Simple Reminders Of My Love For Golf

It's almost June and I finally played my first round of the year! Well, half a round anyway. I managed to squeeze nine holes in on Saturday morning. My score? Not so memorable. But the round? Memorable as always.This particular round was nothing out of the ordinary. So you might ask what exactly made it memorable then? I guess it's more the experience of the first round of the year than it is the actual golf itself. It's like, once I get out on the course for the first round of the year, I seem to remember all of the things I love about the game. It's as if I forgot what golf was like during the long winter lay-off. But it doesn't take long for the memories to come rushing back. Once I walk into the clubhouse, I'm reminded of the things I enjoy...

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Golfstinks.com: The Best Course Database on the Web

For more than 18 months, the Golf Stinks blog has informed and entertained...and we're growing in readership everyday (thanks to you)! One of the main reasons we created this blog was to convey the notion that you don't have to be good at this game to love it. The other reason was to have a voice for our forthcoming website, golfstinks.com.Well, we've been hard at work developing said website and have recently launched a major component: Our Golf Course Database!The database features more than 18,000 public and private courses in the United States! In addition, it includes nearly 2,000 courses in Canada, and a select few in 19 other countries!You can access the database by using the search box "Golf Course Search" right in our blog (on the...

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Book Review: Little Balls Big Dreams

You know that feeling you get when you hit a ball on the sweet spot of the club? When everything clicks - a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact...And, of course, the ball goes exactly where you intended it to go. You think to yourself; "If I could only hit it that way all the time." We all have those "perfect" shots inside us, we just need to work on hitting more than one a round (or season...or lifetime). But what if one perfect shot led to another and another and before you knew it, everything you ever learned about how to correctly swing a golf club connected both physically and mentally on a regular basis? Sounds a bit fantastical, doesn't it? One shot and BAM! You're a scratch golfer. Come on, that's the stuff of fiction.Well,...

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Golfing Until The End...Of Days That Is

Well, May 21st came and went, and we're all still here. And not to sound selfish, even though this will, but I'm still here, and that's what matters most to me. Because if I wasn't still here, then my golfing life would have ended prematurely...and what a waste that would have been. See, I've never played any of the so called "greatest" courses. And if the world were to end before I had the chance to at least play a few, then I would be seriously pissed.Also, I have yet to break 90. If I was to die at the end of the world before I ever broke 90 (because I know it's going to happen one of these days) I certainly would have needed to have a sit-down with the planners of this Rapture. And I promise, there would have been several unkind words flying...

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Book Review: Golf List Mania!

As soon as I found out I was getting a copy of Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman's "Golf List Mania!" I began to schvitz in excitement. Besides it being a future 19th hole and coffee table staple, this book offers up (as they perfectly denote), "The Most Authoritative and Opinionated Rankings of the Best and Worst of the Game." I personally enjoy reading stuff as interesting as this.Included are lists by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as well as original stuff courtesy of Jim Nantz (who, by the way, offers up a great foreword) and one of America's greatest sports writer, Dan Jenkins. Shapiro and Sherman delve into this with no holds barred. They have lists ranging from Arnie's "My Five Most Important Victories" to a personal favorite...

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Why the Polara Ball will Hurt, Not Help Golf

Last week, The New York Times published an article about a golf ball that doesn't slice. I'm sure you probably read about it - there was much re-posting going on in the golf blogosphere.The basic theme of many blog posts regarding the new ball was: "This is great - a ball that flies straight! The only catch is it's not sanctioned by the golfing gods. But [they ask as a devilish smile widens across their face] should we use it anyway?"Obviously, professional golfers won't be using this ball. So that leaves the rest of us. In fact, "the rest of us" is exactly who the developer had in mind when marketing this illegal orb:"It�s for the other [non pro] golfers, the ones who rarely hit it straight...It�s for people who want to be embarrassed less,...

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Am I Motivated by the Hole-In-One Prize?

During a recent commute, I passed by a billboard promoting a golf tournament at a somewhat local country club. Nothing out of the ordinary, but what caught my eye was the hole-in-one prize - a brand new, 2011 Corvette. Being a big Corvette fan, this naturally got my juices flowing. And being that it's mid-May and I still have yet to even attempt to play a round of golf this year, this was beginning to get me motivated. But after passing by the sign, I thought about where the tournament was taking place. This is a former private course which only two years ago, during the deepest depths of the recession, went public...obviously because they were losing money. So how is it they have the money now to put on this tournament? Not to mention, how...

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Hacking Away At Calories

Back in August of 09', fellow Stinky Golfer Chris posted "Is Golf Exercise?" His point was that golf is supposed to be enjoyed and who cares what issues the nay-sayers have with golf not being considered "exercise." Taking it a step further, I decided to revisit this issue and focus on the benefits golfing HAS towards a healthier lifestyle.We all know a lot of people push golf aside as a legit form of exercise. Granted, it isn't quite as rigorous as the P90X workout but it is definitely a way to HELP shed some excess weight. As new data surfaces and the concern for better health, diet and so on pursues, we look for different ways to keep the ol' ticker in tip-top shape.It seems there are new diets coming out every day such as the obvious Atkins...

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The Quest to Play Every Golf Course in my State

Every now and then, you reach a point in your life when you feel the need to accomplish something for you and only you. Things have a way of carrying on in the same manner; a routine sets in and before you know it, it's been months, perhaps even years since you've done something truly unique.For me, the year was 2003. By then, I had been playing golf for 14 years and I hadn't gotten any better. It's strange, actually; My golf game had gotten smarter - I learned to lay-up to the 150-marker so I could hit 8-iron into the green every time; I learned to hit a 5-wood off the tee to sacrifice distance for control; I learned to, well...I learned to play it safe.I knew I couldn't compete on any pro tour or even have a chance to win a local tournament....

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How Can I Take Advantage of the Mother's Day Special?

Always looking for the chance to play a round of golf, or to play golf for less money than usual, I have to be on the lookout for every discount opportunity available. But what to do around this time of year? By "this time of year" I mean Mother's Day. With all of the Mother's Day specials floating around, I as a male golfer, am left out in the cold. So what do I do?My mother is not a golfer, and as evidenced here, here and here...neither is my wife. As a matter of fact, none of the women in my life are golfers. So it seems there's only one way to take advantage...bring my wife anyway.Here's the plan - Stinky Golfer Greg, his wife, my wife and I show up to the course offering the "Mom's Play Free" special. I'll have her carry Greg's clubs into...

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Golf...An Athlete's Game?

What the hell does this mean? Well the more I play, or should I say "suck at" golf, the more I realize that this game requires a multitude of athletic skills, with each skill drawing from a different sport. I believe the worse you are at golf the more you develop as an all around athlete. How is this so? Let me explain. You see, besides the swinging of the clubs, golf offers us many opportunities to engage in other sports. For example, let's take track and field, more specifically - the hammer throw. You can probably see where this is going. The hammer throw is pretty much launching the hammer* as far as possible. Just like when you screw up that 50 yard chip onto the green after smashing a 300+ yard drive - you launch your club as far as...

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Golf Stinks: Los Golfistas Perezoso

I've played golf pretty consistently over the last 20 years and to that end, I should be rather ashamed of myself thus far in 2011.The truth is, I haven't played once yet this year. Back when I was on my quest to play every public 18-hole golf course in my state (more on that in a future post), I would keep a schedule that began in early April and ended in late October. It wasn't that rigorous of a schedule (an 18-hole round every other weekend for seven straight months) but if I missed one, I would have to make it up the next month or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. After my quest was completed, things started to become disorganized (or what most of you may consider "normal"). Gaps in my schedule would go unfilled, until the schedules...

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Finally...Golfing Weather! So Why Wasn't I Golfing?

Mid- to upper 60's, a bit of a breeze, only a few clouds to be seen...this is fantastic golfing weather! There have been several nice days so far this year, just not on a weekend. So what more could I possibly ask for? This is the perfect day to hit the links for the first time this year.But I didn't. Instead, my boys and I hopped in the car this morning and made our way to the bait shop. We grabbed a couple dozen night crawlers, headed out to a nice lake and proceeded to spend the next few hours casting our lines into the water hoping to reel in a good fish tale.But I have to ask myself...is there something wrong with me? What I mean is, I have waited all winter for a weekend day like this one to get out on the golf course. And when this day...

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