Think Golf Is Too Quiet and Stodgy?

Golf has a reputation of being uptight and stiff.

Fans aren't screaming before the pros take their swings and aren't waving their arms to block their shots.

That all changes this weekend at the Waste Management Phoenix Open...

The 16th hole is the best tailgate party in golf. The most monetized one, too. There are 177 skyboxes surrounding the 16th... the most of any of the tournaments.

Fans harass and boo the pros at will. When Tiger got an ace there, the place rocked.

If you can watch TV coverage of at least the 16th hole, do so! Your clients and prospects who love golf will be talking about it.

Here's the TV schedule:

Thursday: GOLF -- 3-7 p.m. ET

Friday: GOLF -- 3-7 p.m. ET

Saturday: GOLF -- 1-3p.m. ET, NBC -- 3-6 p.m.

Sunday: GOLF -- 1-3p.m. ET, NBC -- 3-6 p.m.

The 16th hole action will get you ready for the Super Bowl.

Enjoy!

P.S. WARNING! This weekend's 16th is an anomaly in golf. Don't try this with your clients, prospects, and COIs.

Be a Rose and Balls Up!

Professional golfer Justin Rose called a one-stroke penalty on himself yesterday in Qatar. He addressed the ball on the green and the ball moved slightly. He saw it move, although no one else did.

I appreciate his honesty and would prefer to work with someone like him. Your clients and prospects probably feel the same way. I coached a single-digit golfer and FA. I reminded him to follow the Rules, especially since he's a good golfer. His playing partners will likely presume he knows the Rules because he's an accomplished golfer.

When he hit two balls consecutively out of bounds and had to walk back to the tee box after looking for the ball, he got a multi-million dollar client. His client later said when he saw him apply the Rules and took his bad shots so well, he knew he wanted to work with him. That's using the Rules to your advantage!

Phil and Tiger are on the course at Torrey Pines! Here's the TV schedule:

Thursday: GOLF -- 3-7 p.m., 7:30-11 p.m. ET
Friday: GOLF -- 3-7 p.m. ET, 7:30-11 p.m. ET
Saturday: GOLF -- 1-2:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 - 11 p.m. ET
CBS -- 3-6 p.m.
Sunday: GOLF -- 1-2:30 p.m. ET, 7 - 12 a.m. ET
CBS -- 3-6:30 p.m.

Enjoy the golf!

Who Is the Smartest Player on PGA Tour?

During the first PGA Tour tournament, an announcer shared that
PGA Pro Joe Ogilvie passed the Series 7 exam when he was
recuperating from an injury last year.

I figured he was preparing for his life after being a tour golfer. Given
the Pro-Ams that he plays, I'm sure he saw how golfers at that level
are wealthier than the average investor, so he wanted to become
their financial advisor when he retired from the Tour.

But he has much bigger plans than that. He's been one of the
player-advisors to the PGA Tour. He wants to become the heir to current
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. And in 2007, he launched an
investment firm with $20 million in assets.

His fellow Tour professionals consider him the smartest guy on the Tour.
Check out this article on him:
http://bit.ly/W484fq

Hope you plan to include golf in your marketing this year! I suspect
keeping in contact with your clients, prospects, and COIs this year will be
even more important as the economy continues to make news.

PGA Tour Season Tees Off Today!

It finally happened... the 2013 PGA Tour opened today.

The guys will play 36 today and then a final 18-holes tomorrow to determine the champion of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

I'm looking forward to this season. Lots of fun match ups and I hope exciting Majors to come. Enjoy golf on Monday and Tuesday!

PGA Tour Season Opener 3.0

Mother Nature decided to cause havoc with the PGA Tour season opener in supposedly sunny Hawaii. For the last two days, they've had howling winds and rain. Balls moving on the green because of the strong winds just won't work.

So today's the opening day of the season. They'll play two rounds of 18 holes and tomorrow is the final round.

Good luck, gents!

Wishing You A Business Golf Success-Filled Year!

Hope you had a great holiday season! Today is the start of the PGA Tour's season as 30 winners from last year compete in the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. If you're surrounded by snow, seeing the sunshine on TV might be a nice change for you.

If you're planning to travel to some sunshine soon, here's an article about traveling with your clubs:
http://bit.ly/YYOd1v

If you plan to play more than two rounds, you probably want your clubs with you. The club rental fees at  $50-75 per round will get old fast. And there's nothing like playing with your own sticks.

Enjoy!

Tom Watson Named Ryder Cup Captain

The PGA of America has announced that Tom Watson will be the 2014 Ryder Cup Captain. Even though Watson was critical of Tiger's personal life, Woods was complimentary of the selection. Not surprising that Tiger would do so; he certainly couldn't criticize the selection.

I didn't watch Watson's at his peak, but certainly remember his grit at The Open a couple of years ago. If he can infuse that to his team, USA might have a chance to end Europe's domination for the last two decades.

Good luck, Tom!!

Here's your 2013 golf-marketing calendar!

Yesterday the PGA Tour released its 2013 tournament schedule.

It's for you here:
http://bit.ly/12jgjYY

If you want to use golf to deepen and build your relationships with clients, prospects, and referral sources, bookmark this link or save this email. You'll want want to use this schedule for your marketing.

Not sure what to do for your golf marketing? First, you can send an email to your golfing clients and prospects to get them ready for the 2013 season. It's likely going to be an exciting one with McIlroy on the rise and Tiger making a comeback.

That's one idea and I have others. Contact me if you want to know more. And I'd love to hear what ideas you have as well.

I'm in the SF Bay Area and we're lucky to have some sunny days at the end of the week. So I'll be able to get a round in on Friday with a close friend and my dad. If you can, go play 9 or 18, or even a driving range session.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you're ready to use golf to attract higher-than-average net worth clients in 2013, I can help. You don't have to play like Tiger, but you need to know how to be on the course. Let's talk!

Need to Find a New Putting Stroke?

The R&A and USGA have tentatively banned the use of a putter anchored on one's body, effective January 1, 2016. So if you put your putter against your belly or chest and have a fulcrum point, then that's considered an anchor and will be prohibited. You can brace the putter grip against your wrist, like Matt Kuchar, and that will still be allowed. You can also still use the longer putters, but you have to freely swing the putter without it being against your body at a fulcrum point.

The rationale for the ban is a putting stroke is supposed to be a swing and without an anchoring point. I understand the rationale, but I wonder why the R&A and USGA waited so long to ban this style of putting if they felt that a putting stroke should be a swing. Former Tour Pro and past Ryder Captain, Paul Azinger, used the now-banned putting style in the 90's and the governing boards were silent for the past two decades.

Keegan Bradley was heckled by a spectator and called a cheater during Tiger's tournament on Sunday. Today the USGA release a statement that Keegan and others using that style are not cheaters and are allowed under the rules to have that putting stroke.

What to do if you use that putting style and are playing business-golf? Since anchor putting will be banned in 2016, you'll need to practice using a short putter. And when you play business-golf, you're not trying to shoot your personal best round. So I suggest if you're playing a client or prospect who leans toward being a traditionalist, I'd use your short putter. You don't want to give the impression or hint of being a cheater to a client or prospect. This way you avoid the possibility of damaging your business relationship.

If weather permits, go enjoy a round of winter golf!

Daly News

John Daly is in the news again, and it's not good.

He was playing in the Hong Kong Open and threw his putter into the trees. He was frustrated by the sound of camera shutters. The tournament director said it best, "Yes, the circumstances regarding crowd manners and behaviors will be considered, but when it all boils down there is still no excuse for throwing his putter."

I suspect the fans in the US are more considerate of golfers than in Hong Kong. But I can also sort of understand the fans in Hong Kong. If you've been there, then you know those folks never hear a second of silence. That town runs on 30 hour days with the hustle and bustle of life.

As the director said though Daly needed to restrain himself from blowing up. And, given his past, we know that's a challenge for him. Unfortunate situation for all, but golf does put a challenge on us to control our tempers. That's why I call golf an xray of the soul and a great business tool. Would you want a client that blew up that way on the course?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the US!

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtxxEbu

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtxxEbu

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtxxEbu

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtxxEbu

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

"Yes, the circumstances regarding crowd manners and behavior will be considered, but when it all boils down there is still no excuse for throwing his putter,"

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

"Yes, the circumstances regarding crowd manners and behavior will be considered, but when it all boils down there is still no excuse for throwing his putter,"

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

Read more: http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2012/11/john-daly-will-be-fined-for-throwing-putter-at-hong-kong-open.html?xid=forecast111912_topstory3#ixzz2CgtqtAAz

Golfing Presidents

We all know tomorrow is Election Day. I plan to vote and hope the best candidate for the country and economy wins. To see other presidents who enjoy the game we all love, check out this link.

Congratulations to Condi Rice and Darla Moore!

Augusta National Golf Club has announced their first two female members.

Condi Rice, former Secretary of  State, is also a member of San Francisco Golf Club and Cypress Golf Club.

Darla Moore is a South Carolina financier.

Which Tees to Use?

The National Golf Foundation asked:

What method do you use most often to choose the yardage (set of tees) you will play from in a given round of golf?

Based on a total yardage I have in mind	45%
Based on the color I normally play	23%
Based on wind or weather	6%
Based on the ability of my weakest playing partner	9%
Based on the nature of the round (fun vs. a competitive)	5%
Based on how fast I want to play	0%
I play whatever tees my playing partners choose	12%

I was surprised by the responses and wondered if the responses would be the same if one was playing in a business-golf round.

The 23% who responded that they chose the tees based on the normal color that they play could have a rude awakening at a new course. There is no standard color for tees based on location, e.g. black for the tips, blue for back tees, white for the middle and red for the front tees. Some courses, especially newer courses, have new colors at different locations. If playing based solely on color, a person may end up playing from inappropriate tees for their game.

For the business golfer, the 12% had the best response which is to play whatever tees my playing partners choose. The one caveat is during a business golf round, you might be playing from tees that are more difficult for you than what your game can handle. In which case, you need to either play fast or pick up when need be, if your playing partners get impatient with you.

I'm playing more courses now, and since I'm not playing as much, I'll choose the yardage that I'm used to and even the tees slightly less than my usual. To choose a longer distance is too punishing for us, recreational and business golfers.

Which answer would you give? 

Tiger: The C-Word

I've followed Tiger's career from Day 1. The C-word for most of his career has been Closer. Except for his loss in the 2009 PGA Championship to Yang, if he had the lead going into a Major, he was the winner.

After watching him this year, I fear that the C-word is now Choker.

He reminds me now of Phil Mickelson. I was a fan of Phil's, but found it hard to cheer for him because of his foolish mistakes he'd make en route to losing the tournament that he should have won. The US Open, #18 at Pebble Beach, etc. So many times, you thought he's on his way to winning, and then he'd make one of his foolish decisions and lose.

Tiger has played great on Thursday and Friday of the Majors this year, and you think finally he's going to redeem himself... he's going to win a Major again.  Moving day arrives and Tiger produces just the opposite of what that day means. He's lost shots over the weekend this year. Instead of getting the Closer, we now get excuses. And is it me or is the Sunday red and black getting old?

Whether he can go from Choker to Closer again, we'll have to wait till next year.

A Golfer Gives Back

Of all professional sports, the PGA Tour is the largest fundraiser for nonprofits. In 2005, the PGA Tour reached $1 billion in total funds donated. I love that about golf.

In Minneapolis, one golfer decided to give back and played 100 holes in one day. He didn't ride a cart even though he was playing on a day of record-breaking heat.

Golf gives back in so many ways. Look for a way that you can do so!

Be Honest

Most golfers know the Rules state you can only carry 14 clubs in your bag. Have 15 clubs and you're penalized two strokes for every hole you had 15, maximum four-stroke penalty.

A European player had 15 clubs in his bag. He didn't know, but his caddy did. When the caddy discovered the extra club, he took the bag into the bushes and tried to hide it. I didn't make this up.

The other two players noticed the caddy disappeared in the bushes with the bag and asked what was up? Then the caddy admitted it. When tour officials discovered how egregious the caddy's behavior was, they DQ-ed the player. OUCH! Not going to be finding any looping job soon, I'd say.

Worst case of caddy behavior I've heard. If you've discovered you've broken a rule, be honest and don't make a bad situation worse.

New Golfers, Trust Your Instincts

Yesterday I met a friend for lunch who is a new golfer. She's a member of a nine-hole course, which is part of an exclusive community in Nevada.

We sat down and she immediately asked if everyone plays with the same length golf club. I said no, it depends on your height, length of arms, etc. She said she asked the head pro of her club if her driver is too long for her. He told her everyone swings the same length club. I said that's impossible and wrong.

My friend is probably only 5'1" or so. I said take your clubs to a local golf shop and get fitted with your clubs. Her driver was 3" too tall. I warned her that cutting the shaft will make the shaft stiffer, but let's get you hitting the ball on the sweetspot instead of the heel of the club and topping it most of the time. She can get custom clubs when she plays more.

So I have to wonder what the head pro was thinking when he gave her that information. Does he not care because she's a woman? Does he not know? If so, then he should have told her that he didn't know and referred her to someone else.

Frankly his inability or unwillingness to help her could have resulted in her leaving the game. She said she couldn't feel comfortable hitting the ball with her driver. It certainly wasn't her fault! She stood more than a foot away from the end of the club to even try to hit the ball.

So if you're a new golfer, trust your instincts about your golf game! If you get information from a so-called expert, then check and verify it. Every golfer should be trying to properly inform new golfers about the game and be encouraging of them to play.

My Tiger Prediction... I Was Half Right

After Tiger's victory at The Memorial, I predicted that he was back and he'd contend at the US Open.

He contended the first two days, but then sputtered along over the weekend. Watching Tiger now reminds me of watching Phil several years ago. I was a fan of Phil's, but then he'd make one of his risky decisions and lose the tournament. It was hard to root for him. I'm thinking of Winged Foot and going for the green on 18 at Pebble Beach.

Rooting for Tiger has become the same way. You see how he plays on Thursday and Friday and you think he's going to do it over the weekend. But it isn't so. Since he got his new swing and recovering from his injuries, this has now become common place. Maybe his nerves get to him now, or that new swing doesn't work when he's under pressure. I don't know what it is, but it's certainly not the Tiger of old who took the lead in a major and never looked back.

Nonetheless, it was great to see Webb Simpson win, albeit a bit anti-climatic. Would have loved to see a  playoff with him and McDowell, but all in all a great Open. I played Olympic a few years ago and it killed me then. With the new greens and that tall, thick rough, I can only imagine how painful it was to play.

And, if you're a financial advisor, you had to be cheering on Michael Allen. A retired stock broker, who has been a member of Olympic Club for decades. He shot an eagle on the first day. If you're an advisor and not using golf, you're missing out on the business action on the course.

It's the first day of summer and hope you have your next round in your calendar!

Sergio, Grow Up!

I'm watching the US Open, of course. Second to the Masters, it's a favorite major because it's our nation's tournament and amateurs are playing.

On a par 3 hole today, Sergio teed off and then we heard a smack on the television. It was Sergio destroying the ESPN microphone at the tee box with his club. Of course, he can afford to pay for a replacement and maybe a fine imposed by the USGA, or maybe even the PGA.

Sergio, you play a game and have made MILLIONS from doing so. The majority of your fans don't earn in a year what you make in a top-10 finish at a golf tournament. Grow up! You apparently don't believe you can win a major like you declared at the Masters. Save the fans of the game from your antics. Between spitting in a hole at Augusta, your recent club toss and today's antics, your temper tantrums on the course are getting old. Go see a sports psychologist and gain some maturity. Otherwise, quit playing if you're so miserable on the course.

Organic Cotton Rocks

I received a Criquet 100% organic cotton women's golf shirt to review. I chose the Ruby Red Lady's Player Shirt and I liked it! It has some fine detail stitching and it was comfortable to wear. Wore it twice. Once under a jacket and the other time without one. Both times it was easy to make a turn and didn't bunch up at the sleeves. It tapers from the shoulders to the waist, so more flattering than a baggy polo shirt.

Because it's made out of organic cotton, I didn't know if it would be more wrinkled after washing or more difficult to iron. There were no additional wrinkles and the wrinkles ironed out easily. It might have shrunk slightly since it became more snug in the shoulders. I also like the feel of the fabric; smooth to the hand, not scratchy.

Overall, if you want an organic cotton shirt, check out Criquet!