Duration : 0:2:9

Technorati Tags: 2010, celebrities, golf, Pro-Am, TaylorMade-adidas, Tournament

Probably the only thing more difficult and frustrating than gaining a degree of proficiency at playing golf is trying to make a buck betting golf. As the PGA Tour tees it up for the start of another season this month, it’s a sober fact of betting that no matter how you slice it–into the rough, into the water, into the woods, beyond the hazard–earning a profit through golf betting may be the most absurdly arduous and unrewarding task facing a prospective sports bettor.

Consider that if you place a future book wager on a major tennis tournament where there are 128 entrants, such as Wimbledon or the US Open, your choice has to beat just seven players. The other 120 are eliminated by someone else.

The same thing happens in the NFL playoffs where a team need beat just three or four opponents to claim a Super Bowl championship. The NBA and Major League Baseball have similar formats, where most of the teams are eliminated by someone other than the eventual winner.

About the closest thing to golf is a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, where your driver has to beat 42 other competitors.

But a typical golf tournament features about 150 players, meaning the man on whom you placed your wager, has to beat every one of them.

Given those overwhelming odds, then, why play?

The answer, of course, is because the payoffs can be so large. For example, of the 48 regular season events on the 2006 PGA Tour, 17 of them were won by players returning a three digit reward to the bettor. An additional nine tournaments went to players whose odds ranged from 40/1 to 80/1.

The list of bountiful winners is headed by J.B. Holmes, who captured the FBR Open, Feb. 5, and Chris Couch, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, April 30, each at odds of 250/1.

Kirk Triplett (Chrysler Classic of Tucson, Feb. 26); Aaron Baddeley (MCI Heritage, April 16); Brett Wetterich (Byron Nelson Championship, May 14); Ben Curtis (Booz Allen Classic, June 25 and 84 Lumber Classic, Sept. 17); Dean Wilson (The International, Aug. 13); and Eric Axley (Valero Texas Open, Sept. 24), all scored at odds of 150/1.

Last year’s winners at 125/1 included Rod Pampling (Bay Hill Invitational, March 19); Stephen Ames (The Players Championship, March 26); Jeff Maggert (FedEx St. Jude Classic, May 28); Carl Pettersson (the Memorial Tournament, June 4); J.J. Henry (Buick Championship, July 2); and Corey Pavin (US Bank Championship, July 30).

Nail just one of the above winners and you’re good for a free ride betting the PGA Tour every week for two to five years, depending on the size payout of that one winner.

So what’s the problem? Just bet a longshot each week.

Well, for starters, exactly how do you find a J.B. Holmes or a Chris Couch? When Holmes won the FBR Open there were 109 other golfers offered at odds of 100/1 or more, including 51 at odds of 250/1 or greater. In fact, if you were looking for a real longshot, there were 35 golfers who were offered at betting odds of 300/1 or more, including Tony Rohlik and Ian Leggatt, each at a life-changing 750/1. How in the name of Titleist could you isolate Holmes, who won in just his fourth PGA start?

It was a similar situation when Couch won in New Orleans. At that tournament, 26 other golfers were listed at 250/1 and 19 more were quoted at odds of 300/1 or greater.

Given the difficulty in isolating a longshot, maybe betting the favorite is the better way to go.

Well, no.

Favorites won just nine events last year and, with the exception of Phil Mickelson’s triumph at odds of 7/1 in the BellSouth Classic, April 2, the other eight favorites all were named Tiger Woods.

Woods, in fact, won eight of the 15 PGA Tour events he entered last year, meaning you could have realized a modest profit by betting on the world’s No. 1 player in each start. But for his career, Woods has won 54 of 200 tournaments, or just over one in every four tournaments he’s entered, so you’d have to average odds of 3/1 to break even.

That’s not going to happen.

So how do you win betting golf?

“I don’t know anyone who bets golf consistently and wins,” conceded a Nevada bookmaker who asked he not be identified. “It’s really a fool’s errand. The only way someone can win betting golf is to hit a longshot and never bet again.”

Yeah, right.

Luken Karel
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-betting-has-its-risks-and-rewards-93518.html

You may have wondered if your golfing predecessor existed. Was there such a person who also thought up the concept of a golf tournament for an easy day off and a chance to beat the pants off your superior?

How did golf tournaments come about / what is their history? In 1860 eight professionals competed in a golf tournament at Prestwick in Scotland playing three 12-hole rounds of golf for the prize of a red leather belt. The idea for the prize was derived from medieval knights’ tournaments, and any player who could win this golfing tournament three years running would gain permanent possession of the belt. This event was eventually won by Willie Park and this served as the forerunner of the now famous British Open Golf Championship.

The early years of the championship was dominated by one ruffian named “Old Tom Morris” and his son appropriately named “Young Tom Morris”. Tom Morris Senior was one of the most prominent figureheads in the early development of the golfing sport. Mr. Morris Senior was well known as a golfing ball and club maker at the Prestwick and St. Andrews golfing centers. And as well later became influential in golf course architecture. As well Mr. Morris Sr. went on as an expert golfer to win the British Open championships in consecutively in 1861, 1862 and 1864.

The younger son Tom Morris was even more a more skillful and polished golfer winning the four British Opens unbelievably winning three tourneys in a row from 1868 to 1870 and thus claiming possession of the coveted red belt. Three years later the Claret Jug was introduced as the Open prize, and it remains so today.

Thus the Morris clan dominated the historic golf tournament site early on, but the Open Championship and British golf was yet to be surprised. The trio of the Great Triumvirate of Harry Vardon , John Henry Taylor and James Braid unbelievably won 16 golf tournament titles in the time period between 1894 and 1914 and even played second a combined total of 12 times.

Of the three players of the group Mr. Vardon had the most significant and long standing impact on the golfing scene and game beyond his great competitive spirit. Vardon’s exhibition tours – both at home in the Isles and abroad introduced golf and the golfing sport to millions of people who otherwise would have had no interest or introduction to the passion of golf. In a marker of merchandising and marketing trends to come Vardon even introduced his own line of the then currently used gutty golf balls called the “Vardon Flyer. Mr. Vardon can be appropriately credited as the first golf professional golfer to endorse commercial products. Shades of things to more than come.

Eventually Vardon conducted an extended tour in the U.S. in 1900 to promote the new ball and used the occasion to enter and play in the U.S. Open which he handily won at the Wheaton Golf Club located in Illinois. To show the British emphasis of the British golfing trio Mr. Vardon cleared two strokes ahead of his colleague in crime John Henry Taylor. Mr. Vardon and Taylor provided the distant early championship’s start. They provided instant interest and credibility. Much interest was created by Vardon being the creator of the famous and established Vardon golf grip. You may not have realized that this overlapping golf grip may well be a standard that you are employing without knowing or appreciating its historic origins.

In the end it all comes down to the quest of human competitiveness friendly or otherwise as a means to improve ones golf game or ego that resulted in our current passion for golf tournaments and events. Then again golfing tournaments may of begun as a way to justify time off of employment duties or to beat the pants off of one’s superior without too much apparent risk.

Syd Z. Nohcud
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/the-golf-tourney-the-company-team-social-100495.html

Other video work at www.grandrapidsgolflesson.com and www.motivitypictures.com

Duration : 0:1:10

Technorati Tags: golf coaching Grand Rapids, Golf instruction grand rapids, golf lesson, Grand Rapids, Highlands CC, Highlands GC, Masters Golf Tournament, Masters PGA Tour, Motivity Pictures, Scott Seifferlein

I’ve never golfed before (outside of going to the driving range every summer.) Any advice on what I should wear?

It depends what your body type is and how you feel. I would never want to wear short in front of my co-workers = my legs just aren’t my best assets.

Head to the local sears visit the Lands End section. You can buy nice summer weight pants/shorts. Get something that is "modern" but not flashy. You should be able to find a shirt that works too.

When it come to cheap golf balls, many golfers prefer to use them as practice balls rather than risk losing their more expensive balls. But even though they choose to use cheap golf balls for this purpose, the balls should still be selected to fit the performance of the golfer using them. The right golf ball can impact a golfer’s game.

Buying used balls

When you need cheap balls to practice with before a big tournament, or to help you get used to the sport, you can find a used golf ball dealer selling cheap golf balls online. Just because the balls are used doesn’t mean that you can’t find high quality golf balls as well. After all, the only real difference between many used golf balls and brand new balls is that a used ball has been hit at least one time. That means you can find cheap golf balls that are constructed from the same materials as high-end golf balls, and they perform the exactly same. The only difference is the price.

Cheap golf balls for new golfers

Novice golf players often choose cheap golf balls as they learn the basics of the game. It hurts a lot less to lose a few two dollar golf balls than it does to loose five dollar balls. Because these players are just starting to learn the sport, they may not be able to tell the difference between most cheap golf balls and high quality, brand name balls. As they hone their skills and gain a better understanding of the game of golf, they began to understand and even feel the difference and edge many more expensive balls offer.

Choosing the right balls for your game

If you purchase golf balls from online used golf ball dealers, you will notice that each company has their own way of rating the quality of a golf ball. Understanding a dealer’s rating system is an important part of getting the right golf ball.

It is also important to know which golf ball brand can help improve your game. For example, some golf balls are known for improving distance or control and direction. Do you homework by reading a variety of reviews about golf ball performance. When you find out about a certain golf ball that might enhance your game, go online to buy cheap golf balls instead of paying retail prices.

Buy in bulk

Buying cheap golf balls in bulk gives you a nice supply of balls to continue practicing your game. You will worry a lot less about losing balls around water, in bushes and on during drive practice if you use bulk purchased golf balls for your practice sessions. Save your more expensive, name brand golf balls for actual games.

Cheap golf balls aren’t necessarily low performing golf balls. Many golf balls get low ratings because of scuffs and cuts that cannot be eliminated. Other than the physical appearance, cheap golf balls can perform as well as any store bought balls.

Lorne McCaslin
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/cheap-golf-balls-a-great-choice-for-beginning-golfers-510489.html

Blind Doubles
Let’s say there are 4 people playing in a group. Scorecards will be traded so no one is keeping their own score. Individuals can keep their own score for accuracy if they want. At the end of the game, names of all of the players are placed in either a low handicap or high handicap basket and a name is drawn from each. The scores from these 2 players are added together and the team with the lowest would win.

Lowest Team Score
Again let’s say there are 4 people in a group. Individual scores are kept and the lowest score of the 4 is taken for each hole. This becomes the team score. The team with the lowest score would win.

Many golfers are very particular with their sport equipments. And a real golfer values his golf set a lot. Golf such an expensive sport. Every equipment, club, and accessory should be well taken cared of, if only to protect your investment. This is the reason why golf travel cases are one of the necessities of a golfer. A golf travel case is the equipment that will secure the clubs when the golfer is out on a golf vacation or playing on a tournament. It is quite impossible to bring all the clubs that you need with you without the travel case. You can’t play golf without this piece of equipment.

Fortunately, golfers have many choices when it comes to golf travel cases. But if you only want the best, be certain of what you should buy. If you are not careful, you will end up with something of low quality. To guide you as to which golf travel case to buy, follow these tips:

1. Consider the style.

You might think that style is the least important. But that isn’t the case with golf travel cases. With the many designs you can choose from, it is only right that you pick the right one – the one that is a perfect match to your needs. The two major classes of golf travel bags are the hard-sided and soft-sided ones. Between the two, the hard-sided types are the better choice because of its durability and overall protection. The only downside of this style is that it can be quite heavy. It is not as portable as the soft-sided ones. So choose wisely. Do you need superior protection or would you rather go for convenience?

2. Consider the brand.

There are many golf travel cases manufacturers these days. Some of your choices are Cargo Golf, Burton, Datrek, and Samsonite. Needless to say, you have to go for the brand that you trust. Get the one that is made by the manufacturer of your own luggage.

3. Define the price.

You might be able to afford every golf travel case in the market. But even so, you should declare a reasonable budget for it. Know that these cases are normally sold at $100 up. Golf travel sets sold lower than a hundred bucks may not be durable. But those priced ridiculously might be too much a joke to buy. You know your finances. So buy accordingly.

4. Find retailer discounts.

Discounts do count. Try to buy from a store, whether online or offline, that gives out price cuts in your purchase. It may be as small as a shipping discount. But that would mean a lot of savings if you think about it. Some stores sell golf sets or packages. If you can get your travel case along with the rest of the clubs, that’s going to be a big benefit to you.

5. Check the warranty.

Always check the warranty that goes with the product you’re buying. Golf travel cases come with a warranty too. It would be best to go for the one that offers replacement or repairs for their cases because you are almost assured of a good quality product with them.

Edward Chen
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/tips-on-choosing-a-golf-travel-case-755732.html