How can you really hope to be a good golf escort or mystery golfer if your game is only so-so? You don’t want to make yourself or your clients feel silly on the green, so it just makes sense to add some cool tips like these.

Let me tell you that I have used many of these tips and they have certainly helped me out in my game. All of the tips I mentioned here are tried and true ways that have proven to work.

When it comes to your golf game, you can never have too much knowledge, but a little extra never hurt anyone. You can also turn to many instructional videos and websites like PGA.com for many videos that come straight from the pros. I have located many of the tips mentioned here at PGA.com and used them. I practiced them and they really work. I am not a pro, but sometimes it is hard to tell. It is a great resource for your golf game too.

Check out www.pga.com today for some really great tips.

Here are some great tips that you can use to make your golf game just a little bit better if not; a great deal better.

·        The first tip is to beware of tips! This may sound strange as I am giving you some here, but it is true. Many well meaning golfers will offer you a great deal of advice, but what they don’t realize is that what works for one golfer probably won’t work for others. The tips I am offering work all around, not just for the advisor.

·        You have to have fun. Getting mad all of the time isn’t going to make the game any more fun for you. If you aren’t enjoying the game, you need to find out why, and fix the problem. Staying calm is the key to golf success. It’s just a game so relax!

·        Be a great sport. Be respectful to the other players. Don’t try to sabotage the other players when they are taking shots. Don’t criticize or make fun of the way they stand, shoot, or grip the club… your game is not so perfect that you can make fun of other players.

·        When you practice, practice at the hardest holes on the course because this will definitely improve your game. You don’t want to take the easy way out; practicing only on the easy holes, thinking you are making headway is pointless because you aren’t. Practice on the hardest tees, and the hardest putts. Put yourself in the traps on purpose, and practice getting out of them. Imagine worst case scenarios and set them up. This is what will make you a better golfer.

·        Play miniature golf as often as possible because playing miniature golf is a great way to improve your putting skills. Many seasoned golfers laugh at trying to do this but its true! Good miniature golf courses provide really challenging obstacles that you must put through, under, around and over which will offer a bigger challenge then you think. Some of these are harder to putt than the fanciest greens!

·        Keep your eyes open for used training aids that you can find. If they are reasonably priced take advantage and– buy them! Not all training aids will help you, but unfortunately, you won’t know which ones will unless you try them out first. The aids that are available on the market today will help you improve your game a great deal, in a short amount of time.

·        Read a lot about golf and play even more. There are lots of techniques that you can learn a lot about golf from. You can find great resources from the sources mentioned above from others like golfing websites, golf books, and golf magazines – but you will learn them faster out on the course! After you read their advice and then try out the suggestions!

·        If you can’t get on the course, and you have some spare time and enough room, practice your swing. You don’t need to use a ball for this.

·        Consider using a training club during these times to help build strength in your swing as well. The best free golf tips you will ever receive will all include the practicing over and over again

·        Hold Up the Ball. Many golfers let their left knee collapse toward the right on the backswing. This causes your shoulder to drop, and makes your hips swing too much and overturn. To fix this, imagine your left knee going out toward the target on the backswing. If you do this right, you should feel tension and stability in both knees.

·        Be a Hitchhiker. Think of placing your right hand in a hitchhiker position. This means that when the club is about waist length, you should be able to look back and see your thumb pointing upward to the sky. If this doesn’t work try to imagine that your hand is in a handshake position, with the palm facing neither up nor down.

·        Pause at the Top. Swinging too quickly is a common mistake that even the pros make. I’m not saying that you should not swing with power and acceleration that you need to maintain a rhythm. The best way to accomplish this is to imagine taking a bit of a pause at the top of your backswing before changing direction and heading on to the downswing. Do this and you’ll find your ball in the middle of the fairway rather than in the rough

·        Rock-Solid Right Knee is the key. On the backswing, it’s absolutely crucial to keep your weight on the inside of the right foot, and maintain a slight bend in the knee. If you don’t do this you will lose power. As you take the club back, imagine that the right knee is braced and solid like a wall. This will help your upper body coil behind the ball, so you can make an aggressive move that will send it soaring

·        Put some muscle into it! Golf isn’t an “all in the wrist game” as is often suggested. If you want to get a powerful swing, you need to use your leg and arm muscles to do it. The common instinct of many amateurs is to hit at the ball with only the arms and wrists. That doesn’t always work.

·        Hit Low and Into the Wind. Many players feel that they need to hit it harder when there is a breeze afoot but this actually causes them to put more spin on the ball and hit it higher. You want to hit it lower and more controlled, and you can if you put the ball back in your stance a few inches and keep your hands forward. Use a longer club than you would normally and take an easy swing

·        Use Club Loft to Your Advantage. When you are trying to get the ball into the air, you will want to hit down and through it. By allowing the club’s loft to do the work for you, you’ll achieve better contact with it

·        Make your Swing’s Foundation More Solid. If you want to have a consistent golf swing that always gets results, you will need a smooth tempo and good balance. Practice hitting some shots with your feet close together. This forces you to maintain better balance, tempo, and rhythm.

·        Swing through the Ball. Consistent, powerful swings usually have one thing in common in that you extend the body through the ball after hitting it. A good way that you can use in order to perfect this is to put a tee about eight inches in front of the ball you are hitting. Try to hit not only the ball but also the tee. This will help.

·        One of my favorite drills that I use to help work on my putting is to putt a dime rather than a ball. This method is great for improving focus and concentration!

·        Another good putting drill is to sink five in a row from different distances

·        Place the ball on top of a dime for putting help, and then keep your eyes focused on the dime all the way through your stroke. Try to avoid the urge to follow the ball with your eyes immediately after impact which is especially good to do on short putts. Just watch for the dime, rather than following the ball with your eyes, head, and shoulders.

·        Three-foot putts can really mess with your mind if you let them do it. One strategy that is often used by legendary putter Seve Ballesteros is to imagine a bulls eye attached to the back of the cup. This image actually encourages you to accelerate the putter through to the hole and keep the clubface moving square to the hole.

·        Try blind putting. By practicing putts with your eyes shut, it’s easier to feel your body movements. You should sense your shoulders working like a pendulum do. The next thing that you will know you will be getting the ball into the cup!

·        Keep Your Head Still. A still head is a crucial component to having a solid contact and consistent putting. Focus on keeping your head still well after impact is made with the ball. Moving your head causes the shoulders to open and your putter to cut across the ball.

·        Downhill putts tend to be fast and the most difficult. Try doing what many of the pros do. They hit the ball on the toe of the putter, not on the sweet spot. What this does is lessen the jump on the ball and stops it from going way past the hole.

·        If you are having trouble with putting distance control you should try rehearsing a few strokes without using a putter. From here you can take a ball in your hand. When you think you have good feel for how hard to roll it, put the putter back in your hand and use the same motion to hit the ball.

·        When you are lining up breaking putts, favor the low side of the hole. Generally it is known that as a putt is breaking near the hole, gravity is going to help you if the ball is above the hole. If the ball is breaking away on the low side, gravity is going to hinder your efforts. Your not a pro so go low

·        Reading the green is hard enough to learn, so try and remember that the break and the speed are the two factors you need to master when you read the green. Taking a few putts on the practice green before you actually play can give you an advantage at reading the speed of the greens on any day. It’s better to make adjustments on the practice green than on the first hole. When you are reading a green, get behind the ball and squat. You can see the finer aspects of the green this way. Look at the putt from the side. This will help you better gauge distance. Watch your partners’ chips and putts as well. When you putt, whether the result is good or bad, pay attention and mentally record what happened

·        Keep the eye over the ball. Hey this is a ball sport. When you putt two things are necessary: Your eye must be directly over the ball, and you must stroke the ball to make it rotate end-over-end. When your eyes are over the ball, you have a much better chance of stroking it accurately and imparting end-over-end rotation.

·        One of the keys to getting out of bunkers is to keep the clubface open. When you close the face, you get a lower trajectory and the club will actually dig in the sand. Imagine that the clubface is a mirror, and that you’re going to see your own reflection in it when you have done your shot. This will ensure that you take the club all the way to eye level and that you’ve kept it open all the way to the finish.

·        The next time you’re in a bunker, focus on sliding a thin divot of sand from under the ball and onto the green. Open the clubface a few degrees and line up slightly to the left.

·        By taking the club back more abruptly when you swing you can increase your chances of getting under the ball properly and impacting the sand more precisely.

·        Many golfers make the sand trap shot more difficult than it has to be. This is because they were taught that the only way to come out of a trap is by hitting the ball with excessive force. You have to shoot under the ball with power but not force. Whenever the bank of the trap is low and there is enough putting surface between the trap and the hole, a golfer would make more sense to play a variation on a chip shot with the club head contacting the ball cleanly and lofting it onto the green. You just have to allow for some roll.

·        A chip from the sand is played the same as a chip from any other lie, however with two differences. First of all, you grip the club low on the shaft, as far down as the bottom of the leather if this is comfortable. Second, you will want to glue your eyes on the left half of the ball rather than on the right half as you do on ordinary shots. This will help you to deliver a clean, descending blow, and that is the foundation of all chip shots.

·        When you are taking on this shot you will want to be sure the club you are using has a good enough loft to get the ball over the front lip of the bunker. You do not want to strike the ball perfectly just to find out that it smashes into the face of the bunker and dribble back to your feet.

·        If you are to hit your ball 150 yards out of a bunker towards the green you must catch it cleanly without taking any more sand than you have to. In order to catch the ball cleanly, you should stand tall and grip a couple of inches down the handle.

·        Don’t shuffle your feet down into the sand as you would for greenside bunker shots where you are trying to hit the sand before the ball. You want to stay still for this shot. Play the ball an inch further back in your stance that normal to help guarantee you catch the ball, not the sand. Keep the swing short.

The tips that you have read above will not make you a perfect golfer, but they will help you with some of the finer aspects of the game. In becoming a better player, you will have more fun. I hope these tips help you as well.

1. The Golf Warehouse

Here is where you can get Equipment and accessories at warehouse prices. This site offers hot new products at warehouse prices on everything imaginable. We are sure you won’t be disappointed.

2. Pine Meadow Golf

The best deals and information about golf can be found at Pine Meadow Golf. They have a great selection and discounts on factory direct golf clubs.

Pine Meadow Golf

3. B and B Golf Products

Here is where you can get custom made golf clubs to fit your game. They also sell the top pro-line club making components, and serve all of your golf clubs needs from re-gripping to re-shafting.

B and B Golf Products

4. Best Golf Shop

At Best-Golf-Shop.com you’ll find a huge variety of golf equipment to fit every golfer. Hacker or pro, male or female, you’re sure to find what you need at this site.

Best Golf Shop

5. HiPPO Golf Clubs UK

this UK shop features the full range of HiPPO Golf clubs and equipment at discount prices. Free delivery and Free Gifts with every HiPPO golf set.

HiPPO Golf Clubs in the UK

6. Mirror Image Golf Clubs

this site offers you completely customized golf clubs that look and play similar to top brands to get you to the green without spending a lot of your money. You get custom clubs at discount prices

Mirror Image Golf Clubs

7. Moon Shot Golf

Here you can get Pro quality discount golf clubs comparable to Callaway, TaylorMade, Cleveland, Ping, Titleist, Nike, Mizuno. Improve your game at prices that are at least 1/3 less than brand names

Moon Shot Golf

8. A1-Golf-4U

Find golf equipment including discount golf equipment, golf bags, carts and shoes as well as getting awesome information and tips on improving your game

A1-Golf-4U

9. Australian Bellview Electric Golf Buggy

These golf buggies are built to last and designed to exceed your expectations in every way. The Bellview electric golf trolley is the only electric golf caddy that you will find in Australia with a three year warranty and money back guarantee. This site even offers a Comparison Chart.

Australian Bellview Electric Golf Buggy

10. Golf Equipment Source

Here is a resource that offers you lots of great information, tips, and reviews to help you choose the best golf equipment for your game and shoot lower scores.

Golf Equipment Source

11. Guide to Golf Equipment

this is a great Information Source for Equipment Used for Golf.

Guide to Golf Equipment

12. WestCoastGolfOnline.com

WestCoastGolfOnline.com specializes in selling you custom golf clubs and golf accessories at the webs best prices out there. Here you can buy affordable golf clubs and accessories easily online!

WestCoastGolfOnline.com

13. Palm Coast Golf Ball Company

This company offers you 25 years experience in the golf ball industry. Their website offers you things like secure shopping cart, golf ball auctions, information on bulk orders at the best prices

Palm Coast Golf ball company

14. Clone Golf Club Superstore

Here is where you can buy pro-quality clone golf clubs and save! Golf club clones for woods, irons, wedges, and putters that perform just like name brand golf clubs but at a fraction of the cost.

Clone Golf Club Superstore

15. CSG Custom Golf Clubs and Components

CSG gives you great values on golf equipment and accessories at half the price that you can get them from name-brand suppliers.

CSG Custom Golf Clubs and Components

16. Flexxware Golf

Here is where you will find Free yardage books and handicap calculators. This site gives you a library of over 7,500 interactive course maps where you can customize and print out your favorite courses. You can also get custom fitted clubs, golf gps systems, golf simulators and more…

Flexxware Golf

17. Accumax golf

This is the site to find Bronze Beam putter Equipment that will help you to achieve your best. A fine handcrafted USA product for golfers who want to improve their score.

Accumax golf

18. Golf Clubs Ltd

Here is where you will find low priced custom made golf clubs that offer the latest in game improvement designs. They will also give you a Lifetime Warranty and 30 Day No Risk Trial.

Golf Clubs Ltd

19. In Golf Components and Clubs

You can get Golf club components and custom built golf clubs at discount pricing by SMT, Bang, Geek, Integra, Alpha, Aldila, Harrison, Penley, UST, Apollo, Precision, AccuFlex, Grafalloy. Nike clones, Ping clones, Cobra clones, Taylor Made clones, Calloway clones.

In Golf Components and Clubs

20. Bag4golf.com

This is an online golf shop specializing in quality brand clubs. Their prices are aimed to be the lowest available online within the UK and delivery is free.

Bag4golf.com

21. Best Discount Golf Clubs

Here is where you get Factory direct golf clubs and the best Discount Golf Clubs

22. Big Woods Golf

The golf clubs you get here you will love at the prices you want! Drivers, putters, irons, and more can be found at this site.

Big Woods Golf

23. BigPapaGolf.com

This site is offering discount custom built golf clubs for the entire family. Free Ground Shipping is available here and they also carry Drivers, Hybrids, Club Sets, Irons, Bags, etc..

BigPapaGolf.com

24. Terry Roy Custom Golf Bag Outfitters

This site offers you Custom embroidered personal touches; school, organization, military unit and corporate logo work on top quality Belding Sports golf bags.

Terry Roy Custom Golf Bag Outfitters

25. The Ace of Clubs – custom golf clubs and bags

Here is where you will find affordable custom fitted golf drivers, fairway woods, irons, putters and hybrid clubs. If you are a lefty no worries as there is a huge LEFT hand selection. There are items for Ladies and seniors too.

The Ace of Clubs – custom golf clubs and bags

26. The Golf Nutz, LLC

If you are from Utah, no problem this local Premier custom golf and repair shop can hook you up. They are certified and insured shop. You need it done they got you covered!

The Golf Nutz, LLC

27. The Golfing World

Supplying golf equipment that inspires today’s golfers to play their best golf. They offer discount golf clubs, custom golf clubs. As well as titanium clubs, apparel, bags putters and much more.

The Golfing World

28. Thomas Golf – The Best Name in Golf

Here is where you will find Golf Equipment, where you can buy golf equipment online. They have a huge selection of discount golf equipment.

Thomas Golf – The Best Name In Golf

29. Tony’s Custom Golf 

Find very affordable custom golf clubs for men, women, juniors, seniors and lefties all in one place.

Tony’s Custom Golf – Custom Golf Clubs

30. TourPureGolf.com

this is claims to be devoted to providing tour quality golf clubs and golf equipment. Proceeds here benefit charitable organizations

TourPureGolf.com

31. Value Golf Clubs

Here is where you will find quality golf club clones at a discount prices;  including: Integra, SMT, Turbo Power and many more!

Value Golf Clubs

32. Vegas Golf Pros

Here is where you get discounted prices on new and used golf clubs, golf bags, carts, apparel and accessories by Callaway, PING, Nike Golf, Titleist, Taylor

Vegas Golf Pros

33. Shippensburg Golf Center

Here you can get custom built golf clubs from 460cc drivers to irons, hybrids and putters. You can even get components by SMT Golf, Zero Tolerance Golf, Tom Wish on Golf as well as Name Brand Golf Clubs.

Shippensburg Golf Center

34. Highlander Custom Golf

This is an Authorized online retailer for Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made and Titleist at good prices too

Highlander Custom Golf

35. Universal Adjustable Golf Club

This quality club has an adjustable head that you only need to carry one club, and its travel shaft allows it to be taken anywhere.

Universal Adjustable Golf Club

36. MyLostClub.com

Find a replacement for your lost golf clubs at this site

MyLostClub.com

37. Ron’s Golf Supplies

This is where you go to Save Money On Golf Equipment & Golf Accessories! You can get Lovett Golf Wedges, Controller Driving Irons, Backyard Practice Driving Nets and Much More.

Ron’s Golf Supplies

38. Fairways & Greens 

Here is where you can get custom fitted golf clubs to help you lower your score.

Fairways & Greens – Custom Golf Clubs

39. Flatsticks Golf Putters

Flatsticks.com is your source for new golf putters, mallet putters, blade putters, putting books, and putting accessories.

Flatsticks Golf Putters

40. Allen Custom Golf Clubs

This is a Custom Golf Proshop-Custom built Golfsmith,KZG golf clubs with SST Pure for seniors, women, and left handed golfers as well.

Allen Custom Golf Clubs

41. Gemini Golf Carts

This place offers unique lightweight folding golf bag and trolley. You can also get cart combination with built in seat, individual club dividers and bags of storage for easier traveling on the green

Gemini Golf Carts

42. Golf Club Broker

They specialize in offering  new and used golf equipment.

Golf Club Broker

43. Golf Club Reviews

Golf club reviews of all major brands of used golf clubs.

Golf Club Reviews

44. Golf Clubs Online Shack

Discount golf equipment store that gives great prices

Golf Clubs Online Shack

45. Golf Gear Review

Golf equipment news, reviews, articles, instruction tips, discussion forums and more at this excellent resource site

Golf Gear Review

46. Golf Golf Golf

Here you can get professional quality high tech golf clubs at prices which are 1/3 of brand names. Clubs made at the same factories as brand name clubs

Golf Golf Golf

47. Golf Golf Golf

This site also sells quality custom golf clubs, custom drivers, custom fairway woods, custom irons, custom putters, custom wedges, custom accessories, including Wishon Golf Clubs, Bang Golf, SMT Golf Clubs

Golf Golf Golf

48. Golf-Equipment-Advisor.com

Here is where you can get tips and reviews on how to choose the perfect golf equipment

Golf-Equipment-Advisor.com

49. Golfing Gear

Buy golf equipment here at good prices.

Golfing Gear

50. Elta Golf

Elta Golf is a supplier of golf components, golf supplies and custom built golf clubs including; titanium drivers, hybrids, putters, irons etc.

Elta Golf

It is one thing to get free golf, but what about your golfing equipment? This can get to be extremely expensive. The golf clubs are the most expensive, but considering how much money you spend on tees, balls, gloves and clothing etc. you can wind up broke before you know it. That is why this section is going to show you how to get discounts on all of these things.

The fact of the matter is that there are five major ways that you can get discounts on your golfing equipment. These are: wholesale shopping, finding discount store chains, golf clubs, auctions and buying your equipment online. These are the most popular ways to getting discount golfing equipment. Let’s have a closer look at them.

Wholesale Shopping

This is perhaps the most common method for getting anything at a discount, and golf equipment is not an exception. Buying things at wholesale prices basically just means that you will be paying less than the retail asking price. Many stores as well as sellers will give you this discount price because the merchandise is out of season.

When a product is considered out of date or season it is often harder to sell, since many golfers take the game very seriously; they want the top of the line in equipment. This means that they will be looking to buy seasonal items. However, for the thrifty buyer, like you; seasonal is not a necessity as much as discounts are.

This is when you can get the best buy for your money. Of course there is a disadvantage to buying items wholesale which is that sometimes the equipment is slightly irregular or has a defect of some sort. For example, your clubs might have scratches or dents in them.

This is a part of the buyer beware section of wholesale shopping. If these small defects are ok with you, you can really enjoy the money you will save with this method. That can often make the entire process of buying wholesale equipment worth the small risk.

Discount Store Chains

There are many discounting store chains and separate places that offer great clearance and discount prices on golfing equipment. Just about ever store nowadays has to offer you some sort of discount option, but these stores specialize in discounts. Consider them the “Wal-Mart” of golf equipment.

You can find most of these stores in your area yellow pages or online. There are many great deals that you can come across for getting good discounts on new and name brand equipment. You can find excellent deals on great high end products that are priced at a fraction of what they would cost you at a high end retailer.

Online shopping

You can find some of the best deals on golfing equipment from a variety of online resources. There are millions of golfing websites that are offering you tools and tips on golfing. You can get all of the name brand equipment at extremely competitive prices.

All you need to is type in what you are looking for and a variety of websites will appear. You can often get deals on rental fees as well when you shop at certain online resources. I will be providing you with a directory of great golfing resources and links to getting cheap and discount golfing equipment at the end of this guide.

When you shop online I will advise you that you have some advantages and disadvantages; I will let you see them right now:

Advantages

-  You can shop in the privacy of your own home

-  You have a wider selection of equipment and brands to choose from

-  You can get reviews on the products from other consumers like you

-  You often will receive extra tips and even free services or discounts from      shopping online

-  You can review many different stores at once

Disadvantages

-  There is the possibility that you might not get what you ordered

-  You may not receive your item

-  They may not have a return policy

-  Shipping costs may outweigh the discount

-  The website may not be legitimate

As you can see there are both high points and low points in shopping online. There are some very useful methods that you can use to ensure that when you shop online, you will be getting the best deals as well as the right equipment. These tips are invaluable in ensuring that you enjoy your online shopping experience and to ensure that you are completely satisfied. The tips can be found below:

·        Make sure that you buy from sites that offer secure buying. Check for the Verisign logo

·        Be sure to read the fine print such as ‘privacy, terms of service etc.’

·        Be sure to read the return policy

·        Check the shipping costs so that you will know if the discount is worth more than the shipping costs and handling fees

·        Try to check out sites that offer consumer reviews

·        Be sure that you check for the BBB logo on the site and read what the link says about the company

·        Check out more than one website so that you can comparison shop

·        Be sure to check out the sites that also offer you great articles and advice. These are simply worth the extra time spent on visiting them.

Used Golf Equipment

Used golf equipment does not necessarily mean that it is no longer good to use. A lot of the times that people bring in used gold equipment, they simply did so because they bought something new. Sometimes you can find some great deals on perfectly good equipment from used resources like vintage stores, used sporting good stores, and even pawn shops.

You can find equipment that is not only in good condition, but excellent condition. I often buy used golfing equipment like clubs, clothing, balls etc. why should I pay full price for something that I can get cheaper? It just doesn’t make sense.

You can find these places online and in your local yellow pages. Just look to be sure that you are checking out the equipment before you buy. If buying online, make sure that they have pictures.

Online Auction Sites

Online auction shopping is fast becoming the most popular way to shop today. We can buy just about anything using this method and I have done it many a day. The most popular resource for online auctioning is of course, EBay. Here is where you can find everything that is golf related.

There are advantages to shopping this way and disadvantages to shopping this way as well. It just makes sense to point them out. So let’s look at those. Just be sure to note that in buying, the same rules apply with auction sites as was listed above in online buying.

Advantages:

·        You can find almost any golf related article on auction sites

·        The prices are the best of anywhere else in the world that you can get them

·        You can often find everything you need from the same supplier

·        Many sellers on EBay offer you bulk buying rewards

·        Ebay completely monitors each sale to ensure that they are legit

·        Each seller had a rating and customer reviews clearly listed

·        EBay is a reputable resource that can be trusted

·        Many of the items offer free shipping

Disadvantages

·        The buyer may not provide you with proper photographs of the item for bid

·        The item may be advertised wrongly

·        You may be outbid and lose the item purchase

·        Buyer may not be reputable (Ebay tries to monitor all sales, but get real; they can only do so much)

·        Not all items can be sold outside of specific locations

·        You can generally only pay with US funds

·        Items may not be returnable

Online auction sites have great benefits. Prices can be mere pennies for some items. Of course demand can really change that. Ebay is a trusted site, but you can always find a seller that is simply not telling the truth. For example, you can be looking to buy a vintage car and end up getting a replica or even a model car instead. The term buyer beware applies here so pay attention and read the buyer reviews and ratings. Make sure that you go through a reputable seller.

Now you know the various methods of getting discount and cheap golfing equipments so now I will add some of the top resources online to getting your golfing.

·        Be enthusiastic about your job. Let them know that it is completely your pleasure to be there. This will let them know that you are not just looking for a paycheck.

·        Be sure to fill out every aspect of the application forms for the job because if you leave something blank in the application, they will likely assume that you are not capable of following instructions and that you will also leave information out on the report afterwards.

·        Make sure that all of your contact information is current and up to date

·        Don’t fill out the assignment application if you can’t or don’t want to take the job. If you are not available just say no. showing up late or not showing at all will completely kill your credibility. Take your job seriously and you will enjoy countless hours of free golf!

·        Before even arriving be sure that all instructions and information requests are completely understood. Not being sure will result in a bad job being done.

·        Keep your reasons for being there a secret. Do not tell even your closest confidant what you are doing.

·        Be completely honest and straight to the point. They just want the facts.

·        Remember that this is not a time to vent your opinions. You are just giving the facts not your ideas. They want unbiased information from you.

·        Have as much fun as possible! After all, you are also there to enjoy yourself.

Bar Associates International: www.baiservices.com

Mercantile Systems:  www.mercsurveys.com

Service Impressions:  www.serviceimpressions.com

National Shopping Services: www.nssmysteryshoppers.com

Q: What is a mystery golfer?

A: A mystery golfer is someone who loves the game of golf. They are hired to monitor the staff and players while playing a round. They monitor the pro shops, the staff, and the player’s experiences.

When the day is done, the mystery golfer will fill out a report about what they saw and experienced while at the club or on the course. Some of the perks to doing this are that you get paid to be on the course and you can free things as well such as: merchandise, meals, hotel stays, golf games, and more; depending on the services that the club offers.

Q: Why would they pay me to play golf?

A: Golf club owners are more than willing to pay for mystery golfers because it will help them to learn from a behind the scenes perspective just what their players, and staff think about their services and how their business is being run. The services that you provide for them will be invaluable to them.

Staff members and players are never told of what you are doing for the club owners and you are always assured anonymity. You may also be evaluating a club for an outside source which means that no one at the club will know about what you are doing. Many clubs do not even have a clue that they are being evaluated.

This way it is guaranteed that you will get a real perspective of the club and not a show that they staff puts on for you. Mystery golfing is meant to provide you with a real experience of a particular club in an unbiased way.

It is your job as a mystery golfer to give a full and complete assessment of the club and its staff and services. Doing so will keep the clubs working to maintain its popularity with guests and keep staff doing their jobs. They will never be alerted to your presence so you can conduct your job in peace. And in return club owners will get much needed critique of their clubs from an unbiased and inside perspective.

Q: How do I know if I qualify to be a mystery golfer?

A: First of all, you have to love golf. Of course, you will also have to be willing to view this job as a way to improve a club’s services and not just as a way to play free golf and get some money.

You should also be an experienced golfer if you really want to do well. Of course it helps to have the following qualities be a part of your overall make-up so that you can be asked back again. These qualities are:

·        Objectivity

·        Reliability

·        Consistency

·        Punctuality

·        Detail oriented

·        Unbiased

·        Confidentiality

In order to perform this job well, you need to be a professional and behave as one. You will also need to fair and honest in your critiques. There is no need to be rude or overly critical. You will get more work if you are proven to be dependable.

When you are filling out your evaluation forms be sure to be as detailed as possible. You should also be sure to keep your report and experience confidential. This is meant to be between you and the club owners and no one else so don’t go blasting everything you experienced to your friends and family members. It is very unprofessional.

A good example of time when you will need to have someone else play for you is if you have two or more clients who will need you to play on the same day at the same time. This can be complicated.

Now you can get someone else to play on your behalf. This will ensure that you don’t have to turn down any clients and you will also not loose any potential future business from these people.

You may have to search around for a bit, but you can certainly find many people who love golf just as much as you do that will be happy to play for free. My suggestions for this would be to do the following when looking for the right candidate:

·        Play a few rounds with potentials to get a feel for their skills and etiquette when playing golf

·        Be sure that you know that you can trust the hopefuls and that you establish 100% confidence with them

·        Ask if they require payment for their services. (Make sure that if they do you do not offer more than half of what you get for the services. After all, you brought the client in you should get something.)

If you can find the right person or people to represent you, it will guarantee you the time off that you may need. You can take time off for vacations etc and still make some money. This will ensure that your life will be more than a happy one! Of course, that is not all that you can do to get paid while watching others play golf. There is much more. Let’s look at those next.

You marketing efforts will begin where everyone else’s does, which is in the advertising. How else will you be making any new business if no one knows you exist? Advertising takes many different forms. However if you want to be successful, you will want to market directly to the people that you are trying to entice. Flyers are not a good idea for this type of venture as your wealthy clients will not be reading it looking for business professionals.

You should be looking to try instead to market your services in higher end types of things such as:

·        Business magazines and journals

·        Trade magazines

·        Sports section in your local newspapers

·        Online designing of your own webpage

·        Direct telecommunications requests

If you go through golf magazines, you can often get your idea tested for very little money up front. It is a good way to clear some advertising without breaking your bank right away.

Getting in Touch with out of Town Executives

          When it comes to out of town executives, these can be your bread and butter as far as clients go. The reason is because as they are often out of town they simply don’t have the time to entertain their clients as they should be. This is when you can really make a name for yourself because they often get stuck in hotels; reading the local area interest sections and events guides.

If you advertise with these methods, you would be surprised at how much business you can drum up. Think about it, if you were stuck in a hotel room with very little to do, you would read those guides cover to cover.

They likely do this and that means that they will find your name in these guides and think about how many clients they can entertain while they are on the road. This is a very good idea to them, and you will drum up more business for yourself.

Sample Ads that you can use

          The ad that you place in the trade magazines, newspapers etc. will be very important to the business you drum up. Here are a few samples of what you can write to get your business up and running:

Are you watching your clients get cozy over golf with the competition?

Now you can entertain your clients on the green without even having to be there. Call me for free info. At (555) 555-5555 to learn the details.

Don’t let your clients cheat on you!

If you’re not around to entertain your clients, your competition will be. Don’t let this happen to you. Keep your clients loyal by letting me entertain your clients on the golf course today! You can get free information by calling (555) 555-5555

Get on the Phone

          This may not sound like the most fun or interesting way to try and get new business, but if you have the time and the right personality, calling these companies and giving them your pitch is a good way to go. You would be surprised at how many clients I have picked up this way. If you have a good voice over the phone and know how to pitch your services, it could work for you too!

This is not quite like telemarketing. If you are uncomfortable calling and speaking them directly, you can use your local phone company’s messaging services to go directly to their voicemail. You can prepare by writing your pitch down before you call and reading it to messaging service. This way you need only worry about the call back and not open rejection.

Free Golf Time

       Now is a very interesting task. You can begin by having some business cards drawn up. This is a good beginning. If you don’t have the funds to create them, you can try visiting VistaPrint.com, which will give you 250 cards for FREE. The reason for this is that now that you have your ads placed everywhere, you will start to receive calls from potential clients.

When these prospects start calling you for meetings etc, you will want to have something to say to them. You should begin by asking them questions that will let you know if these people would really benefit from your services.

Here are some sample questions that you can ask and how your conversation might go. Just remember that that they will begin by asking you for the information that you offered in your ad.  Let’s look at that conversation:

Prospect: I’m calling to get some information about the ad that you placed in the magazine.

You: That’s great, but before I start, is it alright if I ask you a few questions so that I can be certain that we can both benefit from what I am offering you. Is that ok with you?

Prospect: Certainly

You: Great. Now as you know, golf is one of the most popular sports out there for business people like us as a means of relaxation. However, are you aware that this is also how many business people entertain their clients? And that this is also how many clients make decisions about their businesses?

I have learned that there are many reasons why executives may not be able to take advantage of this trend and they are:

1.     that they simply do not have the time that is needed during the day to entertain their clients on the green for the amount of time that it takes in order to play a full round of golf.

2.     Some executives do not have the necessary skills in the game to feel comfortable demonstrating them to their clients.

3.     Many executives have just never played the game before and do not know how.

I am going to start by asking you which of these reasons that I have just given you applies to you.

Now here the answer doesn’t really matter. As long as you pay attention to his or her reply, you can easily follow up their reply with this:

My company and I have learned that many executives know that they should be entertaining their clients by playing golf with them and often they simply can’t for reason like the one that you gave me. What we do is entertain your clients for you so that you can focus your time and effort into making them happy on the business aspect.

I will play a full 18 holes with your client on your behalf as a representative of your company at the best golf clubs in (your city). These are the nicest courses in this city and will be certain to impress your client. We can entertain up to three clients on your behalf and they will be treated like royalty.

We will make sure that your clients will have a great time on the green, and that they will be well respected. Once the game is over, you can feel free to join your client for cocktails or a meal and discuss business at the conclusion. The time that we spend playing golf can be used by you to finalize your presentation to the client.

This is the point where you must ask them how many of their clients that they feel this service could benefit. If the number is high then you can add: “Great! When should I start?”

Of course, they may counter by asking you what you will charge them for this. That is completely up to you. You can refer to the next section on how to get paid. You will tell them your prices and then ask if they have a preferred course that you should entertain on. Try to close the deal now, but don’t be pushy. If they still hesitate, follow up with a short letter later on.

Getting Paid

       When it comes to the price that you will charge, that is completely up to you like I said. I personally charge $150 plus expenses per every 18 holes of golf. These expenses include: tees, green fees for all players and anything else that is required. This includes beverages for the clients.

You should ask for the expenses upfront as well as at least half of your fee. You do this to ensure that should they not want to pay, you have not lost any money personally. The rest of the monies owed will be paid after the round of golf is finished.

Try to have a solid estimate ready for them of the total cost, including a few drinks for the client so that you can have a quote ready. Just be sure to let them know that this may be higher or lower depending on the client’s needs and requests.

Some More Tips

       You should already know this but you should really think about how you will act with these clients. You must always be polite no matter how badly the clients behave with you. It is your job to ensure that the client has a good time with you because this is how you will get repeat business from your prospect.

You should also be sure to understand and be up on all of the new golf etiquette and rules. Also, you should know how to locate lost balls because this will ensure that the clients will like you!

How you dress is also very important because you will be judged on this. I would not suggest that you wear shorts either. Try to get some background information on the client through the executive that you are working with. This will give you a leg up on what to talk to the client about.

Learning things like what sports they like and casual things like this will provide you with plenty to talk about. For example, if the client likes the Lions for football, try to wear a shirt with their logo on it because this will help to establish an instant rapport with them.

If you don’t know anything about the Lions, I would suggest that you look it up. It will be a great ice breaker. Be sure to act professional, but try to take their cues on how you should act during the game. If they are easy going and joke a lot feel free to do the same.

However, if they are serious and prone to frustration, be polite and take your cues from them. You should never lose your temper in front of them and remember that you are there to make the client happy.

You are now ready to get paid to play some golf. At this point, you can simply enjoy your free round of golf with the knowledge that you have also set yourself up for a great new source of income.

I will bet that you assumed that this is all you need to know about playing free golf! Not quite, now you can learn how to earn money while other people are playing FREE golf!

That’s right you can actually earn money while someone else plays golf for free. Let’s look at this special section next.

Step #1

First of all, you will want to compile a list of all of the golf courses in and around your area. You will want to have at least four or so courses on your list of steady courses. You will want to visit all of these courses so that you can get familiar with them.

You want to get to know the greens and the roughs like the back of your hand if you really want to be successful. You also want to have experience on both private and public courses, as not all clients will want to play in a private golfing club.

You will also want to have a quick list ready that explains the fees for playing; the phone number to get tee times; and the number to register your tee times etc. these will have to be handy regularly and easily.

Finally for this step you will want to ensure that you have the club’s address and directions to the site by map to offer to the companies and their clients.

Step # 2

This step is longer as it pertains specifically to playing at the private clubs. For this type of playing you will need the club’s permission to play golf as an escort and the process is easier than you might think. You have to remember that as an escort you are acting as an entertainer for your clients.

You can start by talking to the managers of the clubs. This is the fun part actually. You will need to be a bit of a sales person. You will be telling the managers of these clubs that you are hoping to get permission to entertain influential people at their clubs.

You will also want to let them know that these people will also be wealthy and will be spending their money at these clubs as well as the fact that they may be purchasing memberships there as well. You will want to tell them that these people that you will entertain will be those who are likely to get those memberships.

This will appeal to sense of greed and a need to bring in as much money as possible to the club. Most of these managers will allow it and some will even grant you discount fees as an extra incentive for you. If they still need more information, you can list out these benefits to allowing you to entertain on the course, which are:

·        You can help to increase their revenue by bringing in new golfers that would normally not play at their club and that you will be playing dead hours of the day like early afternoons when most of the club’s players are unavailable due to work etc.

·        Stress to them how they will make more money by the extra sales that you will bring in through their pro shops, such as: equipment, food and beverages etc. you will also want to tell them that you and the other players will also want to visit the club house for drinks and relaxation time after playing.

·        Since so many clubs have houses on and around their clubs, you can express that in your effort to bring in these wealthy clients, they may be able to sell some of these places with thanks to you introducing your guests to the managers

·        Remind them that they may be able to sell complete memberships to these new high end customers who will likely bring in more of their friends through word of mouth. The benefits are endless.

Step #3

You now should have a few golf courses or clubs under your belt and now you will need to locate your market for your services. You will want to target high end businesses that sell big ticket items. This is where you will find your wealthy clientele. Some of these high end businesses that you will be targeting are in the following fields:

-         Attorneys

-         Doctors

-         Construction

-         Car dealerships

-         Accounting firms

-         Gaming industry (casinos)

-         Insurance

-         Engineering

-         Telecommunications

-         Computers

-         Waste management

-         Advertising Agencies

These are the types of businesses that you will want to talk to as they have the wealthy clients and the money to pay you. You can find these companies in your yellow pages or online.

These are the four major steps that you will need in order to get yourself started. Once you have completed these, you will be ready to tackle the more difficult stuff. We will begin that area in the next section which will help you market your skills around town.

1.     Since so many business people’s time is very valuable, they simply can’t spend the time in the day that is needed to entertain their clients with golf games. This is a very common practice today and is also a great way for the businesses to ensure that their clients are happy while still having the free time they need to conduct every day business in the office.

2.     Many business people hire escorts because they just don’t know how to play golf themselves. This is another time when you can capitalize from it. Many of the executives that can’t play the game do not want to be embarrassed and therefore will simply outsource instead.

3.     The other reason why they are willing to pay for your golfing services is because although the executive might know how to play golf and may even have the time for it, they may simply just not be very good at it. That may leave their client feeling bored during the game and therefore take away from the fun for them.

These things having been said, you may have a better idea as to why companies are willing to pay someone like you to play the game for them. You can make a pretty penny from this. But now you may be wondering just how to go about it. The next section will tell you just that.