Mix up Your Golf Experience and Exercise Your Brain Muscle!

Gosh, I see so many great places on TravelGolf.com to play golf! It makes me want to go to all of them. When I was in grad school, training to be a counselor, I used to tell students to “pick something they love to do and get paid for it.” Sounds simple. So I took my own advice and started teaching golf. I love it. I always said “Golfers and Girl Scouts are the most fun people in the world!” Our writers who write about golf courses for TravelGolf.com have the job most golfers want! They can travel to many different places, play golf, write about it, and green fees are paid for. They don’t have to belong to a private club….the world golf courses are their club. You, too, can do this…but you may have to pay the green fees!

Along with my teaching golf, I love to travel. So I take my students (and anyone who passes the test of being a fun person) on Traveling Golf Schools/Trips! I check out the best places on TravelGolf.com, plan a trip, AND do instruction while at these fabulous courses.

If you only play golf at your own club, your decision making ability becomes very limited. I once taught at a private club where one of my students dropped his membership. He chose to never join a club again. I asked him why and he said “I can play many courses all over the world and meet many new people, for less than I’m paying for dues and initiation costs at this club.” He had a point that rang loudly in my ears. Wow. What a concept. Experience many courses for less or equal money per month.

From a learning and instructional point of view, playing different courses can make you a better player of the game. Let’s take a look at ways this can occur.

The best CEREBRAL EXERCISES we can learn by playing different courses are:

1. My decisions will be different on each course: club selection, where to hit it, course strategy
2. I will have to play from different terrain: different grasses, slopes
3. The yardages may play different (60 yds. may really mean 80 yds.)
4. I have to utilize my depth perception at various elevations: how far is the shot? (OK..I know…I can use my range finder but then I don’t have to use my brain!)

On the TECHNICAL side of learning on a different course, I will need to know what kinds of shots I need to create/use.
1. The rough may be a different consistency/length.
2. Do the greens hold or do I really need to fly the ball much higher to make it stop?
3. What type of grass is on the green…does the grass grow towards the setting sun? Where does the sun set!? Where am I?
4. Does the ball fly longer because I’m at 4000 ft. above sea level?
5. Do I need a full swing, or half swing?

On the EMOTIONAL/MENTAL side of learning on a different course, you can learn to control many unknown factors:
1. “I’m nervous…I’ve never played here before. I don’t even know where the bathrooms are….I’m uncomfortable in my surroundings!”
2. I can learn to control my “state of emotions” because I am in unfamiliar territory.
3. I can learn to have FUN, despite a wrong club choice.
4. How do I feel about myself as a golfer now that I’ve shot 98 on an unfamiliar golf course instead of my usual 88?

And of course there is the SOCIAL aspect of playing a different course or going on a golf trip/school:
1. Fun, new people
2. Beer and food after play
3. “Talk story” and tales after play
4. “Talk story” when you get home from your School/Trip!

Make it a point to experience new courses, play with new people, and mix up your brain a little. You’ll become a better player!

To learn more about my Traveling Golf Schools, go to www.insightgolfschools.com. We’ll go to places that TravelGolf.com writes about! My Insight Golf Schools are just that….they give insight into playing your best golf, everywhere.