Time To Whack Some Balls In Canton

Yes, it's time to WHACK some balls in Canton as Topgolf is coming! But it's almost November, you say? I'll address that later.

There is no better feeling than getting a giant bucket of golf balls and escaping to your nearby driving range to unleash the weeks frustrations. I'm not a golfer. I don't have the patience. But I do love going to the driving range. But becoming an expert at the driving range does NOT make you a great golfer.

According to hackmotion.com:

A driving range is for skills practice, whereas the golf course is for implementation. The bottom line is that the best golfers combine driving range and golf course play for the best overall learning experience.

Many years ago, I attended business seminar that featured a motivational speaker. The speaker told the story of how the legendary Tiger Woods had just won a major golf tournament. Rather than celebrating his win, he went right home to get back to office work, and watch the tape of his win into all hours of the night. He watched, did paper work, watched did paper work, until 5am in the morning. Then, he stopped one part of the tape, rewound and played it back, repeating this process, over and over. He picked up his phone and called his trainer, asking him to come over right away. "The trainer said, what's wrong, is everything ok? You just won a tournament." Tiger said: "I'm watching the playback, I don't like this one swing, and I want you to come over and work on it with me."  Spoken like a true champion.

If you want to be the next Tiger Woods, you have come to the right place. You may have heard of the latest in high-tech driving range that's coming to us!

It's called Topgolf. According to CBS Boston:

Topgolf bills itself as "sports entertainment," with "an inclusive, high-tech golf game that everyone can enjoy." There are 90 heated hitting bays where players tee off at big targets on the field. Topgolf uses technology to track statistics from every shot and tally up points.

Plus, they boast delicious pub food and a sports bar atmosphere. According to clubhouseswingu.com Topgolf is one of the TOP 10 best driving ranges in the country.

Did you notice what the the above press release said: There are NINETY heated hitting bays. Which means you can play in all sorts of weather, even this:

Do you think New England will make the list of cities visiting NFL fans love the most? After the season we've had so far, maybe, maybe not!

But that brings up a good question. What makes visiting fans happy, when they are not at home, other than, their team WINNING, of course?

Let's face it, going to a Pats game CAN be a great experience. It wasn't THAT long ago that it was fun, right? Patriots Place has just about everything, like great bars, great food and a fun atmosphere. There is plenty of room for tailgating too. So what's the problem?  But wait, there's more. (That sounds like a Ginsu commercial.)

There are many other categories to consider when attending an NFL game. Let us not forget, the cost of a beer. Or how about the cost of a hot dog, or the cost of the actual tickets? What about the prestige of the franchise? One of the major considerations when an away fan comes to town, is the distance to Boston, from Gillette. It's not terrible, but it's certainly not convenient. Logan and TF Green are not that close, if you're flying in. Public transportation is available, but it's not like taking the T to Fenway. 

While I think the Gillette experience is pretty good, there's a survey says that other stadium experiences for fans are far better.

According to CBS Boston, Bonusfinder.com research says Gillette needs some work:

The study shows that Detroit ranked No. 1 for number of bars within walking distance, with 129 bars within a 1-mile radius, and ranked No. 8 for number of sports bars (36) within a 5-mile radius. 

Detroit? The study didn't say Gillette was bad. It just didn't have it ranked at the top, according to fans that were asked. What? NFL fans are not in love with New England? What a shock!

So let's go find the cities visiting NFL fans love the most!

Of course they are top 5. Scott Zolak is from there!

The Panthers play at the Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte. I have never been there. But three of my friends moved to North and South Carolina in the past five years. So somethin's goin on.

They play at the Caesars Superdome. It's reportedly the LARGEST enclosed sports dome in the world. Enough said.

After the game, you're a short drive away from Mike Ditka's place, conveniently located on Mike Ditka Way, right off the Magnificent Mile. I have eaten there many times. Try the "Da CHOP." It's a giant, delicious pork chop named after the giant former Bears coach, Mike Ditka. (I've seen him there many times)

According to Bonusfinder.com:

The study shows that Detroit ranked No. 1 for number of bars within walking distance, with 129 bars within a 1-mile radius, and ranked No. 8 for number of sports bars (36) within a 5-mile radius.

You'll always be NUMBER ONE, to us. (Well, most of us.)