going green... to save you green and get you on the green

H1G is always looking for ways to save you money. Our latest shift has been to go digital with our receipts. From now on, any purchase made at H1G will come with a digital receipt that will be sent directly to your email for your records. We are currently in a transition phase of going all digital. Come to the MN Golf Show to see the ways in which we are incorporating technology into our business, and not only going green, but helping you get on the green faster with great equipment. Besides, what’s more green than re-using awesome name brand equipment that still looks like new? If you can’t make it to the show, get in touch with us to find out how you can get a full set of clubs for less than the price of a new driver or set of irons!

This is YOUR year!
-ACE
www.facebook.com/h1golf
www.holen1golfmn.com

‘Tis the season..

...to be jolly if you are a golf nut. The PGA has begun their West Coast swing, the Orlando golf show is going strong, and many other golf shows are going to be following suit throughout the country. It’s that time of year where every golfer the world over is thinking about the changes that they are going to make for the new season. From a new driver or bag overhaul, to a new game changing tip, or maybe, even a complete swing overhaul. The swing overhaul thing seems to be working pretty good for Tiger so far this year as it appears that his game is starting to resemble glimpses of the Tiger that we grew to love watching, the Tiger who tore up every course he walked. The debate over who is better is gaining a lot of momentum: the “Old Guys” (yes Tiger has now joined the ranks) vs. the “Young Guns.” The Farmer’s Insurance Open has proved to be a showcase of both sides. How exciting is it to see Daly, Mickelson and Woods all in the hunt? I guess I must be getting old, because to me that is really exciting. Who are you pulling for this year? The old guys or the young guns?


Come and visit us at the Minnesota Golf Show on February 18th-20th and we can discuss the exciting state of golf, and more importantly, your game in 2011. Because, after all, this is YOUR year!

-ACE
www.facebook.com/h1golf
www.holen1golfmn.com

i'd rather be golfing...

I am generally a positive person and have a positive outlook on life, golf and pretty much everything else. That all goes away in the bitterly cold month of January! Here in Minneapolis, MN (I'm actually in the 'burbs) the month of January just pretty much stinks in my opinion. All the cool things about winter just generally start to annoy me right about now. Case in point the light dusting of snow on my car this morning really ticked me off. I won't go into detail on that but instead I would like to discuss some of the things I do when I am not golfing but wish I was.

Here is my list in no particular order.

• Grab random objects to practice my grip (Yard sticks, broom handles, spatulas)
• Make slow motion swings in the living room (so far I have had a lamp broken and almost my TV doing this as sometimes my slow mo swings start to speed up for some reason)
• Practice my swing out in the garage (There is a hole in my garage door as a result of this
• Practice putting on the carpet (pretty harmless so far)Work on my stance using the tiles in the kitchen
• Work on my turn / swing in front of the bathroom mirror (My wife finds these motions strange and somewhat annoying but she puts up with me. I mean after all our whole garage has been converted to a golf shop. How many wives would allow that?)
• Go out in the driveway and swing the speed stick (Record so far is 115 MPH - not sure how accurate it is, but hey I'll take it!)
• Hit birdie balls around in the park across the street
• Chip into nets, buckets, and at trees (Try to avoid neighbors houses, cars, kids etc)
• Try to do the Tiger Woods golf ball tapping trick (My record is about 50 in a row right now)
• Play Tiger Woods golf (Fun but just not the same - I heard he's not on the cover of his newest game but instead a hole from Augusta has replaced him...interesting)
• Watch golf on TV (Sometimes makes it worse)
• Sell golf clubs for Holen1 Golf (Helps keep me connected to the game and meet lots of other cool golf nut type people)
• Try not to think about golf (Doesn’t really work)
• Annoy my wife by talking about how much I want to go golfing, or how I can’t wait 'til the snow melts, or how we should move to a warmer climate so I don’t have to annoy her about not being able to golf
• Play Fantasy Golf (You should join my league by the way)

What do you do when you can’t get out golfing?

-ACE

www.facebook.com/h1golf

http://www.holen1golfmn.com/

this is YOUR year...

We would like to devote this blog to you and your game. As the new season is already in swing, I am sure you are starting to dream of all the exciting things that will happen for you out on the fairways and greens this year. As golfers we tend to approach the new golf season with many of the same feelings that we get each time we step up to the first tee before a round of golf. There is a sense of excitement, nervousness, expectation, and wondering if this could be the best one yet. As you step up to the first tee for the first time this year we would like to be there with you providing the best equipment at the best price to make this your best year yet.

Here are several ways that we would like to help you get there. First we would like to get you set up with the proper equipment, which is after all our specialty. We have been in the golf business in some form for the last 7 years as coaches, players and sales reps. We know our stuff when it comes to equipment. With that said, we also know that no one knows your game better than you do. It is our belief that performance is the biggest factor and the key to improved play. If the club works for you and you hit it well, like the feel and look then that is the club for you. So what we offer with every single club or set that we sell is a 30 day guarantee. Try the club out to make sure you like it and, if you do, great (most people do). If not, bring it back and we will get a club that works better for you - if we can’t find something that will be a good fit we will refund your money completely. We are not satisfied until your game is improving.
The second way that we would like to help you improve your game is by posting weekly “play better” tips every Saturday. Think of it as your weekly golf workout. If you follow the majority of these tips throughout 2011 you will see progress in your game. I am going to be following the plan myself and would like to hear about how your workouts are going and will be sure to post my progress as well. You can find these tips on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/h1golf or linked on our website as well.

So there you have it, we are all about you this year because we believe that this is going to be your year. The year you exceed all of your expectations. Together, we can make it the best one yet.

-ACE

www.facbook.com/h1golf
http://www.holen1golfmn.com/

a resolution you will keep

Do you have a bad track record with New Year's resolutions? I know I did until about 4 years ago when I finally committed to my first successful resolution. It was to start drinking coffee. Guess what? I am still drinking coffee and am up to about 1 pot a day now. Pretty good don't you think? When the next year came along I was still so impressed with myself that I committed to playing more golf for my next resolution. You guessed it, kept that one with the greatest of ease as well. The following year I decided I was going to really buckle down and work a bit harder, so I committed myself to watching more golf on TV. I had now officially 3-peated in New Year's resolutions after going about 0 for 15 in previous years. This year I am fully committing myself to becoming a great Fantasy Golf player. I figure it is important to build upon my prior successes. So with that, I ask you to join me in my pursuit of perfection. Four years straight of keeping my New Year’s resolution. I think we can all manage 30 minutes a week, or even less depending what you put into it, to play a little Fantasy Golf. The other great thing about it is that, at least for those of us stuck in the Midwest, you start to whet your golf appetite a little bit and don’t drive everyone else crazy because you can’t stand not playing 18 holes one day longer. Remember this is your year! So there you have it, thanks to reading this blog you will now have a resolution that you can keep. Guaranteed or your money back…oh wait it’s free so never mind.

Hello ___Insert Your Name Here____,
You have been invited to join Easy E's Private Group in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf.
In order to join the group, follow the link above, or go to the game front page and click on the "Sign Up" button to create a team. After completing registration, or if you already have a team, click the "Create or Join Group" button and follow the path to join an existing private group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information...

Group ID#: 7031
Password: holen1golf


Step 1: Write down or copy and paste the group ID# and password somewhere
Step 2: Click on one of the links above
Step 3: Enter the ID# 7031 and then type in the password holen1golf
Step 4: Name your team (one of the most important steps in any fantasy league - take your time with this step)
Step 5: Familiarize yourself with some of the pages (just start clicking around)
Step 6: Set your lineup: Choose 8 golfers for the week:
-2 A List Guys (Great Golfers)
-4 B List Guys (Good Golfers)
-2 C List Guys (Above Average Golfers)
-Don’ worry Yahoo will help you with all of this if you don’t know.
Step 7: Tweak your lineup as you see fit (again only have to check 1x per week minimum)
Step 8: Start talking trash when you keep putting all the magical formulas together and can’t stop winning…see aren’t you glad you joined now!

Thanks for playing!

-Ace
www.facebook.com/h1golf
www.holen1golfmn.com

What Gift Should You Buy Your Golfer This Year?

This holiday season you might be having a hard time deciding what to buy for the golfer in your life. We would like to help you out with a few suggestions that any golfer will absolutely love, along with a few tips on things to avoid buying.

So without further ado here is our list of top 5 gifts. It also includes 3 gifts that you should avoid like the plague (which for a golfer is the slice).

Top 5 Gifts:
1) Golf clubs - Every golfer adores their golf equipment and they are always looking for the next big thing that is going to improve their game. You will want to do a little reconnaissance work and see what they might be in the market for by simply asking, “What do you want to add to your golf bag?” Of course we can help you out on this item, and offer a 30 day money back guarantee in case they don’t like your choice for some reason. Shop now at www.holen1golfmn.com

2) Golf Balls - Next to clubs, this is one of the most popular items because it is a piece of equipment that you use every single round and every single shot. Of course some of us run out of them faster than others. If you want to surprise the person you are giving them to, check out their golf bag and see what they are playing. Otherwise I would recommending going with a nice box of Titleist Pro V1’s or NXT’s. They are the most popular ball in golf.

3) Golf Gift Cards - As you already know, us golfers love to play as much as we can, most of us are borderline addicted to the game (I am not borderline, I admit I have a full fledged golf addiction). So find out what course they like to play and purchase a gift card over the phone or online that they can use to play their favorite track whenever they get the chance.

4) Golf Accessories - As girly as it sounds, us golfers love to “accessorize.” We want to have a great looking bag to store all of our sweet gear in, a nice golf glove, some sharp golf shoes, a great looking towel to go on our bag, a nice hat to help us look like a pro on the course or a name brand golf umbrella to match our favorite clubs. You can’t go wrong with some well thought out golf accessories (again you might want to do a little work by looking at their bag to see what is needed).

5) Coming in at number 5 on our list is a golf magazine subscription - When we are not on the course you have probably observed us gazing off into space or making motions with our arms and hands. We have not gone crazy we are just visualizing and working on the things we need to improve for our next round. So that tells you that we think a lot about golf while we are off the course as well. A magazine subscription is great (I currently subscribe to Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and Golfweek) or a book or video can be a great gift as well.

And now for the 3 gifts to avoid buying the golfer in your life:

1) Clothes that look like an outfit John Daly would wear. Yes they bring him a lot of attention and are made for TV, but most of us would not want to look like him on a Saturday morning round.

2) Anything you see on a golf infomercial. What is the last thing you saw that you wanted on an infomercial? Snuggie (yeah we didn’t think so)? The same applies to golf gadgets most golfers are not looking for anything that you can buy on TV after midnight.

3) Golf Lessons. First of all you may be insulting the person you are getting the gift for, not a good idea to give them the impression that their game stinks. Also it is best to let the golfer find a good pro to work with and someone they are comfortable with. If you already know who that is than it might be a good idea, but be careful about the message you are sending. It’s kind of like signing your wife up for Weight Watchers (probably not a good idea)

Disclaimer: we are not responsible for any extreme golf behaviors that may be displayed as a result of the excitement generated by your gifts.

Happy Holidays From Your Friends at Holen1 Golf.

-ACE
www.holen1golfmn.com

good swing tip or a band-aid?

How many of you have been out on the course or the range and tried a new swing tip that you saw on the golf channel or read in a golf magazine? From time to time this will result in a “breakthrough” simply because we trick our brains into thinking that the tip will make us better. Many times the effects of the tip will wear off and we are left feeling as if we are back at square one or maybe even worse. So what can we as golfers do to make consistent improvements without trying to change our swing with every new tip?

The best thing that you can do to improve your game is to become an expert on your own individual game and start to identify the flaws that you see forming a pattern. It makes sense because you are the person that is going to be most in tune with every part of your game and are going to work hard to get going in the right direction. Think about the golf shows and magazines that we read - they are all designed to hit the large audiences that they have. So it is important to identify the tips that will help your game and not try to apply each one you encounter. Now that you have identified the main flaws it is time to come up with a plan to correct them and start the process of improvement. Next time you go to the range choose an area of the game that you know you need to work on; do a little research from golf TV, magazines, books or videos. Choose one or two tips that apply to the area you are focusing on (for example, your grip) and that really make sense to you and spend 30-40 minutes focusing only on this area. Too often we start a session working on our grip and then start to hit a few bad shots and all of sudden we start trying to fix a different swing flaw. So really focus in on the goal that you set for your practice session and stick to it.

In summary, to begin seeing consistent improvement and to begin playing more effectively, diagnose your game, research some golf tips that make sense to you, come up with a practice plan that has one goal in mind, and stay focused on that one area that you are trying to improve.

-ACE
www.holen1golfmn.com