Swing into Social Media: How Social Media is Changing the Game of Golf

Posted on 19/03/2011 by Ben Greenwood

Simply put, social media is everywhere. Like the electric motor of over 100 years ago, which eventually became smaller and eventually was hidden inside of numerous devices, today’s social media communities and applications have become less intrusive and more widely available to users everywhere.

With smart phones and even normal cell phones having increased computing power and extended capabilities, developers have created interesting applications by the tens of thousands. Depending upon the platform a Smartphone user has bought into there could be numerous free and paid applications available for them to extend the functionality they are getting from their mobile communications investment.

In addition to numerous downloadable applications focused directly at players and fans of golf, manyof the leading social media platforms are beginning to show up on golf courses and fans devices everywhere.

With all of the technology and application of social media by enterprising businesses and individuals, it might be worthwhile to explore just how the game of golf can be and is being impacted by these new mediums.

For many fans, actually watching golf being played on television can be, as attributed to ArnoldPalmer, “…like watching paint dry.”

Of course the networks do their best with interesting graphics and hole by hole animated virtual flyovers. The announcers are obviously very educated as to the game, its history and do their very best to provide interesting audio accompaniment to the visual medium. Given their best efforts however, the experience can often times be just as exciting as the drying of paint.

Technology and eager businesses have been quickly transforming the experience of being entertained. Television viewing in general has come much more under the control of the viewer. With programming available online at the same time or shortly after broadcast over the airwaves and via cable, fans of shows and sporting events can become their own virtual entertainment programmers.

Given the numerous communications tools and devices available to fans now, there are nearly infinite ways to consume and enjoy most of the available programming being released. People also crave more interactive channels in relation to their personal programming choices. Sports networks realized their fans were in need of multitasking opportunities years ago and released the scrolling bottom line score and information tickers.

With social media exploding online and on mobile devices, many sports are jumping onto the bandwagon to provide yet more opportunities for their fans to interact with each other as well as the stars of that sport.

Services like Twitter, for example, allow anyone with a mobile device and data plan to interact with thousands of followers. Depending upon the popularity of the celebrity, that number may well be in the several millions of users.

This is direct access to potentially a very larger percentage of the sports viewing market. Within the game of golf, for instance, many of the professional golfers have started embracing the concept of sending out tweets while they practice and play in tournaments.

From a fans perspective having this virtual, unobstructed and potentially two way access to their favorite golfers is unprecedented. Evenwhen viewing a tournament live in person, the fan may not have this kind of access.

Whether it’s on Twitter or one of the thousands of Facebook pages and fan groups, the use of social media in today’s game of golf is adding richness previously unattainable. The more fans who are pulled into these social communities the more the popularity of golf will grow. And as it becomes more popular, it surely will find increased prosperity.

Andy West is a freelance writer on a variety of topics including golf and new technologies. With his golf degree Andy has had the opportunity to visit many courses and wishes to share his experiences with his readers.

Top 10 Golf Apps for Your iPhone or Smartphone

Posted on 24/02/2011 by Ben Greenwood

This is a guest post from Floras McLain. Not all apps may be available outside the US.

Investing in additional golf technology after buying an iPhone or smartphone is tough. These apps will extend your phone and give you the best advice for your game.

With today’s smartphone price tags easily running in $400 to $500 range and top of the line hardware like iPhones, Blackberrys and Android OS phones as much as $750 the last thing a savvy golfer is likely to do is invest in more hardware just to enhance their game. Sure, there are a number of devices which can help to guide you on the course with their GPS capabilities, but you’re already carrying around a smartphone. If it is so smart shouldn’t it be able to handle a number of the very same chores that a dedicated device would? Cheer up because the answer is absolutely. Both open source and proprietary developers are creating and selling some amazing applications you can download to your specific smartphones in order to use while enjoying your game of golf.

The following list comprises but 10 of the more popular apps and a bit of a description about why you might consider adding them to your virtual golf bag.

10 Golf Apps For Your Cell Phone

Golfshot: Golf GPS: with a price tag under $30, the Golf GPS offers amazing stats tracking, zoomable overhead views for making informed club choices, and integrated emailing capabilities to send your great scores to all your buddies.
GolfLink Game Tracker: One of the less expensive smartphone apps, the Game Tracker is currently only available for the iPhone. But with more than 18,000 courses at your disposal, this inexpensive application provides a few other unique features as well. In addition to integrated emailing capabilities, you get an array of social network connections including posting capability to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
AirVue iPhone Golf GPS: another interesting GPS application, the AirVue not only provides requisite overhead views of the hole, but allows you to switch from looking at the entire length of a hole to just were you happen to be, either the fairways, greens or hazards. With easy to view distance and measurement tools, this tool is a value at just under $40.
GolfLogix: Even though this downloadable application is free, it has an amazing feature list sure to rival some of the others in the list. In addition to standard GPS capabilities, the GolfLogix provides the ability to upload each of your rounds to their proprietary online community where you can share your great stories and scores with all of your friends, be they local of on the other side of the planet. You’ll keep your score and stats like so many professional golfers do every day.
Everyday Golf Coach: What could be better than having your golf instructor with you on every hole? If you could afford that option you wouldn’t even worry about a downloadable app that cost less than $10 US. But with the Everyday Golf Coach you get a pocket device filled with instruction videos you can access at any point in your game when you need just a bit more clarification in why your ball is in the water, sand trap, or too short of the green.
Smart Golf Scorecard: Provides a clean, straightforward way to keep your scores on your handheld device while not intruding on your game with too much technology. Because its interface is simple and easy to use you won’t slow down your foursome while trying to figure out which button to push or how to enter information about your last shot.
Golfcard: With both a free and professional paid version, the Golfcard products have a long list of features sure to catch your eye. In addition to standard expectations like a range finder and scoring, you’ll be able to track your golfing partners, have access to the official USGA handicap index and have integrated access to database storage for all your scoring and handicap information.
Teedroid: Users of the Android based smartphones will definitely want to check out this application. With many of the features of apps costing upwards of $40 or more dollars this one can be instantly downloaded to your phone for simply registering at their website.
Pro Golf Paradise: Specifically developed for the Blackberry, this golf app adds one unique feature: the weather. How often have you had games washed out and you along with them because you failed to pack your rain gear. This one will eliminate all those challenges.
True Golf Score: Another inexpensive but well featured smartphone app, True Golf Score allows you to maintain the entire foursome’s scores on one device. No more getting everyones cards together at the end of your round. All tabulations are done automatically as well as providing for long term storage and recall as well.

BIO: Floras McLain is a freelance writer. When she is not writing or taking a golf program she loves to enjoy the outdoors.

West Ham beat Spurs in race for Olympic Stadium

Posted on 11/02/2011 by Ben Greenwood

West Ham, not Tottenham, will be handed the keys to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford after the Olympics in 2012. The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) went with West Ham United over Spurs purely on the basis that they have no plans to demolish the £537m stadium and rip out the running track in the process, unlike their bidding rivals.

Which is fair enough – a promise was made to the International Olympics Committee that awarding the Olympics to London would leave a lasting athletics legacy, the heart of which would be the stadium. West Ham made all the right noises along those lines, while Spurs said they’d knock it down, build a football stadium on the site and redevelop the Crystal Palace athletics venue instead.

Actually, that’s NOT what Spurs said, but the media said it was, so that’s good enough. They would actually have retained about £420m of the stadium. Nevertheless, they WOULD have removed the running track and any possibility of athletics events taking place there.

Small wonder the ‘Appy ‘Ammers won the bid, really.

It is rather amusing then that it’ll be the Tottenham fans celebrating while the West Ham fans cry into their jellied eels. I haven’t heard one supporter of either club in favour of moving to the Olympic Stadium, citing many reasons for wanting to stay put. The main one though was that damned running track. It means you’re not close enough to the action, it ruins the atmosphere (incidentally, have you been to a Premier League game lately? There’s very little atmosphere left anywhere if we’re honest with ourselves), it separates you from your heroes, blah, blah, blah. All true, but not exactly forward thinking.

Spurs would have built this:

No, I have no idea what that red twirly thing is meant to be either

The larger capacity and other amenities that went with it would have helped them increase revenue and push on in their bid to become a real Premier League title contender. West Ham had the same idea, though there are a few cynics out there (yes, me) that question their ability to fill the Olympic Stadium on a weekly basis.

A recent poll in London suggested that 72% of people in the capital supported West Ham’s bid, while only 13% backed Spurs. Can’t help thinking the 72% were Spurs fans and the 13% Hammers fans!

Anyway, point is that the business heads at the two clubs (Brady and Levy) saw an opportunity and went for it, not giving one thought to the supporters. Silly move. West Ham will live to regret this “win”, I believe.

The world of British athletics can rejoice, though they are now going to have to prove that they can generate interest and income in big enough numbers to justify this decision by the OPLC. Again, I have my doubts.

I actually thought Tottenham’s bid was the better one for all concerned (fans aside). Restoring Crystal Palace to its former glory would have been nice and the chance for Spurs to kick on and challenge Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal would have been interesting.

Ah well. West Ham will get the keys after the closing ceremony in 2012 and we’ll find out shortly after if they have bitten off more than they can chew.

Any supporters of either club out there care to comment on your win / loss of the stadium? Good thing, bad thing? Why? Let me know in the comments.

Can Andy Murray win in Australia? Yes.

Posted on 25/01/2011 by Ben Greenwood

Is The Big Yin Andy Murray's lucky mascot?

I’ve given Andy Murray a hard time on quite a few occasions (and here and here!), but I’ve never once said he doesn’t have the talent to be a winner. I’ve questioned his bottle, his mentality, his attitude and I don’t like his dour demeanour, his apparent inability to smile or laugh or the way he looks. But I simply cannot fault his talent.

When on form, in the mood and confident, Murray can match and beat the best – or Federer and Nadal as they like to be called. He is a joy to be watch when his stars align, a fact that one of my heroes underlined on BBC Radio Five Live the other day when he called him a “genius”. None other than Scottish comedian Billy Connolly was on hand to see Murray destroy Jurgen Melzer in straight sets and said afterwards:

“That was great. I’ll be back for the final when he gets there, although I’ve got work to do. I don’t know what’s going to happen in this tournament, it keeps surprising me. My dream match would have been to watch Andy play Lleyton Hewitt because I think Lleyton’s amazing, I love his courageous heart, what he stands for.”

Despite my sometimes harsh words regarding Murray, his run up to this point, not least the 6-3, 6-1,6-1 thrashing of Melzer, has been ruthless. He looks like a man on a mission and I do believe he could go all the way here this year.

The shock defeat of Robin Soderling by Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov, Murray’s next opponent, only strengthens that belief. Sure, there’s a niggle in the back of my mind that following such an amazing performance the Scot tends to fall apart against lesser opposition and it is true that I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if that happens in the quarters against Dolgopolov but I’m going to have faith this time.

Something looks different. Murray looks different. Yes, 2011 could be his year and the Australian Open his first Grand Slam. I just wish he’d look a bit bloody happier about it!

Golf Etiquette That You Need to Know

Posted on 21/01/2011 by Ben Greenwood

One of the more pleasurable aspects of golf, outside of the scenic beauty of the course, is the amount of respect that players have for one another. The rules of the game are designed to foster fair play and camaraderie. Understanding some of the finer points of how to conduct oneself on the course adds to the atmosphere of sportsmanship. In the age of trash-talking and over-the-top displays of celebration, golf at its best, relies on the satisfaction of a well played shot and the support of both teammates and appreciation from the competitors. Simple courtesies on the course help foster good competition and good performance. Because golf demands such a high level of concentration most of the rules of etiquette are centered on not distracting the other players and effecting play.

Nothing to do with Golf Etiquette at all. Nice though, eh.

One of the more subtle things a player can do while waiting his or her turn is to remain quiet. That is a given. However, beyond your silence you should also keep in mind unwelcome movement during the other player’s address of the ball. Positioning yourself at the tee where the player can see you during the tee shot is appropriate. By standing motionless in a location where they can see you give the active player the confidence to swing the club without having to worry about hitting you. If you stand behind them, the fact that you are quiet can be unnerving and have the opposite effect of what you are trying to do. As an observer, stand in front of the player where they can see you at a safe distance well off the tee. Remain quiet and motionless. Resting your hands on your club will keep you from moving unintentionally. Focus on the player’s shot assisting them in spotting the location.

Bunkers can be a point of frustration for many golfers. One of the frustrations is landing in the sand only to discover the previous player has not raked out the sand from their shot leaving you with a difficult lie. As simple as this small task may be, by not raking the hazard after play, you are affecting the play of the game. The courtesies shown on a golf course are all centered on this one fact. Once you have made your bunker shot, rake the sand from the middle of the hazard to the outside edge, smoothing your footprints as you go. Try to even out the sand as much as possible leaving the rake in a location that will not affect the next player’s shot.

Once on the green, tending the flag for the other player is proper protocol. If the ball is not on the putting surface the flag can remain in the cup. If the hole cannot be easily seen from the player’s vantage point on the green, another participant should tend the flag until the ball is struck. Once on its way the flag must be removed prior to its arrival at the hole. Take particular care to avoid damaging the lip of the cup so as not to affect the path of the ball. Keeping these few key points in mind will add to the enjoyment of the game.

Author Bio: Vern Marker writes on behalf of a Golf School and frequently blogs about tips and techniques. When Vern is not blogging or writing, he is an avid golfer who loves to travel the world. Follow him on Twitter@VernMarker.

View from the Stands: Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Posted on 14/11/2010 by Ben Greenwood

I don’t know what it is about hockey, but it sure brings out the photographer in it’s supporters. Our last View from the Stands was from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. This time round it’s another hockey game, Anaheim Ducks versus New York Islanders from the Honda Center, Anaheim.

A happier result this time as the home side ran out – or should that be skated out? – 2-1 winners in overtime. This brilliantly moody black and white shot was taken by Chris Garcia with the scores still 0-0.

Huge thanks to Chris for this contribution and we want more! If you’ve got your own shots taken from any sporting event, anywhere in the world, send them in to us for View from the Stands. Here’s what we need.

In the meantime, check out Chris’s blog, SportsBrain.

Formula One Championship going to the wire

Posted on 06/11/2010 by Ben Greenwood

Likely champion...but not this week

The Brazilian Grand Prix is the penultimate race of the season but there’s not suggestion that it’s going to offer up a Formula One champion. No, this season is going to the wire in Abu Dhabi.

Qualifying is just about to get under way at Interlagos in wet conditions with championship leader Alonso hoping to start on pole ahead of possible title challengers Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button. In reality, the only drivers in with a real shout are Webber on Hamilton, going off form and reliability so far this season. However, this is Formula One and anything could happen – Button could win both races and if those ahead of him fail to finish high enough he could end up retaining his World Championship.

The title is in Alonso’s hands with a first, second or third finish capable of handing him the title depending on the positions of his rivals. This, from the BBC Sport website, explains the title situation right now:

If Alonso wins in Brazil, he will be champion unless Webber is higher than fourth
If Alonso is second, he will be champion unless Webber is higher than eighth, Hamilton higher than fourth or Vettel wins
If Alonso is third, he will be champion unless Webber finishes in the top 10, Hamilton in the top four and Vettel in the top three
If Alonso does not finish on the podium, it will go to Abu Dhabi
Button can only stay in contention if he finishes first or second but is out if Alonso finishes in the top six or if Webber is in the top two
Vettel must beat Alonso on track to stay in contention

As you can see, Alonso remains favourite but the chances of him wrapping up the title this weekend are unlikely. Possible, but unlikely. That Alonso will end up winning the Formula One championship, however, seems to me to be a near certainty. I feel he will gain a podium finish in Brazil but Webber and Hamilton will do enough to remain in contention. The rest will fall by the wayside so we’ll have a three-way shoot out in Abu Dhabi.

What a race that will be if it proves to be the case. Looking forward to that far more than this weekend. After such an exciting season, which has seen eight changes at the top of the title table – a record – it will be quite disappointing if the race was settled tomorrow. It should go to the last race, it’s fitting.

I tipped Alonso for the title a few weeks back on our Facebook page and I’m not changing my mind. Still, as an Englishman I would love to see Hamilton regain the title or even, by a miracle, Button retain it!

Who do you think will win and who do you want to win?

View from the Stands: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada

Posted on 03/11/2010 by Ben Greenwood

A while back JM blogged about the new Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf on behalf of Sporting Fare. Well, last night she was at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to see her beloved Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators. Although the result didn’t quite go the way she would have wanted – the Leafs lost 3-2 despite coming back from 3-0 down at half time – she did snap this brilliant picture from her seat of her team in action.

Toronto Maple Leafs v Ottawa Senators, Air Canada Centre

The scoreline looked better - but no less disappointing - at the end.

Big thanks to JM for this contribution.

Come on, Sporting Farer’s, get your View from the Stand pics featured on Sporting Fare – send them in to sportingfare [at] gmail [dot] com with the venue you were at, the teams or sportsman or woman on show and the eventual result – we promise to show them all!

Golf’s New No. 1: Congratulations to England’s Lee Westwood

Posted on 01/11/2010 by Ben Greenwood

After five long years Tiger Woods has finally been deposed as the undisputed number one in world golf – by a man from Worksop, England. Step forward Lee Westwood, the world’s new best golfer.

There will be quite a few who claim his failure to win a Major tarnishes his new status and there is an argument for that. There will be a few who claim that Tiger Woods is clearly a more natural golfer and there is an argument for that.

But golf is all about consistency and there is no argument against the fact that over the last 12 months or more Lee Westwood has been golf’s Mr Consistent. Several top three finishes in the last two years at Majors also suggest he isn’t that far off claiming his first. Being installed as number one in the world may even give him the boost in confidence and belief he needs to take that final step where perhaps self doubt has caused him to fail when within touching distance in the past. We’ll see on that one.

For now, let’s just celebrate in the fact that golf now has a new number one and England has our first since Nick Faldo way back in 1994.

It may only be a brief reign, as Westwood himself admitted, saying he’s learned never to write off Tiger Woods and there are several others hot on Westwood’s heels that could snatch it away from him, a lot from the European Tour and some from the US Tour, but then again it may not. It doesn’t really matter – Westwood has been as high as world number four and as low as outside the top 250 so this number one spot is a remarkable achievement.

He’s a very nice guy as well and it’s a well deserved achievement.

Fall / Autumn Fitness for Golf

Posted on 25/10/2010 by Ben Greenwood

This post was written by Vern Marker.

As they always say when you’re about to begin a new fitness regimen, you should always be checked out and cleared by a doctor. Before you get into all your swings and stretches and lifting and carrying heavy golf bags full of clubs and various other equipment, it’s best to go get checked out first by your doctor and get the all-clear that you are in good health and fit to do these things. The last thing you want to do is pull a muscle or tendon on your first day out on the course!

Pay attention to your ankles

Start doing some gentle exercises to get your ankles stretched and ready for those great days out on the course. A rolled ankle could have you out for weeks, so be sure they’re strong and ready to be out on the green.

Build up strength in your knees

You’ll be doing a fair amount of walking and bending down to put the ball on the tee, etc. You want to make sure your knees are in good shape so do some strengthening exercises to help them. You also want to be sure they’re not weak so you don’t tweak them on accident when you hit the ball with your power swing!

Think about your hips, core, shoulders and spine

All of these things should be in good shape so you can play your best. Consider doing some situps to strengthen your abdominal muscles, and make sure you square your shoulders and hips and walk straight with good posture as you walk around in your day to day life. Good posture while doing errands will mean good posture on the green, after all. And we all know how important correct posture is in golf!

Get off the couch

Go take a walk, rake the leaves or play with your pet. Just because summer temperatures and sunshine are fading doesn’t mean you can just nestle up on the couch and watch football for the rest of the fall. Start doing that and you can kiss your great golf scores goodbye! Stay active and stay fit for your golf game.

Eat an Apple

You know the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Well, autumn is a great time to start chowing down on those festive fall fruits. Rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients and vitamins, apples (and other great fall fruits and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, squash, etc.) will help keep you healthy and ready to tee off at the next possible opportunity. Eat healthy now, play well later!

Follow these tips and strive to live an overall healthy, balanced life and you will be sure to be fit and ready to play a great golf game this fall season.

How do you stay in shape during the fall months?

Vern Marker has been playing golf for more than 10 years and is now a freelance writer for a golf career college. When he is not playing golf or writing, Vern loves to travel the world. Follow him on Twitter @VernMarker.

Vision & Sport: The eyes have it

Posted on 22/10/2010 by Ben Greenwood

Eyesight is key to playing sport. Obviously.

If you asked professional sportsmen what they considered to be the most important attributes for succeeding at the highest level, you would probably get a variety of answers including balance, strength and determination. Vision is undoubtedly important but it is unlikely to be one of the answers that people would come up with, but why is this the case? The thing about vision is that it is something that most people take for granted, but unquestionably without it, you could not compete at the top level of sport.

Why is vision so important for playing sport?

This really does depend on the type of sport you are involved with, with some sports such as archery requiring exceptional vision. Other sports such as rugby may not require the same detailed level of vision although it still will aid performance. What is essential in all sports however is stereopsis vision which basically refers to your ability to judge depths. To have stereopsis, both eyes need to have good vision and both need to work perfectly in tandem. To understand the importance of stereopsis try closing your eye and ask someone to throw a ball at you from the other side of the room. You will soon realise how difficult it is to catch the ball. Now imagine trying to play sport without stereopsis!

What are my options if my vision is not perfect?

If you play sport and have visual problems, then the chances are that you already wear contact lenses. It is extremely rare that a professional sports person would wear glasses although there are some exceptions. Most of you will probably remember the Dutch football legend Edgar Davids who wore those iconic wrap around glasses. The reason he wore these was because he had a condition called Glaucoma which causes increased pressure within the eye. The glasses were worn to protect him from being hit in the eye so as not to cause a further increase in eye pressure. However, for the vast majority of people, wearing glasses for sport would be a hindrance. For this reason most people use contact lenses, however these are not without their disadvantages. If you are involved in contact sports or water sports, there is a very strong possibility that one of your contact lenses (or both) could be easily knocked out. Furthermore if you get any dirt in your eye it can get under your contact lens and cause a lot of irritation. These leaves people with one other option and that is laser eye surgery.

Can I play sport after laser eye surgery?

There are two main types of laser eye surgery and they are Lasik and Lasek eye surgery. For the general population, Lasik is far more popular as the healing time is far quicker compared with Lasek. Most people can return to work etc one day after Lasik, whereas it can be up to one week following Lasek surgery. However if you are a professional sports person or are involved in contact sports to any level, then you will be advised against having Lasik.

Why can I not have Lasik if I play contact sports?

The reason for this is that a layer of your cornea has to be separated from the surface of your eye so that the laser can be applied to the inner layers. This layer is then replaced back and allowed to heal. It is thought however that the procedure leaves your eye slightly weakened, meaning there is a risk of this layer (flap) being dislodged or moved if you get hit in the eye. During Lasek however, there is no flap created and consequently there is no weakening of the eye. Although you may need longer off work following the treatment you will be able to resume with the same passion as you did before the surgery. To read more about laser eye surgery you can visit Treatment Saver an independent laser eye surgery website which aims to provide with all the information you need to make an informed decision about your treatment. Just remember you only got one pair of eyes!

This sponsored post was written by optician Tim Harwood of Treatment Saver.

VIDEO: Rhys Priestland scores incredible try for Scarlets versus Perpignan

Posted on 11/10/2010 by Ben Greenwood

Saw this Tweeted by @guardian_sport. It’s a contender for try of the season, without doubt, and as we don’t cover rugby union as often as we should, we had to share it with you!

Rhys Priestland scores a stunner for the Scarlets at the Parc y Scarlet in a 43-34 Magners League win over Perpignan.

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