Nine Holes With Ben Hogan

Nine-time major winner Ben Hogan is certainly one of professional golf’s most interesting characters who, through force of his own will, crafted a swing and a legacy that will be appreciated as long as golf is played.

ProFilesArguably the best ball striker of all time, Ben Hogan has become a legend. Even before his playing days ended in 1971 Hogan had become a folk hero for surviving a serious car accident and continuing to play. His 1-iron into the 18th green at Merion Golf Club is perhaps the most famous shot in golf and occured after the violent crash.

He spoke very little on the golf course and is reported to have said, “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” 1964 U.S. Open winner Ken Venturi reported Hogan said, “There’s three ways to beat somebody: you outwork them, you out-think them, and then you intimidate them.”

Bionic Glove Review

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man.

Bionic GloveOK, so wearing the Bionic Glove won’t make you Col. Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man, but it can make those aching hands feel invincible. I live in Arizona where the heat is dry but intense and your hands sweat. A lot. All that sweat running down your arms, all that wiping of the brow, it leaves my hands wet and ruins gloves after a couple rounds. So I’ve learned to play without gloves for sake of not buying them by the dozen. However, I miss the extra grip that gloves provide and will use them in milder weather.

Enter the Bionic Glove, a glove designed not only to provide extra gripping power with plenty of comfort, but also provides some padding in certain places on the underside of the hand and finger area ostensibly to aid those with arthritis.

Masters, Big Five Style

The Big 5 are preparing for the Masters in a couple weeks. The numbers give us a bit of insight into what to expect… and don’t think it will be Tiger going low early or Phil finishing like a thoroughbred.

The Numbers GameTiger, Phil, Retief, Vijay, and Ernie. They will all be in Georgia in less than one week, ready to tackle the new and (cough, ahem) “improved” Augusta. While you’re busy contemplating your fantasy team rosters, I’ve compiled a few statistics on these “big five” that may interest you.

Wanted: Bag Drop Writer

We’re looking for a new Bag Drop author. Are you what we seek?

Bag DropAre you a golf equipment nut? The type of gearhead who is on the cutting edge of the latest clubs and balls? If you are, and you like to write, I have one more question for you: would you like to join the staff of The Sand Trap and write the Bag Drop, our weekly equipment feature?

I started the Bag Drop last summer, and I’ve enjoyed writing it and getting great feedback from fellow golfers and golf industry folks. My travel schedule is about to get much busier, however, and I won’t have time to give The Bag Drop the attention it deserves. I’ll still be a part of The Sand Trap staff, popping in with a review or a story when I have the chance. But you’ll be in charge of the Bag Drop, which is a lot of fun to write.

2006 Masters Predictions

The staff of The Sand Trap weigh in with their predictions. Who will win? Who will disappoint? Find out what we think.

Masters LogoThere may be another stop on the PGA Tour this week, but c’mon, who is thinking about The BellSouth Classic right now? Here at The Sand Trap we’re in full Masters mode. We’re checking the quality of our HD signals, we’re buying snacks and timing how long it takes to get to the refrigerator and bathroom and back to the couch, and we’ve put all of our family and friends on alert: we cannot be bothered a certain four days next week.

Here at The Sand Trap, as we like to do with all the majors, we’ve quizzed our staff and come up with some predictions. Find out what we think about the course, who will win (and with what score), who could be a dark horse, who will disappoint, and what will surprise us (though, by spilling our surprises now, will they surprise anyone?).

Read now, and tell us whether you agree. And remember: this article will still be here after The Masters is over. For some, that will give them bragging rights. For others, tremendous shame…

2006 Players Championship Tidbits

There are a lot of things to talk about after watching The Players Championship this past weekend.

Thrash TalkThe 2006 Players Championship is behind us, and it’s time to get focused on The Masters. However, there are a lot of things to talk about after watching the crazy action at Sawgrass this past weekend. I watched every second of the television coverage on Saturday and Sunday, and it made me realize once again why The Players Championship is my favorite golf tournament in the world.

There were some feel-good stories, a great performance by a certain par-three, and a large amount of untimely bad shots played in the process. I want to talk about some of the positives and negatives I witnessed this past weekend. Therefore, I’m going to break down some of the key topics in The Players Championship aftermath, so hold on tight.

Tavistock Cup Preview

How often do you get to or want to watch Tiger and Mark O’Meara play golf in shorts?

Tavistock CupThe third annual Tavistock Cup kicked teed off this morning at Isleworth Country Club. How often do you get to see twenty of the world’s top golfers have a fun casual competition, in shorts no less? With a small purse of 1.7 million, bragging rights are the real prize to be had in this friendly competition.

“The Tavistock Cup is a healthy and spirited sports competition and a unique opportunity to give back to the community,” said Tom Morgan, president and CEO of Hughes Supply.

Big Drivers, Bigger Price Tags

After years of downward-trending driver prices, the cost of getting the hottest drivers is growing bigger.

Bag DropThis is Season Two of the 460cc driver era. Nearly every major company has produced at least one – and up to three – drivers that have maxed out at the USGA/R&A arbitrary limitation of 460cc, plus or minus 10cc for manufacturing tolerances.

So you would think that maybe since size can’t be used as a point of differentiation anymore, perhaps it would get harder to tell the competing drivers apart, or that maybe they’d start to get cheaper. Well, guess again. A new batch of drivers is standing apart from the crowd, and doing so at some rather high price points.

Volume Fifty-Two

Put these links on your favorites list and if you use them, you’ll be taking all your friends money around the loop. If not, you’ll at least look good trying.

Hittin' the LinksSpring is in the air here in Cleveland, OH… kind of. With an occasional dusting of snow here and there, I remain undaunted. The month of March and the blooming of my wife’s tulips point to a soon-to-be spring. Unfortunately for me, the misfortune of living in a climate where the ideal golfing weather takes a five month hiatus, I have grown rather rusty. Therefore, I have done a little research in hopes to get my body, mind and spirit back on the right track.

Put these links on your favorites list and if you use them, you’ll be taking money from all your friends around the loop. If not, you’ll at least look good trying.