Golf Blog by The Orlando Golf Blogger

I thought this was TOTALLY awesome!  Well not quite TOTALLY, but almost.  It would’ve been TOTALLY if they gave you an option (lefty or righty) on the higher end stuff, but, I digress…

My golf brothers and sisters over at OOBgolf.com are doing something pretty cool for the holidays.

For $10(technically $13.95 with s/h) per bag, they’ll send you a mystery bag that has at least $10 worth of merchandise and could contain up to a couple hundred dollars worth of lovely golf baubles.

There’s no limit as to how many you can order, but you can only order one bag per transaction.  This is due to the fact that the shipping bag is the gift bag…

The promotion runs from now until December 8th with all orders received by December 1st promised to arrive by the 15th, just in time for Christmas

Here’s the link for complete details $10 Mystery Gift Bag.

I recommend everyone giving this a shot, you’ll be getting some cool stuff and supporting a worthy site!

I’m going to be ordering two bags and I’d like all of you who read this and order your own to leave a comment letting me know how many you ordered, I’d like to follow up with you to see what you received!

I will be making a follow-up post with my goody bags!

I love getting your comments and mail, keep em coming!

-Dave

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I’m getting myself a WWJD Bracelet.  “What would J.P Do…”

I’m sure you’ve all seen it already, but just in case, here’s the link.  J.P. Hayes is as honest as we like to think we are.

This guy did something that I don’t think many of us would do.  He voluntarily disqualified himself from Q school because he hit a ball that wasn’t the same model ball he started the round with aaaaand the ball he hit was a prototype from Titleist that wasn’t approved for play in the PGA…  Talk about a double whammy…

At first, one would assume he was doing it to cover his keister, just incase it ever leaked out, but that is not the case.  The ball said Titleist on it and looked in every way like the ball he was using, only difference is that there was no label on the “seam” to identify the model.  After the hole, he could’ve just switched it out with another ball.

Would you have done the same thing if you were in his shoes?  In doing so, you would sacrifce how ever many millions you would’ve made all for your principals.  I haven’t quite made up my mind.  I’d like to think so, but saying it and doing it are two totally different things..

I think it’ll work out for him though, he’s pretty happy to take it easy this year and spend some much needed time with the family and he’s getting a lot of positive press from this which will undoubtedly be beneficial during the next few years.

So Mr. Hayes, I salute you!

-Dave

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Found this on Stracka.

A Brilliant Solution to Economic Problems: Tax Golf

At first I was abhorred at the thought, but after thinking about it, it might not be a bad idea.  Well, that is if they can better define what the tax would cover.  I know taxes suck, but I don’t think most of us would forgo playing because the round costs a couple extra bucks.  Now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning on putting this into effect February 1, 2009, to help California’s $11.2 Billion Deficit.

Alright, so, I’m going to attempt some math….

Back in 2004, there were 495 million rounds of golf played in the US.  Just for estimates sake, lets divide that by 50 and say that In California, 9.9 million rounds of golf are played per year.  Say the average round is $50 bucks and the tax is $4.37.  That times that is $43,263,000.

So in theory, by just adding a tax to a round of golf, you could generate $43,263,000 in revenue for the state.

As it stands, the golf industry is suffering through it’s worst business in decades and if something doesn’t happen this trend is only going to get worse.  So you have the players who have stopped playing or buying because of financial obligations or whatever and you have the players that are still getting out to play, I’m of the mindset that those who are still playing are not going to stop because of a few dollars more per round.  Overtime, this may have a positive impact on the economy and those who weren’t playing might start getting out again.

What do you think?

-Dave

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A couple days ago, I mentioned that this week I was starting a crusade to lose weight and improve my game by picking up Yoga.  Here’s the original post.  Yoga & Golf

Well, I had my first class Tuesday night and my first impression was this, “Dave, you’ve got to be the dumbest SOB I’ve ever met.”

The classes are 90 minutes long with no breaks in between.  They take you through a series of exercises that work every part of your body and there’s a big emphasis on straightening your spine, because, as Bikram says “A healthy spine leads to a healthy life.”

For my first class, after about 25 minutes, I felt like I was going to vomit.  Now, let me step back and say, although I’m not in my “prime” in terms of physical fitness, I’m still relatively fit.  I don’t know what exactly caused me to feel so bad, but it had to be somewhere between trying to arch my body backwards and touch the floor to the 97 degrees of the room..

After a couple minutes, the feeling subsided and the rest of the class went relatively well.  So when you are in the class, you bring a mat, a towel to place over the mat and a bottle of water.  By the end of the class, I looked like I had jumped into a pool fully clothed and I had taken my towel with me.  When I got home, my wife said wow, it looks like you lost all of your water weight, how she could tell the difference between my fat weight and water weight, I do not know…  The next morning I checked the scale and I had lost 1 lb.  Now, I know that the slight weight flucutation could be cause by any number of factors, I chose to view the 196 vs the 197.5 as a sure sign that the yoga was well worth it.  Don’t try and ruin it for me!

I will say this, when I went there to check in, I asked if they would go ahead and charge me for one month ($150) instead of one class ($15).  I honestly feel like if I had only paid for one class, I wouldn’t be heading back tonight, but since I’ve made the investment, I feel I must go back to justify the expense.

I am feeling pretty good about the impact this is going to have on my game.  You do many excercises where you try to twist your body 360 degrees from where you started, which has to have some postitive influences on your swing

Well, there’s day one,  I’ll update you tomorrow after the class, pending ofcourse,  I survive..

-Dave

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I was flipping through the latest issue of Golf magazine, which, for some reason, I’ve been receiving for the past 3 months and which I never signed up for…. err..  of which I’m a satified paying customer of…

Anyway, I was flipping through Golf magazine and I came across their list of the Top 100 Teachers in the US and I was quite shocked to see so many of these instructors are in Orlando and the surrounding area.

So, for your viewing pleasure, brought to by none other than the Orlando Golf Blogger, the list, of Orlando’s Top 7 Active Golf Teachers.

1. Mike Bender – Lake Mary – Timacuan
2. Brad Brewer – Orlando – Shingle Creek
3. Fred Griffin – Orlando – Grand Cypress
4. Bill Madonna – Orlando – Hawk’s Landing
5. Rick McCord – Kissimmee – Orange Lake
6. Patti McGowan – Orlando – Lake Nona
7. Brian Mogg – Windermere – The Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Point

But wait, there’s more! Here’s the list of the Top 3 Emeritus Golf Teachers in Orlando.

1. David Leadbetter – Champions Gate
2. Phil Ritson – Winter Garden
3. Craig Shankland – Daytona

And for those who were wondering, Emeritus means retired but retaining an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement.

If you happen to give them a call, tell em the Orlando Golf Blogger sent ya!  I’m not really sure what good it’ll do, but hey, never hurts

-Dave

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Soo…  In an attempt to reduce the size of my midsection, I’ve signed up for Yoga classes at a local ‘hot’ Yoga school.  It’s called Bikram Yoga College of Orlando.  They conduct classes in a room that’s at a constant temperature of 90 degrees (I believe), they pack you in there like sardines and you get to enjoy not only your sweat, but the sweat of those flanking you on all sides.

I did a trial class and the guy next to me, who resembled a large werewolf during a full moon, would fling his arms wide and shower me in his body’s attempt to cool itself…

But after the class, I felt great and was full of energy.  I plan on doing three classes a week and will be monitoring my progress.

I started pondering what impact Yoga might have on my golf game, figuring that a given was increased flexibility, which, would allow for deeper swings and result in more distance from strikes.  After doing some research, it turns out that, although continued practice of Yoga over time may increase a  person’s flexibility, it is not true in all cases and should not be assumed.  Yoga was not created for that purpose.

There are benefits derived from Yoga that can help your game and it’s because the two activities are similar to one another.  In both Yoga and Golf, you must train your body and mind to focus on many independent yet related motions and combine them into one seamless movement.

For example, a Yoga pose may require you to stand on your toes, while bending this knee this way, and keeping that leg straight and locked while also extending this hand out in front of you and that hand over your head, while also, keeping your back straight and looking to the rear.  Oh, don’t forget to breath only through your nose and ofcourse, keep your balance.

Sound vaguely familiar??

All this helps develop solid muscle control and stabilization of the lower body.

The other big part of Yoga is meditation and focus.  Whenever you’re performing Yoga, you are supposed to clear your mind, focusing only on the postures and those independent motions that make up the postures.

I think this is probably the most valuable benefit to your game.  You ever hear the expression, that golf is a game of inches, the inches between your ears?  As you know, this is the seemingly simple yet most difficult aspect of any players game.  For a person like me, who’s mind races at a hundred miles a minute, my mental game can and has ruined a round.

Improving my focus would have a huge impact on my game and I’m assuming others as well.

Doing some research on Golf & Yoga, I’ve learned that the pairing of the two is nothing new, I’m just a late bloomer…

There’s a lady named Katherine Roberts who’s been featured all over the professional golf community, has created a business around Yoga for Golf.

Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

-Dave
Soon to be the Orlando Yoga Golf Blogger…… as if the name wasn’t long enough..

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Figured I’d pass this on, sounds like it’s going to be a good tournament.  I won’t be able to make it, being a father, sometimes you have to sacrifice golf for such wonderful things as a toddlers birthday party..

This is a part of the Golfnow.com’s Fall Tournament Series.  It’s a two part even that began at Timacuan, this is the second one.  I intended on posting up both, but as things sometimes occur, technical difficulties prevented such a thing…

Harmony Golf Preserve, Saturday, November 15th. 12:00 PM Shotgun start – $48.15

When the town of Harmony’s stewards approached celebrated golf course designer, TV personality and 1973 U.S. Open Champion Johnny Miller, their goal was to create a gem of a course while preserving their original treasure – 11,000 acres of broad meadows, towering stands of southern pines and two shimmering 500-acre natural lakes.

By wrapping the course around existing wetlands, Miller created a stunning combination of art and nature. Incredibly, no homes will be built that front the golf course.

The ancient land where Harmony Golf Preserve lies is home to tremendously diverse plant and animal life, including fawns and adult deer, otters, sandhill cranes, bobcats, foxes, ospreys and owls, as well as hundreds of types of plants, including at least one kind of rare orchid.

Harmony Golf Preserve won’t spare amenities, however. Guests can take advantage of a complete practice facility, featuring a driving range, putting green and chipping area, while a magnificent 18,000-square-foot clubhouse offers a professional shop, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, Harmony Town Tavern, Greenside’s Restaurant and a banquet facility. A professional staff caters to guests, upholding Harmony’s standards of quality.
Where: Harmony Golf Preserve – 7251 Five Oaks Dr., Harmony, FL

When: Saturday, November 15th, 2008. 12:00 PM Shotgun start

Cost: $48.15 includes cart, range balls, hors d’oeuvres and chance to win prizes for top 3 team scores, Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive. Trophies for top scoring team. Cash bar reception following tournament.

Format: Two person scramble, singles are encouraged to play – we will pair you up. Non-handicapped event.

Prizes: Overall Champion for Timacuan and Harmony – Free golf for a year per team member
Champion flight – Trophy, Golfnow prize pack and foursome per team member
2nd flight – Golfnow prize pack and free foursome per team member
3rd flight – Golfnow prize pack and free foursome per team member
Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive – Golfnow.com prize pack

This series begins on November 2nd at Timacuan Golf & Country Club. 12:30 Shotgun start. Play either date or both. Team with the best cumulative score of both tournaments will receive one year of free golf.

“World golf is sorely missing Tiger Woods and the sooner he is back the better,” says Phil Mickelson.

“The reason why we all want Tiger back is because he drives the game of golf.”

“He drives television ratings, the sponsors need him in their events and the fans turn out to see him, so we need him back as soon as possible.”

“We’re very lucky in the sport of golf to have the number one athlete in the world.”

“I never thought that would happen when I first came on tour, when we had some of the greatest players in history, whether it was Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus, nobody ever reached the status of the number one premier athlete in the world, and it’s in golf.

It’s pretty amazing when you think about just how much this “One” man has done for the game.

Mickelson: Golf desperately needs Tiger to return

Dave

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Almost forgot…

Happy Veterans Day to all of my fellow Veterans out there!  We would not be the great nation we are today (barring a slight economic blip ) if it wasn’t for folks like you.

May the golf gods bless your sticks!

Semper Fi!

Dave
Once a Marine always a Marine!

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First of all, I’d like to apoligize for the site going down for a couple weeks.  The server I’m hosting on crashed two weeks ago and it took them forever to repair it!  Guess you get what you pay for eh?  Well, they’ve since upgraded their hardware so these issues should be resolved!

On with the show!

Here’s the link.

Aces wild: Golfer reportedly cards five in one week

A 22 yr old amateur golfer named Curt Hocker recorded five holes-in-one last week, including two on Saturday..

There has been 15 different people who have witnessed his various aces.

When asked about the incredible streak, he commented “I’m just glad my club membership comes with hole-in-one insurance.”

This insurance means that the golf club, not himself, has to honor the golf tradition of buying everyone in the clubhouse a drink after an ace is made…

So far this year, he’s sank seven aces, five on par-4’s and two other double eagles..

I tell ya, some guys have all the luck.  I’ve yet to sink an ace, i’ve gotten close a few times….  I’m going for delayed gratification, I mean come on, if I were to get one now, it wouldn’t be nearly as great as getting one twenty years from now… Right?

Thanks for reading and sorry again for the downtime!

Dave

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