Preparing for sport is a concept that is well understood and followed by most competitors. The benefits include protection against injury, improved motor learning, and depending on the type of preparation used, improved sport performance as a result of increased strength and endurance.

Until recently, physical preparation for golf was non-existent. Thanks to top performers such as Tiger Woods and David Duvall, training for golf has become a popular method for improved performance. Coupled with the consistently positive results of research on exercise and aging, exercise and sport performance and exercise and health, exercise and golf are now seen as complimentary activities for most, and required activities for many.

Most generally, golfers that are looking to improve their performance on the links are in need of a more powerful swing, a more consistent swing, prevention of or relief from injuries, and improved endurance throughout 18 holes and practice. Incorporating specific physical activities into your life throughout the year can help do just that. Stronger muscles can generate greater force throughout the swing while at the same time protecting the muscles, ligaments and joints from injury. Fatigue is delayed as a result of cardiovascular exercise, allowing for not only more energy during a round, but more opportunities to play and practice throughout the season. Range of motion can be improved through both of these activities as well as the incorporation of a few stretching exercises.

And now is the time. If you want to experience how the benefits of exercise and activity translate directly to your golf game this season, follow this simple routine.

Exercise Routine

Watch the Glide Ball Video

The action of focusing on the ball not only provides a point of concentration but also keeps the head still.

When Aubrey and I were playing a lot together, we were often congratulated, upon the deftness of our short game—and the congratulations were usually followed by the comment, “How long you keep your head down after the ball has gone!” Their idea was obviously that I kept my head down because it enabled me to “keep my eye on the ball.” But what I was really doing was to keep my head down in order to retain the feel of the swing and to keep my controls going even though the ball had been dispatched. Few spectators realized that I often hit these shots with my eyes shut; yet I did so.
But by playing with my eyes closed, my senses are wide open. My main concern was to see that my general muscular feel and sense of balance continued right through to the end. Not until finishing the follow-thru did I look up to see where the ball had gone. I never miss a shot through looking up too quickly; I do sometimes miss one through fear of missing it! The primary fault is not in looking up but in losing the feel of the swing.
Incidentally I have taught many pupils to play beautiful pitch shots without looking at the ball. One very well-known golfer to whom I taught this brought out his “better-half” to watch him “do his circus stuff.” He played some beautiful shots high in the air over gaping bunkers, dropping close around the pin every time and all the while looking me straight in the face. His wife was utterly astonished; then she saw the funny side of it and laughed herself nearly into hysterics!

My view is that the good golfer can only see the ball when his swing is working smoothly, and then it looks as big as a tennis ball. The beginner sees the ball in another way, and because of this, more often than not he misses it. His attention is so concentrated upon seeing the ball that he cannot feel the action of his swing. The business of seeing the ball occupies him too exclusively.

Do I mean by that that the beginner needs to learn how to see the ball? That is exactly what I do mean. He must learn not to see the ball to the exclusion of all his other senses. So when I tell a pupil to keep his eye on the ball I at once go on to the work of building up a swing that makes looking at the ball a necessity. Of course every pupil “looks up” badly at first to have the pleasure of seeing where the ball has gone, but this is a primitive stage and soon over.

In the next stage, when I am impressing him more with the importance of swinging correctly, I find that he often becomes so engrossed in the swing as to be unable to remember to keep his eye on the ball. But in such a case I believe the cure must come by making the “head down” a natural outcome of the swing. If I simply insist upon “head down,” I run a risk of getting my pupil all stiffened up, “frozen on the ball” as we call it, and consequently only able to make hacking, chopping movements.

It’s essential for a golfer to know how far he’s able to hit his clubs on a consistent basis.  By practiving at the range, you’ll get a good idea of how far your driver can go as well as your 7 iron.  Armed with that knowledge, it’s much easier to manage your game while you’re out on the course.

Start with your driver and a bucket of balls.  Try different stances to discover which ones help you hit the ball further.  By hitting a lot of balls, you can find out what works and what does’nt work, on a consistant basis. Then you can switch to fairway woods and irons.  Practice the same techniques with these clubs.  You might need to buy another bucket of balls, but its well worth the money  to effectively know which clubs will give you the yardage and accuracy you need.

Golf courses often have lighted driving ranges, so even if you’re working during the day,  you can still practice your swing in the evening.  One thing to remeber while on the driving range is that you’re playing in perfect conditions.  There are no hills, there’s no sandtraps or water, and you are concentrating to the best of your ability.  Simply because you can hit a 300 yard drive on the range doesn’t always mean it’s always easy on the course.

Regardless, you can certainly learn quite a bit about your golf game while on the driving range.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to practice as often as you can. The driving range is designed for practice, so buy some balls & whack away.  You never know what you’ll discover!

Some people get plenty of entertainment when they simply play the game of golf. But it can be made so much more fun when you put twists on regular games. You can modify the way you play and get a lot more enjoyment from the game.

For example, why not play a game of “monkey golf”. For this game, you put slips of paper in a hat that bears the name of each club in a normal bag. Players pick out a slip of paper and they have to use only that club for the entire round. The entertainment possibilities here are endless as you can imagine a person driving off the tee with a putter or chipping with a driver!

You can find great entertainment in the golf game when you play a little night golf. Golf courses aren’t lighted, but you can get glow in the dark balls and have grease pots on the greens so you can see where you’re going – well, sort of. It’s great fun to drive your ball and then have to navigate in the dark to see where it went! Let’s hope you didn’t slice into the woods!

A friendly game of Wolf is hilarious entertainment. With this game, you have the option of picking players to be on your team based on how they hit the ball. Teams can change often. But the most fun of this game is when a player is putting to win the hole. The other players are allowed to do anything they want as long as they don’t touch the ball. That leaves the field wide open. You can cover the player’s eyes, place obstacles in front of the hole – the possibilities are endless – and great fun!

Some friendly side bets can also increase the entertainment value of the golf game. Try making these bets with dares instead of money. Wouldn’t it be funny to make your opponent play with his or clothes turned inside out if they don’t make that putt? Use your imagination and be creative – however, keep it G-rated. The golf course is, after all, a public place!

Finding entertainment on the golf course is actually quite easy when you think outside of the proverbial box. Just remember that the whole point of a friendly game is to have fun. So go out and do it!

When you are conducting business on the golf course, you have the luxury of sharing a common goal – to beat each other.  Yet at the same time, when you are playing with business associates on the golf course, you really need to practice some decorum as you compete against each other.

So how do you balance business with sport on the golf course?  Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question.  Just as with any decision in business, you have to weigh the outcome with what is happening.  If you are trying to land a big account, you probably won’t want to make fun of your potential client’s missed chip shot.

However, you won’t want to gain a reputation as a suck-up either.  If your potential client makes a 7 on a par 3 hole, you really don’t want to whoop and holler because it will be obvious you are just trying to stroke his (or her) ego.  Conducting business on the golf course is a delicate proposition, so start with a plan in mind.

DO NOT – (and this can’t be stressed too much) – DO NOT begin your golf match with a declaration of what business outcome you hope to accomplish by the end of the round.  If you want to insure that you will be landing that big account, don’t put on your golf glove on tee #1 and declare your intention.  The idea behind conducting business on the golf course is to make friends first and then do your business.

As you are playing, keep in mind that you will want to bring your “A” game as much as is humanly possible.  Sure, you might be playing against a person who is head and shoulders above you, but if you are the better player, DON’T let them win just because you want to gain their business.  Play golf like you mean it and you’ll gain the prospect’s respect.

There is much business that is done on the golf course every day of every week.  You won’t find a better place to make a business deal than on the links.  However, you will want to use some form of decorum to insure that your business goals will come to reality.  Taking business to the golf course could be the best business decision you ever make!

PowaKaddy golf carts are pull carts on which you put your club so you can easily walk your round of golf.  Most are run by small batteries that are on the cart.  Here are some of their products along with a brief description of each:

* Freeway Titanium Compact and All-Terrain – These carts break down for easy transportation.  In just two simple clicks, it opens and closes making these carts very easy to use.  PowaKaddy has made these carts from an AMST alloy chassis which makes them light and strong.  These are their best selling power carts.  The compact version is easily transportable, and the all-terrain version is designed for rugged, hilly courses.
* Freeway Titanium Sport – This cart is similar to the Compact, but PowaKaddy has added some touches of refinement.  The chassis is also made with AMST alloy steel, but it also has low profile sport wheels and a nearly noiseless engine.  It also has an Electronic Distance Function which will automatically drive your cart forward.
* Robokaddy – This cart is touted as the neatest, lightest powered cart that obeys your every command by remote control.  You direct operations via a small pocket sized transmitter.  The motors are very quiet and it easily folds up for convenient transportation and storage.
* Classic Legend – This new cart combines all the best features of the Classic with the PowaKaddy Freeway.  It has a removable handle, and is made with AMST steel just like the other PowaKaddy carts. 

PowaKaddy also sells state-of-the-art regular pull carts for golfers who don’t mind providing their own power to transport their clubs.  Their extensive line of golf bags fit perfectly on any of their carts as well as any other pull cart.  PowaKaddy provides a large line of golf accessories as well for golfers to choose from.

This amazing company has great products for the avid golfer.  If you’ve never considered the possibility of a motorized pull cart, go over to the PowaKaddy website and find out everything you need to know about their exciting new innovations!  You can find them at www.powakaddyusa.com.

In 1990, Joseph Gibbs a cellphone/cable entrepreneur from Alabama, offered to host a professional golfer for the 1990 PGA Championship. Mr. Gibbs was ecstatic to learn he would be hosting Arnold and Winnie Palmer during the week of the tournament. A friendship was quickly formed along with discussion of a 24-hour cable network devoted entirely to golf.

After conducting a Gallup survey to determine public interest, Joe Gibbs was pleased to realize that there was a strong interest for a golf channel among the general public. The successful entrepreneur and the golf legend were convinced that The Golf Channel would thrive with offerings for the golf-loving viewer.

By 1995, the new corporation had raised over $80 million in startup funds for The Golf Channel. It debuted with less than 1,000 cable subscribers. The Golf Channel’s first live televised tournament was the Dubai Desert Classic which debuted on January 19, 1995.

Since then, The Golf Channel has grown by leaps and bounds in popularity. Many cable and satellite dish systems now carry The Golf Channel as part of their regular lineup of channels. It is now broadcast in Canada & Japan and in 1999, reached a “break even” status on their financial statements.

Today, The Golf Channel is considered the place to go for golf news and programming. They have a daily golf news show called “Golf Central” along with “College Central” which is dedicated to college golf. They air highlight shows of past tournaments and have many programs with professionals handing out golf tips to the eager viewer.

Not to be left behind with the reality TV phenomenon, The Golf Channel has joined in with their reality-based program called “The Big Break”. This program was designed to help aspiring professionals gain exemptions into PGA Tour and LPGA events. It has proven to be wildly successful.

In 2005, The Golf Channel helped set up a special match play event called Big Stakes Golf, in which teams of two paid a $100,000 entry fee to play in a special tournament where the winning team split a $3,000,000 first-place prize, the largest in golf history. In the end, mini-tour professionals Garth Mulroy and David Ping won the grand prize.

Two guys had a dream – one with business savvy, and one with golf savvy – and when The Golf Channel was born, that dream became a reality. Many households depend on The Golf Channel for their daily golf news – and this author’s household is no different. We love The Golf Channel – and you will too!

A golf membership will give you access to certain perks non-members won’t receive. Your greens fees may be reduced or, more often, included in the membership. That means you can play as much as you want and not have to pay greens fees. Golf memberships often don’t include the use of a cart, so you’ll probably pay extra for that.

Having access to programs with your golf membership is another great perk. That might mean reduced fees for league play, free entries into tournaments, and access to the club’s facilities for other events like meetings, dinners, and more.

There’s a lot of golf courses that won’t even let you play unless you have membership with them. These are the private clubs which only allow members and their guests to play. That means without a golf membership to that club, you have to know someone who is a member in order to get on the course.

Even small, public courses offer golf memberships. This is a great way for them to generate more play as well as make some guaranteed money. They will offer up some of the other advantages that private clubs do in the form of free or reduced greens fees, etc.

Sometimes, golf memberships can be quite steep. For example, one of this author’s local golf clubs sets membership fees at $700 per year for a single membership. The course is run by a Senior PGA pro and it is a beautiful place to play. When you consider the amount of golfing we do, we have paid for our membership in just a few weeks just by saving on greens fees since we don’t pay to play as a member of the club.

When we speak of a golf membership, we can also refer to membership in a golfing organization. You have to be a pro to join the PGA, but amateurs can join amateur organizations. Most areas have regional golf organizations where you can buy a membership to become part of them. These associations often hold sanctioned tournaments and can really help get your name known at least locally as a good golfer.

If you’re an avid golfer, you really should consider buying a membership in your local golf club. It can be a very good move and can save you tons and tons of money while allowing you to enjoy the game you love!

* Club Pro – this golf job requires that you are a very good golfer with consistently high scores.  Usually a golf pro job is held by someone who has been to golf teaching school and is a member of various professional organizations.

* Greenskeeper – some people this is the most important golf job at a golf course.  A greenskeeper is responsible for taking care of the greens (obviously).  This person must have a knowledge of chemicals and know how to apply them so that the greens are lush and – well – green.  The greenskeeper is also responsible for mowing the greens and taking care of the fringe.

* Course manager – this job can be one of the most intense jobs at a golf club.  This individual is responsible for directing and overseeing all operations of the golf course including management of personnel.

* Golf shop staff – the people with this job assists and registers customers for play.  They oversee merchandise control, take money for greens fees, and often assist with running of tournaments.

* Starter - The starter maintains the starting times and tee sheet, and ensures that golfers get off the first tee in a prompt and orderly manner. This job is crucial in keeping the tee times on time. The starter also helps golfers find a game if they are by themselves. The starter is an important part of making sure customers will have a pleasant golfing experience.

* Equipment mechanic - Golf courses use many different types of hand tools, cutting devices and motorized vehicles. This mechanic’s job would be responsible for keeping everything in working order is crucial to the facility’s smooth operation.

* Golf course maintenance - People most suited to work on the golf course maintenance team are those especially fond of nature and working with the land. This position usually reports early in the morning and is off work by 2:00 or 3:00 pm. This outside position could be responsible for cutting grass, irrigation, sodding, trimming, applying fertilizer and pesticides and much more.

*Professional Golfer - As with any other sport golf also does have a professional level.  The difference between playing professional golf and amateur golf, however, can be a very fine line.  There are a lot of amateur golfers that can score at the professional level, however, they are unable to do it consistently and often miss out on the tournaments that can qualify them to get on the tour.
Nonetheless, it is a dream of many golfers to play professional golf one day and make a living doing something that they truly, truly love.  Your office is the course, and your co-workers are people who love the game just as much as you do.  You share common interests at the professional level of golf and it can be a very satisfying career.  But isn’t that obvious?
Qualifying to play professional golf is another story altogether.  The field is very competitive and it can be extremely difficult to break through.  Some people try their whole lives to qualify and always come up short.  It takes a lot of practice, a lot of dedication, and an ability to take a lot of disappointment to play professional golf, so know what you’re in for!

To get started playing professional golf, you will first have to qualify for “Q School” or Qualifying School.  Q Schools are annual qualifying tournament for leading golf tours like the PGA and the LPGA.  In Q School, a fixed number of players win membership to the tour for the following season.  In professional golf, this is referred to as your “tour card”.  You will then be able to play in most of the tour’s events without having to qualify.
Getting through the Q school is very competitive and most professional golfers never achieve it.  There can be up to four stages to negotiate each of them like a regular golf tournament with only a small number of players going on to the next state.  The final qualifying school may be played over up to six rounds compared with the standard four rounds in a professional golf tournament.  However, players who are successful at Q school can reach the elite level of competition very quickly.

You can also qualify to play professional golf in other ways.  Finishing near the top of the money list on the tour’s developmental tour, winning a tournament on the tour after qualifying or as a sponsor’s invitee, or winning enough money on multiple events on the tour to meet whatever criteria the tour may lay down for promotion to full membership.  This last one was how Tiger Woods gained his first tour card. Playing professional golf is not an easy career to pursue, but it is a great way to make a living!  Persistence, patience, and a great game of golf can all get you on your way to playing professional golf, but be realistic and know that it will take time.

Having a job where you work at a golf course is a great way to get out on the links as an insider at the golf club.  When you pursue a job at a golf course, be sure you are qualified and then enjoy your new position!