During a trip to Southern California several years ago, we stopped at Pauma Valley Country Club for a delicious lunch. The course and surrounding views were beautiful so we took the photos you can see here.

It’s a country club so you can just play the course without knowing a member. But Pauma Valley also markets itself as “the perfect place to host your next business meeting, board retreat, birthday party, engagement celebration.” It’s also used as a wedding destination that “offers you a private and pristine location and impressive views.”

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More and more golfers are turning to online options when purchasing golf products and gear. As golf clubs and gear get more advanced, they also get more expensive. So shopping online is a great option as golf consumers can find a much wider selection and better deals. Think about it. Do you really want to be shopping at the pro shop at a country club? Sure, many of the members there don’t mind as money isn’t an option, but for the average player, value is critical for these products.

Of course for certain products you want to feel them and try them out. That’s why traditional golf stores still have a loyal customer base. Golf chains are still a huge business, as we can see from the recent deal where Golf Town bought Golfsmith for $96 million. But savvy consumers know they can shop around at these stores to figure out which clubs and irons they want to improve their game, and then they can look online to find the best price. They can also take advantage of sales and coupons as well, as one can use one of these promo codes for tgw.com to get better deals. Become an educated consumer, and then shop around online to be a happy one as well!

It will also be interesting to see how the industry deals with fewer buyers as well and how that might affect prices. There is so much competition in the industry now. For example, with golf courses and country clubs there was a huge building boom as golf’s popularity exploded during the Tiger Woods years and while the economy was booming. But then the economic crash hit and there was way too much capacity. Also, golf’s popularity has been declining a bit after the huge spike in interest, and that’s affecting demand. Golf courses aren’t as crowded and some even went under or were sold for a loss. This will inevitable affect demand for clubs, irons and gear, so those of you looking for deals online might find even better prices in the future.

Regardless of your politics, it’s always interesting to see which politicians are into golf. I have to admit Newt Gingrich is a surprise. I would pay to watch Newt and his belly try to swing a golf club.

I mention this because Donald Trump mentioned today that Newt is a member of of Trump National Golf Club in Virginia.

When real estate mogul Donald Trump welcomes former speaker Newt Gingrich to Trump Tower today, he will not only be welcoming another presidential candidate, but also a member of his exclusive golf club in Northern Virginia.

“I have a lot of respect for Newt,” Trump said. “Newt’s a member, so I love my members. I always love my members.”

Trump National is a prestigious club for high rollers, so perhaps this isn’t a surprise. Newt likes to spend the millions he makes from his cronies.