30 am from the blue tees. Checking the score card I found that the blue tees play about 6650 yards. Very nice length and a good challenge.

The tee boxes were good and for the most part I was able to find a flat tee off spot, which at some courses is a huge challenge. As it had rained a lot we played lift clean and play. That was a good thing because the fairways were good, but they are not like country club fairways which drain fast and are in good condition even shortly after heavy rain.

So the fairways were good. Coming to the first green was a very pleasant surprise. Although the greens are very young and still hard, they are in good shape and roll very nicely. Seems to be like a 10 or so on the speed. I love that. They roll true and you do not need to hammer every ball to even get it there. Another positive thing was, that the greens were consistent through out the course. So no surprises and you could really get dialed in on the speed. My putting got better by the hole.

Good greens are one of the most important if not the most important thing I look at on a golf course.

After the first few holes it started being hot and humid. So water was a necessity and I am happy to report, that there is plenty of drink stations with cold water. Get a cup of ice in the restaurant and refill your water on the way. I drink a lot of water while playing , but many courses just do not provide enough here in Florida.

At the turn I decided to get a hot dog. I checked the menu for other options, but nothing was appealing and I did not have much time. The girl behind the counter was very friendly and I got my hot dog in a matte of seconds. The hot dog looked good and was hot. The bun was no good. It fell apart, was too small and wet. They had condiments like ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut and then packages of relish, mayonnaise. Even the onions were in packages. I have to say I was disappointed. The hot dog tasted good, but surely it was not presented nicely. Got some chips with it. For 3.75 $ I guess it was an OK deal. Still, this could be done nicer and more appealing.

The bag nine offered good tee boxes, OK fairways and very good greens again. Water was available here as well and they have sufficient restrooms on the course.

On the back 9 there was a little smell from the county water cleaning system, but not enough to bother me a lot.

What really bothered me are the little flies which are present all over this course. Those little things get into your knows, mouth and ears. It is something you need to deal with. But, if you are in focus, put repellent on and keep fighting them, you are ok.

Pace of play was good and we made it in just over 4 hours. I am sure it will be slower in season. But I have a feeling that they will work on being on top of that.

Overall , this was a good experience. The course was in good shape and the greens were very nice. The price was good. 25 $ plus tax including the cart ( and a bucket of balls on that day).

All staff members were friendly, tried to help and smiled. The club house was clean, restrooms in the club house were clean, parking lot was clean and the course itself was clean and taken care off. This is a good golf facility to play and practice. Enjoy a round of golf, the driving range or the huge putting green.

I certainly will play here again and even think about getting their 12 month membership, which sounds like a good deal. Kind of depends on the rates in season. But I will write about that in a different article.

For now, Manatee County Golf Course for sure is a course you should play at least one time. It is a good challenge and with the new greens this course offers some championship play options.

Official website