Great Gadgets for Your Golf Bag

Golf is a game that has plenty of gadgets. Golfing gadgets can give any golfer a technical advantage on the golf course. These are a few of the more notable gadgets for the golf course.  

GPS Units

GPS (global positioning units) are gadgets that measure course yardages. As such, they can be provide you with much more specific yardage distances from to the greens, fairways, doglegs and layups across the golf course. They include both GPS watches and handheld units that have full-colour golf course maps comparable to those on the yardage charts.

Golf Ball Wrangler

The Golf Ball Wrangler is a somewhat low-tech, but effective, gadget for finding golf balls in the water. This gadget is a series of fibre glass mesh plates mounted on an axle which can be tossed into the water. When its pulled along the bottom of the pond, it traps balls in the water between its plates. After removing the wrangler from the water, you can then pick off the golf balls it rolled over.

Digital Golf Scorecards

Digital golf scorecards can be another great addition to your golf bag. These are gadgets that can record up to four golf scores during a round. The scorecards might also provide some scoring stats and averages for the round. Among the digital golf scorecards are the Golf GameBook phone application which is among the first to include signing options for championships.

Radar Golf Balls

You've probably heard of this one already as there's another post on this blog about the RadardGolf Balls. Just to reiterate the RadarGolf System is a gadget that locates and finds golf balls that include embedded microchips. The handheld tracking device detects the microchip golf ball with audio tones that gradually increase in volume when you move closer to the ball.

  

Those are four great golf gadgets for your bag. They'll keep your score, locate lost golf balls and provide yardage details for the golf course for more effective club selection.

HBCU Sports NBA News Summary

In less than a month, the NBA preseason for 2013/2014 will be over, however ESPN has already released the initial draft for the NBA Draft class of 2014. The opening projection from Chad Ford is that the Philadelphia 76ers, who have 1st pick in next year's NBA Draft, will choose Andrew Wiggins from Kansas. Ford, in his 1st set of projections, gives the Sixers a record of 20/62, which means they have a 25% chance of hitting the jackpot and picking one of the sport's most hyped draftees of recent times.

Recruiting the 6'8 wing in the draft's 1st selection, alongside Nerlens Noel (a frontcourt defensive anchor, who was strongly projected as the 1st overall pick of the NBA Draft in 2013, prior to reaching the Sixers via trade -- after falling from the top five) and Michael Carter-Williams (also a 2013 rookie), would offer Philadelphia a youthful, instantly reformed core built by Sam Hinkie, the general manager. The next projection is for the Phoenix Suns to be allowed 2nd overall pick, after achieving a 22/60 record. Ford predicts that the Suns will opt for flexible power and partner Alex Len (the 2013 lottery pick) with Kentucky's Julius Randle (a one and done prospect).

Rounding off the top three is Orlando Magic, who are predicted to choose Marcus Smart from Oklahoma State. According to HBCU sports, this is the identical player whose decision to remain in education for a 2nd year caused somewhat of a stir in the team. Instead of Smart, the Magic drafted Indiana's Victor Oladipo during the NBA Draft of 2013, and Ford predicts that the squad will still get the chance to recruit the Big Twelve Player of the Year for 2013.

The team projected to secure the 4th pick for the NBA draft of 2014 is the Charlotte Bobcats. Here, Ford has Dante Exum, the Australian international player, enrolling with the side. This would give the Bobcats a player referred to by Jonathan Tjarks from SB Nation as the greatest NBA prospect nobody has heard of. In particular, Tjarks spoke very highly of the combo guard's instinctive feel for the sport. Also, it is worth pointing out that Exum chose not to come to the US for college ball in 2013, because he would not be eligible till December, although he could still opt to attend college in 2014.

The team rounding off the top five is the Boston Celtics. Ford predicts they will choose forward Jabari Parker. Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo are already in position, which makes Parker the natural selection as the Celtics' next franchise small forward, once they have parted company with Paul Pierce. Some other selections and names worth noting are Aaron Gordon joining the Sacramento Kings in the 6th overall selection, Andrew Harrison 7th overall -- joining the Milwaukee Bucks, center Joel Embiid being selected 10th to join the LA Lakers, and the Washington Wizards choosing 16th and drafting Mitch McGary, who achieved a breakthrough performance during the previous year's NCAA Competition.

About the author:

This article was written by JD Smuthers.

Follow by Email

Some might have spotted the Follow by Email gadget on this blog's template. That has been added so that you can be informed of new posts added to this blog. With it you can subscribe to the hot-off-the-press blog updates via email. The emails include a copy of the post. Simply submit your email address to subscribe!

Carnoustie Golf Links Video

The Canoustie Golf Links is a great championship golf course. It is a golf course that has hosted several U.K. Opens. For the championships it stretches some 7,421 yards. Here's a video of the Carnoustie Golf Links.

Excel Golf Spreadsheets

Excel can be an ideal software package for recording golf scores from previous rounds, or alternatively recording golf scores and standings for golf championships. Excel includes a number of numerical options as well as formatting options to select from which can further enhance golf spreadsheets. Here are a few suggestions for Excel golf spreadsheets.

To begin with it’s worth noting some of the numerical options that Excel has. For example, to include stroke averages in your spreadsheet for a particular round, or a greater number of rounds, then you should select the average function which will then provide the arithmetic mean score for the round over either nine or 18 golf holes. In addition to this, with Excel functions other averages for a round such as the modal or median average hole scores can also be included.

Excel also has a number of formatting options to select from to further enhance golf spreadsheets. For example, as it’s a golf spreadsheet you may want to consider formatting the spreadsheet cell colors so that they include more green shading. Right-click the cells to be formatted and then select the formatting option, and then fill to change the selected cells to green.

Consider formatting the text included in the spreadsheet as well. Format the spreadsheet column headings so that they include bold text; to do that right-click the cells, text to be formatted and then change the font to bold.

In addition to this, why not add some golf images to the Excel spreadsheet? Excel includes golf themed clip art that you can add to a golf spreadsheet. To do so select the position on the spreadsheet to add the golf clip art by selecting a cell. Then select the Insert option, and Clip Art. After you have done this you can find suitable golf clip art by inputting the keyword golf into the search box. A variety of golf clip art will then be displayed to select from. After you have added the clip art you can move and resize it if required.

Graphs can also be a good addition to a golf spreadsheet. With graphs you can display your recorded golf scores as graphs such as bar graphs or line graphs. You can do this by firstly selecting the scores and their cells which are to be included in the graph. Then select Insert and one of the graphs such as line or bar (otherwise column) graph. Drag the graph to a suitable position the spreadsheet, and any graph can be further edited by right-clicking within the graph’s borders and then selecting a suitable option. For example, to change the graph type select the Change Graph Type option and then one of the alternative graphs.

These are just a few good tips for Excel golf spreadsheets. With Excel’s numerical, formatting and graph options exciting golf spreadsheets can be produced for recording your own golf scores, or alternatively for golf championships.

What Is Airsoft and Why You Should Play

Airsoft can refer to a variety of things but what I am going to be looking at is the sport aspect. It is the activity of experiencing tactical warfare through battle simulations with airsoft guns. These airsoft guns shoot out plastic bbs at a speed that is not dangerous to a human life yet they do travel at a fast enough speed to sometimes cause the person to experience a sting. Airsoft has become a much more popular sport as of recently but it is still under the radar. Not many people are involved in this activity either because they do not know about it or they simply do not want to try it out. Most of the people I talk to about airsoft do not know what it is. Others do not want to try it out because there is a possibility of experiencing pain. Regardless of the reasons people do not participate in this activity I’m going to explain why you should give it a try.

It is FUN!

Imagine running through the woods with a semi-automatic pistol in your holster. You have an automatic rifle in your hands as you sneakily try to capture the enemies’ flag without detection. One of your teammates starts to create a distraction by providing suppressive fire. You move forward towards the enemies’ flag but all of a sudden you see a tango to the right about to take a shot at you. Thankfully your teammate has a sniper rifle and takes him out before he can tag you.

Ok you can stop imagining! Keep in mind nobody is getting killed! It is all done in a safe environment with plastic bbs that do not break the skin. If this does not sound fun to you Fair enough… do not try it but honestly if you are like me you are probably thinking about what happens next! It might also be a chance to shoot your friends without killing them. Sounds great am I right?!

Exercise

Playing this game will cause you to run, stay down, move fast, and your heart will race. This is a very physical game and a great way to get your exercise in! I do not think I have ever met an airsoft player who has claimed otherwise (unless you are sniper… in which case I guess it is ok to be a fatty).

Training

Airsoft is often also used for real combat training. It allows people to get a feel of the weight of their weapon and trigger grip. It helps them improve their aim as well as safety practices. If you are training for home defense purposes please also invest in a home security system. Smith security provides excellent services! Check them out.

So yeah! Go get an Airsoft gun, safety gear, and find a few friends and play! Do not play in public places because most of these guns look real and the general public may panic. Play either in the woods, private property (with permission of course) or at an airsoft field (which are hard to find). Remember to always practice safety first!
About the author:

About the Author: Jose Rodriguez is a writer, gamer, and comic book fan. You can follow him on Twitter!

Airsoft Gun Maintenance

When anyone plays airsoft I doubt they are thinking about all of the filth getting into their gun as they crawl on the ground to avoid enemy fire. How about the mag that may fall to the ground as you insert another mag? There are a variety of ways our airsoft guns can get damaged and dirty. I would like to explore the ways we can all better maintain our arsenal of airsoft weaponry and it will not cost you much to do it!

Cleaning

Many of you may have heard that when cleaning your airsoft gun you want to use silicone oil. That is false. All silicone oil does is lubricate the parts within the gun as well as the barrel. When a doctor wants to sterilize something he does not shout “quick we need to lubricate this” because that would be pretty dumb. Use alcohol to clean and sterilize your gun. If a gun has a hop up chamber you will need to expose it and clean it with alcohol. After it has dried THEN you can use silicone oil to lubricate it. Same thing with the barrel; clean the barrel with alcohol and then lubricate it with silicone oil. Most guns come with a barrel cleaner to stick down the barrel; others may not. Whatever you use to enter into the barrel make sure it isn’t something sharp and dirty. We want to avoid damaging the airsoft gun. If you feel the need to purchase a real gun cleaning kit feel free to do so. You can use toilet paper if you do not have anything else available. You also do not want to use too much alcohol when cleaning any of the airsoft gun parts. In addition to cleaning the gun this way you will also need to clean the mags that you insert into the weapon. You may also want to clean where the mag goes into the gun.

Battery

If you are using an AEG you will need to maintain your battery to keep it at its peak performance. How do you do this? You do this by simply charging it correctly. Certain batteries can drain if you charge them too long. You will need to research what type battery you have, the capacity it can hold, and also what kind of charger you are using. This will help you determine how long you need to charge your battery before using your gun.

Battle

When you are actually playing in an airsoft battle be mindful of your gear. Don’t use your gun as a baseball bat. Just use common sense when you are out on the field. Try to avoid putting it in danger.

With all that being said make sure you practice your safety precautions when playing airsoft. Play on private properties and avoid whipping out your guns in public. If you are using airsoft for tactical training for later use of a real gun keep in mind that a real gun can only go so far. If home defense is the reason why you may be training I would also invest in a home security system. Smith security provides excellent services! Check them out.

About the Author: Jose Rodriguez is a writer, gamer, and comic book fan. You can follow him on Twitter!

Trent Jones Golf Trail Video

The Trent Jones Golf Trail is a series of clubs in Alabama that include 26 golf courses. Check out this previous post on the blog about the trail. The video below includes a simulator (not actual footage) of three of the trail's golf courses. They are The Judge at Capitol Hill, Links at Grand National and Cambrian Ridge.

Famous Golf Course Architects

A few of the most famous golf courses in the game were inspired by a group of renowned golf course architects. Golf course architects that have combined bunkers, lakes, trees, hills and other natural vegetation for some enthralling golf holes and courses. These are a few of the more famous golf course architects.

MacKenzie

MacKenzie golf courses are among the most famous in the sport of golf. The most notable of them is probably the Augusta National golf course, which is host to the annual

Masters golf championship. This golf course has 7,435 yard course which has some famous holes such as 12th par-3 hole that includes Rae's Creek. The course is renowned for its diversity of trees and shrubs, which include tea olives, flowering peach, magnolia, pampas, camellia, holly and more besides.

Cypress Point golf course, at Pebble Beach, is another of Mackenzie's famous golf courses. Cypress Point is one of the top ranked golf courses in the United States. The course is located on the Monterey Peninsula, and plays alongside the Pacific Ocean. It has a great collection of par 3 holes, including a 231 yard par 3 that requires a tee-shot across the Pacific to land on the green.

Trent Jones

Trent Jones has a variety of golf courses. In actual fact, almost 500 golf courses in the United States. Trent Jones combines some of these golf courses along the Trent Jones Trail. The Trent Jones Trail includes a collection of championship calibre courses within Alabama.

Most of the Trent Jones courses are public golf courses, and among the more notable is that of SpyGlass. The SpyGlass golf course is one of the Pebble Beach Resort courses, and is ranked among the top public golf courses in the United States. This is a course that plays alongside the Pacific Ocean, and some of its holes also wind through parts of the Del Monte Forest.

Dye

Pete Dye courses include some famous PGA Tour venues. At the Kiawah Island Resort there is the Ocean Course, an extensive course which is some 7,873 yards. The Ocean Course has an Atlantic coastline, and plenty of coastal holes. It has hosted the PGA Championship, as well as the 1991 Ryder Cup.

The TPC at Sawgrass is another famed Dye golf course. This Florida golf course is a regular venue for the Players Championship. It includes the Island Green hole which is a 132 yard par-3 with a green surrounded by water. Both the Ocean Course and TPC at Sawgrass are great championship courses.

Nicklaus

A record-breaking golfer, Nicklaus has also designed a variety of golf courses around the world. Approximately 299 Nicklaus golf courses were open in 2005, mostly in the United States, but also in Europe and Asia. Among the top ranked Nickluas' courses is that of Shaol Creek Country Club which is located in Alabama. This has been the host for a number of PGA golf championships, including the PGA Championship, and has some great holes such as the 446 yard 18th finishing hole.

These course architects have constructed hundreds, possibly thousands, of golf courses. They include great PGA Tour championship courses, and resort courses which you can also play at. Vist the Ocean Course, SpyGlass, courses along Trent Jones Golf Trail and Turtle Point which is also at Kiawah Island.