Think of Scotland and images of old castles, the sea, and
Scottish men playing bagpipes will come to your mind. But
those who play golf will immediately reach the picturesque
golf courses of Scotland in their imagination. After all,
this country is the birthplace of the game. As a golfer you
may or may not get the opportunity to play golf in the
courses of Scotland in your lifetime. But you can surely
bring beautiful Scottish golf landscapes into your home.

There are many golf artists that bring to life the famous
golf landscapes from all around the world. If you find
original golf art paintings to be too expensive for your
pocket, then simply acquiring Limited Edition lithograph
prints or Giclees allows you to enjoy the beauty of many
gorgeous golf landscapes.

In addition to satisfying your passion for golf, purchasing
golf landscapes paintings, prints and Giclees can be an
investment. Such paintings of famous golf courses and their
signature holes, most known holes, etc. are more valuable
than the paintings (of not so famous) golf courses. The
more recognized the artist, the better return on your art
investment.

If you do not have any of the above reasons to buy a golf
painting, then the sheer pleasure of having a lovely
landscape grace the walls of your home is reason alone.
Perhaps the most painted courses of Scotland, excluding St.
Andrews for due notoriety, are the legendary courses of
Carnoustie, Gleneagles and Kingsbarns.

Carnoustie Golf Links, 15th Hole Though Carnoustie is not
the prettiest golf course, it is definitely one of the
oldest and the toughest with a large number of bunkers and
burns. The 15th hole, popularly known as "Lucky Slap", is
one of the best closing holes all over the world. The Tay
Estuary flows nearby, coursing to the North Sea. The
fairways at this hole, which is a 460 yard par four, slopes
from left to right. A group of bunkers make it one of the
hardest par fours as per the yardage guide. This
championship course was designed by Old Tom Morris and
James Braid.

Gleneagles, Kings Course, 14th Hole Designed by James
Braid, Donald Matheson and Major C. K. Hutchison, the Kings
Course at Gleneagles is one of the mesmerizing beauties in
the world of golf. You can enjoy the ravishing views of the
Ochil Hills and the peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich.
In fact, the scenery at the course is so stunning that
golfers are said to be distracted from their game due to
it. The 14th hole at the course is no less and is a very
interesting short par four.

Opened in 1919, the Kings Course is set among gorgeous
mountains and the best moorland track in the world. The
fairways have a springy quality and meander through the
rough studded with gorse and heather. Many holes at the
course are embraced by silver birches, rowans and mature
pine trees. The names of the holes at this enchanting golf
course are also evocative such as Blink Bonnie, Silver
Tassie and Wee Bogle. It has been the venue for a number of
important events which include Dunhill Trophy, Curtis Cup,
the WPGA Championship of Europe, and Scottish Open. The
course is so pleasing to the eyes that Lee Trevino
commented about it that if heaven is as good as this, then
hopefully they have some tee times left.

Kingsbarns, 15th Hole One of the greatest golf courses in
the world, Kingsbarns is a pride of Scotland. It's a very
old course that was closed down for a long time and later
designed by Kylie Phillips and opened in 2000. The 15th
hole at Kingsbarns is a beauty in itself with the North Sea
in the background, which can actually be seen from any part
of the course. The design of the course is such that it
appears to be naturally built, and just six kilometers from
St. Andrews, it's a great addition to the area. The terrain
at the course is perfect for playing golf with undulating
fairways, hollows and humps. Kingsbarns also has its own
burn - the Cambo.

There are many other famous and picturesque courses in
Scotland such as Muirfield, Turnberry, and Royal Dornoch.
If you don't have the time or means necessary to play these
and other famous golf courses, then perhaps investing in
the golf paintings and golf landscape prints of these and
other courses can at least be the next best thing.

Photography is a process or art of creating still or moving
pictures using a camera. It is based on the physical
properties of light and requires high technology.
Handicraft ,on the other hand, is the art of making utility
and decorative items completely by hand or using simple
tools. Examples of this include wood carvings, soapstone
sculptures and hand woven bags and baskets. It is not
surprising therefore that photography has been for the more
developed western countries while handicraft has been an
art for the less developed countries like Kenya. But how do
these two arts relate to each other in today's global
village?

In this article, I will restrict the discussion to
situations in the East African game parks where majority of
visitors (tourists)to these countries end up in, thereby
making the game park a potential convergence point for
african handicraft and photography. Visitors to these parks
are not allowed to remove anything from the parks as
exemplified by one stern warning I recently saw at Lake
Manyara Game Park in Tanzania. It read "Do not take
anything from the park except: Nourishment of the soul,
Consolation for the heart and Inspiration for the mind".
The visitors could, therefore, legally carry only
photographs they had taken in the park or any of the
various wood and soapstone carvings readily available at
the gate. Is this enough?

To answer this question, one needs to look at these two
arts more critically:

- African Handicraft: The most common forms of sculptures
in East Africa generally represent human or animal form and
in wood or soapstone. Wood carvings are more popular with
the artisans because wood is found all over East Africa
unlike soapstone which occurs only in Kisii, in western
Kenya. In addition, wood being more malleable, offers less
challenge to the artisan who is equipped with basic and not
very advanced tools. But hardwood tends to attract more
experienced and better equipped artisans because it cracks
more easily than softwood. Hardwood also withstands damage
by insects and weather changes better. Hardwood carvings,
therefore, are not only more durable but should be of
higher quality. A park visitor will , therefore , be able
to choose high quality wood carvings and soapstone
sculptures that represent the real thing if armed with
enough knowledge. These are available in many varieties
,and are unique. Unlike photography, all are three
dimensional. Moreover, with the internet, all these
products are also available online.

- Photography: A good photographer at a game park can take
good still and motion pictures using very portable
equipment. But the pictures are not three dimensional and
require more expensive equipment to create.

African Handicraft and Photography, therefore, are like
opposite ends of the same thing to a game park visitor.
Used in combination and done correctly, the two arts work
synergistically and should never compete with each other as
they provide full and total satisfaction to the game park
visitors.

Businesses shouldn't underestimate the power of well-designed display signage. Studies have shown signs have a strong effect on the profitability of a company.

 

Bring In New Customers

 

An integral part of successful business promotion is bringing your establishment to the attention of new customers. While ads placed in venues from billboards to television are often viewed as a major source of customers, display signage is often more effective.

 

For example a study of restaurant advertising by the Small Business Administration showed that among fast food restaurants display signage was the leading source of customers, accounting for over one third of new arrivals. While sit down restaurants saw word of mouth as the leading source of new customers, their signs accounted for as much as one quarter of their traffic.

 

Visual displays must be easy to see so customers can pick them out of competing sights in the area. They must give an immediate, positive image of the establishment so passers-by feel the desire to come inside.

 

Influence Shopper Decisions

 

Retail stores commonly want to push customers toward certain products. These might be overstocked or discontinued items, or merchandise with a larger profit margin. Display signage draws attention to these items and brings customers over to look at them. Swaying shoppers' buying habits is an important strategy to retail success.

 

There is a reason that checkout lines are stocked with small, inexpensive items. These impulse buys are a significant source of store revenue and many a shopper has thrown one or two of these items into the basket while waiting to be rung up. However customers are so used to seeing these displays that they stop noticing them after a while. Display signage can highlight these displays, causing shoppers to give them a second look.

 

Create a Brand Identity

 

Humans are naturally visual creatures and we respond well to imagery. Display signage gives a business a strong visual identity, which creates stronger associations in a customer's mind than the store itself does. If the sign is attractive, those associations are immediately positive.

 

Architectural signage is one of the most important factors in this branding. Since these can be seen much farther than other visual displays, they reach a larger audience. Entire storefronts have been designed around the shop sign. Studies show that establishments with signs as focal points show better profitability than stores which add signs as an afterthought.

 

Display signage seems like a simple concept and as a result may be overlooked by business owners. The power of signs to attract new customers, direct shopping traffic, and to create positive associations in people's minds should not be taken lightly. A signage strategy should be a leading component in a comprehensive promotional plan designed to reach the maximum number of potential customers.

No matter what business you're in, you can likely find a use for vinyl signage. These banners are printed with large format printing machines and are sturdy enough to stand up to daily use, both indoors and outdoors. With a little brainstorming, you'll likely find many more uses for vinyl signs - here are only three.

Point of purchase or POP signage is an important aspect of any retail business. A recent study has found that around 70% of all decisions regarding which brand to purchase are made on the spot in the store and POP displays can play a large role in influencing that decision. For instance, if someone is going to the grocery store to buy peanut butter, the brand with the large vinyl signage display is more likely to entice a shopper than the brand simply sitting on the shelf.

Sales are down in nearly every retail market across the country as Americans tighten their belts and curb their spending. This means retailers need to get creative in order to increase sales and entice shoppers to part with their hard earned money. One easy way to do this is to design and install attractive point of purchase or POP displays. But what can you do to make the most out of your POP signage? First decide on the structural look of the display, and then carefully choose the design and the colors.