Make Sure You Shout...!

Golf is a very interesting sport, that is at least in my eyes. I have had my fair share of goofs and laughs on the course. It's good to laugh at yourself and remember not to take things so seriously. People tend to get so inside of their head that they don't give themselves a mental break and push themselves way too hard. I have flopped some very basic shots that I more than capable of achieving. I used to be so hard on myself until I learned that golf is just a game that I am good at. I have missed little baby putts for birdie and continued to miss them for par. Sometimes you just can't win!
One very nerve wracking mistake I have made and sometimes still make is gauging if the people in front of me are far enough away for me to hit my first shot. This happened a lot during my freshman to junior years of high school. I began weight training with my coach and was growing stronger and stronger. My problem is that I truly underestimated the potential of my strength. It was simply out of habit and the lack of understanding of how much stronger I had been getting from the training. One key rule of golf is that if your ball gets anywhere close to other players or is heading in their direction and getting close you are to make sure that you shout "FORRREEEEE!" It is simply golf etiquette and respect that is expected to be mutual among all players.
One day I was teeing off on a very long 500 yd par 5 hole. I was completely sure that I could only hit a tee shot that would soar for no more than 235 yards. There was a man that was about another 60 yards ahead of where I thought that I could hit. So I did not see a problem in teeing off on that hole. I completely turned down any chance there was of me ever hitting a shot that would go further than 240 yards and did not ever think my ball would be able to reach almost 300 yards out. Well I was terribly wrong. I stood and watched as my ball just rocketed off of the tee box. It kept going and going and was approaching the man and his golf cart ahead. I was stuck in a moment of shock and could not get the four letter word out of my mouth, FORE. I watched as the ball luckily was stopped by the top of the golf cart, yet still hit the man of his head. I was devastated because I knew the danger of a flying golf ball. Once I caught up to the man I noticed that his head was very red and his friends had returned with ice to put on his head. I was on the verge of tears at this point and kept apologizing to the man explaining that I had never ever been able to hit that far. His response was rather comforting and he said, "Great shot kid!" I was so shocked  that he was being so calm and did not want to file a lawsuit against me. He continued on with his day and I continued to try to not be traumatized by the event. Never will I ever again forget to shout FORE.

Taking on the Masters 2016

The US Masters is one of the four major professional golf championships in the world of professional golf. This year's Masters took place in Augusta, Georgia at Augusta National Golf Course. There were 89 competitors, all of which were professional male golfers. Some of the most notorious golfers were in the competition- Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Vijay Singh, Angel Cabrera, Danny Willett, Rory McIllroy, Phil Mickelson and many more. Many believed as the tournament came to a close that Spieth would take home the prize but as Spieth folded, Willett took the lead and won the US Masters 2016. Willett shot a 67, five under par, during the final round of the Masters. Willett had only accepted his invitation to play in the Masters two weeks prior because his wife had given birth to his firstborn, something he did not want to miss. His rankings have rocketed from 51th to the 12th in the Official World Golf Rankings within the last year. He usually plays in the European Tour. Winning the Masters has put him in the spotlight. This was his first career PGA Tour win. He now will bring the green jacket back home with him to England. It breaks the 20 year old drought for Europe. They have not had a golfer win the Masters in twenty years. Below is a video of clips where Willett was able to one up Spieth.

Also I would like to give a shout out to http://www.thegolfblog.com/ This blog is one I check regularly and enjoy reading. Be sure to follow them for even more golf!

Who Do You Trust with Your Game?

There a numerous brands within the world of golf. There are clothing brands, golf ball brands, golf shoe brands, golf club brands, golf bag brands, and brands for the other accessories needed to play the rigorous sport. People tend to cross the brands and use a little of each brand to create their personalized golf look. I wear a lot of Adidas golf clothing yet I prefer Nike hats and golf shoes. I use Tour Edge Exotics irons, a RocketBallz driver, and a Yes putter. My golf bag is a Srixon golf bag. I do not just rely any one brand for all of my golf equipment. I use Calloway, Titleist, and Nike golf balls. I cannot actually think of too many golfers that use one brand across the board, even the professionals. They get large endorsements from top line golf manufacturers yet still use other brands to play golf. So the big question is what brand do you use the most? Answer the poll on my page! See ya next week!

Some Hot Irons!

In a game of golf, golf cubs are required. You have a putter for putting on the green, and a driver for teeing off in the tee box. The in between shots are hit with a clubs identified as the "irons." These clubs typically have shorter shafts that a driver and small club heads as well. The head of the club is usually a slat of iron with grooves in the iron. Irons are the most common golf club found in a players bag. Among the limited 14 club count, about 7-11 of the clubs are irons. The clubs are numerated from 1-10, most commonly 3-9, indicating their loft in each club. Irons with higher loft are usually nicknamed wedges. Wedges are more commonly used for short distance shots that require a high launch angle.
There are four parts that make up an iron. That is the club head, the hosel, the shaft, and the grip. There are also subdivisions of irons. There are the driving irons, long irons, mid irons, short irons, and the wedges.
Some of the most popular irons are used by professionals and amateurs all over the world.  Some of the top lines are the Nike Vapor irons, the Callaway APEX Pro series, the TaylorMade PSi line, the Cobra King Forged CB/MB Combo line, and the Ping S55 line. These are just the tip of the iceberg of some of the hottest irons that are being used by golfers all over. Without irons hitting from the fairway would be a challenging task and you would only need 2 or three golf clubs for the game of golf. Love your irons and treat them well because you would be lost without them!

A Lifetime Sport

I used to dream of playing collegiate golf. It was all that I wanted to while growing up. As I got older I realized that I loved golf more and more for the personal satisfaction I got out of the game more than I enjoyed the competitive nature of the sport. I resigned after my junior year as golf team captain and decided not to play my senior year. I lost interest from potential recruits with my decision. Plenty of people in my life thought that I had given up. That was not the case at all. I simply found peace in playing the game and realized that golf was a sport that I was going to be able to play for a lifetime. Of course, I was little bummed about not playing collegiate golf but I also understood and knew myself enough to understand that this was the best for me. Golf will always be there for me and has no expiration date in my life.

Bringing Back the Good Ole Swing!

Yes it is true! Golf will be returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 in the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics. Competitors will be playing at a new course that was recently built in Reserva de Marapendi located in Rio de Janeiro. It will feature both a men's and a women's individual event. There will be 4 rounds of 18 holes for each player in order to determine the three medalist for each division. For many avid golfers, this has been exciting news. The last time golf was played in the Olympics was the summer of 1904. For many years there was speculation about the potential return of the sport and now it is finally happening. It has not yet been released who has qualified for the summer Olympics but golfers all over the world are very excited to see what the summer Olympics will bring for the golf world.

Foundations Producing Motivated Female Golfers

Within the norms of society, golf is a male dominated sport. It is odd and often overlooked for a women to be engaged in the sport. When young girls, take up the sport they tend to lack the confidence to continue because they find that less and less girls play this sport and boys often treat them like babies. Having personal experience with this, female golfers are pretty bad ass. A program that is active mostly on the East Coast and is still growing is the Women's Golfers Give Back foundation. The founder, A.K. Frazier, started the program to create a beacon for girls of all ages and skill levels to unite and bond over the game of golf. They created chapters all over numerous states. From there girls from nearby cities meet often to practice golf, bond as sisters, and create lifetime friendships together. WGGB gives these young females the resources, support, and confidence to continue to become the best golfer they can be. They encourage the girls to still go play with the guys and strive to beat them. I was an avid member of WGGB and I made friendships that I still maintain to this day. I had no problem playing against all guys teams in high school. Being the captain of a golf team at an all girls high school required me to be motivational to the rest of my team. A lot of what I learned from WGGB, I carried over to my teammates. Soon there was this new confidence, and sense of belonging in the world of golf. We did not let what the norms seemed to be dictate our abilities in a sport that we loved just as much as anyone. I benefited from the help I received from Women's Golfers Give Back and I know that I am only one of the numerous girls that have been a success story in the program.

When Golf is Really Life

Golf has been a very large chunk of my life since the age of 5. I sparked an interest after a demo class in the kindergarten. It was surprising to my mom that a 5 year old girl begged to start golf lessons/ Once I started, my life was immersed in golf. I was obsessed with the sport and still am. Even in my time now as a college student, though I do not play frequently, I find myself checking stats, putting in the hallways, buying the latest golf clothing and equipment, keeping a close eye on the up and coming golfers, and reading articles about the newest endorsement or the recently missed winning putt. Golf has become something I am genuinely interested in and I find myself subconsciously thinking about it all the time. This blog will be where I outlet and showcase these thoughts and discoveries in the golf world. I cannot wait to blog weekly about the latest trend or news in the golf world. Until then, I will keep practicing my putting in the hallways of my dorm building.