When I was a kid playing high school golf, I was content to pick up my ball on the greens, spit on it, rub it clean, wipe my hands on my pants, and putt out. As I've grown older (and had to launder my own clothing), I've become a bit more particular about where I wipe my hands. Carrying around a little towel - or unclipping your regular towel 18 times per round - can be a bit of a hassle.
Enter Ballzee, a ball washer for your pocket.
FootJoy. Adidas. Ecco. Even Nike and Dexter. These are the names you think of when you think "golf shoes." Bite? "Oh, they make those sandals, right?"
Not quite true. Though Bite is often credited as having invented the golf sandal, they've grown a bit since then. Bite now makes quite a few golf shoes. I recently had the opportunity to test two pairs on a golf trip to North Carolina. Here are my thoughts.
In 2001, Titliest Introduced the Pro V1 line of golf balls which quickly became the most played ball on the PGA Tour due to their low spin off the driver and high spin around the greens. Titleist is the number one ball of choice on every professional golf tour and perennially leads in number of wins. Even players like Mike Weir, Sergio Garcia, and Vijay Singh who have signed equipment contracts with other companies choose to play Titleist golf balls. However, the recent introduction of Bridgestone's B330, and the new HX Tour from Callaway, which has been earning notoriety behind a hot Phil Mickelson, has proved that there is still room for competitors in the high-end golf ball market.
Earlier this week, we introduced you to Maxfli's BlackMAX golf ball, the newest entry into the high-end golf ball market. Is the BlackMAX good enough to compete? As promised, we've played this ball on course and experimented on the launch monitor, here's what we found.
Despite what the glowing reader reviews found on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com lead me to believe, The Green, by Troon McAllister, is a disappointing book at best.
The story is narrated by Alan Bellamy, "Player of the Year" and Ryder Cup captain. After being defeated for $20,000 by a public links hustler named Eddie Caminetti, Bellamy names Caminetti the 12th man to the US Ryder Cup team. Heavy underdogs this year, the US team members witness Eddie's play and agree to pay him $100,000 if he helps them to win or keep the Cup.
The first page promises that things eventually go "haywire," but the expectation remains sadly unfulfilled throughout the book's 289 pages.
Most golfers don't give their feet much thought. While many golfers buy expensive shoes, they often just throw on an old pair of socks and neglect the impact socks can have on comfort.
I've tried several different types of socks, and I always felt like I've had to sacrifice either cushioning or comfort with any brand I've tried. Some have been great at cushioning my feet, but they were too hot to get through a full round in leather golf shoes. Thinner socks kept my feet dry, but weren't as comfortable over the long haul. On a recommendation from a friend, I tried out Nike's Dri-FIT socks and I realized I can have the best of both worlds.
Hey there. Got a second? I'd like to ask you a quick question: How do you tell where your club hit the ball on a mis-hit?
If you're anything like I was a little over a year ago, your answer is probably some variation of "Look for the sky mark." But, as you play and improve, you'll eventually have a few lessons and the pro will pull out those little pieces of paper.
You put them on your club, you hit a few shots to see where you're hitting the ball on your clubface, and then you throw them away. The little papers work, but who wants to mess with peeling stickers every two or three shots? Besides, they sure are expensive, aren't they?
Enter the CaddyPatch.
For the past year and a half, two of my favorite clubs have been my 56° and 60° Titleist Vokey Oil Can wedges. These wedges performed superbly on approaches from the fairway, out of the rough, and were a sure bet out of the sand. However, many people have been raving about the incredible spin produced by TaylorMade's y-groove wedges which are found only on their tour versions of the RAC wedge series. Recently I had the opportunity to purchase one of these wedges from Bomb Squad Golf and pounced on it just to see what all the hype is about. A few days ago, a 56° oil quenched RAC y-cutter with 12° of bounce was delivered to my door and I tested it at the course the next day.
I was over at Barnes & Noble a couple of months back and, like a true fanatic, was perusing the golf section and I came across a book I had to take home. "The Sweetest Game," by Cal Brown is a collection of anecdotes that serve to instruct and humor anyone who loves the greatest game.
In his chapter, "Golfers Are Born Losers" Brown quotes the proverb that says: "God gave us music that we might pray without words" and goes on to say, "The Scots gave us golf that we might suffer without guilt." Everyone who has played golf for any length of time knows what Brown is talking about and that is what makes this book so much fun. It's golf in the raw - the struggles of the greatest players in history as an example for the weekend hack.
For the past ten years, I've used a Titleist stand bag I purchased with my winnings in a golf tournament when I was 17. The Titleist worked well - and worked particularly well after I replaced its single strap with a dual strap from Izzo.
Unfortunately, in the past few years, the full-length (cloth material) dividers have torn up a bit. Putting a club away became an adventure in jiggling the bag and trying to find a slot into which the grip could fit. Otherwise, well, clubs were sticking out an extra six or ten inches all over the place. It had become just plain silly.
I like Titleist equipment, but their bags are simply overpriced. I've checked out the quality of the recent series of bags, and it's just not there. Rebranded Sun Mountain bags at a premium price didn't set well with me, so I looked elsewhere. And I found what may be one of the best stand bags around: the Ogio Exo stand bag.
