Watching The Open, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in golf, always makes me think about the level of my own play.

It would at best be described as 'poor'. I'd hate to think how it would be described at worst, but let's just say there are only 2 friends who are prepared to play with me, I am that bad!

It can be so frustrating, and yet of course it's highly addictive - when you hit a good shot, you want to hit another one, to repeat the good feeling... Then when you hit a bad shot, you want to hit another one to erase the bad feeling...

You can see the idea - there's always one next shot to do it right- it can be a life-long addiction! Watching the Major Tournaments is a chance to see goal achievement theory at work in quite a pure form.

Let's face it, golf is a simple game to understand, but difficult to master. Difficult, but not impossible! All the top players, the ones that stay there for year after year, they simply took instruction on how to play, learned the technique, and then worked. Worked hard. Worked hard for years.

In fact they never stop working at it. They all have coaches, even Tiger Woods, and you can see them churn inside with frustration when they get it wrong. Notice though, that after they've had a strop at getting it wrong, they buckle down to getting it right!

A successful golf game is based almost entirely on constant hard work to implement techniques which have been taught.

Yes of course you get people who have natural talent, but the huge majority of players on the golf circuit just use this simple goal achievement lesson.

If you apply it to most things in general life, you'll see the same kind of results.

So, do you you hate (but love) golf like I do?

By: Gordon Bryan
Gordon Bryan is the author of 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which has been described as 'motivational magic.' Read about it and grab his free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan at: http://www.transformyourlifenow.com.

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Golf is a wonderful sport and many people enjoy playing it. There are those who had learnt the sport and enjoyed it for a lifetime. Though no one has ever completely mastered it, many people are constantly striving to improve their skills and at the same time have great fun playing it. There are many pleasures a golfer can derive from playing this sport. One benefit is that it provides the player an opportunity to escape from the pressures of everyday life. The golf course is a wonderful place to relax. It is quiet, scenic and the natural wildlife forms a great getaway from the busy, hectic lifestyle of the outside world. Another benefit of playing golf is that the player gets to feel a great sense of joy and personal achievement when attaining a good score. The striking of a nice shot is a great fulfillment. Hence, playing golf is a gratifying and rewarding sport.

Golf is a wonderful social game. It provides an opportunity for people who like the same sport to come together and share their common interest. Long lasting friendships can be created. Golf enthusiasts have the chance of spending a great time outdoors with friends and family, doing something they enjoy together. As all of them know the experience of a bad shot or a good hit, they can share their experiences with one another. Through these joyful and disappointing experiences, they develop friendships and fun that could last a lifetime.

Golf is a game that can be enjoyed by all generations. It is a family game as it can accommodate the needs of children, parents and grandparents on the same stage. Hence, the sport can be used as a family get-together. Besides, playing golf is a good form of exercise. Playing the sport outdoor gives players fresh air and brisk walking provides very good exercise.

As golf is known to be a game of honor, courtesy and sportsmanship, golfers feel proud to be involved in the sport. In particular, the sportsmanship and standard of behavior attached to this sport which was passed down from previous generations is the pride of many golfers.

Although the object of the game of golf is simple i.e. to play the course in the fewest possible strokes, it requires the mastery of a variety of skills in order to play well. If a golfer wants to make progress, he or she needs to appreciate the wide range of skills associated with golf. As the sport requires many varied skills, it gives everyone an opportunity to demonstrate particular strengths. However, a player needs to develop his or her skills in all areas in order to play the game effectively. If a player just concentrate in one area, then the improvement made in the overall standard of the game will not be significant. Furthermore, the players also need to adjust to various conditions of the course – the varying winds, weather, gradients, terrains, grass and temperature. In addition, they need to know how to deal with their emotions while playing the game. Apart from technical knowledge, elements such as patience, concentration, control and emotional stability are known to be essential factors for a well played game.

Golf is a fascinating sport. More and more people are taking up the sport to enhance their lives. The sport provides great pleasure and the enjoyment can lasts a lifetime. Learning the sport needs some time, effort and commitment but it is worth it. There are many training resources available for a beginner to learn this great sport. It is good to learn sound golfing skills from the start and save the effort of unlearning inappropriate techniques later on. Current players can also make use of existing training resources to improve their skills and experience greater satisfaction from their game. More information on learning golf can be found at Golf Schools.

By: John Peace
John Peace. Freelance writer on various interest topics. Enjoys playing golf. For more information on golf schools, courses and equiment, please visit Golf School.

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Two of my passions in life are sales and golf, so why not mix business with pleasure? Those of you who are golf fanatics and business men (and women), and you know who you are, probably already know and understand the subtle nuances that the game of golf has in common with the sales process.

The first obvious advantage of taking business associates, customers and prospects on a golf outing is that you can have a captive audience for the 4-5 hours, not including downing a few cold ones in the club house after the round. There is no more acceptable excuse in the business world for spending that amount of time together with your customers than a round of golf. More and more business people are taking up the game and as the average age of this generation of baby boomers continues age, golf is becoming more and more popular. If you haven’t taken up the game yet, you might consider investing in a few lessons just in case. One of the worse things you can do is invite a big customer or a potential prospect who is a serious golfer on an outing, only to hack it around the course for the next five hours. Slow play is a killer on the golf course and there is no better way to try your partners nerves and the nerves of the group of golfers behind you than to take too much time because you can’t keep the ball on the course.

One of the best things about golf is that it can tell you a lot of things about yourself and your partners. It’s easy to mind your P’s and Q’s at a business luncheon or in an office setting, but in the heat of battle, when your focus is diffused and your guard is down and your competitive juices get flowing, then how do you behave? Add that to the fact that golf can be a very confounding game. It looks like it should be so easy, especially if you watch the professionals on television, but in reality, golf is probably the most frustrating activity that you can endeavor. For one thing, the pros that you see on TV probably hit between 500-1000 golf balls a day, everyday! And that’s just practicing. No wonder they make it look so easy. The average businessman/golfer is lucky if they get to hit 500 golf balls in a year. So the most common golf/business etiquette faux paux is the display of excessive anger. Irregardless of your level of skill of play, you have to keep in mind that you are not a professional golfer, you are a professional businessman. Throwing clubs, cursing, yelling and other forms of excessive anger ruins it for everybody else in your group and sends a signal to that you cannot keep your cool under pressure. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are here to entertain your customer and make sure that he has a good time. After all, you’re trying to build a relationship and don’t need to come off as an ogre.

Golf is also a game of respect, courtesy, fairness and consideration, in addition to being a competitive forum. The rules of golf involve a lot of informal intricacies that can signal where you fall in the rating scale of all of these aforementioned qualities. For example, one of the common unwritten rules of golf is that once you are on the green getting ready to put, you are not supposed to walk between the hole and the other balls on the green. The ideas is that because the greens are so soft, and putting is so critical to the game, walking on the putting “line” could possibly alter the path of the ball as it travels toward the hole. Even when you know the rules, this is a common mistake that you can make if you are solely focused on your own game. Observing this rule throughout the round tells your golf partners that you are not only focused on your self, but also considerate of others.

Golf is also a game of honor and trust because in most cases, you keep your own score. I say in most cases, because if you are an above average golfer, it’s easy for everyone to keep up with your score because if your ball is always on the fairway, it’s pretty easy for your partners to keep track of you. But if you’re like most of us, you occasionally hit the ball in the rough, or out of everyone’s sight. This gives you an opportunity to “shave” a stroke or two off of your score from time to time, since no one is watching. So if you happen to whiff one while you are in the rough, what difference does it make, right? Well, maybe. After all, it’s only a game. But if you get in the habit of shaving a few strokes from time to time, eventually someone will notice and even though they might not say anything to you directly, you just told them a lot about how you might treat them in a business deal. I mean, if you will cheat when there is little or no money on the line, how can they trust you to treat them fairly on a business deal?

These are just a few examples of the way that golf that can provide you an opportunities for you to either bond or repel your business clients and associates. There are so many things that golf can tell you about yourself and about your associates that they are too numerous to name here. But that is what makes golf such a valuable business tool. So if you haven’t already done so, my advice is to take up the game, take enough lessons so that you don’t slow things up, read the rules and more importantly, have fun. Now you only have to worry about whether or not it's more advantageous to beat your boss or your customers. Either way, golf is a great game and great way to do business, to network and to make it all fun. I gotta run, I have a tee-time in an hour.

By: Hector Cadena
Hector Cadena has been a sales professional for over 25 years and an avid hacker for over 10 years. Hector lives in the beautiful Texas Hill country near Austin Texas and has a personal goal of playing every course within a 50 mile radius of Austin. So far he has played on over 40 courses and counting.

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A lot of people don't play golf because they have never played before and don't think that they would like the game or that they would be good at it. That is one of the things that I like about golf; you don't have to be a scratch golfer to enjoy the game. If you are looking for a hobby that is good for your general well being then you should try it. Golf is a great sport for nearly everyone. The benefits of the game include exercise while enjoying the outdoors, fun and challenges for every age, and it is a game that all sorts of people play.

You can get great exercise from playing golf. All doctors agree that walking is a low stress exercise for your body. Instead of riding in a golf cart, walk the course! Eighteen holes of walking is an excellent way to work out and feel great. The stretching and moving that is involved is a way to help keep your body limber and strong. Doing something good for your body while having fun outdoors is a great way to enjoy an afternoon.

Another great thing about the game of golf is that you can play golf at any age. Golf is a sport that can be mastered by players of any age. Many teens are beginning to play golf on their high school's team and are discovering an unknown talent. Because golf is a low impact sport, it is also an excellent game for an older person to play. Picking up the game of golf is easy and fun and is a game that if begun at a young age, can be continued throughout your entire life.

Golf is loved all over the world and by all sorts of people. Golf is played in both wealthy and poor countries. Kids in inner cities play golf and so does Donald Trump! No matter where you find yourself, you can usually go to a golf course, find a person to play with and have an enjoyable day. The person who develops his or her golf game develops a skill that translates into both the business world and the sports world and is just plain fun. It is exciting to allow yourself to be matched up with a group for a pickup game. You might have nothing in common with the other players except golf but that's a great place to start.

By: David Stargel
David Stargel publishes several golf related websites in addition to writing about all sorts of golf related topics. Visit Visit The Golfer!

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