Win Swing Reminders Golf Gear

All you have to do is sign up for Swing Reminders via E-Mail at http://swingreminders.blogspot.com/.

Register to win either a Swing Reminders Golf Shirt Men's or Ladies (by Monterey Club) or a Swing Reminders Wide Brim Hat (by Town Talk). Sign up to get Swing Reminders e-mails between March 30 - April 10, 2009. Two winners will be drawn on Saturday, April 11, 2009.

New Podcast

MyGolfingTrip.com has teamed up with SwingReminders.com to create a new podcast called Golf Trips and Tips.

The first show has just been published and is now available on www.swingreminders.com and iTunes.

MyGolfingTrip.com has teamed up with SwingReminders.com to create a new podcast called Golf Trips and Tips. The first show has just been published and is now available on www.swingreminders.com and iTunes. We will be podcasting the show bi-weekly and if you would like to subscribe to our feed for the show you can do so through iTunes. The show covers how to use MyGolfingTrip.com, current and future features for the website, golf trips we've been on and plan on attending, and golf tips from Swing Reminders.
We also plan on inviting special guests who are in the golf industry, so if you would like to promote a product, golf destination, etc., please let me know so we can schedule you for one of our next podcasts.

So, check out the new podcast!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=309364407
www.mygolfingtrip.com/Media

Weekly Swing Reminder - Get up & down

Get the ball on the green and make the putt.
Practice shots that you know you will need
on the golf course. If you miss the green to
the right every time, then practice the shot
that will get you up and down. Don’t get cute
and try something that you have no confidence in.

Lightning On The Golf Course

How many times have you been playing a great round of golf and all of a sudden a storm rolls in and all around you there is lightning? Well, I have a story for you.

Last weekend our Men's club took a trip to Green Valley, AZ to play a really nice course. We rented a bus, so that nobody had to worry about drinking and driving. We arrived about 40 minutes before our first tee time. I was in the third group, I hit a great little 2 Hybrid down the middle and we were off. On the 2nd fairway, it started to sprinkle, and by the 3rd tee box, it was pounding down huge raindrops. By the 3rd green, the temperature had dropped by 10 degrees and the rain was sideways. On the 4th tee, it started to thunder and lightning. Definately my least favorite time to be on the golf course. I figured that we would hear the horn any minute. But, the horn never blew. By hole #7 we were done, completely soaked, and very cold. So, we headed to the clubhouse. As the Tournament Director for the Men's Club, I walked into the Pro Shop and asked the guy at the counter if we could get a rain check for the group. He pointed to a sign on the counter that said "We do not issue rain checks." I was dumbfounded. I asked him why they hadn't blown the horn for the lightning. He said "We don't close the course." Again, I was dumbfounded. I asked if we could talk to the Pro, he said he was off this weekend. (What Pro takes a weekend off?)

As a former Golf Professional, I cannot imagine not closing the course for lightning. Plus, with rain that hard for nearly two hours, the course was starting to get saturated. I asked him to call the ranger and have all of our groups to come in, because it was too dangerous on the course. He did and the rest of the guys that hadn't come in, did so. Some guys only played 3 holes, some played 8 or 9.

We went to the restaurant/bar and ordered lunch and drinks. After a little while, we decided that the weather was not going to cooperate and decided once everyone had lunch, we would load the bus and go home.

I went back to the Pro Shop and the guy offered to give us $15 per person as a refund. It wasn't what we wanted, but we took it.

As you can imagine, the two hour trip home was not much fun. Except for all the drinks we had. The entire group was ticked off about the outcome. To say the least, we will not be going back to that course anytime soon.

Here is the USGA's policy on lightning. I think I should send a copy of it to the Pro, what do you think?

Suspension of Play Due to a Dangerous Situation (Note to Rule 6-8b)

As there have been many deaths and injuries from lightning on golf courses, all clubs and sponsors of golf competitions are urged to take precautions for the protection of persons against lightning. Attention is called to Rules 6-8 and 33-2d. If the Committee desires to adopt the condition in the Note under Rule 6-8b, the following wording is recommended:

"When play is suspended by the Committee for a dangerous situation, if the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they must not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they must discontinue play immediately and not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If a player fails to discontinue play immediately, he is disqualified, unless circumstances warrant waiving the penalty as provided in Rule 33-7. The signal for suspending play due to a dangerous situation will be a prolonged note of the siren." The following signals are generally used and it is recommended that all Committees do similarly: · Discontinue Play Immediately: One prolonged note of siren. · Discontinue Play: Three consecutive notes of siren, repeated. · Resume Play: Two short notes of siren, repeated.

Bag Tag - What's In Your Golf Bag?

My friends over at FindtheFairways.com have a pretty cool contest running.
It's something you should really check out, http://www.findthefairways.com/golfnews/bag-tag-whats-in-your-golf-bag-452.html

My bag was a mess and it's probably a great time of the year to do this. I mean it is spring and finding out what's in your golf bag is a great idea for getting ready for the season. Here is what I found in my bag this morning, when I dumped it out on the patio.
Oh yeah, don't mind those weeds in the background, I will be taking care of them just after I finish this blog post.

What golf bag?

Callaway XT Stand Bag (that needs a good cleaning)

What clubs?

This is a mixed bag for sure. Callaway Hyper X 10* Driver, Callaway X Hot 3 Wood, Adam's Idea Pro Hybrids 2 - 5, Ping I 5 Irons 6 - PW, Ping Tour 52* Gap Wedge, Cleveland 588 56* Sand Wedge (Old School), Odyssey # 9 XG White Hot Putter (33 1/2").

What else is in your bag?

This is where it gets weird. A Ping man purse (full of junk), rain pants, cinnamon granola bar, a putting peg (putting trainer, I thought I had lost), package of long shot club face covers (never used), old crown royal bag full of coins from everywhere, my broken shaft (used to help my alignment on the range), empty band aid package, rules book, two worn out gloves, empty sunscreen bottle, kozie for keeping a beer cold, medical tape, two sharpies, a spike wrench (no spikes), 7 new Callaway IX balls, 14 old balls, and the best thing I found was a free beer token for the clubhouse bar. That in itself was worth cleaning out the whole mess.

What’s the most important piece of kit in the bag that’s not a club, ball, glove or towel?

A baggie full of Swing Reminders. I use them and give them out to people I play golf with. They help you focus on your game. Check them out at www.swingreminders.com.

Do you carry a lucky charm?

I have a bunch of coins from around the world. The Thai Bhat ones are gold and silver, I like them. My two headcovers, one is for my Black Lab, Cody Bear and the other is Smokey from the UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE.

What’s the oldest thing in your golf bag?

I think it's my towel. I got it as a going away gift from my Special Ops Squadron back in 1997. It has the AFSOC and Squadron patches sewn onto it.

Which is your favorite club?

It has to be my putter. It's the strength of my game. But then again, I really like my 8 iron. They say that there is one club that just fits your swing. I think that has to be my 8 iron.

Well, I got it done. Cleaned out the bag, threw away the junk and replenished for the spring. You should really check this contest out, they are even giving a way some great prizes. Have a great golf weekend.

You have been tagged - bag tagged that is:
www.pinkdivagolf.blogspot.com, www.golfishardtv.com, www.mygolfingtrip.com, www.dits4golf.com

Golf Is Hard TV Contest

My buddy Marc over at Golf Is Hard TV.COM is having a cool contest and giving away a set of Swing Reminders. Just cruise over there http://www.golfishardtv.com/2009/02/winner-winner-chicken-dinner.html and get entered.

Golf Trip Planning

I have started to do some golf trip planning for buddy trips. It just kinda happened, but I think this is going to be another service Swing Reminders can provide for local Southern Arizona golfers. We have picked out 3 different locations for golfers to choose from; Casa Grande, AZ; Las Cruces, NM; and Mesa, AZ. Each of thses locations has multiple golf courses you can choose from, depending on your budget. Plus, we are trying to keep folks from having to drive more than 4 or 5 hours.

Back in January, we took 7 guys to Las Cruces, NM. We played New Mexico State Golf Course & Sanoma Ranch. Two really good courses, and the hotel was great. It had a small restaurant and bar. We got free breakfast and drink coupons. It was just what we needed.

In April, we will be taking 12 -16 golfers to Casa Grande, AZ. We will be playing two rounds at Southern Dunes Golf Club and one round at Francisco Grande Golf Course (pictured).

Sometime this summer, we will take the Mesa, AZ trip, probably when it's about 110 degrees in Phoenix. Oh well, you can't have perfect weather all the time.

If you are interested in planning a golf outing to one of these locations, or another one, just drop us a line at info@swingreminders.com. Have a great golf weekend.

Weekly Swing Reminder

Play Within Yourself

Don’t try and do things you have not practiced.
Play your own game. I see golfers all the time
try to hit a flop shot like the Pro’s on TV.
First of all, it is a hard shot, and you’ve
never practiced it, so do you really think you
can pull it off? The percentages are against you,
play the shot you know you can hit. Play the
percentages, the shots you have practiced.
You will play better golf and shoot lower scores.

Alltop Golf

This blog has made it to the TOP. Well, at least to Alltop (http://alltop.com/). Alltop is a magazine rack of stories that gets updated every hour. It's a pretty cool site, that you could probably spend countless hours searching. Swing Reminders is now listed on the Alltop Golf site. Check it out and check out Alltop. http://golf.alltop.com/

Sandbaggers !!

I know this is going to be a sore subject for most of you, but it has to be put out there. What kills me is that day after day, we keep talking about it.

The Urban Dictionary defines a sandbagger as : a person who pads a handicap or acts as if he/she is at a lower skill level than he/she actually is so he/she can achieve better during competition that's handicapped or by skill level.

I just took over my Men's Club Tournament Director position. It only took one tournament for me to start hearing about the "Sandbaggers". You know, the guy who play 5 days a week, has a 21 handicap and shoots net 62 in tournaments. Or the guy that carries a 5 handicap and shoots rounds of 68 during the week, but never puts his scores in the computer. Or even the idiot that claims he is a 3 handicap, and couldn't break 80 if his life depended on it.

What to do? We can't take them out behind the cart barn and shoot em. We make a big deal about it when giving out the prizes at tournaments, but they just don't seem to be bothered.
I think it just comes down to an issue of integrity and honesty. They have none. They only care about winning, at all costs, even if everybody wants to ring their necks.

I don't understand it, but I never have. A long time ago I was the Handicap Chairman for a Men's Club. Way before we had GHIN or computers to load handicaps. We had a sign in sheet in the pro shop, if you were a member, you signed in before playing. The pro printed out a huge computer print out of everyone's handicaps on a dot matrix printer once a month. After you played, you wrote your score on the print out. Once a week, I would go to the pro shop and take the sign in sheets from the week, and compare them to what was listed on the print out. If you signed in to play golf, but failed to post your score on the print out, you got a 72 posted. At first, it was like being a wanted man. I had to be careful around the clubhouse, you never knew when a shanked 9 iron might be headed your way. But, after a couple of months of whining, they got it. They made sure to post their scores, no problem. Of course, they still sandbagged, but they knew someone was watching them.

What happens at your course? What's the best way to take care of this annoying issue? Does anybody really care?

Competitive Golf Association Contest

My friends over at the Competitive Golf Association (www.competitivegolfassociation.com) are running a pretty cool contest and giving away some Swing Reminders. Head over there and check it out.


http://www.competitivegolfassociation.com/1820.h.Online_Golf_Contest