Published on: 15 May 2017
Last Updated on: 09 August 2019
Football is the most popular sport on earth, more than 3.4 Billion people watched world cup 2010 and it was estimated that about 1 billion people watched World Cup 2014 final match between Argentina and Germany. However football fans are marginalized, their voices are not heard and their opinions are ignored. In a world governed by social media, football fans deserve their own land they deserve their own social network.
Football is fully covered by TV, newspapers and news websites. In recent years social media started taking over an important portion of this coverage. With the shift from traditional news to social media news, and from computer devices to mobile devices, many people now prefer to follow football news at their favorite social network and from the comfort of their mobile devices.
Although football has strong presence in traditional social networks but for football enthusiasts that presence is lacking or simply not enough, for instance football news will not suddenly show up in your feeds, without you first manually searching and following all the pages you are interested in. Another problem is that posts related to football are usually buried inside a pile of posts from all other subjects. And most important is that you don’t get latest matches results and you need to search manually to find them.
Social media is shifting towards niche social networks, which are networks that are specialized in specific topics of interest. For example we have social networks for photography, jobs, cooking, art..etc. Football is not an exception to that, football fans need their own social channels where they can talk exclusively about football and express their opinions. They need a place where they can easily follow latest news and results for their favorite football teams and competitions.
FansRepublic.com is a new arrival to the world of social media and a promising change in favor of football fans. FansRepublic is a social network dedicated for football fans where they can meet, interact and engage. The network provides an environment for football fans from all over the world where they can meet and share their football passion. Team fans can easily connect with each other through their team page, and they can interact with matches and cheer their team.
As mentioned before the most important thing for football enthusiasts is getting updated with the latest matches scores and results, and that is the main advantage of having a social network specialized in football. FansRepublic provides users with live scores and results for all matches, in addition to ease of access to information for all competitions including results, fixtures, standing tables, top scorers, transfers, teams stats and players stats.
In a world where social media provides people with ease of access to information, people are becoming more obsessed with ease of access to what they are interested in, and thus the future of social media is expected to be moving towards niche social networks that are specialized in specific categories and interests.
Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.
Rock the Ball has recently been launched by Sweet Potato Games as a sliding puzzle brain-stimulating game. The team at Sweet Potato has positioned it as a fun and challenging game which adults and children alike can play. It keeps the brain stimulated and engaged in play.
Rather than being involved in non-meaningful activities, games that develop the brain activity, cognitive development and provoke the mind are healthy pass times.
How to Play the Game
Rock the Ball opens up with a user-friendly interface with appropriate graphics and sound. Options to turn off the sound are also available. There is a vast gallery of levels available to play. But they have to be played one after the other as the difficulty level increases with each progressive one. Also, the levels are locked and need to be unblocked by playing successive levels.
Restart
Each game can be played as many times as possible by selecting the restart button given at the bottom of the screen.If a player wishes to play the game again from the beginning, they can use this option.
Undo
An undo option is given here to undo the last move made.
Exit
Exit option takes the player back to the main screen.
Pause
The pause option can be used to pause the game as they player desires.
Sound
A sound icon lets users turn off or turn on the sound as needed.
The purpose of this game is to finish it in the least possible moves. The game keeps a track of the number of moves and the best possible least moves performed. Users need to slide the moveable tiles in order to unblock the hidden pathway for the silver ball to travel through the pipes and reach its goal. Few tiles remain fixed. This is represented by nuts binding the tile.
System Requirements
This game has a small size of 26MB which increases as the levels are unblocked by playing. It can be downloaded and played on tablets as well as smart phones. It requires 2.3 and above android system. It has just recently been launched, yet it has a popular following with hundreds of users downloading and playing it daily.
Features
If you enjoy play puzzle games with hidden objects, or if you are the type of person who enjoys spending his/her time in thinking and exercising your brain rather dull activities and if you want to develop your mind skills then this is the best game for you. Here we have discussed in detail some of the features of this game.
Sliding Puzzle – There are several slides in each level that can be moved with a swipe of the finger to unblock the game
Puzzle Game – There is a riddle in each level that needs to be solved. Without this, the user cannot move forward
Brain Challenger –Rock the Ball is a useful, brain challenging game that helps you activate you mind in your leisure time
Escape Game –Playing this helps you overcome obstacles and escape from the world
Hidden Objects Game –The path in this game is to be discovered using your mind skills
Pros
The best part about playing this game is that it is thought to provoke. It Keeps you motivates and addicted to solving more. There are loads of levels to play, each more tough and challenging than the previous one. This keeps the excitement levels high. Another important benefit of this game is that you can play as you like, whenever you have time. For instance, the games you have played are saved in your phone or tablet memory and you can play comfortably when you have free time. The game does not bind you to play all the time. It rewards bonus to players for playing it daily. Best thing is that it is compatible with your phone as well as the tablet. So you have the option to download it on any device your comfortable with.
Cons
The worst thing is the free ads and popups that keep disturbing the players. But worry not, while the game is completely free, you only need to pay a nominal fee for making it ad-free.
So go ahead and download it and start enjoying the challenging experience Rock the Ball has to offer.
As golfers step onto the lush fairways, they embark on a journey that intertwines skillful swings, strategic decision-making, and a deep connection with nature, creating an experience that goes beyond just thinking about golf bags.
A good golf course is more than just a stretch of land with neatly trimmed grass and manicured greens; it is a harmonious blend of design, maintenance, and sustainability. It captures the essence of the sport while simultaneously embracing the natural surroundings, offering players an immersive experience that transcends the mere act of hitting a ball into a hole.
In this article, we dissect the elements that contribute to the making of a truly exceptional golf course. From intricate design considerations to meticulous maintenance practices, we delve into the key factors that elevate a golf course from good to extraordinary.
12 Characteristics Of A Good Golf Course
A good golf course is more than just a place to swing a club and hit a ball. It is a harmonious blend of design, maintenance, and natural elements that come together to create an extraordinary experience for golfers of all skill levels.
As we explore the twelve traits of a good golf course, we will delve into the aspects that contribute to its greatness. From the strategic placement of hazards to the quality of the fairways and greens, each characteristic plays a crucial role in shaping the course's identity and allure.
Intelligent Architectural Planning
At the heart of every remarkable golf course is a meticulously planned architectural design. This design integrates both aesthetics and function, keeping in mind factors like topography, wind direction, sunlight, and other environmental aspects.
The intelligently planned course has a flow to it that naturally guides players from one hole to the next with an intuitive sense of direction while showcasing the property's most picturesque spots.
This is the first and most important aspect for every golf course architect to consider, as it is the big picture that guides towards the small things that once again build this image of greatness.
Grading And Earthwork
A golf course’s grading and earthwork balance natural contours with artificial shaping to enhance playability and aesthetics. And hand in hand goes the well-executed earthwork that can make a course more interesting, challenging, and visually appealing. There is a lot of misinformation on the technicalities of the internet. You must get help from experts like The Left Rough.
It's through skillful earthwork that the architect can sculpt the terrain to form engaging landscapes, dramatic vistas, and golfing challenges. It's an aspect that contributes significantly to the overall golfing experience by adding layers of visual depth, difficulty variation, and unique character to each hole.
Grass And Greenery
When you imagine a golf course, an inevitable thing that always prevails is the green grass, stretching as far as the eye can see. The quality and condition of the grass are essential components that contribute to the overall experience of a golf course.
There are different grass varieties commonly used on golf courses, each with its own characteristics and suitability for specific climates and conditions. One of the most popular grass types for golf courses is Bentgrass, which provides a smooth and consistent surface for putting greens.
Beyond the grass itself, the presence of trees, shrubs, and flowers adds an extra layer of beauty to a golf course. Thoughtfully placed vegetation can enhance the course's aesthetics, provide strategic considerations, and offer a sense of tranquility.
Irrigation
Irrigation is a critical aspect of maintaining a good golf course, ensuring the health and vitality of the turf and vegetation. An adequate water supply is essential to promote optimal growth, prevent drought stress, and maintain consistent playing conditions throughout the course.
Sprinkler placements, water pressure, scheduling, and efficient irrigation systems are all crucial components in ensuring effective water distribution and usage on a golf course.
By integrating effective irrigation practices into course management strategies, golf courses can achieve optimal playing conditions, preserve water resources, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the sport.
Natural Design
The best golf courses work with the environment rather than against it. The natural design capitalizes on existing features of the landscape—be it a copse of trees, a meandering stream, or rolling hills—to add intrigue to the course.
A course that respects its natural surroundings will also tend to be more sustainable naturally, rather than enforcing the struggles of the workforce to preserve and maintain the scenery.
Scenery and Landscape
A captivating backdrop can make a golfing round an unforgettable experience.
The integration of water bodies creates a peaceful and more pleasurable experience, also reflecting the sky, adding up to the entire moment
The integration of wildlife in the bushes levels up the entire golfing experience. By hearing the birds sing or spotting a fox hiding in the bushes, golfers feel renewed in each other swing. Also, it’s a way to attract a larger audience rather than professional golfers
Panoramic views serve as a constant visual feast for golfers as they navigate the course. The distant mountain ranges, azure seas, or sprawling forests provide inspiring backgrounds and a sense of serenity..
Superb Maintenance
Maintenance is an integral part of ensuring that a golf course remains in pristine condition, providing players with an exceptional experience. Superb maintenance practices encompass a wide range of tasks, including:
Regular aeration: Aeration is a vital part of golf course maintenance that promotes healthy turf by allowing water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach the grassroots. This process, often done by punching small holes in the greens or fairways, helps create resilient and robust playing surfaces that can withstand heavy use and weather changes.
Proper mowing: Mowing has a profound impact on how a golf ball behaves on the course. The height and consistency of the cut can influence ball roll and lie, affecting shots from the tees, fairways, roughs, and greens.
Pest control: Implementing effective pest control measures is crucial to maintaining the health and aesthetic appeal of a golf course. Pests, whether they be insects, rodents, or weeds, can cause significant damage to the playing surface and undermine the golfers' experience. A pest management strategy that minimizes the use of harmful chemicals protects the natural environment, and ensures the course remains in top condition is highly recommended.
Bunker maintenance: Bunkers are not just hazards on a golf course, but they are also significant visual elements. Maintaining their shape, ensuring the consistency of the sand, and preventing contamination from outside debris are essential aspects of bunker maintenance.
Reasonable and Diverse Challenges
A golf course should provide a range of challenges that test a player's skill and strategy without being overly frustrating. All elements, such as bunkers, water hazards, roughs, and elevation changes should be well-positioned to challenge seasoned players, while still offering less experienced golfers the chance to improve their game.
A Variety of Holes
The variety of holes on a golf course adds an element of surprise and challenge, making each round of play unique and engaging. The following factors contribute to the variety of holes on a golf course
Style: The style of a hole can dramatically influence how it's played. For example, straight holes, doglegs (where the fairway bends left or right), or island greens (where the green is surrounded by a water hazard) each present a unique challenge and demand different strategies from the player.
Length: The length of a hole can dictate the choice of club and approach to playing it. From short par-3 holes that require precision, to long par-5 holes that reward power and placement, variety in length adds depth to the game.
Par: The par of a hole—the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to take—provides a benchmark for golfers to gauge their performance. A mix of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes across a course ensures a diverse range of challenges and opportunities for players to test their skills.
Availability and Flexible Scheduling
Accessibility is a crucial component of any good golf course. Offering flexible scheduling allows players of all kinds, from the early birds to the twilight golfers, to enjoy the course.
Online booking and clear communication about availability can make all the difference to players juggling their love of the game with their daily lives.
Membership With Unique Benefits
Exclusive benefits can enhance a golfer’s experience immensely. For instance, a Links Golf membership provides players the exclusive right to play at some of the courses, along with other discounts on services and access to special events.
These perks can foster a loyal community of golfers and elevate the club's overall atmosphere.
Comfort
Player comfort is paramount on a good golf course, encompassing more than just the course itself. It extends to every aspect of the golfing experience, including the clubhouse, locker rooms, practice facilities, and even on-site restaurants.
A comfortable environment where players can relax before or after a game, offering amenities like shoe cleaning services, comfortable seating, quality dining options, and well-maintained facilities all contribute to the overall golfing experience.
Summary
A good golf course is a harmonious blend of design, maintenance, and natural elements that come together to create an extraordinary experience for golfers.
It requires intelligent architectural planning, grading and earthwork, quality grass and greenery, efficient irrigation, natural design, captivating scenery and landscape, superb maintenance practices, reasonable and diverse challenges, a variety of holes, accessibility and flexible scheduling, unique membership benefits, and player comfort.
By incorporating these characteristics, a golf course can elevate the game and provide a memorable experience for players of all skill levels.
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As a marathon runner, you’re willing to do almost anything to give yourself an edge. You’ll wake up at the crack of dawn every morning, just to squeeze in some training before work. You’ll get the best gear that wicks away sweat and keeps you warm in the bitter cold. You’ll take vitamin and protein supplements to boost your energy, so you can push yourself past that brick wall and make it to the finish line.
If you really want to improve your capabilities as a runner, you should add one more step to your to-do list: go for a gait analysis.
Gait analysis is a study of how you walk and run. It can be completed at a professional foot clinic. A chiropodist will start by recording a video of you walking and jogging on a treadmill. They will make a note of your physicality — aspects like your height, your weight, and the arches of your feet will come into play. Then they will watch the recorded footage to observe the biomechanical patterns.
The first thing you will get out of this analysis is an in-depth look into your body’s composition and your stride. These are qualities that the average person would not be able to identify with the naked eye. Seeing the evidence in slow-motion footage makes it much easier to make an assessment. For instance, gait analysis will be able to tell you if you deal with overpronation, under pronation, or neutral pronation:
Type:
Definition:
Overpronation
The foot rolls inward too much, putting weight on the foot’s inner edge.
Underpronation (Supination)
The outside of the foot impacts the ground at a steep angle.
Neutral Pronation
The foot lands on the outer edge and rolls inward for even-weight distribution.
You can improve your running ability with gait analysis because all of the findings could help you make the right adjustments to your technique and avoid serious injuries down the line.
If you’re someone who deals with overpronation, you could deal with problems like Plantar Fasciitis, bunions, or heel spurs if you don’t make any changes. If you’re someone who deals with supination, you could deal with complications like shin splints, hammertoes, or IT band syndrome if it’s not treated.
The easiest way to solve these problems is to get custom orthotic inserts for your running shoes or to get brand new orthopedic shoes. These will modify your weight distribution, ankle stability, and arch support.
After making the suggested adjustments to your stride and using the right shoes for the job, you can go back to a foot clinic for a follow-up. You'll have definitive proof that the changes have enhanced your biomechanics or that further adjustments need to be made.
Running and walking are instinctive activities. You won’t be thinking about how your heel hits the pavement or where the outer edge of your foot distributes your body weight. You’re just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and making your running time. Having a professional perform a gait analysis will help pinpoint your problem areas and make your training even better.
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