OK all you 19thHolers, don’t forget about cranking up BlogTv for the ClamBakeCafé show this Thursday evening 7PM CDT.  This show is where “Mr 19thHole” himself, Jim Odom, is going to let you take shoots at him on what you like or do not like about 19thHole.com. 

It is going to be a fun full hour of Jim taken all the input from all of his fans on what he needs to do to make The 19thHole.com the best golf group site on earth...well OK, we will also include the Moon for those who feel we left them out.

Here is your time to let Jim know what you think.  He has asked for it so do not let him down.

Also, for you faithful fans of the ClamBakeCafé, we will be having the prize drawing from the Main Room Chatroom.  Make sure you register for BlogTv so your name appears fully in the chat room.  Do that now so you don’t miss out.  Plus make sure to subscribe for the ClamBakeCafé so you receive a notice on when the show is on the air.

The Hammer Time for 19thHole.com on the ClamBakeCafé s going to be a good show so make sure you are there to hear what is going on in the world of online golf.

Man how time flies when you are not having fun.  Sorry I have not been around lately...had to check out and go offline to revamp  a few business directions I am now heading...

I finally, after two years, got my New Web/Blog site up and cooking over at http://innovativebusinessgolf.com.  Got that puppy up the first of the year with then help of my now good friend in Denmark, Paul OFlaherty.

Got the re-write of my book, How To Play Business Golf, nearing the print date and another new book coming in right behind it.

Have a new internet TV show that shot up to Marquee status after just two weeks.  You can see it at http://www.blogtv.com/Shows/42525

I am sure you have seen where Mr 19thHole himself is going to me my guest on this Thursday's show.  You would not want to miss this would you?

Plus I threw in the MR Business Golf show for grins, but it is really taking off .  http://www.blogtv.com/Shows/42449

Yes that is right, Jim Odom, Mr 19thHole.com himself will be my guest on TheClamBake Cafe on BlogTv NEXT Thursday, March 6 at 7PM Texas Time. I am sure you all will want to her what Jim has to say.

Do not miss tonight's show where I have Patricia Hanningan, TheGolfGirl, as my special guest on the ClamBake Cafe. We will be talking Golf Blogging, Online Social Networking, Golf Fashion and what ever the rascals in the chatroom have on their minds.

Stop by BlogTv.com and subscribe to The ClamBake Cafe and The Mr Business Golf Show. Join in the fun and learn about what is going on in the Business, Internet and Golf Worlds.

&n bsp;

For those of my fans who have been around here for the last six months you have heard me talk about the ClamBake Cafe'tm.

Innovative Business Golf Solutions is excited to announce the ClamBake Cafe' . The inaugural show will be launched on BlogTv!

Wednesday,February 20, 2008 7PM CST at BlogTV.

What is it? ClamBake Cafe' is a gathering of bloggers who write about golf and golfers who are interested in learning more about what the Internet offers them. If you want to hear more about the world of golf from inside the Internet and how things on the Internet work, then do not miss the ClamBake Cafe' on BlogTv.

To launch my first show I will have as my very special guest Gayle Moss (GolfGal). Gayle is the creator of GolfGal aka Stix for Chix blog site and one of the writers for the Golffor Women Magazine blog site.

Get sign up with a BlogTV account now so you can join in the chat with GolfGal.

After nearly 12 years of hitting a Titleist driver I am heading over to hitting the new Ping G10.  Now, to make myself perfectly clear...I am a Titleist guy to the bone.  Titleist makes a very high quality golf club from Driver to putters so I am not changing because I have lost faith in Titleist.  I will be still carrying a Titleist staff bag with Mr Business Golf on it so I am not jumping ship, much anyway.

So enough of the Titleist commercial and lets get down to why I am going to be hitting the G10.  It is very simple...30 to 35 yards of distance.  Yes, I could not believe it either, but it is so.   Compared with the same shafted Titleist 905R against the Ping G10 I am across the chart improved.  More swing speed, more ball speed, higher launch, longer carry and about the same accuracy. Straight down the middle of the fairway...but now through the dogleg and into my backyard on the dog leg left par four I live on.

And the big thing about this is I am not hitting the G10 in the sweet spot...yet and to top it off, I am swinging at an average of 5 MPH less than what I was swinging with the 905.

I’ll be working with the G10 through the winter to get ready for next season’s tournament schedule.  Plus, I will keep you up to date on this big change in my club solutions. 

Whenever there is a computer generated or a blind draw of a team for a Scramble the first question everyone on a team asks is, “Who’s our ‘A’ Player?”    It is natural reaction because the ‘A’ Player is the person who generally leads the team to make the right decision...or at least they should be the leader.

Many times the designated ‘A’ player does not know what their role is.   So I thought I would take this opportunity to enlighten the world what the job of an ‘A’ Player is.

First, let’s go back to the definition of the term ‘‘A’ Player’.  In most scramble tournaments that use a blind draw team selection they divide the field (all of the players) equally up into four levels of player ability.  Generally, the groups are given the designations of A, B, C &D.  Each designation represents a range of handicaps the players in each designation.   A = Better Players; B = Above Average; C = Average and D = Less than average.

This does not mean the ‘A’ player is always a scratch golfer.  Nor does the ‘A’ Player have to be the male of the team.   ‘A’ players are just the best golfers of the field.  In some cases the ‘A’ Players will draw their team from selecting a players name from each bowl that represents the B, C & D players.

This drawing or selection process is where the ‘A’ Player takes their traditional first leadership role.  Naturally, the B, C & D players look up to the ‘A’ Player for his or her playing ability.   But, more importantly the team looks to the ‘A’ player for leadership.  The leadership role just gravitates to a better player primarily due to their experience and knowing how to handle most tournament situation better.

So with this definition the ‘A’ Player is the teams caption or leader.  However, as is in everything in life, sometimes the ‘A’ Player is not a leader and/or does not want to take a leadership role for the team.   This will put the team to a huge disadvantage since, as is most things in golf, tradition plays a big part in how most golfers will act.

So to help those people who find themselves in an ‘A’ Player position and not knowing their role here is the run down on some of the basics duties of an ‘A’ Player.

The ‘A’ Player usually has more experience in tournament play and should first take a look at the scorecard to make sure the handicaps for all players are correct.  If there are corrections to be made the ‘A’ player needs to represent the team to have those corrections made. 

Then once that is determined he/she should place dots on the scorecard for each hole the team gets a stroke on.  This gets the scorecard ready to keep score which traditionally is taken care of by the ‘A’ player.  It also helps with the strategies used to play each hole.

The next thing an ‘A’ Player should realize is he/she is like all of the rest of the players on the team and will make a mistake or duff a shot like anyone else, so they should not put added pressure on themselves to think they have to pull trick shots out of the hat.  The ‘A’ Player sets an example by encouraging the other players to play to their best but not under pressure.  The team will look for the ‘A’ player to play better than them, but if the ‘A’ player wants to take some pressure off them self they should letting the team know that the outing is for all of them to have fun and play to their best.  

Sure the purpose is to win, but being over competitive will cause more problems amongst the team.  If the tournament was going to be a highly competitive event they should not be using a scramble format.  So, the ‘A’ player needs to take the edge off the competition.  Everyone player better when they are relaxed and having Fun. Saying something simple like saying ‘let’s go see what we can do’ will get the message to the team that it is a team event and not a “Hey, watch me win the tournament for you” outing as some ‘A’ players will try to do.

The order of play should be suggested by the ‘A’ Player after doing a one-on-one with each player to quickly find out what their strengths and weaknesses are.  Do not take it for granted that the ‘D’ player is the best putter.  Sometime their drives are extra large and it is their short game and putting that is keeping them from improving their average score.  So asking each player their strengths should be the first thing talked about on the first tee box.  The same goes for the ‘B’ and ‘C’ players.  Fine their comfortable strengths and then select an order from there. 

The order of play can be random but if a certain order works better then stay with it.  This does not mean the ‘A’ Player has to hit first or last each time.  It is a team event so play to the team’s strength on each hole.  If the hole is a long par five...let the player who hits the straightest go first.  If they produce a good shot then that allows the rest of the team to take a chance at a longer shot.  The ‘A’ player should suggest the order depending on the hole and the player’s strengths.

During the round the ‘A’ Player needs to be conscious of the pace of play and advice the team of the need to slow down or pick up the pace.  There is no need in hurrying to each tee to just see the team in front of you standing in the fairway waiting on the next team on the green.  The ‘A’ Player should stop and tell a story or make a comment of interest to the group that takes their mind off hurrying or feel they need to hurry their shot.  Again, demonstrating pace of play is the job of the ‘A’ Player. 

The same would be the case if the pace needed to be picked up.  ‘A’ players usually have the capability of playing quickly.  If the team is falling behind the ‘A’ Player needs to show leadership and make a remark like ‘we need to pick it up a little’, then step up to the ball and show the players on the team the pace of play they need to follow.  It is surprising how each player will step it up a little after seeing how it is done.

Once the round is over the ‘A’ Player should add the score and advice the team of their score.  Maybe a word of encouragement if everyone feels the score was not good.  Then make sure the scorecard is official and turned into the scorekeepers.  Once that is over the duties of the ‘A’ player is over and all players of the team are now all equal...the A-B-C-D designation is off each person’s back until the next event.  So everyone on the team should relax and enjoy the after round activities.

So, there you have it...what every ‘A’ player is always wanting to know...’What the heck does the ‘A’ player do?

You can read more on this and other subjects at IBGSBusiness Golf Blog 

I thought I would take a well deserved break from writing my second book to jump back online to relax and unwind a little bit....

Summertime is when most golfers are not online much.   They are doing what golfers do...play golf.   It is a natural occurrence that happens this time of year...it is not really a big deal.

If golfers come online at all during the summer it is late at night after playing golf and then they usually check their MySpace and Facebook accounts to see if any hot chick or dude is hitting on them.  Hey, that’s a natural occurrence also.  Not to say that is what I do, but I have heard from reliable sources that is what golfers do when it is too hot to play golf.....

OK, I confess, I have a MySpace and a Facebook page as well as a StumbleUpon and a Tribe.net site...so sue me. Of Course I joined these sites as part of my research for my next book...but that is another story.

You know, a golfer has to find things to do when they live someplace where it is 108 degrees like it is here in Dallas.

But seriously, where are the golfers when it is too hot to play golf?  Well, a good many are taking their family vacations and doing things with the kids before they go back to school.  Others just head North to find someplace cool to play golf.  I am hearing a lot about Canada Golf from my fans up there...I am thinking I might have to put on a show up there so I can go check it out.

But over all at this time of year, if golfers are not on the golf course or taking care of the annual domestic vacations or out of town golfing somewhere it is cool they are just sitting around... Me, well, I told ya what I am been doing...so that keeps me in the A/C.

It will be October before many golfers get back into the golfing fever...at least that is when I am scheduled to be back into the full swing of golfing a few times a week starting with the Clam-Bake I am hosting in  Scottsdale...OH, heck, guess I let the cat out of the bag.  Looks like now my break from writing my book will have to be extended so I can finish the Newsletter I will have to send to my fans on what is going on in Scottsdale....hope you opt-in for the Business Golf Club...if not, you now who to contact to get it..

OH, well...guess it is back to the writing...

I frequently read about how some of the changes in our culture and society surrounding golf are going to impact the costs associated with providing golf. Some experts in the golf industry predict good things coming and some predict that golf is finally meeting its match. Even others are saying that if the changes the golf industry faces today are not addressed, golf will fall back to what it was 60 years ago.

So what are some of the good things and what are some of the things experts are saying are going to put golf out reach of the average middle class golfers.

The good news is golf is very popular. More people are playing golf than ever before. Estimates are that there are now 80 million golfers around the world. A few years ago it was 47 million. People are finding that golf fits their needs personally, socially and now professionally.

Still on the good side of things there are a huge number of business people who are interested into getting into golf but are hesitant because they cannot figure out how to make it fit into their busy day, or find a way for golf to help their business.

On the downside of what could take place in golf, experts are predicting the regulations our government is going to have to put into place on immigration will shake the golf industry to the core and will result in operations costs for golf facilities to rise.

What is taking place today with golf facilities, public and private, is the discounting of green fees, and other services provided at golf facilities, to be competitive. This style of management will stress the balance sheets for golf facilities if changes are not made and solutions found.

The operation’s budget of a golf course is huge. It takes a lot of resources to maintain a golf course. The continuing increase in fuel costs has impacted the bottom-line but now the increase in labor costs will force golf facilities to raise the greens fees.

This would result in golf being thrown out of reach for a large number of golfers.

However, there are solutions. Remember those business people who want to get into golf if they could find a way to benefit their business? If they could only learn how to make it work...hummmmm, wonder who could help them?

Golf facilities need to look outside the normal approach they use today of how many tee times they need to book to float the golf course operation’s budget. Golf facilities, as well as many golf related businesses, need to take on the challenges facing golf head on and not default to something that will not work any longer.

Bottomline: Golf facilities need to find solutions now to keep golf going on into the future. There are some solutions that need to be looked into now. ...let me know how I can help.

I am going to be heading out for my annual Scottsdale Golf outing soon and one thing I always prepare for is the SUN. Years ago I really took for granted the suns effects on my skin and ran around like a fool with hardly any sun screen on. Today it is a HUGE concern. It doesn’t take 15 minutes in the sun before you are burned. In the desert, you can amp the effects up and in five minutes you could look like something that comes with fries at the Sonic.

I am packing in the sun screen now. Testing out what is new on the market. I hate to feel like I just put a layer of lard on...I like the stuff that soaks in.

Callaway use to make some great stuff that felt like a powder and kept your hands from getting greasy, which keeps your grips from getting greasy.

I guess I will have to saddle the Nordstrums Card to go see if I can find some of the Callaway stuff.

Another thing I do is put on a base of the 100,000 IU Vitamin E Cream before I put on the sun screen. The Vitamin E keeps my skin hydrated while I am out in the blazing sun and soaks in so I am not greasy feeling.

It is smart to think ahead on what you are going to need for the sun. There are some other products I will review as I test them out here in Texas before I leave to go to Scottsdale.

My mission of gaining knowledge  always starts with asking the questions WHY. And, over the past 10 years I have asked a number of the PGA and LPGA golf professionals who have provide me instruction why I am not hitting my golf shots as far as the professionals or even my golf buddies.

I am sure many of your have wondered why (or an even a more powerful questions, HOW) the guys and gals on tour can hit their 8 irons 140 to 160 yards and I am only able to stretch it to 120 on a good day with the wind behind me?

And over the years I have been told the answer to my WHY question, and provided the solution to the question on How to question, several times. Both answers generates another Why question.

Why is the solution to hitting ball further so dam difficult for me to accomplish and so seemingly natural for others.

The answer to my Why questions that I, and about 99% of all golfers with 13 handicaps and higher ask, is due to me CASTING the club somewhere in the downswing. And casting causes all kinds of problems which develop in loss of power, club head speed and direction of flight.

Terry Alsup, PGA Profession, PGA Professional of the year for North Texas in 1992 and Director of Instruction for John Jacobs Golf Schools in Las Vegas (he is called Tex by all who have received lessons from him), has been the only person who could show me and explain it in MY native tongue (Texan) what is exactly meant when someone tells you that you are "Casting Your Club"…Tex, if you are out there, I’m still ‘swatting flies’..

Now, Casting is where you release the wrist cock before you get into the impact zone of the golf swing, which is about one inch before the actual contact of the ball with the club. Releasing is when you take the club from the wrist cocked position during the full swing and straighten out both wrists well before you make contact with the ball. Some people never cock their wrists during their take away amplifying the problem. Most, like me, cock their wrist by the time the clubhead reaches hip to shoulder level in the take away.

For those who do make a wrist cock and do cast the club, start the down swing with a wrist cock but release their wrists anywhere between shoulders to hip high. Some get below hip level with their wrists cocked but then violently cast the club thinking they are off line or in attempt to get the club back on line.

Now in Texan this is called ‘Swatting Flies’, ‘Chopping Wood’, ‘Beating the Dust out of the Rug’, ‘Taking it down the Third Base Line’ and (my favor) ‘Swinging a Chicken Stick’. Loosely translated into Oklahoman or other foreign languages, ‘You are casting your club’. And this is what I had been hearing for too many years and it wasn’t until I spent a number of years going to Vegas to sit in the heat of the desert in July with Tex before I understood what the heck casting was.

Not to discount the fact that Tex videoed my swing during my first school and used it as a demo to the rest of the class on how ‘Hackers play golf in Texas’.

Tex has a great way getting his point across and explaining the importance of correcting the basics of the golf swing before advancing to the next step.

So, what causes the casting in my golf swing?  There are a number of things that causes the casting. The two that show up my swing video is No wrist cock and a premature turnout of the left shoulder  before the hands start their downward motion in the full swing.

There are other problems that Tex said were caused due to ‘Lack of Table manors’, but I didn’t have those in my swing so he didn’t go into what they would be.

To answer the questions on Why there was no wrist cock in my take away Tex (and the other PGA and LPGA professionals I have had instruction from all agreed) said it was due to me feeling that I need to have control of the club from the take away or translated into Texan, ‘the get go’.

You can see this in every beginner golfer. And it is carried into high handicapper’s swings due to it being a way for them to get control of the shot after they have had a miss-hit on the first attempt.

My no wrist cock takeaway looked a lot like the hockey style a lot of people who play hockey want to use since it gives them the feel that they are actually going to be able to hit the ball better. Tex would say ..‘if you are wanting to ‘Mule’ the ball then stay with the Hockey style hit, but don’t expect to be playing golf much more than four or five years, because that style will cause a sever case of tendinitis, hockey elbow and all kinds of back problems'. This is due to that about 99% of the time the Hockey swing caused the club to hit the ground before hitting the ball making the ball not go its true distance. So what do hockey players do to over come that? They hit it with the power of a mule but still hit the ground first. The power gets the ball to go a little further but that consent pounding the ground causes damage to muscle. Tex would say "So, if you want to ‘Happy Gilmore’ around the course get after it, but you will be coming back to me in a few years wanting to know how to play golf with tendinitis."

I just love the way Tex can put it to you and make you understand what happens if you take the wrong road in the golf swing.…

Now my swing was not that bad and I did produce a wrist cock in my takeaway. My problem was and still does, my left shoulder want to be the first part of my body to move down the swing path. What I call ‘having a happy shoulder’. That is the first place I was loosing power and distance. Once I start that move it changed the swing path to be on the outside of the target line. In order to get it back inside, I would instinctively release my wrist since it made it feel that I was getting my club back in control. But what it was doing was throwing the club head even further outside so that by the time it got to the impact area the club was coming from far outside to inside, with reduced swing speed, producing a very powerful pull of more than fifty yards off line, or a very weak pull fade or slice. Or translated to Texan, ‘trying to take a low and outside pitch down the third base line’.

After three days of working with me in the heat of Vegas and probably after I hit over 1000 balls a day, Tex came up with the best description of my swing that sticks with me today.

He said, "Duke, you are swinging a ‘chicken stick’! Meaning that instinctively you don’t think you can get the distance in your shot unless you use your body’s strength. So, you start your downswing with the largest muscle in your upper body, your shoulder. Then once you body makes that first mistake your brain tries to make corrections because it does not trust that you are even going to hit the ball. So your subconscious brain is chicken to trust that instructing your hands to drop down first will produce a golf shot. Thus, you are swinging a ‘chicken stick’ because your brain is afraid to trust the swing will work."

He went on to tell me that the only thing that a swing with a severe casting is good for is to ‘swat flies, chop wood, or beat a rug’.

Tex went on to explain, you can hit a golf ball with a casting swing, but its not going to go far. So, practice dropping the hands down first and keep the ‘Mule Swing’ in the barn.

I absorbed every word, but even after three years I am not consistently able to get dropping my hands as instinct and when I get tired I really have to stop and concentrate to keep my shoulder from getting too happy.

I haven't got to see Tex in awhile and I really need to get back out to Vegas to get a fix, but until then here is a message to Tex...

Tex, my swing works and when I get my left shoulder tucked up under my wattle and drop the hammer before I turn my shoulder, I can tattoo a shot that would make it halfway to Vegas in a head wind. If I can get that ‘Chicken Stick’ out of my noggin, I know I could do it every time. But that dang Mule comes out of the barn every once in a while and once it gets out I am back to chopping wood and beating rugs until I stop and get off that third base line. It is about time I get back out to see you again and dehumidify my swing. So, fair warning let the Vegas chamber of commerce know that they will need to stock up on cold beer to have enough when they get more than two Texan in town..

I’ll be back to tell you stories of my other PGA and LPGA friends I have met during my adventure to find the best golf swing….

I think everyone has some sort of music they enjoying listening to.  It is good to sit back and get into a mood, continue a mood or just feel good all over from the music.

This doesn’t really have a lot to do with golf other than the fact that no matter how bad or good I play on the course, when I get to the bar, or the 19thhole as it is in this case, I can crank up the amp, pour me a cold one and fire that IPod up...because there is nothing like music to soothe the nerves...  Check out the tunes I have uploaded to My Page.  Hope you enjoy.

Since my mission professionally is to bring more business people into the world of golf I get asked frequently what is the fastest way to get up to speed with playing golf.  It is a great question but one that is hard to answer.  Like most difficult problems there are a large number of variables that have to be considered before an estimate can be made on how long it will take to become a proficient golfer.  This means playing golf at a higher level than a beginner but not yet an advanced player.

A few years ago I posed the questions to my teaching professional on how long he felt it would take for be to become a Par golfer, meaning a golfer who is capable of shooting par on a regular basis.  He is the only professional that broke it down into a mathematical equation that made some sense.

He said that if I hit 100 balls a day for five years I have a 98% better chance of being a scratch golfer by the end of five years.

Like I said, this seemed to make sense and being a project manager I set forth using that basic information to calculate how many balls I would have to hit with the time I have available to hit balls to determined how long it would take me to become a Par Golfer.

Now I won’t bore you with the math but my calculations told me that it would take me seven years before I could expect to be close to being a par golfer.

Now being a par golfer is a very high ambition for anyone, but the point is you need to have some goal set in order to make a purpose for doing what you are doing.  Many people would want to set a much lower goal so the goal could be achieved in a shorter period time.  I applaud take a short term goal as long as it leads to another goal after the short term is met.  I took on a longer term goal since I did not want to have to keep setting a goal.

The same goes for business.  You have to set some sort of goal in business are you lose purpose of doing the business.  Many businesses just set forth on a goal to make money but never realize how long that will take to start making money.  That leads to disappointment and frustrations.  The dissatisfaction was caused because there was no goal or time line.

With me knowing it would take me seven years to become a par golfer I was able to calm down and realizing that no matter how hard I was going to try I had to get the experience of hitting a lot balls to get to where I was going.  Unless I wanted to stay up 24 hours a day everyday for a year, I was not going to accelerate the learning curve to getting to be a par golfer.

The same goes with business.  No business is successful overnight and if you set a goal based on some logic you can calm down and be patient.

Golf and business are alike; both have to have a goal set to establish purpose and both are very much rewarding when you achieve the goal.

I suggestion to business people who want to get started on learning to play golf to use this formula to determine how long it will take to get to a level they want to be and then sit back with that pace knowing there is no need in hurrying it any faster.

There are some ways to accelerate the golf learning curve, but no way around in hitting a lot of golf balls.  I will be back to talk about things that will accelerating the learning curve in golf.

As usual, I got to the course early and did the usual walk round looking at the new clubhouse. I was rather impressed. The clubhouse had that Country Club feel, but yet had the scares that are created by being a public course. You know, the shirt-tails out, Hockey Jersey’s and NBA shorts wearing kind of crowd everywhere.

As we got out on the course I noticed a few changes that were changed, like wider cart paths and new trees planted everywhere. Again, I was very impressed with this courses management knowing what quick action to update a course can do to bring in new golfers.

However, as we finished up our round and headed into the clubhouse the big downside of the public facility was presenting itself. And that was the clashes of cultures.

On one side of the grill, taking up a couple of tables, you had the young and the restless playing cards for money after their round golf. They were making it clear to everyone that they were paying to much for the $2 pitcher of beer, but then betting a $100 on the Texas Hold-em they were playing. Plus, showing no respect what so every to anyone else who was in the room.

Then on the other side, the same age group of traditionally attired golfers, but more of them. These were the golfers who were enjoying their drinks and spending time enjoying with their friends the nuances of the after golf experience.

Now, you would think that this clash of attitudes towards golf would be a throw back to the clash between generations, but this situation was a clash between the same generations. It was not a clash between the Have’s and the Have Not’s.

As my friend and I sat down a few of the people he knew came over to join us. After my friend made a very cordial introduction of me to his friends my occupation took on its usual curiosity of the group who asked me to tell them more about it. As I was starting in on my 15 second commercial an uproar began over in the mosh-pit poker game.

Seems the manager of the facility felt it was time to get the motley crew to either start buying more beer or move their posteriors out to the patio so more golfers coming out of the heat of the course could sit down and buy drinks.

As you expected this caused a shouting match and name calling and before long here comes the enforcers from the Pro-shop and the 10 or so patrons of the south side of golf were escorted out of the grill.

As things settled down the group I was with reconvened with remarks that led me to believe this incident was a reoccurring event. From the conversation that stirred over the now evicted group’s action I found out more early thirty-ish golfers are having a hard time leaving their youth behind. They are intentionally causing a friction between those who respect golf and its positive image and those who want to change golf to be a street sport. I found the ensuing conversations very interesting.

Having experience golf in all environments; public courses, municipal courses, semi-private clubs, private country clubs and golf resorts I found hearing more about this new attitude building in today’s golf had my full attention.

Eventually the group got back to me being new to their facility and turned back to what I did for a living. As I explained what I do for golf I finished my pitch with using the current event as an example of problems I look into finding solutions. I closed with there maybe options they may have not explored I could offer for them to consider.

I went on to ask if any of them were or had been a member of a country club. As is in most groups who gather at public facilities the majority had not experienced a country club and those few who did rationalize not being a member due to not having the time to justify the expense since they were always working. The others had only heard that country clubs were overly priced.

My rebuttal was to explain the current incident we witnessed and they report as being a frequent event would not happen at a private facility. I went on to say what keeps this negative attitude in check and from not happening at country club was the orientations members have to go through outlining the club’s acceptable attitude. This process screens out from the beginning those who do not agree with this attitude.

As the group broke up my friend’s friends were continual cordial and a few remarked on maybe reconsidering the country clubs since the public course attitude was not meeting their life style. The day concluded on a positive note.

As I sat here thinking about the incident and evaluating the root causes for this attitude people are developing against joining country clubs it highlighted the biggest problems Country Clubs have and that is marketing or the lack of it. The individuals I spoke with at this public facility had never experienced the Country Club environment primarily because their unfounded assumption or false impressions have kept them from it.

Most Country Clubs are struggling to exist. Memberships to clubs are falling off forcing the remaining members of the club to cover the higher costs. This is what is causing the realities of country clubs being expense endeavors.

The traditional attitude that Country Clubs have developed over hundreds of years is that marketing the club is a sign of desperations or a negative image of the club’s status. Here lies the root cause of why more people are not privy to the positive side of country clubs.

My friend John over at GolfDash.com blogged on the subject of ArePrivate Clubs the Next Dinosaurs . He had a very good insight to what is going on in the private sector that is causing the problem young people are having with accepting country clubs as affordable golf venues.

By contingent has always been and now is what my business is offering, that the private country clubs management is where the problem starts. I have solutions on how private clubs can become affordable to all who are interested in accepting the positive attitude towards golf being for everyone.

I look forward to unleashing my staff into the private country club market to help promote what country clubs do for the game of golf and how they are just as affordable as public golf.

The future of golf hangs in the balance of the private golf clubs improving their image. If solutions are not found to keep the Country Clubs the base for Business Golf, then the days of having a quit martini on the veranda with your family and friends are numbered.

Let me know how I can help.

As you saw over on the IBGS site,someone needs to Stop me now, I am on a Roll... I know the TheGolfGirlis covered up working this weekend so she is not available to report on this, but please, someone tell me with the Golf Fashion Police are?

I picked on Phil and his brown shoes and his brown belt with navy blue.  I heard that the PGA’s standard or rule of thumb is Two Colors at max....OK, I am with ya, but now explain this one....

Camilo Villegas, I like the guy’s play and his golf clubs...he has that going all in the right directions...but as far as fashion, Phil is a fashion genius compared to Camilo...talk to me about Camilo, where is this look going?

I was over on myBusiness Golf site talking fashion and I forgot that there are probably a large number of Golf fashion people right here in the 55^th hole, I mean 19thhole...sorry, my club has three courses and our waterhole is known as the 55^th.

Any, tell me what ya think...do the Brown Shoes go with the navy or black Phil seems to wear a lot...It just doesn’t look right and could be Phil wore them because Amy  did not attend the PGA Players...who knows...but it just looks off to me.

What do ya think?

So you are thinking of hanging it up with the golf thing because you just can’t figure out how to make it worth your while...or your business is requiring you to spend too much time finding new customers for you to find time to play golf...DUH!??  Dude, have you heard about Business Golf?