This study investigated the effects of relaxation training administered under various conditions on putting a golf ball. It was hypothesized that relaxation training would produce significant differences in putting performance among all groups according to the various conditions under which it was administered. The four conditions tested were Competition Set, Non-Competition Set, Mental Practice Set, and practice with an Enhanced Target Set. Thirty-eight subjects were divided by sex, then randomly assigned to one of the four groups, so that each sex was evenly distributed for all groups. The subjects' putting skill was assessed during a pre-test. This consisted of putting a golf ball five times under one of the previously mentioned conditions. After a period of relaxation training was implemented, a comparable post-test was administered. Results indicated relaxation training had an effect in a non-competitive setting from pre-test to post-test. Subjects in the remaining three conditions failed to display a significant level of improvement. A questionnaire administered at the end of the study revealed that a significantly greater than chance number of subjects believed relaxation training to be helpful in putting a golf ball, in addition to being useful in other areas of everyday life.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a consistent pre-shot routine coupled with rehearsal imagery can increase putting performance of golfers. Two (2) volunteers participated in this study. The participants performed two putting tasks over the course of two weeks to establish baseline putting performance. Participants then met with the researcher and constructed new pre-shot routines that included positive outcome imagery. The new pre-shot routines were also presented to the participants in the form of an audio imagery CD that each participant was instructed to listen to five times a week through the remainder of the study. During the next three weeks the participants practiced their pre-shot routine and performed a putting task five times and their performance from each task was measured. With the use of visual inspection the results indicated a moderate increase in putting performance for both participants. Participants made more putts and had a smaller distance of missed putts during the treatment when compared to baseline performance. Participants did increase their pre-shot routine completion times (s). However, pre-shot routine completion times did not become more consistent from baseline to treatment. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

The golf industry is an important sector of the recreation and tourism economy in Canada. In 2009, the Canadian golf industry generated an estimated total direct economic activity of CND$29.4 billion dollars and created over 300,000 jobs for Canadian residents. Within Canada, Ontario is the dominant province with regards to golf’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 2009, the 848 golf courses in Ontario generated $11.5 billion, which equates to 38.7% of Canada’s golf GDP (Strategic Networks Group, 2009). Due to the economic and employment benefits of the Ontario golf industry and its sizeable land use, it is important to fully understand the environmental impacts of golf courses. While concerns have been raised regarding water consumption by the Ontario golf industry, the golf industry in Ontario has never responded to these criticisms with actual water taking data to support their claims of environmental sustainability. Water withdrawals and water use efficiency among golf courses have yet to be quantified by the Province, the golf industry or its critics. This study uses daily water withdrawal data, self reported by 129 golf courses, to the Ministry of Environment (MOE) from 2007 to 2012. The water taking data is used to examine biophysical golf course characteristics that influence water use, to estimate annual water use by golf courses in Ontario, to identify the potential for water use reductions through best management practices (BMPs) and to explore how climate change may influence future golf course water use in Ontario. This study provides a first approximation of water use by irrigation for golf courses in Ontario. The analyses that examined the biophysical characteristics of golf courses indicated that soil type and golf course type influenced water use. During a dry season, golf courses composed of sand and silt dominated soils were found to require more water than they did during a climatically normal season. With regards to golf course type, premier private and private golf courses were found to use a greater quantity of water during both normal and dry seasons when compared to public and semi-private golf courses. The provincial water use analysis revealed that during a climatically normal season, 50.5 billion L of water is used to irrigate Ontario golf courses. Irrigation increased (58%) to 79.9 billion L during a season that was 1.2°C warmer and 29% dryer than normal. This finding indicates that under anticipated climate change by the 2050s, water use on golf courses in southern Ontario could increase by 151% current levels. The analysis for potential water savings for Ontario golf courses revealed that water use reductions of 35% are possible if golf courses adopt similar maintenance and irrigation practices to more efficient golf courses (80th percentile) in Ontario. Further research regarding maintenance practices on golf courses should be carried out to understand what best management practices result in water efficiency among courses. Also, due to the self-reporting nature of the water taking program with the MOE, it has been recommended that a more strict and automated monitoring system be implemented. Lastly, it is strongly believed that in order for the province wide water savings to be achieved, collaboration between the government and the golf industry will be needed. This study is the first approximate of water use for Ontario golf courses, however, more research is needed to examine the MOE’s water taking data in detail to better understand the determinants of water use among similar golf courses.

Impaired performance while executing a motor task is attributed to a disruption of normal automatic processes when an internal focus of attention is used (Wulf, McNevin, & Shea, 2001). When an external focus of attention is adopted, automaticity is not constrained and improved performance is noted. What remains unclear is whether the specificity of internally focused task instructions may impact task performance. In the present study, behavioural, kinematic and neurophysiological outcome measures assessed the implications of changing attentional focus for novice and skilled performers in a golf putting task. Findings provided evidence that when novice participants used an internal focus of attention related to task execution, accuracy, kinematics of the putter, and variability of EMG activity in the upper extremity were all adversely affected as task difficulty increased. Instructions which were internal but anatomically distal to the primary movement during the task appeared to have an effect similar to an external focus of attention and did not adversely affect outcomes.

La investigación realizada propone que se reconozca a la implementación de un circuito de minigolf como modelo de negocio de entretenimiento sano y divertido que permita cambiar, mejorar o fortalecer la calidad de vida de las familias en Chiclayo. Para su desarrollo se utilizó una técnica la recolección de datos a través de la aplicación de encuestas basándose en una muestra de 385 personas de nuestro mercado consumidor de entretenimiento. De esta forma, se obtuvo una intención de compra del servicio del 66 % de la muestra y una frecuencia promedio de asistencia de más de 5 veces al mes en un 47% y 4 veces al mes en un 20%, así como la aceptación del precio de venta por parte de los potenciales clientes. Respecto al plan comercial, se ha desarrollado la estrategia de diferenciación; ya que nuestro modelo de negocio es percibido como único en el mercado mitigando el poder del cliente ya que carecen de alternativas comparables. El circuito de minigolf estará ubicado en Jockey Club - Chiclayo y el precio del servicio será de s/10 por 30 min / horas que representa la duración del juego por los 9 hoyos Para iniciar sus operaciones el circuito de minigolf requerirá una inversión de s/59300, financiada por el banco S/ 53000 y por aporte propio 6300 El negocio presenta un VAN de 119461 y un TIR de 58 % Por lo expuesto se concluye que el negocio goza de la aceptación de clientes potenciales siendo un proyecto rentable porque tenemos puntos fuertes a favor como nuevo modelo de negocio, así como nuestra ventaja competitiva. Es un plan serio, realista y coherente donde indica la capacidad de generar utilidades cada año.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka socialt stöd hos svenska professionella golfspelare. För att besvara syftet undersöktes följande frågeställningar: (1) Hur upplever svenska professionella golfspelare socialt stöd? (2) Hur beskriver svenska professionella golfspelare socialt stöd? En intervjuguide baserad på Social Support Scale skapades och intervjuerna genomfördes på (N=10) professionella golfspelare. De var mellan 20-27 år och hade tävlat i golf mellan 6-14 år på både en nationell och internationell nivå. För att analysera resultatet användes en kvalitativ innehållsanalys med deduktiv ansats. Resultatet grupperades i följande kategorier: stöd för att lyssna, uppskattning för det du gör, känslomässigt stöd,  änslomässig utmaning, hjälp som är konkret och personlig hjälp. Resultatet i studien visade att golfspelare använder ett brett socialt stöd och att det har betydelse för golfspelarnas prestation. De mest förekommande personerna i golfspelarnas sociala stöd är familj och golftränare. Vidare visade resultatet att samtliga kategorier för socialt stöd var av betydelse för golfspelarna. Det kan konstateras att resultatet i denna studie går i linje med tidigare forskning, men att området socialt stöd och golf, kräver ytterligare forskning på till exempel vilken av kategorierna som är viktigast för professionella golfspelare.

Zugl.: Kassel, Univ., Diss., 2005

Thesis (M.Env.St.)--University of Adelaide, Mawson Graduate Centre for Environmental Studies, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 121-138.

Del., Univ. of Delaware, Diss.--Newark, 2003. / Kopie, ersch. im Verl. UMI, Ann Arbor, Mich.