Saint James Academy Golf Tournament

"Wii" Have a Great Raffle In Store

As you all might have seen in Wednesday's take-home envelope from the school, the raffle for this year's tournament includes some outstanding prizes.

Of course there is a beautiful diamond cross pendant but the true "gem" of the raffle this year is the Nintendo Wii system.

Being part of the first generation to grow up with video games in the home (I am 37), I am not an avid gamer but enjoy a good game of Madden now and then. When my wife first told me about the Nintendo Wii, I thought: "So?"

The Nintendo Wii is not groundbreaking due to life-like graphics or intense power like Sony's Playstation 3. Instead, it's revolutionary due to it's joystick and how you interact with the game.  Since I don't know how to explain it, I pulled this explanation of how the Wii works from Wikipedia:

The Wii Remote is a controller that uses a combination of accelerometers and infrared detection (from an array of LEDs inside the Sensor Bar) to sense its position in 3D space. This design allows users to control the game using physical gestures as well as traditional button presses. The controller connects to the console using Bluetooth and features rumble as well as an internal speaker. The Wii Remote can connect to other devices through a proprietary port at the base of the controller. The device bundled with the Wii retail package is the Nunchuk unit, which features an accelerometer and a traditional analog stick with two trigger buttons. In addition, an attachable wrist strap can be used to prevent the player from unintentionally dropping or throwing the Wii Remote. In response to incidences of strap failures, Nintendo is offering a free, stronger replacement for all straps.^[45]

In layman's terms: the Wii remote is motion-activated. If you're playing, golf let's say, on the system, you swing the remote exactly like you're swinging a golf club. If you're playing baseball, you swing it like a bat. It's hard to get the full effect unless you try it out.

I heavily monitor my own kid's use of video games as anything in large quantities is probably not good for our kids. But the Wii is an ingenious and outrageously fun family game system where violence and blood-and-guts can't be found.

Here's a video of the Wii in action, to give you an idea.

The system has been successful primarily because more adults are buying it. It's even become popular with senior citizens who are not a big video game demographic. It's not as time-consuming as the hardcore gaming consoles and is great family fun.

It's a great raffle prize so make sure you buy your raffle tickets today. Believe me, if you win this and bring home to the kids or give to them for Christmas, you'll shave off a tough year when they're a teen. Kids are going goo-goo over this and it's with good reason.

Buy your raffle ticket today so you can bring home your own Nintendo Wii.

"Wii" thank you for your time!

Who is Mike Pedersen ?

Have you noticed that we had our first comment from outside of the St. James Community?  His name is Mike Pedersen and he just started a golf tips blog last week.

About Mike Pedersen

Mike Pedersen is the founder of Perform Better Golf, providing golf exercise dvds, a best-selling golf training manual as well as a golf stretching dvd. 

Mike is a passionate golfer (plays to a 6.8 handicap) who has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years. Combining his passion (and knowledge) for golf and his experience in fitness has brought him to the pinnacle of his career as a golf fitness trainer and Internet entrepreneur.

This blog will reveal Mike as a person (husband, father and golfer) as well as provide valuable golf fitness video tips, training advice and an overall focus on golf improvement.

Mike’s hope with this blog is to create an interactive golf community with lots of participation (blog comments) and recommendations to make it the best for you as it can be!

My favorite article on Mike's blog is:

Mr. Business Golf Shows How To Be Successful On The Course

Mike:
Where is the best place to play business golf?

Scot:
Country Clubs. Or golf resorts. A potential client is not going to be interested in playing a golf course he can play anytime. Private country clubs offer all of the amenities needed to allow a business person to show a professional image.

Again, business people need to remember that image is very important to winning over a new client. Nobody is going to want to do business with someone who does not look or act professional. Where you play business golf is part of that important first impression.

We're having our Partners in Plaid Tournament at the beautiful Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach.  Bring along a business associate or prospective client on November 5, 2007.

Thanks for the comments, Mike. Good Luck with "All About Better Golf"; we'll be reading your weblog for great golf and fitness tips!

P.S.- Mike offers a free e-book called "Fit To A Tee"- Click the link for a free copy

Will Ferrell Talks about Golf

A funny little segment here with Will Ferrell from Golf.com.  Also, notice his stylish golf attire. St. James Academy Moms might want to help their husbands avoid this type of attire on November 5th!

Enjoy...

Tips on Your Short Game: Putting Lesson

Hi St. James Golfers! Today we're going to take a look at a very important part of your golf game: putting.

While putting may seem like the easiest part of the game, especially for you beginners, it's really not. I've seen people who can drive the heck out of the ball only to lose strokes on the green.

Hopefully this video will help you get ready for November 5th and our big tournament.

Get your foursomes together now before the event sells out!

Click here for more on "How to Improve Your Golf Swing"

Swingin' With Tiger and Phil: The Rivalry and Crazy Phil

Another sneak preview of why I'm a Phil guy:

1- He's the only golfer on the Tour to openly say that he'll challenge Tiger.
2- Why the rivalry is so great
3- How Phil let Tiger down at the Ryder Cup
4- The wacky idea of two drivers.

All in this video:

NEW 1st GRADE FOURSOMES!

The SJA 1st grade is the first class to organize 2 new foursomes for our tournament.  Thank you Ralene & Mark Teixeira, Leigh Urich, Maria Cleary, Scott Gulbransen and friends!  Your enthusiasm and support is greatly appreciated.

If every class can organize 2 new foursomes, we can sell out this tournament!

Are You a Confident Putter?

Jason Coffin, a golf pro out of Conyers, GA, started a weblog called "A Golf Pro's Ramblings" last month.

Here's an extract from "Confidence in Putting":

Why are kids such good putters? They don't know any better that's why. There are no memories of missed 3 footers or bouts with the yips. Every putt to them is a new beginning, a new chance to put the ball deep in the bottom of the cup. Think like a 6 year old when you putt. Memory loss is good when it comes to golf and don't forget it.

Click the link for the full story.

Academy Kids: Matt Mendes- 3rd Grade

We're adding a new category on SJA Golf; Academy Kids.

Send us a picture of your SJA student, caught doing something right, and we'll post it up here.  You can e-mail photos in a jpg or gif format to:

brian (AT) californialoanconnection (DOT) com 

(I didn't write it out to avoid the spam scrapers on the internet).  Be sure to include a little information about your child and the photo and we'll craft a lively story about him or her.

Here's Matthew Mendes,a third grader at the Academy.  Matt's younger sister, Grace, is a second grader at the Academy.  By the very nature of the submission, Matt opens himself up to critique of his swing.

"Sweet, Matt !"

This picture shows Matt's finish.  He swings through the ball and didn't stop (like so many of us do).  His belly button is pointing towards the hole, his hands are high, and he's probably looking at a great, straight drive.  My guess is that Matt is setting up his second shot in his head, already.

The Partners in Plaid Tournament, sponsored by the SJA Foundation, benefits children like Matt.  The tuition fees at the Academy don't cover the real cost of education.  Fund raisers, like our tournament, defray that deficit.  Won't you join us on November 5, 2007 at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club?  Maybe we'll get Matt to come out and hit a few off the tees to show us how it's done.

Swingin' With Tiger and Phil: ...and still I'm a Phil Guy (preview)

by Brian Brady

This is me, talking about Tiger Woods, yesterday:

Tiger will certainly go down as the greatest golfer that ever lived.  His acceptance as a role model for today's youth is the mark of a great man.  His understanding that he, by the simple act of swinging a club, can change society for the better is worthy of applause.  I love Tiger Woods for his accomplishments, maturity, and impact on the sport and society.

...and still...I'm a Phil guy.  I'll tell you why next week.

I'm composing my thoughts but here's a sneak preview of why I'm a Phil guy:

Swingin' With Tiger and Phil: Tiger Changed the World

by Brian Brady

You'll often read about the Tiger versus Phil rivalry on the PGA Tour today.  It's reminiscent of the Jack versus Arnie rivalry of yesteryear.  The "Golden Bear" was a technically perfect golfer while Arnold Palmer was kind of the "hack" that did well.  That's an oversimplification, to say the least.

Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated wrote the greatest sports piece ever with his "You a Tiger Guy or A Phil Guy".  The link only allows subscribers to see the article so you're out of luck if you don't have one.  It was in the July 17, 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated; read it at the library- it's THAT good.

Nobody has had a more positive influence on a single sport than Tiger Woods.  I watched Tiger in the 1997 Phoenix Open (FBR Open).  The Phoenix Open is billed as the most watched golf tournament in the world.  Think the Buick Invitational meets Street Scene and you'll understand what the Phoenix Open is like.  Sunday, however, is the day when serious golf fans show up; the kegs are all dry and the raucous fans are watching the Superbowl.  Sunday was the day that determined the winner of the Phoenix Open.  This particular Sunday, it was raining.  The course was empty and I was huddled by the 18th green under a rain poncho.  I was questioning the sanity of the few spectators that were still there.

This was Tiger's first appearance at the Phoenix Open as a pro.  He hit a hole-in-one on the famous 16th hole two days earlier (my wife, Debra and I saw that- click the link and you will, too).  Everybody in Phoenix was excited about Tiger Woods.  I hung out in the rain to see what kind of impact this young man would have on the game of golf. 

Tiger arrived at the 18th hole.  He was like a modern day Pied Piper, followed by boys and girls alike.  They were city kids, dressed in ASU football jerseys, Suns tank tops, and beat up sneaks.  The country club kids were there,too, clad in golf spikes and Izods.  THAT was a defining moment for the game of golf.  Tiger had democratized the game with the simple act of swinging a club.  That simple act pulled the game from the locker rooms of suburban country clubs and thrust it upon the city youth who had otherwise written off the sport.   Today, more golf programs thrive at inner-city high schools that never imagined the sport twelve years ago.

Tiger will certainly go down as the greatest golfer that ever lived.  His acceptance as a role model for today's youth is the mark of a great man.  His understanding that he, by the simple act of swinging a club, can change society for the better is worthy of applause.  I love Tiger Woods for his accomplishments, maturity, and impact on the sport and society.

...and still...I'm a Phil guy.  I'll tell you why next week.