Golf Blog by The Orlando Golf Blogger

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Does it ever drive you crazy that there’s all these totally amazing golf courses in your area that are unavailable to you because you can’t (or won’t) dish out the $100k+ annual membership fee associated with the course? I know it does for me..

For those kindred spirits who feel the same gnawing ache to play these private courses, I give you Boxgroove.com..

This website is such an awesome concept that I was surprised it took someone this long to come up with it…

In a nutshell, Boxgroove.com is the GolfNow.com of private golf courses. To dumb it down even more (for those of you who may not know what golfnow is..), Boxgroove.com is a website where you can book tee times to private golf courses within your area!

How cool is that?

For those fellow Orlandoians, that means a potential opportunity to play courses like Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Isleworth Country Club (helloooo Tiger Woods), and not to mention a little course known as Bay Hill..

All these completely awesome golf courses are no longer going to be out of reach for those of us “common” golfers.

The structure of the website is pretty cool, along with playing private golf courses, you get to be a part of a golf community where you can interact with other, like minded golfers. I had an hour long conversation with McRedmond Morelli (yes, that’s his REAL name) discussing all the features and possibilites of Boxgroove.com and I was thoroughly impressed with some of the ideas he has. I’m sure I’m going to forget to mention a few of them but I’ll do my best to recall all the features we discussed.

Once you sign up, you create a profile, upload your picture and answer some general interest questions about yourself. Once that’s complete, other golfers can view that info and evaluate you as a potential playing partner. So, for example, if you’re both Orlando Magic fans, who like smoking cigars and betting you’re more likely to hit it off than someone who is allergic to smoke, hates the magic and is recovering from a gambling addiction. When you find someone who could be an awesome playing partner, you can schedule a round together.

Once the round is done, you can leave feedback on the person you played with so that other members will know if so and so is a stand up guy, or the opposite. I think this is a pretty cool feature, because no one wants to be stuck on a golf course with a guy who is constantly grating the nerves…

Depending on the course, you as a member of boxgroove.com can book and host a round for players who are not currently members. I think this has the potential to be a great business tool. How impressive would it be to a perspective client if you could get them on to some swanky high dollar establishment?

Also, if you’re a member of a country club, you can post up invitations to other folks in the area who you might be interested in meeting or getting them out to the course.

As a member, you’ll also be able to request tee times to play particular courses that aren’t presently offering any tee times in a given time slot.

I’m sure theres some other features I’ve missed, but this is the gist of what the website presently does.

There’s an annual membership fee of $49 bucks, but man, compaired to what you get, that’s a drop in the bucket.

Let me know if you sign up, i’ve got a profile up there and I’m member # 11521

Check it out!  Boxgroove.com

-Dave

Oh, if you’re a private golf course who’d like to get involved with boxgroove, shoot me an email or give me a call and I can forward all the contact info on to you.

HELP MYSTIC DUNES GOLF CLUB RAISE FUNDS FOR AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY BY PLAYING IN THE PINK RIBBON GOLF CLASSIC

CELEBRATION,FL (September 22, 2009) – At the young age of 30, Jill Levin heard the news that would change her life. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. With the help and support of the American Cancer Society, Jill was able to fightand winthe battle!

Upon receiving the news from her doctor, Jill went online to find more information about breast cancer and its treatments. She knew she wanted reputable information, and was pleased with the information found on the American Cancer Society’s web site.

“The information on the ACS web site allowed me to talk intelligently with my doctors,” said Jill.

A few days later, Jill underwent a mastectomy. When leaving the hospital the nurse informed her that as part of the discharge process, her surgeon had the nurse fax Jill’s information to the American Cancer Society. Two days later, Jill received a phone call from a volunteer with ACS’s “Reach to Recovery Program”. The volunteer delivered a gift bag to Jill’s home and offered moral support.

“The volunteer made me see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Jill. “She was leaving my home to meet friends for a game of tennis. I couldn’t believe she was so active! It made me realize that I would get my life back, too!”

Jill underwent eight months of chemotherapy, followed up by radiation. During chemo treatment, Jill made an appointment to visit ACS’s “Gift Room” where she able to pick up prosthesis, wigs, scarves and more at no charge. She also went to an ACS beauty class, “Look Good, Feel Better” with other cancer patients where she learned new skills like how to draw eyebrows and deal with changing skin.

“The room was filled with laughs. I left feeling like a million bucks,” said Jill. “In fact, while there, I almost forgot I had cancer.”

Two weeks after radiation, Jill became an official volunteer of the American Cancer Society by volunteering at a tent at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Today, ten years later, Jill still volunteers with ACS. She is cancer free and enjoys participating in triathlons and half-marathons.

Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club will raise funds for the American Cancer Society by hosting its 5th annual Pink Ribbon Golf Classic on Friday, October 9, 2009

“We are proud of our company’s commitment to community service, and we invite our friends, neighbors and community partners to join us for a fun day of golf and camaraderie in support of this great cause that touches the lives of so many,” said Roger Farwell, President and CEO of Tempus Resorts International , parent company of Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club.

The tournament will feature a four-person scramble format. Registration will begin at 12:00 noon and the scramble starts at 1:00 p.m. A reception including a silent and live auction will round out the day. Tournament fees are $95 per player or $350 per foursome, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. Mystic Dunes Golf Club is located at Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club, 7900 Mystic Dunes Lane, Celebration, FL 34747. Pre-registration for the tournament is required and can be done by visiting www.mysticdunesgolf.com or by calling 407-787-5678 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              407-787-5678      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 866-311-1234.

A limited number of hole sponsorships are available. Hole sponsors receive s ign recognition on 1 of 18 holes during the event, positioning on all LeaderBoard presentations throughout the day, and the option to place a promotional item in the tee gift bag. Companies interested in becoming a hole sponsor may contact Keith Bielski at 407-787-5639 or bielskik@tempusresorts.net.

Save up to 70% on tee times when you book on GolfNow.com Today!

I hope you’re having a great Friday! Here’s a little golf humor to help you get through the day.

The Rules of Golf

• The game of golf is 90% mental and 10% mental.
• If you want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
• Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.
• When you look up and cause an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.
• Any change works for a maximum of three holes and a minimum of not at all.
• No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.
• Never keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.
• When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one
  more club or two more balls.
• Golfer’s who claim they don’t cheat, also lie.
• If you’re afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead
  of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank
  lay-up, or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.

• The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.
• The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all your errors.
• If it ain’t broke, try changing your grip.
• It’s not a gimme if you’re still away.
• Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.
• A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponent’s luck.
• It’s surprisingly easy to hole a 50-foot putt when you’re lying 10.
• Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.
• Non chalant putts count the same as chalant putts.
• The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a
  straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.
• There are two kinds of bounces: unfair bounces, and bounces just the
  way you meant to play it.
• You can hit a 2-acre fairway 10% of the time, and a 2-inch branch
  90% of the time.
• Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.
  If you want to hit a 7-iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.
• To calculate the speed of a player’s downswing, multiply the speed of his backswing by his handicap. Example: backswing 20 mph, handicap 15, downswing 600 mph.
• There are two things you can learn by stopping your backswing at the top
  and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.
• Hazards attract. Fairways repel.
• You can put “draw” on the ball, you can put “fade” on the ball, but no golfer can put “straight” on the ball.
• A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.
• If there is a ball in the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is the one in
  the bunker.
• If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.
• Don’t buy a putter until you’ve had a chance to throw it.

Save up to 70% on tee times when you book on GolfNow.com Today!

I’ve received multiple questions from the readership asking if I could give them a list of Orlando golf courses that allowed walkers to play the course. So, I did the leg work and called almost every golf course in Orlando and the list below are those that allow walkers to play.

I was a bit shocked at how few courses are “walker friendly” and I was pleasantly surprised at a few that were.

Casselberry Golf Club	407-699-9310
Disney’s Oak Trail (9hole)	407-938-4653
Dubsdread Golf Course	407-246-2551
EagleCreek	407-273-4653
Eastwood Golf Club	407-281-4653
Fairways Country Club	407-282-7535
Faldo Golf Institute	407-238-7677
Grand Cypress Golf Club N/E/S	407-239-1975
Grand Cypress Golf Club New Course	407-239-1975
Grand Pines Golf Club	407-239-6909
Harmony Golf Preserve	407-891-8525
Hawks Landing Golf Club	407-238-8910
Highlands Reserve Golf Club	877-508-4653
North Shore Golf Club	407-277-9277
Ritz Carlton Golf Club	407-393-4900
Sugarloaf Mountain	407-544-1104
Victoria Hills Golf Club	386-738-6000
Wedgefield Country Club	800-573-3118
Winter Park Country Club	407-599-3339

Amateur golf seems to have adapted itself to the laziness that taken over our country. Yes, I know, golf courses are a business and they need to push through as many people as possible in order to stay in business, but out of all the courses I called, only 18 were walker friendly… That seems wrong to me.

One of the primary benefits of golf is the fact that if you forego the golf cart and walk from hole to hole, you’re actually walking between three to five miles. Considering that many courses have an ever changing topography, you could be climbing uphill and downhill, working several muscles in the process.

Walking is a low-impact cardiovascular activity that gets the heart pumping. Many doctors advise walking over jogging because it isn’t jarring on the knees and feet. Walking is often an important part of a workout routine and can promote weight loss and a healthier heart. For golfers who do not have a caddy, carrying a bag full of clubs adds some resistance while walking.

Research has indicated that playing a round of golf has the same health benefits of a full 45-minute fitness class. It will burn fat and also improve your good cholesterol levels. Some estimates suggest that playing a round of golf and carrying your clubs can burn over 400 calories, while walking with a pull cart can burn over 300 calories.

Swinging clubs and putting are also physical workouts. Repetition can help tone muscles in the arms, back and shoulders. It may also improve flexibility and range of motion. Golf also helps to strengthen hand-eye coordination and balance. It can be a great way for older players to remain spry and active in a low-impact way.

Apart from the apparent physical benefits, playing golf also has some mental health benefits as well. Simply being outdoors on a beautiful day can boost a person’s spirits. Provided you’re not caught up with the competition aspect and gunning to win, golf can also be a relaxing endeavor that helps stress melt away. There’s also the camaraderie of golf: spending time with friends and other players and engaging in conversation.

Golf has many benefits, and despite not being as high-energy as baseball or football, for example, it still remains a sport that can prove beneficial to your health.

exerpt taken from FortWayne.com

I’m just as lazy as the rest of us, but I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to walk atleast 1/2 of the rounds I play. What brought all this about was a couple weeks ago when I played out at Winter Park Country Club. It’s a nine hole course that I played twice and when I got back to the clubhouse I felt like crap, I was completely drained, and I’m still a “relatively” young man!

Also, something I saw a couple do one time, if you’re playing a course that’s cart-only, you and your playing partner can alternate walking and riding, one drives the cart whilst the other walks to their ball.

Do you prefer walking or riding?

If you liked this one, feel free to check out my other Orlando golf course reviews and if you’re looking to play, here’s a selection of discounted Orlando tee times.