Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Oh the times...they are a changing!

So as we know the world as we know it has gone through some tremendous changes within the past year. Job loss is at a all time high, gas prices are soaring, businesses are closing their doors, etc. With all of that being said we have seen economic struggles that we haven't seen in years, heck, most of us are too young to remember anything of this magnitude in our lifetime.

Now don't go thinking I am going on a rant about our economy or health care.....that is not happening on this forum, but I am going to talk to you about how golf is being affected. One of the main things we are seeing from these economic struggles is the private clubs loss of members. There have been dramatic reductions in memberships at private clubs across America and how are these clubs handling this change? Well, I know the Country Club in Glasgow, KY is running a membership drive and lowering all of their fees to get more people in. I am sure you will see things like this all across the country within the next few months if not already. Now we know that giving more discounts is one way to boost income, but there is one company who has a solution for private clubs out there. That company is called boxgroove.com.

Now, I don't want my blog review to reflect Ryan's at waggleroom.com, but I had to write about this company. I recently came across Boxgroove as I scrambled across the internet. I began to look over their site and researched what the company's philosphy is and how it works. Needless to say I was totally intrigued and I thought what the heck I might as well join. I travel enough to get some use out of it so why not.

In a nutshell, you can pay $49 per year and you can gain access to private clubs across America. Your $49 membership will let you access boxgroove.com's database of courses and check to see what tee times are available at those courses. You can book your tee time from the boxgroove.com website just as you would from any other online tee time booking website, btu you get access to the private course and not the public courses.

Another great feature is that if you are a member of a private club and you run across someone you would like to invite to play your home course then you can invite them to play at your course.

Now, don't go and get all riled up and think that I am saying that private clubs shouldn't be private, but I am saying that this is a legitimate option for private courses out there that would like to fill up more tee times and get a little more income flowing into their course. I know that a lot of people are thinking that the courses will get a lot of people to come in and run down their course.....not at all. The people that would be playing your course are paying a membership fee to boxgroove.com in order to access the prestigious courses and they aren't you everyday hacker, these are people who respect the game and enjoy playing it at fine establishments.

Unfortunately, there are a few downfalls with the program. My main issue is that you can't find courses in every state. I live in Kentucky and there are zero courses in my state. This is an issue I think the management of boxgroove.com is working on addressing at the moment. I have realized that the company is starting out and that they can't just go out and get every course out there and have them available. I am really excited to see how many courses their will be within the next few months and even the middle of next year.

So if you are avid golfer and are looking for access to some extremely elegant private courses, not to mention to stimulating the economy then you need to check out boxgroove.com.

If you are interested and would like more information or have questions check out the FAQ's at this link: http://www.boxgroove.com/index/faq/

Hit 'em straight!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Movie Review-'The Back Nine'

Ok....so you are probably reading this and thinking a movie review???? That's right, but not just any movie. This is a review of a golf movie. "The Back Nine" is a story about an every day guy who has a dream. His dream....to improve his game in a year.

Now we all have dreams, but do we have the want and drive to make our dreams come true? I am a firm believer that if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything your heart desires. Jon Fitzgerald did exactly this.

'The Back Nine" basis is around the game of golf, but this movie has so much more meaning to it than just a guy playing golf and working to get better. This movie shows you exactly how difficult it is to balance the every day things life hands you like family responsibilities, work, etc and the hobbies of life can be.

I decided that I would watch the movie twice before reviewing the movie. I watched it the first time with aspect of my passion for golf and the second time I watched with my reviewer hat on. As I watched the movie I realized that I can see a little bit of Jon in myself. Jon has a passion for the game that I am sure many of you have, but the thing is Jon finds that inner drive to pursue a dream of his. I know there have been times in my golfing life that I thought "I am going to take this game serious and work to make myself better"....did I do it? Well, i might have played more, but did I take the proper steps to do it? Heck no! In the movie you see Jon take the proper steps. He enlists the help of a swing coach, fitness coach, life coach, etc. How many times have you gone this route? I would say very few of you have, but maybe "The Back Nine" will show you a better way to approach the game.

As I watched the movie I realized that Jon wasn't stepping ahead of his necessary steps. I honestly don't know how the guy was able to accomplish what he did with his obligations at work and the most important obligation of all family.

I don't want to give away the movie details and what transpires during the movie, because I feel that this movie can teach a person so much about life.....that's right I said life. Although the basis of this movie is one individual attempting to pursue a golfing dream there are more life lessons that can be learned by watching "The Back Nine". I know personally, that after watching the movie I set on my couch for a few minutes contemplating how I would have handled the struggles and ups and downs Jon faced. I really feel that a lot of times I let the game of golf rule my life. I do love the game....I eat, breath and sleep golf every day of the week, but I have realized that golf is a passion that must be enjoyed when permissible. There are so many things in life that people take for granted. I know that since watching Jon's trials throughout the movie it has given me a greater appreciation for my family, my job and the game of golf.

You can learn so much from Jon by watching the movie. You get to see a man take on the task of trying to become a professional golfer at the age of 40 all while balancing the duties of life. Some might think this is impossible.......Jon has a dream and I believe that as long as Jon follows his heart he can achieve anything. I can already tell him that if he didn't achieve his dream of being a professional golfer he can at least know that he has changed the life of one person out there in the world.....me.

If you would like more information about the movie please go to http://www.thebacknine.com, you can find trailers, clips and tons of information about the movie and Jon himself. I highly suggest watching this movie. It is on sale now and you can purchase the movie at http://www.neoflix.com/store/RIG00.

The movie is $19.95.....I know the economy sucks, but if you love golf you have got to watch this! We waste $20 every day for things we don't need.....this movie can teach you more about the game and life than you can ever imagine.

Hit 'em Straight!