What Are Your Odds of Making a Hole in One? #golf

To make a hole-in-one is the desire for all golfers. Although professionals with pinpoint accuracy like Rickie Fowler have a better chance of making an ace, when the average player drops a ball into the bottom of the cup on the first stroke, the feeling is euphoric!

Statistics state that the likelihood of the amateur golfer ever getting a hole-in-one is very slim - "a tee shot hit by an amateur golfer on a par-3 goes into the hole one out of every 12,750 times", according to Golf Digest and the National Hole in One Registry. Professional golfers obviously have a better chance of scoring an ace; the odds are 2,500 to 1.

That being said, I am proud to announce that my first hole-in-one was recorded on Friday, June 3, 2016 and have joined the ranks of the elite! Yes, I did save the golf ball for display and yes, there was a celebration at the 19th hole!

What Should You Do if You Get a Hole-in-One?
- Check to make sure that the ball in the hole is, indeed, your golf ball!
- Fist pumps and high-fives are welcomed at this time.
- Have camera ready to record the historic occasion.
- Make sure that you sign your scorecard and that whoever else witnessed the hole-in-one also attests to the ace.
- Remove the golf ball from play - you may want to display it for posterity's sake.
- Register your hole-in-one with the official United States Golf Register (which I just completed) or with the National Hole-in-One Registry.

Have you gotten an ACE? Share your story below in the comments section of our Golf for Beginners blog, on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and LIKE on my Facebook page (above).

Read: What the Golf Bug Does to Your Game.

photo: Stacy Solomon - Golf for Beginners

What the #Golf Bug Does to Your Game

Jordan Spieth caught the golf bug as a youngster watching the Byron Nelson tournament live in his hometown. Phil Mickelson's father helped spark a love of the game and watching Tiger Woods on television helped inspire practice with success on the course for Jason Day.

How did you catch the golf bug...from a family member, friend or, perhaps, by tuning into a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf as a kid? For me, it was my husband's doing - after I questioned him a bit about the game, he purchased a set of golf clubs off of the internet and brought both the clubs and me to a qualified instructor saying, "here, you teach her." This was one of the best things he ever did for me...the game has improved my life in so many ways.

If You Are Reading This Blog, You Probably Have The Golf Bug in a Big Way. If you use golf terminology on and off of the golf course and can name every golf club in your bag (including shaft), if your swing thoughts break into the middle of a conversation, if you are passionate and obsessive when talking about your game, you've caught it.

Do you listen attentively when golfers offer advice to each other? When pros give golf tips, do you pull out pen and paper to take note and watch drill videos from golfers like Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson with the hopes of gripping and ripping it with ease?

For beginners, catching the golf bug is the incommunicable moment which comes from hitting that one shot which takes off; tempo is effortless, swing is easy-breezy and belt buckle points at the target ...all with a flourish. You say to yourself, "I can do this!"

As you progress as an amateur, the golf bug transforms itself - you want to know more - you learn the basics of swing, hit several shots in succession which don't dribble down the fairway and even begin to place shots in the areas which your mind visualizes. When you hit that one shot which you saw a pro hit on television and it goes in the hole for birdie or eagle...you're hooked for good.

You may or may not want to immediately step out onto a golf course - it took me over a year to make the transition from driving range to evening, nine-hole rounds - this period gave me time to practice and improve upon the basics but you might be in a hurry to test your soundness on the course.

The golf bug is no ordinary virus - it transforms itself over time. You go from learning about hitting shots to shot-shaping, you want to improve so you begin to consider not just aiming and shooting but course management to avoid trouble.

For those golfers who have taken this journey and have years of study under their collective belts, the golf bug may take on an entirely new dimension. Where you previously might have been watching You Tube videos on grip, stance, alignment and the forty-yard flop shot, you might now be watching more technical directions.

Professional golfers share their drills and tips with the public to show that even amateurs, with a little practice and if they follow specific directions, can become the next Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson or even Arnold Palmer.

After Jordan Spieth's win at the Colonial, Golf Digest quickly came out with an instructional video from his swing coach, Cameron McCormick. The "Heart Array" teaches amateurs the art of shaping the ball using three different trajectories.You'll notice at the beginning of the video, even Spieth has a little trouble getting out exactly how he wants to teach people his method.

Yes, as the golf bug takes hold, it never lets go. The quest to get better is endless - the bug keeps you adapting to new conditions and ever challenging situations...it keeps your mind fresh and your body healthy. Keep feeding the golf bug and sharing its strong grip so that it grows and thrives within other hosts and helps continue to grow the game.

Have you given the golf bug to anyone - have you received the golf bug from someone? Share your story in the comments section of our golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.


Tweet this blog… Your followers will thank you!


photos: Pixabay.com

Try These Three #Golf Swing Thoughts

Golfers are going to be out in droves this Memorial Day Weekend; some have only pulled out their sticks a few times this season while others have been playing for months. There will be those golfers out purely for the enjoyment of the weather and there will be competitive players seeking the win. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned golfer, consider taking away these swing thoughts for use during your round.

1. Try not to fill your head with swing thoughts! Pick only one or two during the round and stick with them. My latest swing thought is to keep my elbows connected losing that dreaded "flying elbow" that has recently crept its way into my swing. Adam Scott agrees stating, "Whatever I'm working on, I like to keep one swing thought in my head when I'm on the course. Keeping it simple helped me at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston last year."

2. Are you trying to regain composure after a blow-up hole? What's next, you think...another bad shot? Thoughts like this will have you spiraling downward, spewing curse words and throwing your golf clubs into a retention pond! Instead, think about the "C" word...Confidence.  Remember that one or two shots will not ruin your round, that you have hit good shots in the past and focus on the next shot instead of dwelling on something that is already past.

Read these Golf Tips to Improve Your Game from Tee to Green.

Look at the Positives of a Golf Hole: In his GolfTV.com video, Dave Marsh says that most players look down a par-five and immediately notice the trouble; the patch of grass or the bunker that they have to fly over...don't be that guy! Instead, when you step onto the tee box, look down the fairway and "pick three things you really like about the hole," and where you are going to place that golf ball.

A negative approach will almost always lead to some type of golf course meltdown so take each shot and hole as its own adventure, remain positive and look for a way out of trouble. Follow the words of Bob Rotella'sbook cover which says, "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect."

Which swing thoughts have helped improve your golf game and outlook on the course? Let us know below in our golf blog comments section and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners!