FACTS
FUN FACTS
• Modern day golf was invented in 1457 in Scotland.
• Golf was banned three times for years after it was invented because the Scottish government believed it interfered with military training.
• The first round of women’s golf was played in the year 1811 in Musselburgh, Scotland.
• The first golf balls were made of feathers wrapped in leather. These balls flew much further than the balls that came after. They were used until the mid-1800s, when they began being made out of wood.
• The original Augusta was intended to have a 19th hole, giving losing golfers a chance to win their money back on a quick round of double-or-nothing. It was indefinitely tabled because the hole would ruin the flow of the golf course.
• Before golf tees, players would shape mounds of sand and place the golf ball on top. Tees were finally popularized in the 1920s.
• The term “birdie” was coined accidentally by Ab Smith, who hit a “bird of a shot” in 1889.
• A score of three under par is called an albatross.
• A condor is a term given to a hole-in-one on a par 5. It is almost as rare as two holein-ones in a single game of golf.
ABOUT GOLF
• Almost 80% of golfers will never have a handicap under 18.
• The average golfer has a 12,500 to 1 chance of making a hole-in-one.
• Golf was one of the only sports played on the moon. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. used a 6-iron to play golf on the moon.
• The longest putt was a mind-blowing 375 feet.
• The chance of making two hole-in-ones in a single game is 1 in 67 million.
• Tiger Woods made his first hole-in-one at the age of eight.
• Phil Mickelson is naturally right-handed, but as a child he mirrored his father’s swing and learned to swing as though he was lefthanded.
• Jack Nicklaus was the first golf who was able to successfully defend his Master’s title.
PGA TOUR SCHEDULE
JAN 4 - 7
JAN 11 - 14
FEB 1 - 4
FEB 8 - 11
FEB 15 - 18
FEB 29MAR 3
MAR 7 - 10
MAR 7 - 10
MAR 14 - 17
The Sentry Plantation Course at Kapalua Kapalua, Maui, HI
Sony Open in Hawaii, Waialae Country Club Honolulu, HI
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, CA
WM Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) Scottsdale, AZ
The Genesis Invitational, The Riviera Country Club Vallarta, MEX
The Classic in The Palm Beaches, PGA National Resort
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Puerto Rico Open, Grand Reserve Golf Club Rio Grande, PUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Orlando, FL
THE PLAYERS Championship, TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS)
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
MAR 21 - 24
MAR 28 - 31
APR 4 - 7
Valspar Championship, Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course)
Texas Children's Houston Open, Memorial Park Golf Course
Valero Texas Open , TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)
Palm Harbor, FL
Houston, TX
San Antonio, TX
APR 11 - 14
Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club Augusta, GA
PGA TOUR SCHEDULE
APR 18 - 21 Corales Puntacana Championship Puntacana Resort & Club
Punta Cana, DOM
APR 18 - 21 RBC Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head Island, SC
APR 25 - 28 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, TPC Louisiana Avondale, LA
MAY 2 - 5 THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, TPC Craig Ranch McKinney, TX
MAY 9 - 12
MAY 9 - 12
MAY 16 - 19
MAY 23 - 26
MAY 30JUN 2 RBC Canadian Open Hamilton Golf & Country Club Hamilton, ON, CAN
JUN 6 - 9 The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday Dublin, OH
JUN 13 - 16
Open Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) Village of Pinehurst, NC
JUN 20 - 23 Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands Cromwell, CT
JUN 27 - 30 Rocket Mortgage Classic , Detroit Golf Club
MI
JUL 4 - 7
JUL 11 - 14
JUL 18 - 21
John Deere Classic, TPC Deere Run Silvis, IL
JUL 18 - 21
PGA TOUR SCHEDULE
JUL 25 - 28
AUG 1 - 4
AUG 8 - 11
AUG 15 - 18
AUG 22 - 25
AUG 29SEP 1
Genesis Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club North Berwick, SCO
Barracuda Championship Tahoe Mountain Club Truckee, CA
The Open Championship, Royal Troon Troon, South Ayrshire, SCO
3M Open, TPC Twin Cities Blaine, MN
Olympic Men's Golf Competition, Le Golf National Paris, FRA
Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield Country Club
Greensboro, NC
FedEx St. Jude Championship, TPC Southwind Memphis, TN
BMW Championship, Castle Pines Golf Club Castle Rock, CO
TOUR Championship, East Lake Golf Club Atlanta, GA
GOLF AROUND THE COUNTRY TOP RESORTS FOR GOLFERS
There was once a time when American golfing enthusiasts could count on one hand the number of exceptional resorts that catered to their whims. Today, there is no shortage of top-end destinations across the United States, each offering a vast array of courses and playing experiences. Looking for something classic, something steeped in history? Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, and The Broadmoor (among others) will exceed your expectations. Ready for a golf trip injected with a sense of pioneering spirit? There’s a property in the eastern frontier lands of Oregon with your name on it. Perhaps you want to test your mettle on some of Pete Dye’s most challenging layouts? Getaways to Kiawah Island, The American Club, and Sea Pines Resort have you covered.
Simply put, world-class golf resorts in the United States are now as plentiful as the dimples on a golf ball; and the dozen examples that follow are certain to deliver memorable— in some cases, one-of-a-kind—experiences.
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Although famous for its namesake course, Pebble Beach is home to four exceptional layouts. In fact, plenty of golf enthusiasts have declared Spyglass Hill to be better than Pebble Beach Golf Links. Nevertheless, a trip to Pebble Beach wouldn’t be complete without a round on the seaside course that has hosted six U.S. Opens; just lower your expectations for a low-scoring round. Notoriously small greens and numerous holes that play right up and alongside ocean cliffs are two attributes that elevate the difficulty of a round of golf at
Pebble Beach. “Look around and keep your head up and just soak in the beauty of the area,” advises David Stivers, the president of the Pebble Beach Company. “Whether you play a good round or a bad round, you’re walking on an iconic golf course in one of the most beautiful places in the country.”
PINEHURST RESORT, NORTH CAROLINA
Gil Hanse’s dramatic redesign of the No. 4 course finally pulled some of the spotlight away from Pinehurst’s flagship layout, the No. 2 course, which was originally designed by Donald Ross and more recently restored by Coore & Crenshaw. With nine, 18-hole courses and a 9-hole short course, Pinehurst entices golf travelers to stay a while. It also encourages them to heed the urgings of the North Carolina resorts’ friendly staff, who will implore that “ya’ll come back now.” The golffocused village of Pinehurst, and the resort’s varied courses along the region’s sand hills render return visits to be mandatory acts.
KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT, SOUTH CAROLINA
For more than a decade, Kiawah Island was home to two golf courses designed by two of the sport’s biggest names—Player and Nicklaus. However, it was only after The Ocean Course opened in 1991 that the resort established itself as a not-to-be-missed golfing destination. The 1991 Ryder Cup, which was contested at The Ocean Course, contributed to that notoriety, and the course has since hosted two PGA Championships (in 2012 and 2021). A round of golf on The Ocean Course is a bucket-list experience for sure, but avid golfers staying at the resort will want to
play the property’s other four layouts, too. Not only does each of those four courses showcase various aspects of the island’s different ecosystems, they also offer a less formidable challenge than that infamous Pete Dye creation.
SILVIES VALLEY RANCH, OREGON
Normally, a resort’s short course is a fairly benign affair. Not at Silvies Valley Ranch, where on many of the holes of the McVeigh’s Gauntlet course, architect Dan Hixson cleared out areas only for greens and tee boxes, leaving the rest of the site’s sage brush undisturbed. The boutique resort, set on a 140,000-acre working cattle ranch, also features a reversible 18-hole championship course that boasts wide fairways and large, firm greens with plenty of contours. It’s a combination of features that gives everyday amateurs a chance to post low scores, but they’ll still need to hit mostly good shots to do it.
THE AMERICAN CLUB, WISCONSIN
Golf travelers who make the trek to Kohler, Wisconsin, do so to play Whistling Straits—a world-famous, Pete Dye course that has hosted three PGA Championships, a US Senior Open, and will soon play host to the Ryder Cup in 2020. Yet, avid golfers would be remiss if they did not also tee it up at the resort’s three additional Pete Dye layouts— The Irish, The River, and The Meadow Valleys. While the latter two parkland courses traverse idyllic, pastoral landscapes—and offer several opportunities to swing away off the tee— the other two courses often require players to battle strong gusts of wind off of Lake Michigan and, in the case of Whistling Straits, to skirt almost 1,000 bunkers. Because of that, a round of golf on that revered, lakeside layout will always be memorable . . . and sometimes an exercise in survival.
PRINCEVILLE RESORT, KAUAI, HAWAII
While there are several exceptional golf destinations on the island of Kauai, the
Princeville Resort stands out for two key reasons. First, its location on the north shore of the island, overlooking Hanalei Bay, delivers views that are as majestic as any vista on the island. Second, its Princeville Makai Golf Club, which was designed in the early 1970s by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., was built before the entire Princeville community was developed, which means some of the most dramatic, oceanfront real estate was reserved for fairways and greens. It’s a key reason why the course earned its name, since makai in Hawaiian means “toward the ocean.”
THE BROADMOOR, COLORADO SPRINGS
Playing golf at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is to experience two of the game’s golden eras. The resort’s two courses are a marriage of holes designed by Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. In 1918, Ross created an 18-hole course at the resort; however, that course was parceled and pieced together with two additional nine-hole layouts designed by Jones, Sr. in 1964. The East Course, for example, features a middle nine-hole stretch designed by Jones, Sr., and delivers incredible mountain views and challenging terrain from the first hole to the eighteenth—it was also the site of Jack Nicklaus’ first national title at the US Amateur Championship in 1959. The West Course also features a middle section of holes designed by Jones, Sr., and is defined by tight fairways and plenty of dogleg layouts with spectacular approach shots.
LA QUINTA RESORT & CLUB, PALM SPRINGS
This Waldorf Astoria Resort property uses the tagline “play where legends played,” and it’s not hyperbole. The resort has hosted an annual PGA Tour event since 1960—first called the Palm Springs Golf Classic and now known as the Desert Classic presented by Workday— and its multi-day pro-am event has drawn some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Burt Lancaster (not to mention former US Presidents such as Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush). With five courses— three designed by Pete Dye, as well as layouts created by Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman— La Quinta Resort & Club offers a plethora of golfing options. The Stadium Course may be the resort’s top billing, but like so many of Dye’s championship layouts, it’s a serious test of golf. In fact, the revered course architect has said of that particular course, “love and hate can be found here.”
LPGA TOUR SCHEDULE
JAN 18-21
JAN 25-28 LPGA Drive On Championship Bradenton, FL
FEB 22-25
FEB
MAR 3
MAR 7-10
MAR
MAR
APR
APR 18-21
APR
MAY 9-12 Cognizant Founders Cup Clifton, NJ
MAY 16-19 Mizuho Americas Open Jersey City, NJ
MAY 30JUNE 2 U.S. Women’s Open Lancaster, PA
JUN 7-9
ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer Galloway, NJ
JUN 13-16 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Grand Rapids, MI
JUN 20-23
LPGA TOUR SCHEDULE
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Sammamish, WA
JUN 27-30 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Midland, MI
JUL 11-14 Amundi Evian Championship Evian-les-Bains, France
JUL 18-21 Dana Open Sylvania, OH
JUL 25-28
CPKC Women’s Open Calgary, Alberta, Canada
AUG 1-4 Portland Classic Portland, OR
AUG 8-11
2024 Paris Olympics Paris, France
AUG 15-18 Women’s Scottish Open TBD, Scotland
AUG 22-25
AIG Women’s Open St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
AUG 20-SEP 1 FM Global Championship Norton, MA
SEPT 13-15 Solheim Cup Gainesville, VA
PILATES FOR GOLF: THE BENEFITS OF PILATES FOR GOLFERS
Golf and Pilates might not seem like a natural partnership. But, in fact, the emphasis in Pilates on rotation, spine flexibility and trunk stability means that players – both professional and recreational –can gain a lot from practicing this method.
Not forgetting that Pilates can help golfers with injury prevention and injury recovery. With each repetitive movement – rotate, tilt, shift and extend – taken on a drive, golfers put themselves at risk of overusing particular muscles. This is where Pilates for golf becomes an attractive solution.
In this article, we talk in depth about
the benefits of Pilates for golf, get an expert physiotherapist’s point of view (who regularly works with elite athletes such as Ryder cup golfers) and give golfers simple Pilates exercises they can do from the comfort of their home.
The benefits of Pilates for Golfers
1. Advanced Core Strength
Having core strength in golf is just as important as any other activity. One way to improve performance, longevity and reduce the risk of injury is by training and strengthening the core.
Golf is centered around rotation of the body and driving power from the ground, through your core
to the club and the ball. With a stronger core comes increased power and, therefore a more powerful, controlled swing. Not only that, a strong core, impacts so many other factors like improving your posture and lessening the pressure on your back and neck which often causes acute back pain.
2. Enhanced Flexibility
Flexibility is one of, if not, the most important factor in becoming a successful golfer. The ability to get a good rotation between the shoulder and hip is the difference between executing a compact, powerful swing or not.
Flexibility enables golfers to reach a full range of motion which in turn allows you to reach maximum potential strength and distance.
3. Improve Body Balance & Stability
Body balance and stability creates a good foundation for golfers to execute an effective swing with power behind it.
The success behind your swing lies in the control over overall range of motion and the coordinated rotation of the body, predominantly, the shoulders and the hips. This is not possible without balance and stability from the pelvis.
Pilates helps with pelvic and spine
alignment so that you’re able to transition through movements with ease and control. In Pilates, this is done by lengthening tight muscles, strengthening weak muscles and engaging the deep core muscles to increase pelvic and spine stability and improve muscular imbalances.
4. Injury prevention & rehabilitation
Pilates is lesser known for its ability to effectively help individuals in their injury rehabilitation and injury prevention.
Clinical Pilates, in particular, can help with all kinds of rehabilitation from acute shoulder pain to chronic back pain. This is largely down to the holistic approach of Pilates which focuses on the entire body to treat any imbalances which may be creating compensatory patterns. Using unilateral movements, Pilates aims to develop even muscles on either side of the body to reduce unnecessary pressure on overcompensating muscles. Pilates also helps to correct postural problems which can often cause injury. A poor posture leads to both shortened and weak muscles; Pilates focuses on lengthening and strengthening muscles, particularly the core, which is great for alignment. Miami, FL
JAN 1 Tata Open Maharashtra Pune, India
JAN 8
JAN 8
JAN 15
ATP T O U R SCHEDULE
Adelaide International Adelaide, Australia
Asb Classic Auckland, New Zealand
Australian Open Melbourne, Australia
JAN 29 Open Sud De France-Montpellier Montpellier, France
FEB 5
Córdoba Open Córdoba, Spain
FEB 5 Dallas Open Dallas, Texas
FEB 5
FEB 12
FEB 12
FEB 12
Open 13 Provence Marseille, France
Abn Amro Open Rotterdam, Netherlands
Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina
Delray Beach Open
Delray Beach, Florida
FEB 19 Rio Open Presented By Claro Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
FEB 19 Qatar Exxonmobil Open Doha, Qatar
ATP T O U R SCHEDULE
FEB 19
FEB 26
Abierto De Tenis Mifel Los Cabos, Mexico
Abierto Mexicano Telcel Presentado Por Hsbc Acapulco, Mexico
FEB 26 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Dubai, India
FEB 26 Movistar Chile Open Santiago, Chile
MAR 10 Bnp Paribas Open Indian Wells, California
MAR 20 Miami Open Presented By Itaú Miami, Florida
APR 1 Millennium Estoril Open Estoril, Portugal
APR 1
Grand Prix Hassan Ii Marrakech, Morocco
APR 1 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.s. Men’s Clay Court Championship Houston, Texas
APR 7 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco
APR 15 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell Barcelona, Spain
APR 15 Bmw Open By American Express Munich, Germany
APR 21 Mutua Madrid Open Madrid, Spain
FOOD & WINE
ICONIC FOOD/ WINE PAIRINGS
When the flavor profile of your meal’s ingredients works in harmony with your wine, then the taste of both is elevated to absolute perfection. Although pairing wine with food may seem like art only the finest of sommeliers can master, it is accessible to everyone.
As a rule of thumb, always match the intensity. A spicy dish with attitude requires a powerful wine to equal it, and likewise, a simple, subtle dish is best served alongside a lighter wine.
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party and want to dazzle your guests with perfectly paired wines, or just want to know if that Pinot works with your pepperoni pizza, here are some incredible food and wine pairings for every occasion.
The best wine for seafood… Riesling
From lobster and oysters to prawns and crab, if you’re preparing a shellfish dish, you can’t go wrong with a medium-bodied, acidic white like a Riesling. Zesty yet with residual sweetness, dry and off-dry Rieslings mimic the sweetness of the shellfish flesh while its crispness and purity balance everything out nicely.
The best wine for poultry… Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the classic pairing for chicken and turkey, and for good reason. This white wine variety is often made with a creamy texture that stands up well to poultry dishes, while its subtle oakiness enhances the flavor of the meat. Poultry can also be quite rich, so a Chardonnay with good acidity will help to cleanse your palate.
The best wine for duck… Pinot Noir
Rich, aromatic, and fatty, duck is multidimensional meat that requires a complex wine to support its delicious nuances. Pinot Noir has enough zing and acidity to cut through the fat, but gentle fruity accords and a moderate intensity that aligns with the duck’s taste.
The best wine for salads… Pinot Grigio
A light yet vivacious wine, Pinot Grigio enlivens delicate, fresh flavours so makes the perfect accompaniment to salads. Bursting with citrussy notes and a robust acidity, Pinot Grigio is bold enough to stand up to tart dressings, yet neutral enough to not overpower salad leaves and vegetables.
The best wine for a pepperoni pizza…. Sangiovese
Meaty, spicy, and salty-sweet pepperoni needs a wine with an attitude to stand up to its powerful flavors. Look no further than sublime, balanced, and structured medium-bodied Sangiovese. With fruity notes and high acidity, it’ll cut through the high-fat content of the pepperoni, while its dense, earthy notes support the paprika and chili spice of the meat.
The best wine for caviar and cold cuts… Champagne
Assertive on the palate, Champagne is an excellent match for the strong saltiness of the caviar. In fact, they’re a match made in heaven. As the pop of the caviar pearl reveals its unmistakable flavor, a hit of dry Champagne bubbles is both cleansing yet complementary. Most kinds of luncheon meat will also work well with Champagne, as will smoked salmon.
The best wine for a roasted lamb… Cabernet Sauvignon
Oozing with richness and tannins, Cabernet Sauvignons goes great with most roasted red meat, lamb especially. With a whiff of peppery spice and lots of strong, juicy vibrancy, Cabs are an exuberant choice that pairs with the richness of the lamb, while bringing offering a pleasingly intense mouthfeel.
CHAMPIONS TOUR SCHEDULE
JAN 15-30 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (Saturday finish) Ka’upulehu-Kona, HI
FEB 12-18 Chubb Classic Naples. FL
FEB 19-24 Trophy Hassan II Rabat. Morocco
MAR 4-10
MAR 18-24
MAR
APR 15-21 Invited
APR 22-28
APR 29MAY 5
MAY 6-12
MAY
MAY 27JUNE 2
JUNE 3-9
SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR
HOME SELL
FASTER
1. TAKE GREAT PHOTOS – If your listing photos don’t show off the features of your home, prospective buyers may reject it without even taking a tour or going to the open house. Hiring a professional photographer and posting at least 30 photos of your home, inside and out, is a good way to attract buyers.
2. CLEAN EVERYTHING – Nothing turns off buyers like a dirty house. Hire a company to deep clean it if you can’t do it yourself. Key places to clean while your home is on the market include kitchen countertops, inside cabinets and appliances, floors and room corners where dust collects, shelves, bathroom counters, toilets, tubs and showers, inside closets, windows inside and out, scuffed walls, baseboards and doors, basement and garage.
3. LET THE LIGHT IN – People love light and bright, and the best way to show off your house is to let the sunshine in. Open all the curtains, blinds and shades, and turn lights on in any dark rooms. If the natural light situation is lacking in any room, strategically place lamps or light sources throughout to set the mood.
4. MAKE YOUR HOME AVAILABLE
– Buyers like to see homes on their schedules, which often means evenings and weekends. Plus, they want to be able to tour a home soon after they find it online, especially in a hot market where they’re competing with other buyers. If your home can be shown with little or no notice, more prospective buyers will see it. If you require 24 hours notice, they may choose to skip your house altogether.
5. SET THE RIGHT PRICE – No seller wants to leave money on the table, but the strategy of setting an unrealistically high price with the idea you can come down later doesn’t work in real estate. Buyers and their agents have access to more information on comparable homes than ever, and they know what most homes are worth before viewing them. A home that is overpriced in the beginning tends to stay on the market longer, even after the price is cut, because buyers think there must be something wrong with it.
6. SPREAD THE WORD – Your neighbors are often the best salespeople for your home because they love the neighborhood. Make sure they know your home is for sale and are invited to your open house. Also share your listing on social media and ensure your real estate agent does the same. Share the news on neighborhood e-mail lists, Facebook groups and other social media outlets. Collaborate with your real estate agent to promote your home’s listing information throughout multiple accounts.
IS CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR YOU?
WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY?
Cryptocurrency, or crypto, is a digital payment platform that eliminates the need to carry physical money. It exists only in digital form, and although people mainly use it for online transactions, you can make some physical purchases. Unlike traditional money printed only by the government, several companies sell cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrencies are fungible, meaning the value remains the same when bought, sold, or traded. Cryptocurrency isn’t the same as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with variable values. For example, one dollar in crypto will always be one dollar, whereas the value of one NFT dollar depends on the digital asset it’s attached to.
Although government regulations are absent from the cryptocurrency market, they are taxable assets. You’ll need to file any profit or loss with the Internal Revenue Service.
CRYPTOCURRENCY VS. TRADITIONAL CURRENCY
The government produces traditional currency in paper bills and coins you can carry with you or put in a bank. You can use it for purchases and other transactions that require cash. The government backs traditional currency, while cryptocurrency has no government, bank, or financial institution controls.
While you can hold traditional currency in a bank or financial institution, you store cryptocurrencies in a digital wallet. Banks insure money kept in bank accounts against loss, while crypto has no recourse in the event of a loss.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CRYPTOCURRENCY?
When it comes to cryptocurrency, there are some advantages to it versus traditional currency. An advantage of cryptocurrency is privacy. When you make a purchase with cryptocurrency, you don’t need to provide any personal information. This protects you from potential identity theft and other fraudulent activities. And no matter what happens to the government, your investment is secure.
Another advantage of cryptocurrency is that it’s global, so there’s no need to figure or pay foreign exchange rates, although cryptocurrency isn’t legal in some countries. You also don’t need to worry about bank account restrictions, such as ATM withdrawal limits.
TYPES OF CRYPTOCURRENCY
Cryptocurrency is available as coins or tokens. The difference between them is that tokens are assets that exist on a blockchain, while coins can be virtual, digital, or tangible. Coins are more like traditional money; a digital coin has its own blockchain. Conversely, a token is created on an existing blockchain and can be used as currency or to represent asset ownership.
The first cryptocurrency introduced was Bitcoin, the most commonly traded one. Ethereum is the second most valuable cryptocurrency and can be used for complex transactions. Other more common cryptocurrencies, called altcoins, include Cardano, Solana, Dogecoin, and XRP.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH CRYPTOCURRENCIES
To start with cryptocurrency, you’ll need to choose a broker or crypto exchange. An exchange is an online platform where you can trade cryptocurrencies. Brokers use interfaces that interact with exchanges.
An exchange allows you to trade without a third party. Should you decide to use an exchange, you’ll need to find buyers for your cryptocurrency. A broker can do that for you. Here are the steps to start trading cryptocurrencies.
1. CREATE AND FUND YOUR ACCOUNT.
When you’ve selected a broker or exchange, the next step is to open an account. You’ll want to keep a form of identification nearby since some platforms require it. Once you verify your identity, you can fund your account. Depending on your funding method, you may need to wait a few days for it to clear into your crypto account.
2. BUY CRYPTO.
You can make your first cryptocurrency
purchase when your account is set up and verified. You’ll find many options. You can purchase as much or as little as you’d like. When you’ve selected the one you want to start with, you’ll need to enter the ticker symbol and the amount you wish to purchase. Some of the more traded cryptocurrencies and their symbols are:
3. SELECT A STORAGE METHOD.
Most often, you’ll store cryptocurrency in a crypto wallet. When you purchase from a broker, you might not have an option regarding how you store your crypto. However, you can choose between a hot or cold wallet when purchasing through an exchange.
HOT WALLETS
A hot wallet is a crypto wallet that offers online storage that you can access from a computer, phone, or tablet. A hot wallet has a security risk because it’s stored on the internet and is more susceptible to cyberattacks.
COLD WALLETS
A cold wallet doesn’t connect to the internet. You can store your cryptocurrency in an external drive, such as a USB device. You’ll receive a keycode to keep in a safe place. Should you lose the keycode, you may lose access to your crypto wallet and cryptocurrency.
