Volume Forty-Eight

With some big shoes to fill, this volume gets it started off right.

Hittin the LinksWe can all agree that Josh did a great job with this column and since this is an interim issue of “Hittin’ The Links” (before Matt takes over), I think its time to show you some garbage I’ve been lookin’ at for a while – things I’ve found interesting or things I just thought noteworthy.

Let’s get started.

Hole 1: TourCast
If you haven’t already heard of TourCast you’re in for a treat. Most everyone knows about ShotLink, a system IBM developed for the PGA Tour which tracks each player’s ball position down to the inch. TourCast runs in your browser and shows “live” shots from an aerial view above the course. Its basically watching an entire tournament without ever seeing a golf swing… or a golfer for that matter. [Link]

Hole 2: YourGolfGame
Everyone should keep stats. It just makes sense, its fun, and it gives feedback on your game. While there are many services available for this, some of them just suck. I’ve found that YourGolfGame and DigitalDivots (Hole 3) work the best. [Link]

Hole 3: Digital Divot
Digital Divot is another Stat tracker, just a little “cleaner” looking than YourGolfGame, but slightly less detailed. They even have a widget for Mac users so you can check your handicap with a simple pound on the F12 key. [Link] [Widget]

Hole 4: Cameron Cube
Everyone knows Scotty Cameron putters are some of the nicest goods goin’, but who knew he made training aids? Davis Love III did and he says this little tool has vastly improved his putting stroke. Its a little plastic cube that attaches to the putter face and ensures that the putter will be swung along the correct path. [Link]

Hole 5: Break Reader
You could have the soundest putter stroke on Earth, but if you can’t read a green nothing’s gonna drop. This little gadget reads breaks down to tenth’s of degrees. Too bad they can’t read the grain. [Link]

Hole 6: Chuck “The Hit Man” Hiter
This guy is ridiculous. He did an exhibition at my home course and blew my mind. He would toss a ball behind his back, whip around, blade a nine-wood, and send it over the fence. I can barely clear the fence with a pure drive. Worth a look to say the least. [Link]

Hole 7: Nike MaxSight
The empire that is Nike has finally made the leap from footwear to vision correction. Nike MaxSight contact lenses are supposed to act as sunglasses that sit on your eyes instead of on your head. They also up the contrast on the greens so you can read putts more accurately. At last year’s Buick Open I noticed a lot of the Tour players wearing strange red contacts and about six months later I finally found out what they were. I want some. [Link]

Hole 8: New Vokey SM
Wedges are a huge part of the game and they’re the clubs that will get you some circled numbers and save you from the boxed ones. I was browsing through another great selection of Tour Equipment photos at GolfWRX and stumbled across this fantastic looking wedge. If you have any information on them please email me. [Link1][Link2]

Hole 9: Golf RSS Widget
Another Mac-friendly hole. This is a great little widget that updates itself from the PGA’s website with the latest news. They always have some quality articles and I find that its a worthwhile read. [Link]

Hole 10: New Signboy Ad
There are a lot of mixed emotions swirling around Signboy. Some love him, some can’t stand him. I’m a member of the first party, I love Signboy. This new Footjoy ad is hilarious. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat. Its the one entitled “Birthday”. [Link]

Hole 11: Never Compromise Stubby
I own this training putter and love it. It makes you develope a very smooth stroke and has great feel to it. Plus, The Stubby is legal for play, check it out. [Link]

Hole 12: Birdie Balls
This is a practice ball I’ve had my eye on for some time now. They’re supposed to feel like a real ball at impact, but only fly a maximum of 50-or-so yards. They have them at a local golf store, maybe I’ll pick up a sleeve. [Link]

Hole 13: The K Club
In my opinion, The K Club is a horrible venue for a Ryder Cup. The course there is simply too American (designed by Arnie). They might as well have scheduled the Cup for Bay Hill. Regardless, here’s what The K Club has to say about themselves. [Link]

Hole 14: Ben Hogan Tour Deep
From what I hear, these balls are a pretty good, less expensive replacement for ProV1’s. If anyone has played them, please let me know.[Link]

Hole 15: Titleist Performance Institute
I’m a pretty big fan of everything Titleist and from what I’ve seen on The Golf Channel, these guys know that the hell they’re talking about when it comes to fitness. I would love to visit the TPI and get specced out. Hell, I’d like to go and just watch someone get specced out. [Link]

Hole 16: Hot Stix
Hot Stix has the best club-fitting process on earth. This Arizona-based company owns some proprietary software that makes the club selection process a much more exacting one than traditional club fittings. A visit here ranks right up there with the TPI on my to-do list. [Link]

Hole 17: Desperado Golf Balls
Alright, alright. They’re not legal. They’re not even cool… Hell, its downright cheating, but (secretly) tee off with one of these and gain 20-25 yards and watch your buddies scratch their heads. [Link]

Hole 18: Camilo Villegas
In a thread on the forums, I put Camilo as one of my four favorite players on tour. I find it kind of exciting to watch a rookie struggle on the PGA tour. Currently ranked 175th in the world, I think Camilo has the ability to be a contender week in and week out. [Link]

Well, thats it for my first week. Hope you enjoyed it and I’ll keep the goods comin’ for next week. If you’ve got anything interesting you’d like to see in a future volume of Hittin’ The Links feel free to email me

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