The products in this post were sent to me for review. All opinions are strictly my own.

It’s been quite a summer

Thankfully, I’ve been able to get out on the course or at least to the driving range between the days of rain and blistering heat. With Autumn on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to get outside, get to the golf course, do some exercise and enjoy yourself. It’s also the time to pick up a few items to help you enjoy a little more.

Cars

Keep a Fenix E12 Flashlight in your glove box. I use it when walking the dog at night because it’s a great size PLUS it has the included pocket clip so that I never lose it. This 3″ flashlight boasts 160 lumens when on high and takes a single AA battery. Because we have to walk in all kinds of weather, I’m grateful that like most Fenix Flashlights the E12 V2.0 is waterproof and rated with a durable aluminum body and ultra-thin optical lens. The tail end switch makes the beam go from low to medium to high with barely a touch. I’ve found it to be so handy, that I knew I needed to keep one in the car at all times as well as one in my wife’s car for breakdowns at night.

Output

• High – 160 Lumens/1 Hour/223 Feet
• Med – 30 Lumens/13 Hours/91 Feet
• Low – 5 Lumens/70 Hours/39 Feet

Pick one (or 2 or 3) up at FenixStore.com 

Bars

Did I lie on my scorecard? ABSOLUTELY NOT…I don’t KEEP SCORE. Golf is one game that’s incredibly frustrating and at the same time rewarding, and after a hot day on the course, I usually duck into the 19th hole AKA: home. You see I live within walking distance from the 18th hole, so it’s a quick stroll to the house where I can relax in comfort with my drink, especially on those days that I go out alone and am matched up for a fourssome.

I keep things easy, and I’m honestly not much of a beer guy. Oh, I’ll have one every now and then, but when I walk in the door I’d rather open a can of Vodka Lemon by Cocktail Squad. A CAN OF VODKA?

Craft Cocktails in a can

I am usually too tired to mix a drink, and just want to pour one over ice (or have it right out of the can). I never worry about my bartending skills, because these classic drinks have just the right amount of alcohol to mix all with 0 grams of sugar.

Flavors include

• Vodka Lemon
• Greyhound
• Whiskey Sour
• Margarita

There’s no more worrying if I have the right mixers or juices in the house when the fridge is stocked with Cocktail Squad.

• Learn more and pick up a pack at CocktailSquad.com

Pars

Tee Time with your buddies can mean a great day on the course, but we all know the feeling of that slice or ending in the rough. If you’re having a better day than they have, I have a great way to make their day a little better. Help them cut down on wasted time looking for their golf ball if you get there first with a BēKEN. These colorful markers make it easy to find where you’ve placed them, cutting down on your wait time as they look (not to mention the foursome that’s behind you, waiting to play through).

The 8″ high markers have a weighted base to keep them upright with grooved channels that hold a club or a cigar as you assess the situation. Placing your club on one reduces the chance of getting onto the golf cart and driving away leaving your club laying on the ground.

Colors include

• Blue
• Yellow
• Green
• Red Pink

Use them in your backyard for chipping and putting practice as well as with the kids for any “closest to the pin” games.

• BēKEN markers are available in 2-packs and 4-packs at bekengolf.com

Remember that they call is GOLF because all of the other 4-letter words were taken.

We receive a small commission for sales made via the links in this article. Thank you for supporting Cars Bars & Pars.

What kind of golf clubs are you playing with?

Are they the golf clubs that you should have chosen? Really? Do you even know? There are many different kinds of golf clubs out there and if you didn’t talk to your favorite pro to check them all out before you made your final decision you have no way of knowing if you choose correctly, unless it’s too late.

Purchasing golf clubs is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing that you will ever have to do when it comes to playing golf. Your golf game is going to depend on them. Your swing is everything to your game and without the right golf clubs, you aren’t going to be able to swing correctly.

The Shaft

When choosing the right golf clubs you need to take a good long look at the shaft. The flexibility of the shaft of any golf club is going to tell you a lot about the club. Not everyone is comfortable with the same amount of flexibility and you need to find the golf clubs that you are the most comfortable with. For example at 68 years old, I now use a senior flex. It really makes a difference, but I wouldn’t have known had I not played with them. You’ll need to try out many different flexibility levels to see what suits you the best. The pro shop at your club or a golf store will let you do this. Make sure that you’re shopping at a store that has salespeople who not only know the products but actually play the game. By the way, even if you plan to buy them for less online you can still visit a golf store to see how the golf clubs feel in your hands. I recommend everyone do this before they commit to any particular golf clubs.

Get your swing measured

While you are in the golf store get your swing measured. This will also help you to find the best possible golf clubs for your golf game.

Different golf clubs have different lengths and not all lengths suit all golfers. You should try out the different lengths to see which will suit your body and your game the best. In most cases, a standard length might be perfect for most, but I’m 6’1″ and need a longer length to my club than someone who’s 5’6″. You do not want to have to bend in order to hit the ball (I just wrote an article about back pain in golfers…and THIS is one of the important pieces to staying pain-free), the length of your golf clubs is another essential aspect to a good golf game and we all know how frustrating the game can be anyway.

What’s your handicap?

You will also want to take into consideration your handicap in golf. Yes, your ability in golf will have a direct bearing on your choice of golf clubs as well. There are golf clubs that are made for those just beginning to play golf and golf clubs made for pros. If you are just starting to play the game and you are not even sure that you are going to like it yet then you do not want to go out and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your golf clubs do you? That would be crazy. What if you end up hating it? It is a far better idea to start out in a more affordable price range with your first golf clubs.

What clubs do you play with?

I just bought a Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood and am really enjoying playing with them. What are YOUR favorites?

It never fails, a day on the course and I’m on a heating pad. It just makes no sense to me. I work with a pro to get my swing just right and I STILL find myself popping aspirin and being on my back.

I know it’s not just me. I hear it often from my fellow duffers on the course. Back pain seems to be one of the most common complaints in golf. It got me to wondering, does golf back pain have something to do with the game, or do most players bring back pains acquired elsewhere into the game?

While it is true that there are golfers who started having back pains and related problems long before they set foot on the course, I don’t believe that golf itself causes back pain. It’s more a matter of training FOR your game that has more to do with it (especially to those who do not exercise and condition their bodies for the game).

One reason is that many of the golf back pains are aggravated by playing the game for long periods.

So why do many golfers continue to suffer in silence and yet simple golf-specific exercises can permanently cure a golf back pain for good? Since I’m definitely a been there, done that kind of guy, I figured that I’d share these effective, but simple exercise that has helped many golfers like me (and you) gain more endurance to play golf the whole day without experiencing the usual nagging lower back problems that are extremely common on the course.

This golf back pain exercise also does an excellent job in adding endurance and strength to the muscles and usually makes such a tremendous difference in your strength that you have to try it to believe and experience the impact for yourself.

This exercise is done by lying flat on the floor on your stomach with your hands at your sides.

1. Raise your chest and upper body as well as arms and legs as high as you can (do this so that your stomach supports the weight of your entire body).
2. Hold the position and count to 10.
3. Doing this for two (2) sets a day and you should see an improvement in your lower back pain.

It’s so important to keep yourself golf fit by getting involved in a good golf-specific exercise program. This way you will strengthen your core and reduce the chance of that nagging pain. Talk to the trainer at your gym. He or she will understand the muscles that need to be strengthened so that you DON’T come home hurting.

People like us who love golf will tell you they love the challenge, they love the fresh air, and the relaxed pace a round of golf offers.  While golf and investing might seem like opposite activities, they actually share a LOT of similarities. If you can improve at one, it’s likely you can improve at the other. All it takes is a little….practice.

1. It takes time to develop the skills. Becoming a good golfer requires a lot of effort and time. All of that time at the driving range helps. So does becoming a skilled investor.
2. Both golf and investing require expert instruction to reach your potential. Even the best golfers have a coach that they work with. You might not hire expert instruction directly for your investments, but you can purchase books, subscribe to blogs, podcasts, and other sources of information.
3. It’s easy to get into trouble quickly. One golf shot into the water or out of bounds can be disastrous. One poor investment might not destroy your portfolio, but it can come close if you don’t handle the mistake quickly and properly.
4. To be successful, it’s important to focus your thoughts. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thoughtful and intelligent. It means that emotions can force you to make poor decisions. Nearly all investors have made at least one terrible financial decision from an emotional purchase.
5. Be patient. Quickly made decisions are quite often poor decisions. Take the necessary time to make a good decision. Rushing a golf shot rarely turns out well. Jumping to conclusions about an investment leads to very similar results.
6. Fancy tools are not the answer. Golf technology improves by leaps and bounds each year. Courses that held professional tournaments in the past are frequently too short for the great new clubs and balls. That being said, the average player doesn’t seem to improve his score even WITH all of the advanced technology. Investing theories, tools, and software get more sophisticated each year, too. All of these fancy tools have never been shown to improve the results of the average investor.

7. Short-term results are not always an indicator of long-term results. One great shot doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a great golfer. One horrible game doesn’t suddenly mean that you’re a horrible golfer. Just because a stock has gone up 10 times in the last several years doesn’t mean it can’t go even higher!

8. It’s always about risk management. The best golfers are great at hitting the ball, staying cool, and managing risk on the course. It’s not always easy to decide whether to lay-up or to go for the flag. Risk is a significant part of investing, too.
9. Casual advice is often bad advice. Every golfer has had a friend, stranger, or playing companion provide advice on his swing. The casual investing advice from a well-meaning friend is about as useful. If you’re going to take advice, be sure to take it from a real expert!
10. Know exactly where you want to go. If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you end up in a good place? Each shot on the golf course requires a target. This target is chosen based on the obstacles and the location of the hole. Your investing must have a target as well. Ask yourself “what are your investing goals?”

Golf and investing might not seem to have a lot in common at first glance, but they actually do share many similarities. The same ideas that allow a golfer to become great will allow an investor to do the same. Planning, patience, and expert instruction are a great way to improve your odds of success.