How President Trump is Using #Golf to Perfect The Art of The Deal

The White House announced that President Trump will be playing a round of golf with a group that includes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago course.

The first thing that Mr. Trump stated is that he is going to make sure that Mr, Abe is his playing partner, not his competitor, and that they were going to have "fun".

Trump uses golf for business and this event is no exception as he expects to "get to know (Abe) better on a golf course than (he would) over lunch." And, as Mr. Trump once said in a GOLF Magazine interview, "You learn a lot about people playing golf: their integrity, how they play under pressure."

Editor: Wonder if he'll also pull out that awesome golf gift he received from Mr. Abe, a Honma Beres S-05 driver with 9.5 degrees of loft with a 5S Armrq Infinity stiff shaft?

Will he be using his time-tested tactics to work on building bridges with our Japanese ally? Most definitely! This is a combination of The Art of the Deal and the basic rules of business golf.

So, aside from the obvious "fun" factor which Mr. Trump plans to have during the round, the time spent will also be like a four-hour business meeting on some of the greenest fairways in the country.

In a survey by a global hotel chain, over one-third of CEO’s at top-level companies interviewed said, “Some of my biggest business deals were made on the golf course”. Women executives weighed in as well with more than a third saying that "playing golf resulted in additional business for them”.

So, how can you use time on the course to better your business relationships?

Here are a few golf tips you can use to make an unforgettable golf impression on prospective clients:

1. Golf shows character traits: don't cheat - be honest about a miss, A future boss or business partner does not want to work alongside of someone who has "improved the lie". The way you play golf directly resembles the way you conduct business. Play fair!

2. Don't go out cold - make sure you are ready to impress whomever you are playing with - that doesn't mean that you are a professional player, but it does mean that you can move the ball forward and that you know the rules of the game. There is nothing worse than stepping on your playing partner's line on the putting green just after you slipped in a pitch for something important to you.

3. Learn about your playing partner early in the game.

Sometimes you might want to give putts thinking that it's a good thing but it could be a double-edged sword. Donald Trump calls it an "interesting dynamic" because giving too much to a partner you are trying to impress may make him/her think (as Trump says) "you are feeling sorry for him". Not a good way to play. As Trump says, "It's a very fine line."


Next read: How Much Would You Pay to Play Golf on a Donald Trump Course?

What are some of your best tips playing golf for business? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photos: Golf Digest, scmp.com

VIDEO: Tiger Woods Golf - Venturing Into the Unknown

Tiger Woods returned to Torrey Pines after a seventeen-month hiatus. Woods has won on this golf course an astounding eight times, so this seemed to be as good a course as any to kick off his return.

"We all know I haven't played s full schedule in a long time, so this is an unknown," mentioned Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Tiger also stated that he needed to get into the playing rhythm once again.

Fortifying the former number one golfer in the world's comfort level was being paired with friends Jason Day and Dustin Johnson.

Was his comeback a success or is Tiger Woods a little rusty?

The rough got the better of him but, overall, the most important thing is to put one foot in front of the other, which is what Tiger Woods did at Torrey Pines.

According to a quote found in the New York Times, "Woods acknowledged that he needed to cut down on the 'dumb mistakes', saying, 'Playing tournament golf is a little bit different than playing with your buddies at home in a cart. I need to get more rounds under my belt, more playing time and that’s what I’m trying to do.'

Think Tiger Woods will win a PGA Tour tournament in 2017? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Video: Golfing World

Three New Technologically Advanced #Golf Drivers for a Beginners' Swing

A beginners golf swing is different than one that has been fine-tuned through the help of time, instructors and technology. A lack of confidence and awkwardness in the golf swing is especially noticed with the driver, as it has the longest shaft (and biggest clubhead) in the bag. It is also usually the club which can make, or break, the score for a beginner so it is important that you have the right driver in your bag.

When I first considered which golf drivers are best for beginners in 2013, I selected a few which offered game-improvement technology. Updates to my golf blog in 2015 made sure to list drivers with 460 cc heads and adjustable weight and loft technology.

But, do golf beginners really need all of the bells and whistles in order to get the ball airborne and safely onto the fairway? Do they need something as technical as the Wilson Staff Triton, which won Golf Channel's Driver-vs-Driver competition? Probably not.

Yes, distance matters but accuracy and consistency in your golf game matters more. There is no better feeling than to walk to your golf ball which has landed safely in the fairway, hole after hole! (Okay, distance really DOES matter!)

Technology also matters if it helps create golf clubs which make it easier to get the ball airborne or to, almost effortlessly, get the ball lofted off of the clubface and fly straighter down the fairway.

Here are three golf drivers with new technology, selected to give newbies (and players who need more consistency) a head start on their 2017 golf game.

1. Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Driver: Forgiveness for both men and women is the keyword for this driver. The club designers positioned substantially more weight in the perimeter and far back from the face, resulting in a dramatically higher level of forgiveness.

The new titanium Exocage and shape cuts through the air lightly and with "an especially satisfying sound and feel", says Callaway. I love the sound my Callaway X2 Hot driver makes as it connects with the sweet spot of the ball, so I know this club manufacturer understands the value in that aspect for beginners!

2. Ping G Series Drivers: My favorite set of Ping Karsten irons has prompted me to look into Ping drivers as I hit those irons like a champ (most of the time, otherwise, I would be on Tour!)

Ah dragonfly, are you the reason that Ping redesigned their popular line of drivers?

According to Ping, the wing pattern of this insect helped in the design of the crown sections to improve the MOI (moment of inertia) and CG (center of gravity) with biomimicry in mind. According to a Golf.com review of the Ping G Driver, there are many pros to using this club including a high level of accuracy and forgiveness with "point-and-shoot" playability.



3. Cobra King F7 Driver: Golf World testers landed this driver in the gold medal position along with the Callaway we placed on this list.

The new Cobra Connect Powered by Arccos system in the grip could be one reason as you receive instant feedback of distance and accuracy with every swing directed to your smartphone.

A carbon fiber crown redistributes the weight in the clubhead and the E9 face offers distance even if you mis-hit the ball.

Might be just a little bit too much for the first-time beginner but, for someone who is in that second stage of learning and ready to try something a little bit different (because we're always learning), get over to your local retailer and take a few swings to see if this driver is right for your next stage of development.


Editor's note: Before purchasing any new golf driver, make sure you visit an authorized retailer with custom club fitting capabilities. A purchase as important as this one, which inspires confidence off the tee, should never be left to chance.


Have you tried any of the above golf drivers? Leave your comments below in our golf blog and share with us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.