So Long and thanks for all the fish....
Friday October 4, 2013 12:05pm
It's a quote from one of my favorite series of books "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." And it pretty much sums up my experiences here at GK.
During my tenure as your Community Director, or whatever name you wish to call me, I have seen my fair share of triumphs and fiascoes. I won't bore them with you but sum it up to say it's bittersweet that I walk off into the sunset. Just a little taste of what I have managed to accomplish during my tenure here:
GK Blog AND the popular Birthday Golf page
GK Casual Golf Outings
Expansion and consolidation of your Forums
Addition of your FAQ section and How would you play this hole Forum Sections.
Marketing propaganda for GK
... and the list goes on.
For the past seven years I have seen this site grow and flourish from a one-horse website to a golfing portal. All information from GK outings and community building I can honestly say I have had a part. Even some of the artwork in our marketing campaigns I have had a hand in designing and implementing. But there comes a time in everyone's life when a passion can overtake your personal life. Fortunately for me I realized soon on that one thing had to be let go and it is with a heavy heart that I pass this legacy onto more suitable hands.
Great if you can manage to get paid to follow your passion but alas not the case. Other responsibilities take precedence and that is the cost of growing up.
I wish you all good fortune in your endeavors. Paisano/Greg you will make a great Community Director.
Regards,
Ringworld aka Vic your ex-humble host.
Greenskeeper.org joins Facebook!!!!
Thursday April 30, 2009 3:32pm
For those of you folks who can't get enough of Facebook... Greenskeeper.org has joined the ranks of clubs already a part of the Facebook Community. Join us at Greenskeeper.org on Facebook!
Presently updating Scorecards......and How to use the Handicap Tracker to improve your game.
Tuesday March 31, 2009 1:47pm
Presently updating Scorecards......if you will notice slowly but surely we are compiling a database of all the scorecards to better improve the handicap tracker. It will be the definitive source for those of you individuals out there that use the handicap tracker to focus on specific areas to improve.
Allow me to illustrate. If you notice the Handicap Tracker has a small graph located in the left corner of the Tracker screen. It lists topics like Percentage of Fairways hit. % of Greens Hit in Regulation, % of Sucessful Par Saves, Sand Saves, Puts per hole and the like. You can see at a glance where your strengths or weaknesses lie. The fact remains that if you're like me or the Regular Joe Golfer, you will always say, "I could have done better." Well using the Handicap Tracker can provide you that information. Try to think of the sport of Golf as a puzzle, and the trick to solving this puzzle is to break down where you need to improve and focus on those goals. You make small steps towards fixing your game, and I guarantee you that you will see almost immediate results.
For me, it's always been the short game. Short game includes chipping, pitching and putting. If you look at the scorecard it's literally half of your game. Why do I say this? Look at the scorecard yourself. If you take a run-of-the-mill par 4, you have two shots to make it to the green. You then have two shots to make it into the hole. That's 50% of your game right there. What if you don't hit green? Well then that's two shots to make it close to the green. One shot to get on the green, and two more shots to get the rock into the hole for a total of 5 strokes or a bogie on a par 4 hole. That's 60% of your game right there (two puts and a chip onto the green out of 5 strokes total.) Now look me straight in the eye and tell me short game isn't important. To coin a golfing phrase, "It don't count until it goes in."
Put simply short game is perhaps the most important part of the game. Now how do you go about improving that short game? Practice. It's a touch thing. For me I focus on chipping and putting at the range. Perhaps hit a few long balls but essentially it's all about club contact as it pertains to chipping for me and then I'm off to the putting green for some practice.
Now how do you use the Handicap Tracker? Easy. When you play a round of golf get an extra score card at the Starter's window. This one you mark yourself. Let your buddy keep the score for the whole group.
I write my name at the top line. Just below it the letter F for Fairways. Below that the letter G for greens, then a P for putts. Everytime I hit a fairway I check the box below the corresponding hole. Every Green hit in regulation (two shots for a par 4 and 3 shots for a par 5) I check the box below the corresponding hole and then I write down the number of putts I made on the green. Chip ins count as Zero (0). Putts off the green do not count as a putt. When I return from my round I enter these figures into the Handicap Tracker, hole by hole. I know it may sound tedious but after the first round you will see for yourself where you need to improve.
Now there is a recent thread brought up "Golf Performance stats for Ametuer Golfers." (Click this link to see the thread.) Member Bogey1Fogey brought a great link to a site that literally breaks down the Average Golfer's Performance. You can compare your figures against a template of a golfer that plays scratch golf or a golfer that plays in the 80's. You can use the template here to really determine where you can improve your game to get the best results quickly. It's just that simple. Because let's face it Golf is a difficult sport. One day you're hitting like a pro and the next you're chopped liver. Whichever way you turn you can use the information generated by the Handicap Tracker and this Template to determine where you need to be and what you need to focus on to get the desired score. And believe me it's just that simple.
This is taken from the Link above. Probable Golf Instruction.
| |
AVERAGE SCORE
|
Relationship
|
| CATEGORY |
71
|
75
|
79
|
81
|
85
|
89
|
91
|
95
|
99
|
|
| GIR |
12
|
10
|
8
|
7
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Strong
|
| % Fairways |
81
|
71
|
61
|
56
|
46
|
36
|
31
|
21
|
11
|
Weak
|
| Iron Accuracy |
80
|
68
|
53
|
47
|
33
|
20
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
Good
|
| Putts per Round |
29.0
|
30.3
|
31.7
|
32.3
|
33.7
|
35.0
|
35.7
|
37.0
|
38.3
|
Weak
|
| Pitch/Chip/Sand |
5.1
|
7.4
|
9.8
|
10.9
|
13.3
|
15.6
|
16.8
|
19.2
|
21.5
|
Strong
|
| Birdies |
3.2
|
2.4
|
1.8
|
1.5
|
0.8
|
0.1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Strong
|
| Pars |
11.8
|
10.3
|
8.8
|
8.1
|
6.6
|
5.1
|
4.3
|
2.8
|
1.3
|
Strong
|
The last column indicates the strength of the statistical relationship between score and the statistic. A "Strong" relationship is one that predicts quite well one statisitic given the other (i.e. the SCORE given the GIR). A "Weak" relationship does not predict as well.
Well now that you have been given this knowledge go out and play!!! Be sure to update your Handicap Tracker information and tell us about your experience at the golf course!
The new GK Newsletter.... is a Great Advertising Opportunity!
Tuesday March 31, 2009 12:42am
There is a wise saying that I live by, "If you don't advertise, something terrible happens. Nothing!"
Wise words yes especially given the state of our economy but one should never overlook the obvious. If you have something to sell do you keep it a secret or do you climb the highest tree and yell for all to hear about your product? Your choice. In this day and age everything literally moves at a fast pace. We all have to keep up with new information readily available, deal with it, and finally diseminate it. The trick is turning this faucet of information on and focusing its torrent in our direction. One way is to use Greenskeeper.org.
Why? Simple, Greenskeeper, attracts a very specific niche -- the golfing fan. Take a look at our demographics. Over 35,000 registered members and growing. Over 1.2 million page views with over 200.000 unique hits monthly. This is exposure you can harness for yourselves.
What does this mean to you and your hard earned advertising dollar? That means our members play golf. They look up how to improve their game. They look up course conditions and what to expect. They do everything to plan their trip and stretch that dollar as far as they could. That is where GK comes into the picture. Advertise through us your golf-specific products and reap the dividends a die-hard community of golfers can generate. Join our casual GK Golf Outings; showcase your products and/or services to our GK playing crowd and get noticed. Help build your sales effort organically using the multitude of advertising venues from Home Page exposure on GK to our Monthly Newsletter to our GK Casual Golf Outings and even our moderately priced Coupon Campaigns. Direct those spending dollars to you and your products. Track it. Bank on it.
Take advantage of a great opportunity to advertise with GK today. To contact just send us an email to vjflores(at)greenskeeper.org
New Home Page Interface at Greenskeeper.org
Friday November 7, 2008 2:44pm
Who says that being fresh and new can be a bad thing. Some may but if you take a look at our new Greenskeeper.org home page you will agree, it's hands down better. Easier to login or out. Fast load times. It's all aimed at improving your initial experience.
This streamlined approach is part of a new mantra at GK where more is Good but Precise is Better. Look for additional improvements to help in elevating the function of this FREE membership at GK.
Remember GK offers us golfers as well as destination golfers an opportunity to digest current course information played by actual, regular golfers like you and me. We offer unbiased and often brutally honest commentary on course conditions from tee to green, including pace of play, and course tips to help manage your game. We even have a really nifty GK Handicap Tracker (also FREE!) that can help improve your game. It offers detailed game breakdown from GIR (Greens in Regulation) to the number of puts and sand saves. I use it. If you try it I guarantee that you'll be hooked. And all this information is FREE to all memberships. And did I mention that member is FREE?
Rather than harrangue you with all the benefits, why don't you take a test drive, register and start taking advantage of the many great features being part of the GK Golf Community can offer.
The New GK Course Finder
Friday November 7, 2008 2:40pm
Have you seen the New GK Course Finder?
If not, you don't know what you're missing. Literally at-a-glance you can see course information, Areation/Aeration and Maitenance Alerts, even how much the green fees are on average. All in all it's a handy tool. It's extremely usefull when trying to find a golf tee time or what other courses are in close proximity to the course you want to play -- perhaps as a backup. Who is to say. What I can say is that you should run not walk to the GK Course Finder and find out how extremely useful this GK tool is.
Just one of the many upgrades planned or awaiting implementation here at GK to help improve your FREE Membership experience.
Getting psyched for Black Gold event of GK
Thursday February 21, 2008 3:58pm
Yep that event is tomorrow. I have been itching but unable to get out. Not expecting too much hey with little ones to care for and feed your life starts and ends for them, so practicing has been off limits for a while now.
Been on the run all week and looking forward to a hopefully stress-free round of golf with some old and hopefully new GKer friends. See you all there! If you keep a look out for a short Asian kid with an Oddessy hat.... it could be me.. and then again it could be my twin. See you all there!
Welcome 2008! Another year in golf!
Wednesday January 2, 2008 3:48pm
Happy New Year!!! May your drives be straight. May your puts always fall in, and may your approach shots always be pin high but below the hole!
Oak Quarry December 7, 2007
Friday November 30, 2007 12:22pm
Well we finally sold out. Oak Quarry. I have heard many great things but as of yet I am an Oak Quarry virgin. It's a popular course and with the rain that is falling today I expect the course to be in pretty darn good shape. In short I am excited. Thanks in advance to all that took the time to register and pay in advance. This is an important move for us and I expect this to be quite the outing. See you all there!
Building a GK Staff for 2008
Friday November 30, 2007 12:04pm
Well part of my dilemma here as Community Director is to create a staff of volunteers. Interested? Email me at ringworld@greenskeeper.org
What does being a part of the GK staff entail? Let me break it down for you so a three-year-old can understand.
- I need active members to apply. What do you do? Just continue what you're doing right now -- that is provide information on golf courses you have played.
- A more active role in the forums. We want your input. We want your perspective on everything from tee times to how crowded or what other courses do better than others. Why? Because this site is not only a resource for golfers but Golf Courses. They read about themselves. How best to improve customer service and quality and maintain golfer pricing when you have such a valuable, honest resource like GK helping you achieve your sales goals?
- Finally as part of being a GK staffer there is the community. The community here at GK is the cornerstone of this site. This is a group of like minded golfers that look to us for guidance. If you think you have the qualities that offers guidance, respect for the game, and humor that appeal to our audience then consider becoming a GK Staffer. As a GK Staffer we help focus forum posts and discussions. We monitor the golf comments section to ensure they are just comments rather than politics or a panel for discussion. We offer our humble advice to those that ask it.
My question to you is are you interested? If so let me know. I am trying to create a core of community leaders to help this rag tag group of golfers grow. And it doesn't require a lot of time -- just participation. That means instead of taking a back seat and reading what other folks have done; it means making the news that everyone talks about.
Please note that this is a volunteer position. You will not be compensated monetarily. You will however be what I like to call a "Staffer with benefits." More can be discussed about that once you have applied. How do you apply? Drop me an email here at GK mine is ringworld@greenskeeper.org.
So what say you? Are you interested?
It's Lonely at the top.
Wednesday November 28, 2007 1:45pm
Well I just had to open my big mouth. I accepted the volunteer position here at GK as head hostess (joke). Seriously I am the so-called "Community Director." What does that mean? It means I try to keep the peace whilst also being the "face" of GK.
Some of you have played golf with me and I look forward to playing more rounds and meeting our very loyal GK membership. But before I wander off into obscurity, allow me to point out some salient facts about what I do and what I believe my job entails here.
1. I am not your mother. For reasons very obvious I do not and will not act like one. I do however reserve the right to point out some obvious rules that must be ahered to from time to time.
2. Take the criticism, do not take it personally. Look this is the internet. A reputation means everything. I won't go sullying yours so why would I do that to you? I am here simply to keep the peace, keep the comments on track and hopefully have fun doing it. You should too.
3. This is not a democracy; this is a benevolant dictatorship. In other words, I believe firmly in free speech BUT if you disrespect the rights or beliefs of others -- your posts, your comments, or even your profile will be deleted with a very polite "thank you" and a gentle boot from our community. This is not the place for name calling; harrasment, or other agreigious actions. Do not test my patience.
4. Enjoy what this website has to offer. GK has a unique perspective and that is the playing regular Joe-golfer, that's you! We respect your comments. We appreciate them. Your participation is what makes GK a great resource for all golfers. So keep it up and keep it up often.
5. Finally, I reserve the right to change these comments at any time. I play fair and expect the same respect from you in kind. I will and have on occasion spoken to the concerned parties via email rather than airing the dirty laundry of one person or another in our forums. I prefer it that way. Some things are private and had better be left that way. So if you get an email from me, don't be alarmed. READ IT. RESPOND TO IT. AND MOVE ON.
That's it for now. This is Ringworld your Community Director signing off.
In Anticipation of BigDog's event tomorrow.
Thursday November 1, 2007 10:21am
Well the groups are set and the foursomes finalized. Weather according to BidDog sounds fantastic for this time of the year sans the smoke and ash from the fires. All we need now is Vicar Cheeseburger's novena and blessing.
Hoping to meet and greet a lot of new members and old friends. It's amazing that only a few years ago I was simply posting and all of a sudden a ephifany of sorts hit me and low and behold we are playing golf in these GK "Casual" golf outings almost on a monthly basis. It's a great feeling. Hoping all is well and we get to do more of these events. See you all there!
Ringworld and his take on this new blog.
Wednesday October 31, 2007 4:33pm
Just testing this thingy. Been blogging for a while now and thought I would take advantage of this really interesting device that GK offers now. So in addition to the golf index, the office golf index AND the wonderful and informative reviews on courses from Arizona to Northern California (yes that other part of the state) what else can possibly happen?
Wondering if the Golf Girl Patricia will catch wind of this very useful site? Who knows. Only the blog goes on!
