How to Experience the Feeling of an Eagle - Guest #Golf Blog

Eagle 2 - a golf blog written by Fred Poli, a financial adviser who also teaches and trains in that industry. Bio below but, for now, please enjoy Fred's article!

It had been a fairly bad round. Lately, I just had not been playing as much golf as I would have liked. 

I managed to par the par-3, 17^th and hit my best drive of the day right down the middle on the eighteenth, a short par-4. My playing partner also hit driver but pulled it into the water on the left hand side of the green. 

Classic risk reward hole. As I sized up my twenty-five yard chip, he joked about my straight forward eagle. Bad joke... I have never had an eagle. Never. 

Then a strange serenity came over me. 

I saw the chip. 

I addressed the ball and put a good stroke on it. It never looked like missing. 

Eagle two, 18^th hole  - Indooroopilly Golf Club, East Course.

Just like that, things change. That’s golf, the greatest sport in the world. 

Why? 

I have thought about that a lot. It’s many things. 

It’s the only sport in the world where you can take it up at any age and basically play until you can no longer stand.  It’s the only sport in the world where people of any standard can compete on the same “arena”. It’s the only sport in the world where if you break a rule, calling a penalty on yourself is considered the norm. It’s wonderful exercise. It’s a great social activity. It can be equally enjoyed by both genders. And so much more.....

The thing I love most about golf is the mental challenge. I have learned more about myself playing golf than through any other pursuit...and I did not take the game up until I was fifty years old. 

Yes, we have opponents. Yes, I am competitive, but golf is a battle with yourself...at least that is what I always believed. Now, of course, I have come to learn that it is not a battle but a learning process that never ends; a perfect partner to everything else that you have going on in your life.

To think that I almost gave up in the beginning because, like all great things in life, there are prices to pay.

Golf has two main obstacles. 

Firstly, it’s very time consuming to learn and to play it. That is an issue for a later article.  Secondly, it’s a very difficult game to play well.

Fortunately, David Capaldo, teaching pro at Kingswood Golf Club, taught me how to play this wonderful game. This is a must because for every Bubba Watson there are millions of golfers who will never enjoy the game because they simply don’t learn the fundamentals of hitting the ball.

So, if you have a set of old golf clubs collecting dust, or even if you have never played, get out there, book some lessons. I want you to experience the feeling of an eagle. I am still soaring.

Are you a golf beginner? Have you thought of quitting the sport but, after a miraculous shot or round kept playing to stick with, and enjoy, the game? 

Let us hear your story either here on Golf for Beginners blog, on @Golf4Beginners on Twitter ...and LIKE on Facebook. 

Fred Poli BIO:

Fred has a Diploma in Counselling and Communication from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and as much as he has learned in this field, he feels that his best life teacher has been the game of golf. 

Mr. Poli took up the game at age fifty and is fortunate to play in one of the best golf areas on earth, the so called “sand belt” of Melbourne Australia wher he is a member of Kingswood Golf Club and plays off 19. 

Photo credit: playaroundgolf.com, http://www.indooroopillygolf.com.au

What Can You Add to This Thanksgiving #Golf List?

Did you ever notice how many times you give thanks during a round of golf? 

Stewart Cink-British Open

From amateur players right up through the ranks of the PGA Tour, the golf g-ds are summoned at least once during a round for something miraculous to happen. Here is a short list of why we give thanks before, after, or during, a round of golf.

Feel free to add to this list:

Hitting a decent drive at the first tee - Probably the first time during a round of golf where you might look heavenward and pray for a great result.

A Member's Bounce - Ever hear the golf ball thunk against a tree and wonder where it might land?

I don't have to beg my spouse to play golf - thinking about Everybody Loves Raymond and all of the other spouses who need prior approval, I am happy to report that my husband loves the game at least as much as I do - no bribery needed.

Any birdie - par on a hole is great but a birdie is better...

An accurate GPS - Important for times when you can't find the 150-yard marker and start to feel lost on the golf course, having a golf caddy in the palm of your hand during a friendly round helps not only you but the rest of your foursome have a great time.

Great weather day - You try and plan for spring temperatures but Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate.

The Miracle Shot - Dropping a thirty-foot putt that breaks twice on golf course greens that register fourteen on the Stimpmeter (thinking Oakmont?)


Why do you give thanks? Let Golf for Beginners know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Facebook page.


Photo credit: Golfdigest.com

What Are The Best Golf Course Greens In 2013? Reader's Choice!

Although your choice of golf course can be as subjective as your choice of club, there are certain greens that top most people’s lists of the very finest in the world. Golf for Beginners, in association with Golfplan Insurance, takes a look at five courses everyone wanted to play in 2013 and who considers them to be the best of the best.

 St. Andrews. Fife, Scotland
 Why voted No. 1?

One of the very oldest courses in the world, The Old Course at St. Andrews has been pivotal to the development of the modern game, including the standardization of the 18-hole course.

The twenty-eight Open Championships that have been held at St. Andrews to date make it the most featured course of the competition currently playing host to the event every five years.

Known the world over for its iconic large double greens, this superb layout features seven greens that are shared by two holes. Most famously of all lies the Swilcan Bridge, which spans the 1st and 18th holes – everyone who has ever played the final hole has walked over this 700-year-old landmark. The Old Course features 112 bunkers, each individually named and with their own unique part to play in the course’s history. A true landmark of beauty and tradition on the golfing circuit.


Royal Birkdale. Southport, Merseyside
Why voted No. 1? 

Host of The British Open Championship no fewer than nine times (most recently in 2008) and most recently this year's choice for The Senior Open, Royal Birkdale is one of the finest courses the UK has to offer.

It’s richness of great golf holes provides an incredibly fair and enjoyable challenge for golfers of all abilities. The 12th, a 183-yard par-3, is as natural a hole as you are likely to come across in Britain. From a raised tee, you must avoid four deep bunkers before resting on a narrow green nestled at the foot of several sand dunes.

The longest hole on the golf course is found at the 15th, a par five that features more bunkers than any other hole on the course. The level of challenge the Royal Birkdale faces can heavily depend on the weather, with a windy climate providing many a torrid time on the enormous 18th - a heavily bunkered, 476 yard par four. A truly stimulating and challenging course.


Ailsa Course. Turnberry, Ayrshire 
Why voted No. 1? 

Probably most famously known for Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus’ famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ at the 1977 Open Championship, the Ailsa Course at Turnberry is one of golf’s genuinely iconic courses.

 Featuring a magnificent lighthouse which looks out over the sea, the green runs along the Firth of Clyde. The par-70, 7,217 course is one of golf’s legendary venues. The opening three holes provide a stiff opening challenge, particularly if the weather is against you.

The following seven holes provide a remarkable backdrop of coastal scenery alongside some very demanding play. Breathtaking scenery, a challenging, traditional course and an awe-inspiring history make the Ailsa Course one of the most popular golfing destinations in the world.


Augusta National, Georgia
Why voted No. 1?

Host of the annual Masters Tournament since 1934, Augusta National is undoubtedly one of the most well-recognized and revered courses in the United States. Home of golf’s elite, Augusta is considered the masterpiece of the legendary Bobby Jones. Every hole on the course is named after a tree or plant that grows on the hole, including Magnolia, Pink Dogwood, Flowering Crab Apple and Azalea.

Perhaps most famous are the 11th, 12th and 13th holes which have become known as ‘Amen Corner’ for their infamous levels of difficulty. White Dogwood, the 11th hole, is a 505-yard par-4 that has instilled fear into most that have played it since the tee was moved back 15 yards several years ago. Traditional, challenging, sometimes controversial and always magnificent; The Augusta Course is a true jewel in the crown of golfing circuits.


 Pine Valley. Clementon, New Jersey
 Why voted No. 1?

Pine Valley Golf Club is frequently lauded for it’s consistent level of challenge and conditioning on each hole, requiring thoughtful placement of the ball from tee to green.

Amongst its many accolades, Pine Valley has arguably the finest collection of par-threes and par-fives in the world, long priding itself as one of the toughest challenges in all of golf. In possession of a sense of mystery within golfing circles due to its private nature and difficulty to find, it nonetheless remains one of the most well-respected courses in the world.


If you are planning a trip to either St. Andrews, Augsuta National or to any other golf course abroad, Golfplan’s comprehensive insurance coverage can include overseas equipment hire if yours goes missing whilst in transit overseas.


Do you agree with our blog? Which are your favorite golf course greens? Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and Like on Facebook.


photo credits: oldcoursehotel.co.uk, RoyalBirkdale.com. tomperna.files.wordpress.com, sports.espn.go.com