Golf is a taxing sport which requires a lot of practice, and a lot of patience.  The first time I played golf was in the 8th grade with my father.  Although I was the 5th wheel, I got to tee it up every hole there was a backlog, and hack it up on the site of the fairway as the men played.

I remember needing to go to the bathroom somewhere on the 6th fairway and running for 5 minutes back to the club house because I wasn’t allowed to pee in the woods.  “Pros aren’t peeing in the woods Sam, neither should you.”

With an iron stick, and a ball the size of a plum, golf is one of the hardest sports to learn and excel at.  It took me literally a year of constant play to break 100, and almost 5 years to consistently break 90.  More than 20 years later, I’ve hit a plateau and can hardly ever break 80, no matter how hard I try.

Here are the similarities between golf and life that you may enjoy.

AFTER A CERTAIN POINT, THERE’S NO MORE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

1) Practice. There’s no substitute for practice and it’s not just with one club either.  You must practice all 14 clubs all the time, because all of them are needed at some stage or another.  Hit a 250 yard drive, and you’re left with a 150 yard approach on a par 4 400 yard hole.  If you’ve only practiced your driver and your sand wedge, you are sh*t out of luck.  You likely need your 7, 8, or 9 iron to stick it tight so you can two putt it in the hole.

2) Drive for show, put for dough. Everybody loves to smack a massive drive.  If you want to gain 30-50 yards on your drive, just swing harder!  Actually, it’s not that simple.  You need to be flexible, while having a strong core during your rotation.  You must hit the sweet spot, or your ball will duck hook into the woods.  If you really want that extra yardage, play on a better course in Hawaii.  The balls roll long there.

3) Believe in yourself. Golf requires incredible mental fortitude.  You must visualize the flight of the ball, including where you want it to land before every stroke.  You must believe your line is correct for you to roll the ball a foot past the hole during your puts.  Without belief, your muscles will tell, and you will fail.  Every time I stand over a five foot putt, I tell myself that it’s worth the same as a 280 yard drive so not to f*ck it up!

4) Set expectations and analyze. The reason why it took me 5 years to break 90 consistently is because I didn’t set expectations and break down each hole.  For any given 18 hole regulation course, you’ll get a smattering of par 4′s, three or four par 5′s, and another two or three par 3s.  If you shoot par, you shoot a 70-72, which is an incredible accomplishment and unrealistic for beginners.  Instead, if you break down 18 holes and expect a 5 on each, you will shoot 90.  You allow yourself a double bogie on all your par 3s, and a bogey on all your par 4s.  Do better than that on just one hole and you break 90!

5) Use the right equipment. I played with cavity back irons from Callaway for a decade just because they were the first type of irons I ever used.  Before Callaways, I used knockoffs because that’s all I could afford.  ”Big Bubba’s” if I recall correctly.  I never bothered to try something new until about 5 years ago.  Now I play with Mizuno MP-30 semi-blades which allow me to carve the ball for better accuracy.  Just by switching to irons that suit me better, I’ve dropped about 4-5 strokes on average.  Get your equipment tailored to suit your style, height, and strength.  They’ll make a world of difference!

ONE DAY, MAYBE

After 12 months of laser like focus, I got my handicap down to a 10.2 from a 16.5.  I bought new used equipment and played smart golf.  I was regularly shooting in the mid-to- low 80s (82-85) with an occasional blowup into the high 80s and low 90s.  Unfortunately, I was never able to consistently shoot 78-81, which meant that I was never going to achieve my goal of breaking a 10 handicap.  I quit for two years once the 2008 crash came and just played tennis.  So much cheaper and better exercise!

Earlier this year, my friend joined a golf club and started asking me to play with him.  I obliged since each round took only 3.5 hours now.  After shooting a 84, 87, 81, 83 and 84 from the blues, I’ve finally got my handicap to 9.9.  The question now is, do I quit while I’m ahead and relish in the achievement?  Or do I keep trying to get better with an absolutely high chance of getting worse?  It gets logarithmically harder the better one gets where fun starts going out the window.  Funny how we ask the same questions in life all the time.

Any golf fanatics out there with single-digit handicaps?  If you played just once a month, do you think you’d be able to maintain a single-digit handi?

Do you agree that after a certain level, no matter how hard you try, you can no longer improve in life?

Regards,

Sam

As the markets were melting down this past week I decided to go watch the World Champion San Francisco Giants beat up the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle of the day.  It’s quite a treat to watch every game this season because of our current world champ status.  Next season, we’ll be just another team, trying to figure out our way back to glory.

At $80 a ticket, access doesn’t come cheap, but with the ticket comes all you can drink cervezas.  Besides, 1pm games are the best on sunny days.  Might as well go!  When my friends and I got there, we were shocked.  The stadium was absolutely PACKED!  We are talking 40,000 people enjoying a baseball game in the middle of a work day.  See picture above.

I thought about it for a second and came to the realization that the reason why 40,000 people can spend on average $50 per ticket during the middle of the day is because despite the market meltdown, we all have job security or don’t need to work because we have the disposable income to spend.   With a sample set of 40,000, it’s obvious that the economy will be just fine and that unemployment is actually better than what the media drones on and on about.

Think about it.  If you were broke, you’d just stay at home or go to a bar and watch the game on TV for free.  If you were worried about your job, you wouldn’t ditch the afternoon to go watch a game.  You’d be working your tail off and trying to add value.  If you were unemployed, you aren’t sweating it because you’re getting $1,450/month in unemployment income for 99 weeks.  Spending $50 might be more wisely spent elsewhere, but it’s sunny, and it’s the SF Giants we’re talking about!

People have more money than you know.  Why else do you think companies like Apple, Prada, and Tiffany’s are doing so well?  I went to visit my friend’s new place this past weekend and it was awesome!  They had been living in a quaint 1,300 square foot apartment for the past several years and now own a 5 bedroom, 4,600 house on a half acre in one of the most prime areas for $3.3 million!  He said he wasn’t looking to buy, but couldn’t pass up such a good deal when he was able to sell some of his start-up company shares.  Not bad for a guy in his mid-30s just 5 years out of business school wouldn’t you say?

Don’t listen to media schadenfreude about how bad unemployment and the economy are.  They are just bitter they are tied to their desks and can’t come out and play.  I’ve got my finger on the buy trigger come flash crash, Moody’s/Fitch credit downgrade, banishment of US treasuries by foreigners and political gridlock.  And, I’ll bet you a hundred bucks that the rest of you are thinking the same thing as well.  Why?  Because you’ve got the cash baby!

Readers, do you believe the economy is better than perceived?  Do you have some some positive anecdotes you can share with the rest of us?  What could be some pessimistic viewpoints with my story for all you Debby Downers out there?

HIGHLIGHT POSTS FROM AROUND THE WEB

* Are Financially Independent Women A Turn On? by Young and Thrifty.  Does a bear poop in the woods?  Women who are confident, know what they want, can take care of themselves and look like Jessica Alba are definitely a turn on.

* Agreeing To Disagree by Couple Money.  This post is what Couple Money is all about.  Understanding how we can better understand each other in a relationship.  I’m always a little anxious in getting things done too like Elle.  But, in this case, I think it was better to take one’s time.  Congrats on the baby!

* August Blog Income Report by The Financial Blogger.  Mike has been impressively building a stable of blogs over the past several years that are generating thousands of dollars a month.  I like how he is investing a ton of money now ($35,000 a year for Virtual Assistants!) so that in the future, when he retires from his day job, he can collect the rewards.  It’s great how Mike is so transparent about his journey.  One day, I hope to join you Mike!

* What If Your Net Worth Was Revealed? by Life And My Finances.  Great question because you see a lot of folks with fancy cars and nice things and you sometimes wonder how they got there at such age.  As you’ve read from today’s post, my take is that people have nice things because they can afford it.  There’s a lot of hidden wealth out there, and it’s not just people piling into debt.  When I see someone drive a $55,000 BMW, it’s because I know they are making around $550,000 a year and not in huge debt.

* Are You Spending Your Time Wisely? on Investing It Wisely.  A very well written post by Marie who recognizes the shortness of our lifespans and reminds us to do the things we really want to do and break out of our old ways.

* Why I Work For The Government on Broke Professionals.  As soon as I saw 37.5 hours a week, I was smitten!  When I retire, I definitely plan to try and work for the government.  Sounds like a sweet gig!

* How Not To Crumble Under Pressure And Stay Focused on Untemplater.  I went out until 2am this morning, drank to much and woke up with a hang over at 7am.  I was determined to write a post this morning, so I ate a little pasta to hold me over, but ended up barfing it all up.  I felt horrible.  But after I brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth, I went back to my computer to finish up this 1,000 word post before 9:30am.  That’s a blogger’s life.  That’s focus!

Finally, I wanted to send a shout-out to one of Financial Samurai’s newest supporters, Merchant Warehouse.  Merchant Warehouse was founded in 1998 and is the first company to offer credit card processing services, software and equipment over the net.  In essence, if you are a small business and want to accept credit card use over the net, Merchant Warehouse can help you.  Thanks guys!

Best,

Sam

Working out sucks.  I hate it with a passion because I find it so wasteful to expend energy on doing nothing.  I would rather use the energy to build a house in Somalia, landscape the backyard, or play sports than lift some stupid weights.  That said, working out is also convenient because there’s a gym right across from me that I attend before every team or client dinner outing.  I figure I better pump some iron and jog a little before blitzing my diet!

One of my goals in 2011 is to win a tennis tournament.  To do so, I have to improve my endurance given I faded in both tournaments since we had to play back to back matches each day.  The season really gears up in March, leaving me with a solid two months to get in shape.  I know there is no way in hell I will be able to go to the gym 3X or more a week so I’ve thought about enlisting a personal trainer for help.

THE BIG BUCKS MIGHT BE WORTH IT

For $795, I get 10 one hour sessions with any trainer of my choice at my local club.  Yes, $795 sounds like a ridiculous amount of money, which is part of the reason why hiring a PT might just work!  If you’re spending $79.5 a session, it’s likely you will always attend and work your butt off to see results.  If the sessions were free, I’d probably slack off here and there until I don’t go at all.  Think about how often you go to your gym’s free classes.  If you’re honest, the answer is not as much as you should.

I always thought hiring a physical trainer was for clueless rich people who need a lot of hand holding.  I mean come on, who can’t read the little instructions on the machine and move one’s arms back and forth?  Who can’t go on Youtube and watch a workout video and emulate what they’ve seen at the gym?  And then I realized, maybe it’s not all just about getting fit.

WHY DO I FEEL GUILTY?

As I was surveying the 12 trainer’s bios with pictures on the wall, I found myself gravitating towards a very fit and attractive looking woman.  I could choose the beefcake body builder guy, the Madonna-arms looking woman, the crazy-eyed man, the woman in this post’s picture (momeee), or this attractive looking woman named Meredith.  Who would you choose if you had the choice?

Meredith has three years of personal training experience and is obviously in great shape.  She’s an ex-athlete herself and can empathize with me on all the mental anguish that athletes go through during crucial match scenarios.  I met her in person and she’s very friendly and fun to talk to.  She invited me to observe her train one fella and I obliged.  She was terrific and her client obviously felt the same when he told me to jokingly “get in line“.

Do you remember in school where there was this really hot girl (or guy) in your class you had a crush on?  The class could be the most boring subject on Earth, but it didn’t matter because you got a chance to see her for 50 minutes.  A personal trainer like Meredith is like that.  She makes you automatically want to get in shape because she’s very attractive and you develop this unconscious desire to look good for her.  OK, maybe it’s a very conscious desire since you’re scheming to ask her out once you’re ripped.  She not only introduces you to some great exercises, she’s also 100% behind you for a full hour.  Some people pay thousands of dollars an hour for this type of companionship.  Just ask Elliot Spitzer or Charlie Sheen!

So what do you think folks?  I know that if I spend $795 for 10 sessions with Meredith, I will be in the best shape of my life and ready to achieve one of my many goals for 2011 of winning a tennis tournament.

Is it wrong that I am gravitating towards the personal trainer who I think will motivate me the most?  Any of you have success with a personal trainer?  Is this one big waste of money?

Regards,

Sam

I’m in a pickle and I need your help.  One of my friends who so happens to be a client, but who really is just a great friend who so happens to be a very large client, invited me to play tennis at his posh tennis club the other day.  After we hit around for an hour, he mentioned I should join and he could be my primary sponsor.  I told him I’d think about it over the weekend and let him know.

I did some digging with the Membership representative afterwards.  The first hint that told me I was in for a big dilemma was when she said there were no brochures as everything is “exclusive and private.”  “We don’t advertise our club Sam.” she said.  OK, great, how is that going to help me make an informed decision, I thought to myself.  Not wanting to piss her off or anything, I just asked her if she could tell me about how to join.  This is what she said:

Great to hear that you are interested in joining, but let me warn you that not everybody can.  First of all, it takes one sponsor, a co-sponsor and 5 other members to write you letters of recommendations.  Second of all, once all your documents are gathered, your name is put up on our main bulletin board for guests to review.  If even one member is not satisfied with you for some reason, you will go under review and be asked to explain yourself for whatever grievances the member may have.

After a month, we will then invite you to meet with the Membership Committee to have a semi-formal interview for final review.  Finally, if you are invited to join, we would require the $10,000 upfront, and the dues are only $175/month thereafter, with a low $100/quarter food consumption minimum.

At this point, my head started spinning.  Am I applying to buy a fancy New York City Co-Op apartment, the CIA, Harvard University, or a tennis club where we have fun and play a game I love?  Jee whiz, this sounds so exclusive and as an outsider, I’m not sure if I’ll fit in.  The average member is a couple decades older, and there’s really not a lot of diversity, which is odd in a city like San Francisco.  That said, the location is wonderful, the people are kind, and the courts are always available.

GETTING IN IS THE HARD PART

As I got past the exclusivity part of getting in, I started fixating on the costs.  $10,000 is a lot of money.  I could buy a car, a new kick-butt home theater system with 60″ LED TV, or 10,000 Super Lotto tickets with that much money!  To my friend who wants me to join, $10,000 to me is like maybe $500 bucks to him.  He’s much wealthier, but at least I’m better looking and have a nicer backhand.

The issue I’m facing now is whether or not spending $10,000 to join this exclusive club where there are plenty of well connected members is worth it.  I feel bad for my friend who always pays the guest fee.  I also feel bad for my bank account to just write a $10,000 check to play tennis since I’m already a member of one club, and there are some free courts just three blocks away from my house (they suck though).  This may very well be a case of lifestyle inflation, which I’ve done well to avoid for the past 5 years.  At the same time, I’d like to join an establishment that always has courts readily available to play on, with great people to connect with.

TO RECAP

Pros
* Great facilities that are always available.
* Good location that’s closer to home.
* A new network of friends and connections to tap into for leisure or business.
* New social functions to attend.
* Exclusivity.
* Honor my friend’s gesture of sponsorship which doesn’t get offered to all.

Cons
* Cost.
* Not simplifying life as already a member of a couple clubs.
* No equity in the $10,000 membership fee.
* Exclusivity and the negative connotations that come with being exclusive.

Sports knows no bounds, and the good thing is if you are an advanced player at a tennis club, you could be fresh out of undergrad and people want to play with you because after all, people are there to play tennis and not conduct business.  There’s really nothing new about joining an organization.  It’s the feeling of camaraderie and kinship that makes organizations so special.  I just wonder whether this is the right thing to do.

Readers, what would you do if you were me?  Would you spend the 10Gs if you could afford it?  How much would you have to love tennis, and how much savings or annual income would you have to have and make to invest in something like this?

Before just brushing this situation off due to the admittedly high price of admission, please think about the potential benefits which could return many fold over the years.  I plan to make a decision by Monday given it takes about 2 months to get through the process.  Thanks for your advice!

Regards,

Sam

A 6-6 Washington team beat Nebraska 19-7 in the Holiday Bowl.  Stanford demolishes ACC Champion Virginia Tech 40-12 in the 2011 Orange Bowl and now we have Oregon playing Auburn in the BCS National Championship game.  Clearly, the PAC 10 is the most dominant athletic/football conference in the country.  In 2010, Stanford also pounded Notre Dame 37 to 14 and UCLA crushed Texas 34 to 12.  Statistics don’t lie, no matter how biased you are living in middle America or on the East Coast.

If you compare academic match ups, the Pac 10 wins as well.  Not only are Stanford, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon academically superior to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech,  Texas, and Auburn based on polls by every single college ranking system available, they also have superior athletic programs to boot.  Furthermore, the campuses of Stanford, UCLA and Oregon are like country clubs, with phenomenal facilities and fantastic weather all year around.

Notre Dame, Texas, Auburn and Virginia Tech are fine schools in their own right.  However, if you compare the four against their Pac 10 match ups, there simply is no comparison.  Hence, why is it that athletic recruits would ever go to a school other than one in the PAC 10 if they had a choice?  Let’s find out.

DISCOVERING WHY THEY DON’T GO TO THE BEST

* Good salesmanship. If anybody has ever seen The Blindside, people know that snagging an all-star recruit is a highly competitive process.  The coaches and athletic directors who are the best salespeople generally land the best recruiting classes.  They must not only sell the athlete, but the athlete’s friends and family.  This is where shady things start happening.  Auburn’s Cam Newton in 2010 is a prime example of what happens when you payoff a dad.

* Timezone Perception. For some reason, there is a perception that middle and east coast athletics are superior to west coast athletics.  Timezone plays an important role in all of this because the majority of sports writers are east coast based, and the majority of games are televised for the east coast viewer.  As a result, recruits believe they will have more air time attending an southern or east coast school.  It becomes ingrained in their heads that southern and east coast schools are better because they seem them all the time.

* Manipulation. If you weren’t an athletic recruit, it’s obvious you would go to Stanford over Notre Dame, and UCLA over Texas for a better chance at landing a plum job upon graduation.  Hence,  what it comes down to is shear manipulation by the media, parents, and coaches to convince someone to attend a school.  More than 95% of college athletes go pro is something other than sports.  Remember that, next time you are a parent who is looking for short-term gain, rather than long term.  Send your child to the best academic AND athletic school.

* Lack of education. It is possible that athletic recruit may have no idea where each school lies in the hierarchy of academia.  Sports are their primary focus, and not academia.  Yet, as the scores show, Stanford and UCLA are better athletic programs after they crushed Notre Dame and Texas.  Hence, we need to educate our high school athletes more about a schools academic reputation as much as their athletic reputation.  Stanford has the highest SAT average in the country for athletes at 1,130 based on the old scale.

* Harder to get in. Stanford and UCLA have higher academic standards.  It’s foolish to assume that all college athletes can get into Stanford and UCLA just because they are physically talented.  Academic standards are lower for those students who are going to “work” for the school, however the top schools in the country don’t stoop as low as others.  Hence, we can’t all blame the media and parents.

CONCLUSION

Adults hold significant sway over high school students.  Unless the athlete is clearly head and shoulders above everyone else athletically, and is already being talked about as a future professional, it’s important to push him or her towards the academically superior school.  Goodness forbid he is one of the majority who graduates and never enters the NFL.  At least he will have a prestigious degree with connected alumni to help him land a job to start a good life.

UPDATE: Great job Stanford women for beating a great UConn team too.

Readers, what are your thoughts on why recruits go to athletically and academically inferior schools?  Shouldn’t all recruits aim to attend schools such as Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, Duke, Virginia, and Michigan?

Regards,

Sam

One of the most anticipated NBA free-agent announcements came when Lebron told the world he’s heading to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.  Of the six teams coveting him, really only three stood a chance: Miami, Cleveland, and New York City for obvious reasons.  The other three teams: Chicago, LAC, and New Jersey will just be footnotes and forgotten.

What’s most interesting is not Lebron’s decision to make millions of dollars less to join two guys he thinks he can win championships with.  Instead, Lebron’s decision to completely spurn President Obama is what really gets me thinking!  No less than seven times has President Obama made a public statement insisting that Lebron join the Chicago Bulls. As you know, Obama was the Senator of Illinois before he became President.  Many pundits also believe that Chicago is a better candidate for Lebron to win championships with Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose, Brad Miller, and Joakim Noah.  But, nope.  Not Lebron.

If Lebron James, who is a huge Obama fan, doesn’t even listen to Obama’s words, why should the general public?  It wasn’t like Obama was saying go to the Minnesota Timberwolves where they have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.  Chicago is a seriously legitimate team if not the best choice!

FIVE REASONS WHY LEBRON DOESN’T LISTEN TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

* Relationships are most important. Lebron, Dwayne, and Chris created an amazing relationship after winning gold metals in the Beijing Olympics.  Their friendship transcends money, which jives well with the theory that money can’t bring happiness but friends can.

* Location matters. Let’s face it.  Chicago is a crappy place to live 6 months of the year.  Why on Earth would Lebron decide to move from crappy weather Cleveland to crappy weather Chicago?  He might as well stay in Cleveland!  Ever wonder why it wouldn’t be easier to get Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to go to Cleveland?  It’s because Cleveland is a hard place to live unless you have family there.  If you’re going to make a move, you might as well go all out and either move to Miami or LA because we all know that weather in NYC and NJ is horrendous as well.

* Charity is a good thing. At the end of the interview with ESPN, Lebron announced he is donating all proceeds raised from the “The Decision” to the Boys & Girls Club he’s so intricately involved in.  With President Obama limiting the tax break for charity deduction to 28%, that penalizes those in the higher income tax brackets who are the onse who make up the majority of this country’s donations!  The clear repercussion of this proposed legislation is that giving will decline by billions at the margin.

* Just say NO to discrimination. With President Obama allowing for an even higher progressive tax system, he is saying it is OK to discriminate against people based on their income.  If you worked hard and spent an extra 8 years of your life after college to become a physician and make $500,000, the Democrats believe it’s OK to tax you 39.6%.  Meanwhile, if you decide to goof off in school, not study and make $25,000 a year for the rest of your life, you are rewarded by only paying 15% in Federal income tax.

* Lower taxes is the result of fiscal prudence. Although Lebron has to pay 39.6% on his mega millions a year, he won’t have to pay state tax, which is a 10% savings compared to playing in California or New York, and a 6% savings compared to staying in Cleveland.  If you make conservatively $50 million a year after endorsements, you’re saving $5 million in state taxes a year!

CONCLUSION

It’s been a year and a half since President Obama came to office and some people are getting tired of rhetoric.  We’ve had a great recovery in the financial markets, but our employment outlook still looks murky.  We are spending record amounts of money on government programs, yet the government tells other people to practice financial austerity.  Federal government employees are raking it in with recession proof jobs and rising wages.  Lebron has lost faith in the President and his ability to help out the Midwest and his home state of Ohio.  As a result, he no longer listens, so why are you?

Readers, has anybody else lost faith in our President and his promises?

For basketball fans, did Lebron make the right choice going to Miami?

Why do you still not play or follow sports when America is a nation of sports enthusiasts?

** Very few people can claim to have worked in one job for 7 consecutive years right out of school.  So before you go bashing Lebron for his decision, like Cleveland Owner Dan Gilbert who just lost hundreds of millions in franchise value, take a look at your own track record.

Regards,

Sam @ Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

Follow on Twitter @FinancialSamura and subscribe to our RSS or E-mail feed.

2009 was the year I rediscovered tennis.  Ironically, I figured I’d better utilize the club as much as possible because I couldn’t afford any other luxuries after the markets imploded!  Just last year, I failed miserably at breaking a 10 handicap (got to 10.2 and ricocheted) in golf and decided to quit before I threw my bag into the lake.

For the past 15 years, I forsook the game I played so diligently as a youngster.  It was boring running around, hitting a ball back and forth.  Now, I’m hooked again because of the camaraderie of the game.  Although tennis is an individual sport, there’s a team aspect to it if you join a league.  Meanwhile, my evil plan is to get my wife to get good enough so we can play some competitive mixed doubles my next summer!

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS MATERIALIZE

Despite all the passion, I have a couple swollen knees that makes sitting cross-legged difficult.  If I try and extend my legs after sitting in cobbler’s pose, there’s so much pain, it’s hard to walk for the first several minutes.  Meanwhile, my feet often blister due to the constant friction caused by unnatural side-to-side movements.  The doctor says all I have to do is rest, but I can’t.

How can I rest when I get a daily e-mail from my buddies wanting a rematch after last night’s beat down?  How can I rest when it’s just so fun to needle my opponents with smack talk for a couple hours at a time?  I’m a tennis junkie.  The competition is exhilarating to the point where you often feel like you’re observing yourself play, an out of body experience if you will.

When I’m on the court, all the pain miraculously goes away.  It’s the next day when the aches reappear, yet I long to play again. I realize that if I don’t take care of my body and allow it to heal I risk my long term health.  But, then I rationalize and say it’s about having fun now, no matter what the cost.

CONCLUSION

Like a consumer addicted to credit, I’m an old fart addicted to tennis.  The costs aren’t just physical but also monetary as well.  I’ve upped my insurance coverage for 2010, setting me back $600 in premiums because I’m going to check out both knees, wrists, shoulders, and head!  The head examination was due to an outrageous fight on the basketball courts last winter.  Don’t get me started.  My day of reckoning will come, but I don’t seem to care until it does.  Help!

Readers do you do things you love that you know you shouldn’t be doing?

Why is it so hard to pace ourselves given we realize the long term damage the activity may cause?

Any advice on how to curb my tennis addiction and just say NO to the invites?

Related Post: Revenge of The Nerds: Golf And Tennis Are #1!

Keiju,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

Follow me on Twitter @FinancialSamura and subscribe to our RSS feed.

I had one mission this weekend, and that was to “high-five” as many famous people as possible.  You see, The President’s Cup descended on San Francisco and I was determined to watch America’s best golfers tee it up against the rest of the world, less Europe (that’s the Ryder’s Cup).

Did I succeed in my mission?  It depends on whether you count: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Freddie Couples, Greg Norman, Condoleeza Rice, Gavin Newsom, and Michael Jordan as famous people!  For if you do, you’ll understand why I’m never washing my hands again!

In “Revenge of The Nerds: Golf & Tennis Are #1″, we write that if you want to make a lot of money, you should think about picking up either golf or tennis. As the 30,000+ patrons at Harding Park showed me today, there’s a darn lot of different types of folks interested in golf!  All along the signature par 4, 468 yard, 15th hole you saw corporate tents with names such as: Charles Schwab, PG&E, and Mastercard filled with rich looking patrons sipping their Chardonnay’s.  Ah, to gain access to one of these tents.  Except for Citigroup, it’s good to know there weren’t any government bailed out entities partying it up on our dime, so score one for the common folk!

THREE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS WEEKEND

1) Sports is the great equalizer of all people. Michael Jordan is the best basketball player on earth and a mega millionaire to boot.  Yet, MJ was basically a volunteer assistant to the team at Captain Freddie’s request.  “Whatever Freddie wants me to do, I’ll do,” said Michael to reporters.  I saw MJ shuttle back and forth between holes delivering things, relay information, carry some equipment, and joke around.  When I asked him for an autograph while he was waiting to drive across the 7th fairway, he told me “Sorry, I can’t now cause I’m working.” That’s dedication and a nice way to tell me to go away!  One of the most famous sports stars in the world was just like one of us 30,000+ fans that day, willing to do whatever it takes to support our team.

2) Never get stressed out if you don’t have a ticket to a sold out event. No matter how big the stage, there will always be scalpers willing to sell you tickets based on your desires.  The market is efficient, so don’t worry.  In fact, if you want to save money on tickets for future events, miss the first inning, quarter, or opening Hanna Montana song.  If you do, you’ll get prices for proportionately much cheaper than the time remaining.  My two friends bought two $80 face value tickets for only $20 each because they arrived later in the morning on Saturday.  Scalpers have no use for inventory once an event starts, and will go down to their lowest price, theoretically $0.01.

3) Never go to an event hungry! This is especially true for a golf event because you end up walking around for miles.  Try and stuff your jacket pockets with snacks and a mini bottle of water.  You’ll be happy you did when you walk by the concession stands and do a double-take on $10 dollar hot dogs and $8 dollar Gatorades! Going to an event full will easily save you $10-20 dollars.  Even at the  movies, if you look at their business model, much of their revenue depends on concession stand business.

Tiger In Deep Thought On Hole #2 (200 Yd Par 3). Had to use my crappy camera with no zoom since it was the only one to fit in my shoe!

CONCLUSION

This weekend was a great reminder of why it’s hard to leave the Bay Area.  San Francisco is a strong enough city to attract popular events, thereby saving its residents a lot of money by not having to travel.  Golf and sports fans around the world watched San Francisco this weekend, and I never would have imagined being able to interact with so many famous people in one sitting.

More than likely someone in your office will be talking about some spectacular shot they saw this weekend, and if you have no idea what they are talking about, you may miss out on a chance to bond.  Relationships are key elements to job success, and the more interests you have, the better your chances of getting to know someone who will support you in a bull or bear market.

Experiences trump material goods once again.  The three of us shared some unforgettable moments on Sunday.  In fact you may even see us on Sportscenter, as we stood right next to Tiger Woods pitching out from underneath the 14th hole trees to beat Y.E. Yang and clinch victory for the US!  In business, if you can experience unforgettable memories with your clients, you’ll forever be on line one.

Keigu,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

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