As you drift aimlessly through your local golf superstore, how many times have you been tempted by the latest driver or irons? I'll bet it's every time the "eye candy" catches your attention. First thing you do is grab the club and head over to the hitting booth to try it out.

Most golfers are guilty of the "grab and go", thinking that the golf club which you swung great in the store will serve equally up-to-par on the course. You then find out that it's just not the same converting a golf club from net practice to course use.

What essential piece of the puzzle did you miss out on?  The Golf Club FITTING!

Golf for Beginners has written several articles about the benefits of custom golf club fitting and, this being the start of a new season we would, once again, like to emphasize the importance to all level of golfer, in order to maximize your experience on the course.

There are different ways to get to the same end in a golf club fitting; for the most part, professionals use an indoor booth and software that allows them to see how you hit the ball - the trajectory, distance etc. There is one problem with that equation...you are looking at a screen and only imagining the outcome. I recently met with Dale Ketola, Director of Instruction and Golf Fitting for the newly opened Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (on behalf of MBN.com).

This golf instruction and club fitting center is unlike any I have seen. Why? I'm glad you asked! Watch my short Facebook Live interview with Dale, (see below).

Dale uses the latest technology, including swing comparison V1 software for instruction and Flightscope® with doppler radar to track the golf ball in flight - offering real life results.

Ah, but Dale has one special trick up his golf shirt sleeve; you can see the ball flight outdoors! I am sure there are other golf-fitting centers cross-country which utilize this tech but here, in Myrtle Beach, it's the first of its kind.

Now onto the science-fiction-fact portion of this blog...an exciting new tech breakthrough, on the order of mind-reading, is a thought-sensing headset Dale uses to aid in visualization called FocusBand©. Worn like a headband, FocusBand©, measures your subconcious thoughts before, during and after your shot. Wonder if we can use that to enhance our personal relationships?

Dale's thoughts on FocusBand©, “It's pretty cool and really works. I don't know of anyone else in the Carolinas who has one.”

Want to check out the new golf technology first-hand? Listen to the end of the Facebook video for Dale's cell-phone number and email address and tell him Stacy sent you!

Have you tried Flightscope® or FocusBand©? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and tweet us @Golf4Beginners.

Posted by Stacy Solomon at 4/27/2017 08:41:00 AM 2 comments Labels: golf fittings, Golf Performance Center, Grande Dunes golf course, Myrtle Beach Golf courses, South Carolina Golf courses

Say Ahh to Aching Golf Feet with New Massaging Flip Flops

Today was a great time to receive my new ahhsoles in the mail! I just finished a round of golf at Burning Ridge Golf Club and, although my Footjoys are amazingly comfortable, for me there is nothing quite like slipping off the golf shoes and putting on a pair of flip-flops.

Most golf shoes come out of the box ready for wear but there is usually a breaking-in period; it takes a bit of time to soften them up! Players could use a bit of a "massage" after a round.

If you find yourself rubbing your feet after taking off your shoes or, if you are a die-hard flip-flop fan as I am, a pair of these "peculiar" toe-wiggling, ripple or massaging open-toed, soothing sandals may be just what your tootsies need.

I received two pair of ahhsoles - one had a foot bed made of cushioned "grass" and the other pair had ridges built into the foot bed for a massaging feel. I quickly tried on both pair and chose the Green Coral...all I could say was ahhh, perfectly named! The flip-flops are spongy and tingly - the fake grass sole is soft and cushiony - I happily wore them all afternoon. The second pair of ahhsoles had a "ripple" effect on the bottom of my feet. I get the idea of the knobs providing my feet with a massage but am still trying to understand the sensation; the pads felt a little hard on my soles. I found myself continually gravitating to the Seagrass Model (above) so I am happy to report that I found a new, after-golf, pair of flip-flops to keep in my car right next to my set of golf clubs.

The ahhsoles tagline on their site says that these flip-flops are "offensively comfortable"; quite frankly, I find nothing "offensive about them. The styling is Gen Y/ Millennial - the colors are bright and refreshing and would also be great to take with you on a beach vacation!

Thanks to Ahhsoles for sending me the flip-flops for review; opinions are my own.

Have you tried ahhsoles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section of Golf for Beginners blog and send us a tweet @Golf4Beginners.
Posted by Stacy Solomon at 4/20/2017 08:41:00 AM 6 comments Labels: ahhsoles, beach vacation, flip flops, golf for beginners, golf shoes

Monday, April 10, 2017

Sergio Garcia Wins Masters - Golf Hat Giveaway Winner Announced

The 2017 Masters did NOT disappoint the fans as we witnessed a tremendous major win by Sergio Garcia. Justin Rose walked away with his dignity and cheering from the fans in his post-round interview with Dottie Pepper. Both golfers are true champions, in my opinion, as it took a playoff to come to a conclusion worthy of the Masters!

News feeds are abuzz with Sergio's win, from an awesome save on thirteen to a putter which turned hot on the 15th hole ...and let's not forget how this win happened to fall on Seve Ballesteros' birthday.
Congratulations to the 2017 Masters Winner, Sergio Garcia. Could this be the start of his Grand Slam season?
Now, on to the announcement of the golf gear giveaway winner from Golf for Beginners and MMO Golf...
The recipient of the Official 2017 Masters Golf Hat is...
RICHARD from @RuchalaGolf.
Here is Richard's entry which won us over - thanks for entering the Giveaway. We thank you for your service to our great Country!

I was a Vet stationed at Ft Gordon. The hat is the best example of the Masters other than the green Jacket. I love the hat.
— Richard Ruchala (@RuchalaGolf) April 9, 2017

Thanks to all who entered! Looking forward to our next giveaway!
Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter! Comment on our golf blog below.

Posted by Stacy Solomon at 4/10/2017 08:57:00 AM 0 comments Labels: 2017 Masters, golf caddy hat, golf for beginners, golf gear giveaway, golf hat, MMO Golf, Sergio Garcia

The Masters 2017 Official #Golf Gear GIVEAWAY!

Golf for Beginners is happy to announce that, for our fourth consecutive year, we are giving away official gear from The Masters Tournament! Ready to win? Follow the easy directions below.

The first of golf's majors takes center stage this week - scheduled for April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia - and the odds say that the favorites to win are Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

Will you be rooting for either of these three great participants or, like me, are you waiting for Phil Mickelson to come to life on the back nine and steal the show? It is sad that Tiger Woods will miss his first Masters Tournament but the details are that Woods is not "tournament-ready". Tiger appeared stiff in practice sessions and, according to Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, "He just didn't feel he was ready."

We wish Tiger Woods a speedy recovery and hope that he will be ready to play in the U.S. Open.

Whoever wins The Masters Tournament the event itself, as always, be a memorable one and will carry forth all of the traditional elements golf fans have come to know and love, filled with southern charm.

The Masters 2017 GIVEAWAY

That being said, there is nothing more exciting than a GIVEAWAY and, at GFB, we have our own Masters tradition, which is to provide a bit of swag for readers of our golf blog courtesy of the fine folks at MMOGolf.com,

One lucky golf fan will win this Official 2017 Masters Caddy Slouch Hat.

Read below for entry information.

In my opinion, this is one of the most-sought-after items at The Masters! Your foursome will envy you thinking that you learned the secret to getting swag from The Masters (how else could you have gotten this hat...through an invite?)

What do you have to do in order to try and win this Officially Incredibly Cool Masters Merchandise?

Here are the Official Masters Hat Giveaway Rules:

This is a Twitter-based giveaway but we will also watch for the hashtag on Facebook and Google Plus:

1. Follow @Golf4Beginners on Twitter (if you haven't yet done so) and send us a tweet with the hashtag #MastersCaddyHat telling us why you want to win this prized possession.

2. Postings must include entrants' @username mention to @Golf4Beginners in addition to #MastersCaddyHat to be considered an entry.

One Masters slouch hat will be given away by Golf for Beginners blog.

Prize contributed by MMOGolf.com (see below).

3. One Winner of Men's Caddy Hat  - Winner will be selected by me, Stacy Solomon, so please try to make nice yet opinionated Masters mentions as I will be reading and responding to all comments!

4. Only one entry per person and feel free to RETWEET this Great Giveaway and tell your friends.

What else can you do to increase your chances or to show you care?

Follow MMOGolf on Twitter and add their handle to your tweets.

Like MMO Golf on Facebook, suppliers of great Masters Merchandise and the site responsible for this giveaway.

As always, please follow Golf for Beginners on Twitter and subscribe to this golf blog.
Posted by Stacy Solomon at 4/03/2017 08:51:00 AM 1 comments Labels: 2017 Masters, Giveaways for The Masters, Masters caddy hat, Masters hat, The Masters golf tournament, Tiger Woods

Registration for World Class Amateur #Golf Tournament is Now Open

My online friend, Ricky Potts, a well-known golf podcaster and marketer who also runs a terrific Google Plus golf group, has teamed up with Eat, Sleep, Golf for #TheOven17, a world-class, multi-day amateur golf tournament.

The fourth annual event heads to Tucson, where golfers will enjoy a weekend of competitive championship golf, delicious cuisine, locally-produced craft beer, and more.

The first round will be played at La Paloma Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design managed by Troon Privé while the final round will be played at Sewailo Golf Club, an award winning Notah Begay III design managed by Troon Golf. Foot golf is also on the agenda.

“We are excited to be involved with #TheOven17,” said Scott Stevens, founder, Eat Sleep Golf. “Ricky has done a fantastic job organizing and growing a one of kind golf experience for participants. With this years addition of a private golf club it helps take the event to a whole new level. The event truly is one of a kind and we look forward to being involved this year and in future years.”

Entry for #TheOven17 is $225 per player. For more information on #TheOven17 and to register, please visit rickyleepotts.com/TheOven17.
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