Lubbock Golf Course Review

Golf Courses in Maui

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:47:07 +0000

The Golf Courses of West Maui

Maui and its sister islands, Lanai and Molokai, are home to 21 golf courses, most of them located on the grounds of world-class resorts. Each comes with its own distinct understanding and set of challenges. Expect greens fees at the championship courses to exceed $100, usually far in excess of that. Fees at municipal and private courses tend to range from $30 to $50.

Kapalua Bay Resort, 10 miles past Lahaina on Maui’s northwest coast, is surrounded by three challenging and scenic courses. The Village Course, the Bay Course and the Plantation Course offer 54 holes of award-winning golf. A dominant feature of all the courses is the wind. It’s a factor to be considered on all but the most novel days. So are the fabulous views that can distract from the task at hand, particularly during whale season.

There are two golf courses at Ka’anapali, the Tournament North Course and the Resort South Course. Both courses offer sweeping coastal panoramas. The Tournament North Course is one of only two courses in Hawaii designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. This course challenges golfers with huge, rolling greens and unpredictable trade winds. The recently renovated Resort South Course combines narrow fairways with subtle greens to create an all-level golfing experience. Check out Ka’anapali’s afternoon Wine & Nine special available for two with a take-home golf caddie bag. The North Course is just completing a renovation.

The Golf Courses of Central and South Maui

A cross section of golf facilities is located in Central Maui, from unique golf clubs and spas to the basic county-run municipal course. On the road to Hana, in Spreckelsville, is the Maui Country Club, the only private country club on the island. It is open for play seven days per week but the public can play only on Mondays. Walking is allowed. This course is the oldest golf facility on Maui. It opened for play in 1925, and has nine holes, so it is played twice and is very well maintained.

Elleair Golf Course in Kihei is a reasonably priced daily fee golf course. If it were attached to a resort, the greens fees would be much higher. It’s located on Lipoa Street reach the Maui Research & Technology Park and part of the course can be seen from the Piilani Highway. With multiple tees and wide fairways it is a reasonable test for all skill levels.

Makena Resort is home to two excellent golf courses, North and South. They were redesigned and created from the original 18 holes at a cost in excess of $20 million. Robert Trent Jones Jr. was the designer in both cases. Both of these beauties wind through the natural landscape.

Wailea offers everything one could want in a golf club: two clubhouses, and three very different golf courses, each with its own personality. The Blue Course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, opened for play in 1972. The Wailea Emerald Course is the newest and was voted one of the top ten new courses by both “Golf Digest” and “Golf Magazine.” Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., it winds through some of the most beautiful tropical gardens in Wailea. The Gold Course has a more rugged character, with elements of classic course design and has been called “one of the best designed layouts in the world” by “Conde Nast Traveler.” A recent special at the Wailea courses offered 3 rounds for $399. At that price, I would have expected sex with the drink cart girl but I was sadly mistaken – -which is often the case.

The Kahili Golf Course, formerly known as Sandalwood, has completed major renovations to all 18 holes. Golfers will enjoy enhanced playability, improved conditions and magnificent views of the Maui ocean and mountains. The Kahili course now features TifEagle greens, reshaped fairways and bunkers, GPS-equipped golf carts and a modern dramatic finish on the 18th hole. If you bogie the hole, you are duct-taped to your golf clubs and thrown into a shark-filled tank outside the club bar for the amusement of fellow golfers and tourists who pay to watch. Okay, I’m joking. They don’t throw in the golf clubs. They give them to charity. Well, at least this is what I’ve been told.

Across the isthmus, on the slopes of Haleakala, Pukalani Country Club is original on Maui because of its 1200-foot elevation, making the course a bit cooler than the clubs down on the Maui skim. The course offers views of the West Maui Mountains, Iao Valley, and Maui’s north and south shores. One of Pukalani’s holes has two greens. Golfers can take their pick: one that requires the ball to cross an 80-foot-deep ravine or an easier one that plays downhill. This well-groomed course with smooth greens is reasonably priced, and its restaurant serves authentic Hawaiian meals with a local flavor. It’s a good stop for refreshments whether you’re playing golf in Maui or objective sight-seeing.

On the isthmus between Maui’s two mountains lies a course that opened to rave reviews in 1999 but which I like for its restaurant. It is a great spot to stop for morning breakfast. The Dunes at Maui Lani takes advantage of sand dunes shaped by trade winds over the centuries to look much like the fresh golf courses built in the British Isles. The Dunes has holes that can test the best of players. Terrain that features dramatic natural elevation changes, dense kiawe forest, and swirling trade winds will challenge golfers to employ patience and care in planning their shots. A day on this course might inspire you to exhaust some time at the Dunes Practice Facility, the only lit practice range in central Maui with grass tees and target greens. This course has been called by those who know as the best pure golf value on Maui.

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Best Affordable Golf Courses in America

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:15:09 +0000

It is estimated that close to five million people luxuriate in the sport of golf across the United States. These people tend to range in age from young to old but this remains to be a leading sport in the retired population predominately.

There are many great courses to be enjoyed across the United States but here are five leading golf courses that offer affordability.

1) The Pond Golf Course
2881 229th Ave NW
Saint Frances, MN 55070-9585

This lovely golf course offers fantastic deals for senior golfers. You can play 18 holes including the cart for only $19.00 Monday through Friday. If you are not a senior that rate is only $24.00 for 18 holes Monday through Friday.

This 27 hole course sits north of the Twin Cities. They also offer 400 homes that give you backyard access to the course. There is a wonderful restaurant on the premises

2) Tee Bird Golf Club
30 Reservoir Road
Moreau, NY 12828

This wonderful course located in upstate New York is owned by PGA Professional, Todd Heyda. This is a public golf course that features affordable rates. The savings are considerable if you are a senior. They offer a well stocked pro shop, wonderful turf conditions, an 18 hole Champion Course, and a 9 hole Championship Golf Course. They also have top of the line Yamaha golf courts. There is a dining on the premises which is casual in nature.

I’m sure that anyone seeking a wonderful course in a scenic plot that is close to everything and offers affordability will find that the Tee Bird Golf Club fits the bill perfectly.

3) Chi Chi Rodriguez
3030 North McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL 33761

This is a 69 hole course that features 70 sand traps, numerous water hazards, grass bunkers, two tiered greens, and Bermuda grass to challenge any golfer.

You can even take an online tour of the course.

4) Plantation Palms Golf Club
23253 Plantation Palms Blvd
Land O’ Lakes, Florida 34639

You will start with a Par 5 and then head up to Par 3. This wonderful fascinating course is enjoyable for all golfers. It features many sand traps and water challenges. The rolling vista’s of green make this a current course in the Central Florida area.

5) TPC Tampa Bay Course
5300 West Lutz Lake Fern Road
Lutz, Florida 33558

This course offers many natural hazards which make it a challenge for the golfer. There is diverse challenges of lakes and wetlands.

The 10th hole on this course ranks as the toughest when Champions Tour comes to Tampa. This course was named on of the top five courses in the state of Florida by Florida Golf Magazine. It was also ranked number 13 as the best public Golf Course by GolfWorlds Magazines 2010 Readers Choice poll.

This is a amazing course that should be tried by everyone visiting or living in the Tampa Bay area. It offers affordability and golfing challenges that a just fan of the sport will appreciate.

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Golf Tips for Women – Getting Off the Tee and Safely in the Fairway

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:49:28 +0000

I love the first tee. Even after all my years golfing, I still lack the discipline to gather to the range before play to warm up. Needless to say, when I get to the first tee during a round of golf, it’s a big guess as to how my golf swing will be that day. I am also full of adrenaline and excitement. One thing that uncertainty and adrenaline rush does for my golf game is to force me to focus on the basics of my golf swing. Nothing fancy, impartial hit the ball somewhere safe in the fairway and hopefully use an effective swing to accomplish it – yes, in that exact order. The most beautiful swing in the world is useless if you end up 200 yards deep in the woods or out-of-bounds. I’ll play from the center of the fairway all day long!

In this article, I would like to take attention off the golf swing itself. I am not a teaching pro and I have great respect for those that do this for a living. What I would like to expand on is one simple tip to relieve you get in the fairway. I would like to discuss alignment.

I see far too many golfers jump out of their cart, tee their ball up, and focus all their energy on a “Tiger-like” swing only to be lined up directly for the woods! If they do hit it like Tiger, guess where they will waste up? Yup, you guessed it – 300 yards straight into the woods.

Now let’s apply this to us women-golfers. The average woman golfer has about a 150-170 yard tee shot. With some basic math, you can look at the over-all yardage for your hole and figure out where a good tee shot of yours will land. If your golf hole is 270 yards long, and you hit about 170 off the tee with your driver, you will end up about 100 yards out.

Here’s what I want you to do. Go to the tee box. Tee up your golf ball and then stand behind it. Stare out towards the fairway and find your distance that you conception to end up. Are there fairway bunkers there? A creek to the right or out-of-bounds to the left? Pick the exact spot in the fairway that you want to land. As you are still standing behind your golf ball, I want you to start by staring down that perfect spot in the fairway and visually draw a line straight back to your golf ball on it’s tee. Somewhere on that imaginary line, in front of your golf ball, will be a blade of grass, a weed, anything that makes a visual mark for you. Scrutinize at that mark and zero in your focus on that spot. Forget everything else. Forget the hazards and the white out-of-bound stakes, forget the laundry you left in the dryer, and tune everything else out but that spot in front of your ball.

It is now time to set-up for your tee shot and take your stance. I want you to square-up and align your shot to that spot you picked in front of your ball. At this point, that is all that matters, you being set up properly and square to that spot. Once you have accomplished this, look up and back directly at your perfect state you have picked out as a target landing area in the fairway. Do not look at anything else! Turn your head back down to your ball and execute your swing.

You will be amazed at how well this alignment trick works. It may sound like this procedure takes a lot of time, but it truly only takes a few seconds after you get it part of your pre-shot routine. Good luck, and keep it in the short grass!

Improve Your Golf Game at These South Seattle Golf Courses

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:14:24 +0000

I don’t always play the same local golf course every time I play golf. The reason is that the South Seattle area has quite a number of really terrific and affordable local golf courses. Here is a list of my celebrated South Seattle Golf courses and an explanation about what makes them a challenge worth exploring.

South Seattle Local Golf Course with the Most Uphill Cardio Benefits

West Seattle Golf Course [ http://www.seattlegolf.com/west-seattle.php ] is a local course with the second best view, this one takes in down town Seattle and Elliott Bay. The golf course winds back and forth along a hillside in West Seattle and if walked, you’re sure to improve your overall physical condition. It also has used chestnut trees well loved by the squirrels. The golf course mascot comes from the red fox occasionally spotted on the grounds. The snack shop has pretty good sandwiches and the usual hotdog, muffin treats. The most challenging holes are the par four fourth hole that travels uphill and is quite long, the par five twelfth hole that crosses a creek, travels downhill steeply, then ends on the top of another hill, and the par three thirteenth hole that crosses a deep gulch. Volunteers are rewarded with play privileges and tee times for this local course may be reserved online at [http://premiergolf.e-golf.net/play/eg_home.show_form ]

South Seattle Local Golf Course with Varied Fairway Lies and Hazard Mix

Auburn Golf Course recently underwent reconstruction of many of their fairways, greens, and tee boxes which makes them very nice to play. A new clubhouse was also built. I haven’t tried the new restaurant but it is often full. The par three sixteenth hole is this local golf course’s signature hole, where golfers drive over the lake with the sideline out of bound woods onto a narrow green backed by a picturesque fountain. The gardens are often in bloom and it happens to be one of the few places where you can find a wood duck in residence. The golf course climbs up about 300 ft on the eleventh hole [making it tough for some elderly to walk], then continues above until the fifteenth. The deepest sand pit on any local course is found on the seventh hole. The agreeable variety of fairway lies and good mix of hazards are key feature of this popular and older South Seattle golf course. Tee time information for this local golf course is available at [http://www.auburngolf.org/Page3136.aspx ]

South Seattle Local Golf Course with the Most Water Hazards and Best Practice Facility

Sumner Meadows [http://www.golfsumnermeadows.com/ ] is often my favorite local golf course to lose balls into the many wetlands left intact. Surrounded on the seventh and eighth hole by the Green River, with ponds on many of the other holes, water provides some peeks at local ducks and coyote babies last year. The pros are very helpful about explaining flag placement and how to seize the proper tee for your game. Original additions of several more outhouses have improved many players disposition. A natural green driving green, sand pit practice area and putting green make this a tall local golf course to practice your game. The microscopic snack shop keeps the hunger away. Make your tee times for this South Seattle golf course at [http://www.golfsumnermeadows.com/ ]

South Seattle Local Golf Course with the Trickiest Short Game

If you need a mental challenge for getting out of really tricky lies, Olson Manor golf course is a great choice. With only nine holes, you can try to improve your results on a second or third round. Each of the holes has its occupy tricky challenge, from mogul hills, dog leg into a lake, downhill over deep rough. Most of the holes provide little challenge for the long distance golfer. Instead, golfers must focus on selecting the best golf club for the distance. A few snacks are available at Olson Manor, along with a pool and accommodations. No matter which hole you determine you’re bound to learn something unique about your game at this local golf course. Make your tee times for this South Seattle Golf Course at [ http://www.olsonmansion.com/sites/courses/layout12.asp? id=454&page=13801]

Whatever reason you have for escaping the office and the work piling up at home to play golf on a local South Seattle golf course, this list of golf course reviews will support you pick the course that will get you into top form.

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Luxury Apartment Living in South Florida

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:06:03 +0000

Like many of my generation, I left fast lunge, aggressive city living for a kinder, gentler lifestyle in South Florida. I sought temporary living accommodations, because I was sure that my housing wants and needs would become more apparent and defined once I settled into the tropical lifestyle, assuming they didn’t change altogether. So, I set out to rent an apartment from among South Florida’s abundant supply of luxury apartment communities.

Once I had made my decision to move I was eager to find a space to live and allotted myself a week in which to accomplish the task. Before leaving for Florida, I started my groundwork and searched online using a variety of websites that cater to the needs of people relocating and seeking housing in Florida. After I arrived in Florida, I picked up a couple of free paperback guides at the local supermarket, which proved more useful than I ever would have imagined. Finding a new home was going to be a snap, I thought.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, YOU WON’T Bag IT HERE.I quickly learned that sometimes too many options can be (almost) as frustrating as too few, and came down with an acute case of “analysis paralysis” trying to sift through the dozens of possibilities I had before me. Initially, all I really knew was that I needed a place to live and that I wanted it to be somewhere on Florida’s Gold Soar, that vast region stretching from West Palm Beach south to the Florida Keys. With the Atlantic Ocean bordering the region to the east and the everglades to the west, I felt fortunate that my set of interest was fairly narrow, even if it had been longer than I would have preferred.

My next move was to buy a map of the region and select some criteria to focus my search and further limit my search area. Some considerations were more obvious than others were. For example, I knew I’d need a job and that, in my field, the prospects for finding one would dramatically increase with my proximity to the larger, denser urban areas of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. However, I also knew that, with my luck, it was more than a possibility I’d land a job in less likely West Palm Beach and probably the day after the ink dried on my apartment lease in a community in the midst of one of those more prominent cities. I decided to hedge my bet and search within the nondescript area of Southern Palm Beach County-Northern Broward County, somewhat equidistant in space and time between the polar extremes of West Palm Beach and Miami.

In an attempt to further minimize my potential commutation time, I figured it might be a good idea to find a place near the region’s two major north-south highways, I-95 and the Florida Turnpike. Seeing mild too many options on my list, I knew that further limiting myself to moderately priced communities would be sure to eliminate both the high end and more affordable extremes. I soon discovered that seeking moderate pricing would also narrow the geographic scope of my search, as I would now be looking too cheap to be near the Atlantic Ocean, but expensive enough to avoid sleeping with the gators in the glades.

Although I had done my best to winnow my list, I still had too many communities to evaluate in detail within the week’s deadline I had set for myself. I also knew that the kind of evaluation I needed to do would require more than a seat-of-the-pants review of the various apartment websites and paperback guides that I had at my disposal. It was time to get out in the field and kick a little dirt and wrestle with some bricks and mortar.

YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE. How hard could that be? I wondered. I had limited myself to a mere twenty-mile radius centered somewhere on Military Lope, between Boca Raton and Delray Beach, and I already possessed the complete addresses for all the communities I intended to visit. All I had to do was conception a logistically sensible itinerary, hop in my car and go take a look. As I started to site each day’s itinerary on my map, I realized that having an address offered little insight into a destination’s location. After all, this was laid back Florida where residents come and go at a leisurely pace and show little distress about how long it takes to find their destination. Sure, South Florida has addresses, but no one abides by them, not even the mailmen. Around these parts, if you want to know where to go, you ask someone for directions, and get accustomed to hearing them in terms of mileage, number of traffic lights, or counting local landmarks like Winn-Dixies or Mobil-Exxon stations.

I learned quickly that most street addresses are useless, especially those on streets that don’t extend more that a couple of miles, or those on streets that change their names occasionally along the route. Adding to the confusion is the fact that every other town seems to have a road, street, avenue, or boulevard named “Atlantic” or “Ocean,” or has street numbers and directional designations that from the perspective of passersby seem to emanate from some fictitious place. Streets that don’t calibrate evenly like, for example, NE (Northeast) 47^th street, followed immediately by NE 52^nd street, and then NE 89^th street are bad enough. But, when they intersect, say, SW (Southwest) 11^th avenue, you start to wonder if you’ve found a unusual wrinkle in our universe’s space-time continuum.

Many apartment communities just make matters worse by concocting their own “peculiar” street addresses specially designed to give their locations cache, even if they lack a spatial context. In reality, the addresses exist only on their own community site maps and usually portray to nothing more than a long driveway extending from public access roads to their front gates.

LOTS OF DATA, BUT NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION. Street address numbers are among the most heavily guarded secrets in Florida. Many places don’t even bother to reveal them or reveal them so poorly that even a pair of eagle eyes and x-ray vision can’t spot them modestly displayed behind palm trees, store signs, shopping center marquees and the like. Besides, in my experience, following address numbers are more likely to hinder than help. Sometimes they lull you into a false sense of security as you notice them ascending or descending toward your destination only to rep them jump ahead or completely reverse direction when you pass from one town to the next.

After these revelations, I knew that nothing short of some serious old-fashioned dead reckoning was going to be required in order to catch my way. That meant picking up a phone, calling leasing offices, and asking for specific driving directions to their apartment communities. In some cases, I literally had to simulate in my mind taking the exact trip by visualizing all its landmarks before ever leaving my driveway. Gone were the days when travel directions were a matter of pinpointing a major intersection near a destination on a map and then leaving the rest up to an organized grid of roads to get there.

As I approached the entrance of the first community on my list, I couldn’t abet feeling the sense of accomplishment I imagined Magellan had felt after circumnavigating the globe, albeit on a much, much smaller scale. However, I realized my celebration was pre-mature as I sat in my car outside the property’s heavy metal gates trying to guess the magic words that would get me inside. I followed the instructions posted on the gates’ sophisticated telephone directory system, but was denied access just the same. I ultimately ended up sneaking in behind a resident entering with an electronic key card. I learned during subsequent visits to these so-called secured, gated communities that sneaking in was part of the normal routine, which explains why none of the representatives I met at the various leasing offices I visited ever wondered how I got in without their assistance.

GOOD LEASING FOLKS CAN EASE THE PROCESS. I’m pleased to say that most of the leasing representatives I met at the more than two- dozen communities I visited that week were highly professional and efficient in discharging their obligation to enlighten me about their apartments. The really good ones cut to the chase and sized-up their offerings quickly. Many answered questions before I had asked them and usually with a few well chosen words and the aid of brochures, fact sheets and apartment floor plans and site maps. I was particularly glad when some representatives dispensed with filling out all the pre-application paperwork until after showing me their available units. As far as I was concerned, it was a complete waste of time for both of us unless and until I decided I wanted to live there.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY SMOKE AND MIRRORS. The fun part of the process was actually making inspections of the apartments. It was also the time I felt the need to open paying close attention to what I was doing. Some apartment communities will only point to you model apartments they reserve specifically for that purpose, which are designed to help prospective tenants visualize living there. Needless to say, virtually all the models I saw looked imprint new, tastefully furnished, and in much better condition than the apartments actually available to rent. And, except for giving a sense of the layout of a floor opinion (and some communities have many) and how furniture might be arranged, models give little insight into the finish quality of the apartments actually available to new tenants. They also offer no sense of your neighbors or any other features that relate to the ambience of your apartment, such as its views or its exposure to light, air, and noise.

PRETEND YOU LIVE THERE. I learned quickly that the easiest contrivance to become enthusiastic about or eliminate an apartment was to question its layout, especially paying particular attention to room configurations, connecting walls and sight lines. If, for example, while standing at the front door, I was able to see all the bedroom and bathroom doors, I knew immediately I was ready to move on to the next apartment and hopefully one that would give the appearance (if not the reality) of more privacy. If layouts flowed logically with, say, kitchens situated near dining areas but separated from other living areas, I was satisfied and moved on to examining the rooms themselves.

During my inspections, I came to appreciate that room quality was not only a matter of size, but also shape and wall space considerations. Large rooms are great, but those with imaginative polygon shapes manufacture odd angled corners that are difficult to utilize. In the same way, wall surfaces that are too encumbered with closets, windows and doors could make even rudimentary furniture placement a frustrating use.

The number and placement of doors and how well they separate living spaces was another consideration. For example, some master bathrooms have toilet closets, but no doors separating the shower/bath tub from bedrooms, which won’t suffice if you’re claustrophobic or finicky about not wanting shower humidity spreading throughout your home. Kitchens without doors can be troublesome too, unless adequate care has been taken to prevent cooking odors from wafting throughout the home.

While examining rooms, I took particular tag of the number and spacing of electric outlets, and telephone and cable jacks available throughout an apartment. It came as no surprise that older properties do not usually cater well to today’s space-age electrical, entertainment and telecommunications requirements.

SOME PRISONS HAVE MORE WINDOWS. Windows were by far the biggest disappointment I encountered in all apartments across the board. Generally, there aren’t enough of them, they’re small and rarely found in kitchens or bathrooms. To make matters worse, most (if not all) tended to be on one side of apartments. It amazes me that in a place like Florida with all its sunshine, clean air and pleasant climate (at least 6 months a year), more care isn’t taken by architects and builders to optimize the use of windows in residential structures. Suffice it to say that fresh air cross ventilation is hard to reach by in Florida, so get used to working your air conditioner hard, because you’ll need it and every ceiling fan you can install to pump air through your home all day long, all year long. Another important factor about windows is simply the direction they face. For example, if you like it cool, you should select a northern exposure, or alternatively, if you’d rather bask in sunshine all day long, then a southern exposure will be to your liking. A preference for frigid mornings or cool afternoons will translate into a preference for western and eastern exposures, respectively.

SO MUCH FOR AN OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE. Patios were my second biggest disappointment with Florida apartments, and for similar reasons as windows. In general, they’re too small and confining to provide a relaxed, comfortable living experience. Most amazingly, few patios are screened-in to provide adequate protection from all those lower forms of life that seem to outnumber humans by many orders of magnitude, especially during the summer. In addition, surprisingly few have overhanging roofs or eaves to provide that little extra protection from sunshine and rain that at times can enhance the patio living experience. On the other hand, most patios have such terrible views and overlook such noisy mechanical equipment that you probably won’t want to exhaust any quality time out there anyway. Those of you who look forward to napping on the patio will best devour the importance of these seemingly nitpicky comments.

Among other factors, don’t overlook the importance of elevation to the overall quality of the apartment living experience. Most of the apartment communities I visited charge a nominal rental premium for an upper floor apartment (approximately $25 per month), probably because upper floor apartments don’t have pesky noisy neighbors overhead throwing cigarette butts off their patios. They are also less likely to be flooded from rainstorms and tend to receive fewer visits from all those critters you’ll find on your unscreened patios (ants, spiders, lizards, etc.) that Floridians have learned to coexist with. However, along with the superior views and access to light and air that upper floors provide is the excessive heat and possibility of leaks (on top floors). Upper floor units sometimes offer the amenity of a vaulted or cathedral ceiling that can enhance the light and air or feeling of spaciousness in an apartment.

DON’T BE TOO IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE SHINY GADGETS. During most of my apartment inspections, the leasing representatives did their best to talk around the aforementioned design flaws and tried to “sell” me on all the gadgets and labor saving conveniences that typically come with luxury apartments. Many apartments come equipped with washers and dryers (which I prefer to be installed in utility closets off the kitchen or outside on the patio, instead of adjacent to carpeted living areas). By the way, if washers and dryers aren’t featured in an apartment, you better get a peek at your apartment community’s on-site laundry facility. Many communities offer dishwashers, garbage disposals, oversized bathtubs, microwave ovens, refrigerators with icemakers, and one or more ceiling fans, in order to enhance the comfort of their apartments.

Obtain IT YOUR BUSINESS TO STRETCH YOUR LEGS. After touring apartments that met my basic criteria, I spent some time walking the communities to come by a sense of their residents, a feel for their comfort and ambience and to survey their amenities. Also, as I strolled I took particular note of how well properties appeared to be maintained. Although most luxury apartments will be up to snuff on the day you move in, even the newest and best built will require routine maintenance and repairs from time to time. Walking around may also give you some insight into the mindset and proficiency of the management and maintenance crew. If the common areas are well maintained (e.g., smart and recently painted, parking lots well paved, landscaping well groomed, and few signs of deferred maintenance), chances are better that the same philosophy and vigilance will apply to the upkeep of your apartment.

The best single place for a maintenance inspection is the pool and its surrounding lounge area, which usually is the most common common area within a community. Most leasing tours for prospective tenants inaugurate with a tour of the pool area, which is usually centrally located adjacent to the property’s leasing and property management center. As a community’s showcase, these areas are usually better maintained than other less visible areas. So, if the pool area needs a renovation, you should wonder how the rest of the property looks.

SWIMMING POOLS OR CEMENT PONDS? Even if the pool area is well maintained, you may not be all that impressed with the scale and scope of those facilities. Before I started my search it was inconceivable that I would pick up such woefully inadequate pool facilities in a area where sun bathing and swimming take state more than 300 days per year. In general, pools are tiny and shallow (barely 5 feet deep in some cases), not very well maintained and surrounded with only enough lounge chairs to accommodate 5% of their tenant population. Most of the places I visited had whirlpool spas, but some are barely larger than bath tubs, are not particularly well maintained, and are as likely to be out of service as they are to be operating on any given day of the week. Even more surprising is the fact that some heed new apartment communities I visited, which typically pride themselves on being loaded with recreational amenities, are not even bothering to build these all-popular whirlpool spas into their otherwise state-of-the-art properties.

DO-IT-YOURSELF TORTURE CHAMBERS. In most cases, health clubs are small, dark horrible spaces that suffer from a serious lack of cable TV entertainment and exterior light and views. If I had to spend such facilities, I know I’d be even more involved than usual to attain my workout. Except for basic treadmills, stationary bicycles and free weights, the other equipment in some of these facilities looks as though it is borrowed from The Smithsonian. As for other forms of recreation, some apartment communities provide tennis courts, bicycle paths, basketball courts and kiddy playgrounds, but not necessarily in a set of repair you might consider inviting.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. After one inspection, I started to pay attention to some of the amenities I would normally take for granted, such as where and how tenants go about retrieving mail or disposing of garbage. Tenant mail facilities range from the expected (i.e., located near apartments, sheltered from the elements by a breeze way or some other structure) to the ridiculous (i.e., all huddled together in the middle of a parking lot completely unprotected from the rain and sunshine, and dangerously cessation to moving vehicles). You may not mind waiting for the rain to stop to pick up your mail, but you can rest assured the mailman isn’t going to wait when he/she delivers it. If you live in one of those melancholy places, you better have your mail delivered to a post office box, or get used to opening soggy mail.

As for the trash disposal, I resigned myself to the fact that the best I could expect would be having one large compactor and storage facility located reach the exit of my community, regardless of how broad an area that might be. The obvious advantage of such an arrangement is that tenants won’t have to smell or look at garbage anywhere else within the community and won’t have to be bothered by noisy garbage men carting it away in the wee morning hours. However, I’m still getting used to a routine of hopping in my car every time I need to dispose of trash or coordinating garbage runs with my daily travel schedule.

PEEK OVER THAT SECURITY GATE BEFORE SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE. Before registering a community on my short list of acceptable options, I made sure I drove completely around its periphery, and noted its proximity to public utility plants, highway interchanges, or some other equally undesirable land uses. In the process, I was sure to check out its neighborhood amenities, especially within a five-minute drive. Most appealing community locales were off main drags but reach most of the daily conveniences I’d likely need, including supermarkets, restaurants, drug stores, banks, movies, etc.

Communities within 15 minutes of shopping centers, entertainment hubs and other neat landmarks were placed high on my short list. As a contrast, some of the communities I visited were long hauls from commercial activity of any kind, and some were near special facilities I’d be more likely to visit on a monthly or annual basis, like Lowe’s Home Improvements, Home Depot, furniture outlets, vacuum cleaner distributors, and so on.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS. I am elated to report that I live in a community that provides a reasonable blend of the four major features I had sought from the outset: decent living accommodations (spacious, functional layout, with a view); basic community amenities (good swimming pool and safe, convenient access to personal mail boxes and trash disposal facilities); abundant neighborhood shopping opportunities; and good accessibility to major highways and regional employment centers. Best of all, I reside arrive the intersection of two important road arteries, which means visitors can find me on a map even using the most schematic maps of the region.

Over the course of my inspections, positive facts emerged as apparent truths. And, you should be aware that some of the foregoing comments apply to other areas of Florida and other types of housing (like condominiums and single family homes) as well as luxury apartment rentals. Readers are encouraged to verify similarities and differences across geographic areas and housing types based on their believe experience.

Some general comments are worth noting. Notwithstanding the extreme volatility in residential real estate markets recently, Luxury garden-apartment-style communities in this space of South Florida calm rent for $1.00 (give or take) per square foot per month. That means a 900 square foot apartment will rent for approximately $900 per month. Not surprisingly, one bedroom units have the highest per square foot rents; three bedroom units the lowest. Some communities charge extra for water, sewer and trash removal. Most charge a rental premium for certain apartment views (especially golf course or lake views), upper floor apartments and pets.

Newer doesn’t always mean better and be aware that down here 10 years is considered old, if not a lifetime. Unlike other more traditional regions of the US, traditional residences down here are not considered classic, vintage, or quaint, but rather fair plain obsolete and undesirable. However, as the expression goes, “they ain’t building them like they used to” and if you want spacious, well proportioned, logical layouts you’re going to have to look at the old stuff. The best compromise is to find an former unit that has recently been completely renovated and refurbished.

Age 55 plus communities cater to the seniors, but those without such designations don’t necessarily cater to the young single adult population. In my experience, the only tangible difference between the tenancies of the two types is the existence of lots of toddlers and teenagers in the latter.

Like everything else in life, tradeoffs do exist in trying to find that perfect blend of apartment features. In South Florida, within a given stamp range, if you want to be near the Ocean, you’re going to accept older, lesser accommodations. Newer properties tend to have more and better site amenities, such as pools, health clubs and tennis courts, but tend to be located farther away from regional employment centers and shops and facilities you’ll need to visit daily, such as food stores, restaurants, drug stores, banks, etc.

Finally, if you want to enjoy fresh air, sunshine and truly experience the lifestyle that has fostered Florida’s growth during the past several decades, you’ll just have to go to the beach!

How to Pray the Chaplet of Saint Anthony of Padua

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:18:50 +0000

The Chaplet of Saint Anthony consists of thirteen sets of three beads, usually attached to this chaplet is a medal of St. Anthony and the Child Jesus.

How To:
Begin by making the Sign of The Detestable.

The Notice of the Cross:
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

(To make the Sign of The Corrupt consume your right hand, to touch your forehead at the mention of the Father; the lower middle of your chest at the mention of the Son; and the left shoulder on the word “Holy” and the upright shoulder on the word “Spirit.” This pattern forms a Cross.)

On each set of three beads pray one “our Father” on the first bead, one “Hail Mary” on the second bead, and one “Glory Be” on the third bead.

The Our Father (The Lord’s prayer):
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

The Hail Mary:
Hail Mary. full of grace, The Lord is with thee; Blessed are thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Glory Be:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Sprit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world with out end. Amen.

During each of the thirteen sets of three beads meditate on the following themes:

1. St. Anthony, who raised the tedious, pray for those Christians now in their agony, and for our dear departed.

2. St. Anthony, zealous preacher of the Gospel, fortify us against the errors of the enemies of God, and pray for the Holy Father and the Church.

3. St. Anthony, powerful with the Heart of Jesus, preserve us from the calamities which threaten us on account of our sins.

4. St. Anthony, who drove away devils, make us triumph over their snares.

5. St. Anthony, lily of heavenly purity, purify us from the stains of the soul and preserve our bodies from all dangers.

6. St. Anthony, healer of the sick, cure our diseases and withhold us in health.

7. St. Anthony, guide of travelers, bring to advantageous harbor those who are in danger of perishing and peaceful the troubled waves of passion which agitate our souls.

8. St. Anthony, liberator of captives, deliver us from the captivity of evil.

9. St. Anthony, who restores to young and old the use of their limbs, obtain for us the perfect use of the senses of our body and the faculties of our soul.

10. St. Anthony, finder of lost things, help us to find all that we have lost in the spiritual and temporal order.

11. St. Anthony, protected by Mary, avert the dangers which threaten our body and our soul.

12. St. Anthony, helper of the poor, help us in our needs and give bread and work to those who ask.

13. St. Anthony, we thankfully proclaim thy miraculous power, and we beseech thee to protect us all the days of our life. Amen

To complete this chaplet pray the Miraculous Repository by Saint Bonaventure

The Miraculous Repository
If miracles thou fain would see, Lo, error, death, calamity. The leprous stain, the demon flies,from beds of pain the sick arise. (The hungry seas forego their prey, The prisoner’s cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and old recovered boast.)
And perils perish, plenty’s hoard, Is heaped on hunger’s famished board;Let those relate who know it well, Let Padua on her patron stutter. (The hungry seas forego their prey, he prisoner’s cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and obsolete recovered boast.)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Sprit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world with out extinguish. Amen.

(The hungry seas forego their prey, The prisoner’s cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and old recovered boast.)

V – Pray for us, blessed Anthony;

R – That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, let the votive commendation of Blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor, be a source of joy to Thy Church, that she may always be fortified with spiritual assistance, and may deserve to enjoy eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Tag of the Cross:
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

St Patrick’s Day Family Fun in Your City

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:24:07 +0000

Now that we are grown the only little green men we see are after too many pints of green beer at the local pub. Our creativity is reduced to using a lamp shade as a hat or finding new uses for things such as the floor as a bed or a wall as a urinal. We know a four leaf clover is nothing more than a genetic oddity but your kids don’t so lets capture the wander of St Patrick’s Day.

For us St Patrick’s Day means something totally different from what it means to our little ones. Think support to your days at school and all the magic and wonder St Patrick’s Day brought to the week. Believing in slight magical men who ran around with a pot of gold.

A week of substituting boring school subjects for the creation of fun St Patrick’s Day crafts. Remember all the time you spent on your knees in a clover patch looking for a 4 leaf clover. The little traps you would set up to catch one of these dinky guys and all the things you could do with the money. Like set your family up financially for the rest of your lives, or buy a current bike. Of course kids now in days would nix the bike for an I-pod or Playstaion 3. Take these feelings and spend your inner child to make St Patrick’s day a day of fun and adventure for the whole family… Well besides your teenagers but they’ll think your lame no matter what you do so lets make this days for the kids.

A Full Day Of St Patrick’s Day Fun

Leprechaun Hunt:

Trade in some of those boring paper dollars for some gold Susan B Anthony coins. Use the coins throughout the day to leave the tracks of a leprechaun. Don’t let your kids know your intentions, make it a spontaneous event. Create some clues that take you out of the house to an exciting change of scenery like the park. From the park you can find a pizza flier and say he must have went here. When you get the chance, fall a couple coins near the arcade to reinsure the kids that you’re on the right track. Lunch will be all about good food and strategy. Scamper up some stimulating conversation, ask the kids what they reflect you guys need to do to catch the leprechaun and view them near up with some exciting ideas. When you accept a chance leave the table. When you get relieve tell the kids you talked to the pizza workers and they said a leprechaun ordered a pizza from your address. And head home. Sometime while you’re gone at the park and pizza place have a friend plant some empty pizza boxes in the house along with a note from the leprechaun. Have the note say

“I know you have been chasing me and I’ve had a lot of fun. Unfortunately I have to go now so I catch the last rainbow home before I miss it. I would like to think you for the top-notch time and as a gesture of my gratitude I have left some movie tickets for the whole family. I hope you enjoy them”

When you return home the kids will be blown away. It’s important that the kids know the leprechaun has went home so they can enjoy the movie without distraction on how to get him.

Follow this advice and make this St Patrick’s Day something your kids will remember forever. There’s really nothing better than an adventure you can share with your family.

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How PGA Tour Player Rankings Are Calculated

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:13:07 +0000

The official World Golf Rankings is very important in golf. They are used to rank PGA tour player performance. Unlike other sport rankings, like for example, the Fifa World rankings, the top 50 golfers in the rankings are granted automatic entry into the Major tournaments. And the top golfer in the rankings is regarded as the official best golfer in the world.

The rankings are endorsed by the six professional tours, which acquire up the International Federation of PGA Tours. Those are the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, the Japan Golf Tour, and the Sunshine Tour.

Their calculation’s isn’t exactly straight forward. Points are awarded for players finishing in the prize positions for each of the qualifying tours. A minimum number of points are available for each tour. For example, the PGA tour is given minimum 24 points. The PGA Tour of Australasia also adopts the same minimum points tally.

Rankings points for the PGA Tour events are based on the strength of the top-200 hundred-ranked Tour players in the field. This, along with the top 30 ranked home field players in the tournaments. The exception is the Major tournaments, which are rated separately.

So, a minimum and maximum number of points are awarded for the prize positions – straight forward enough. Each tour player’s position in the rankings is based on the ranking points he has obtained over a 2 year period. They are scaled down and then reduced in weekly increments to allow for current form.

Adjusted points are then totalled and an average calculated based on number of total points divided by the number of qualifying tournaments played in. Resulting averages are put into descending order with the highest average being the Worlds top ranked player.

That player, currently is Tiger Woods with a point’s average of 20.73. This average puts him clearly above second place Phil Mickelson with 9.94, whom himself also has almost a double average over 3rd ranked Geoff Ogilvy with 5.66. After that, the rankings are great closer between the remainder of the current top 10. These rankings, are of course, only accurate at the time of writing.

The way these rankings are calculated puts the emphasis on average performance levels in these tournaments. There have been moments when they have been called into ask, but the basis for their calculation is widely current, albeit sometimes altered, due to their endorsement.

The record recorded average for the World rankings is 32.44 over 45 events. Tiger Woods position this in 2001.

The rankings have been chopped and changed in golf’s history. And subsequent changes might well occur in the future. However, as of 2008, that is how PGA tour player rankings are calculated.

Golf Course Reviews for Women by Women – Finding Golfer Friendly Courses

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:37:39 +0000

In my profession of reviewing Georgia Golf Courses, mainly in the Atlanta state golf market, I have the modern ability to add a special twist to my golf course reviews. My readers fetch the added benefit of golf course reviews for women, by a woman.

One of my pet peeves is a golf course that isn’t truly set up for the woman golfer.

For example, have you ever played a golf course where the forward tees (aka, the “ladies tees”) seem to have been added as after-thought? A cut down patch of fairway, or the tee box markers just “tossed” somewhere in front of the men’s forward tees, are just two examples of a golf course that doesn’t take into consideration the power of the woman golfing market.

Women golfers now report over 25% of the golfing market as a whole. Also, an important statistic to take into account is that the fastest growing segment of women golfers is the 18-29 year old bracket. Let alone the fact that one-third of all “current golfers” are women.

Add to these statistics the simple fact that golf is a “game for a lifetime” and golfers over 50 play more rounds than their younger counter-parts, it is very difficult for me to study, from a pure business angle, how this market isn’t given very serious consideration at EVERY golf course. Will this win some extra effort? Of course, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the original investment.

The average woman golfer carries a USGA index of about 28. The forward/ladies tees should be set up with that market in mind. Currently, I carry a USGA index that puts me in the top 7% of US amateur women golfers. I know that if a course has a negative effect on me, it will certainly cause a negative effect on the target market of women golfers.

I have seen definite improvement in golf course set-up in relation to the woman golfer in the past few years, but there are still courses that need a “touch up”. Being that the golf industry is a male-dominated field, I believe it would benefit each course to enlist some women golfers of varying playing abilities to review their course. More importantly, listen to their feedback.

I feel determined that golf courses that are reviewed by women for women will see a obvious impact on their business interaction with that target market. It’s not so much about a course being “woman friendly”, it’s about a course making a wise business decision to be “golfer friendly” and cater to all playing ability levels.

The Best St. Louis Cardinals Gifts and Stocking Stuffers for Under $10

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:58:48 +0000

Get ready for the Christmas Holiday season by cheering on your favorite MLB team. Here is a list of St. Louis Cardinals gifts and stocking stuffer items that you can get for under $10.

Note: All items are priced at Football Fanatics, Inc. or www.footballfanatics.com. If you are interested in any of these products don’t hesitate to check out the website. All you need to do is type in the title of the item of have listed below into the ’search’ box that is provided on the home page. They also have tons of other sports apparel and gift items available on their website. I have definitely gotten my fair portion of gifts from there and have never had any problems with the company.

Special Holiday shipping is available for only $4.99 on unlimited orders or free with purchases of $75 or more. With gas prices going up everyday, you can’t afford to not shop online. These are great prices!

#1 – St. Louis Cardinals Red Pop-Up Sports Hamper
Price: $9.95

This pop-up sports hamper is the perfect way to cheer on the Cardinals while keeping your dirty laundry separate from everything else. This hamper is extremely easy to use and folds flat for easy storage as well. It has a lightweight design that is made of mesh fabric for important ventilation. At approximately 24″ tall, this St. Louis Cardinals pop-up sports hamper is great for use in any kid’s room or dorm space. So if you need a gift for the college student in your life, this sports hamper is perfect.

#2 – St. Louis Cardinals 2-Year Pocket Planner/Calendar
Price: $5.99

Get ready for the upcoming year with this officially licensed 2008-2009 pocket planner/calendar. Keep track of all your important activities with this specially crafted St. Louis Cardinals pocket planner/calendar. With this planner there is no need to forget where you put it or go dig it out of your desk. Simply put the planner in your pocket and carry it around with you at all times. Included in this planner/calendar are sections for medical, emergency contacts, automobile and general information. There is also a listing of holidays, and a telephone and address directory. With this pocket planner/calendar you won’t have to ever lose primary information again.

#3 – St. Louis Cardinals Metal Baseball Glove Key Chain
Price: $6.95

This fashionable looking silver keychain is in the shape of a baseball glove and has a red and white St. Louis Cardinals logo in the palm of the glove. This officially licensed keychain is ¾” x 4″ (including the ring). This fun, yet professional looking glove keychain is a perfect gift for all ages.

#4 – St. Louis Cardinals Golf Ball & Tee Set
Price: $4.95

This golf ball and tee position comes with one Cardinals logo white ball and eight Cardinals team colored tees. With this golf set you can head out to the course immediately and begin playing. This is a great gift idea for any avid golfer.

#5 – St. Louis Cardinals Sticky Notes
Price: $2.95

This sticky notepad is in the shape of the St. Louis Cardinals “St.L” logo and comes in the light pastel team colors of the Cardinals; red and blue. The notepad has 50 sheets and is 4″ x 3″ inches in size. This is a great stocking stuffer gift for both the young and old. These sticky notes can be used in the office, at home, or at school, but either draw they provide the perfect helpful reminder for anyone.

#6 – St. Louis Cardinals Navy Blue Nylon Drawstring Backpack
Price: $9.95

This nylon drawstring backpack is navy blue and displays the St. Louis Cardinals logo (Cardinal and bat) camouflage printed in red on the outside. The approximate size of the backpack is 12″ x 17″ and has a water resistant nylon shell, double-reinforced bottom corners, and a drawstring closure for extra durability. This is a perfect gift for the young Cardinals fan in your house.

#7 – St. Louis Cardinals Divot Repair Tool & Ball Marker
Price: $9.95

With this divot repair tool and ball marker you can enjoy time on the golf course while cheering on the Cardinals. This two-in-one device includes a sharp two pronged divot repair tool and a magnetic ball marker. It can easily save to your golf bag, hat, or belt for easy carrying. A gigantic gift for dad or grandpa!

#8 – St. Louis Cardinals Six Pack Pencil Set
Price: $3.25

Exercise these pencils to show off your Cardinals team spirit either at school or at work. They are packaged in 6-packs, and are 7″ x ¼” in diameter. This pencil set makes for a great gift for the student in your family!

#9 – St. Louis Cardinals 11×7 Ultra Decal Sheet
Price: $5.95

This multipack decal sheet includes several different St. Louis Cardinals logos and sayings. These decals are removable and reusable and do not leave any annoying residue. These decals stick to multiple surfaces, especially windows, and are a perfect way to decorate your car, office, or home. With these decals you do not have to worry about leaving any sticky mess if you decide to proceed them. So cheer on the Cardinals and display your team spirit.

#10 – St. Louis Cardinals Blue Nylon Trifold Wallet
Price: $6.95

This St. Louis Cardinals wallet is the perfect gift for any young Cardinals fan. At an affordable price, you can get this quality trifold nylon wallet to keep your money and valuables safe in. This wallet contains a money compartment, three inner compartments, three photo sleeves, and a hock and loop fastener for closure. The wallet is navy blue and has the Cardinals logo (Cardinal and bat) on the outside.