GEL Ruby Putter Review

Grooves on a putter face are intended to help get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. Here with another take on grooves is a new company called GEL.

Gel Ruby Putter AngleGrooved putter faces have emerged in the last few years to open up yet another option when choosing a putter.

Yes! Golf was perhaps the first to use grooves on a putter face and were quickly followed by the likes of Guerin Rife and the TaylorMade Rossa line. Proponents say the grooves get the ball rolling much more quickly off the putter face thus reducing skidding and hopping that can cause the ball to wobble off line.

GEL (Groove Equipment Ltd.) entered the U.S. market at the 2007 PGA Merchandise Show with a line of six putters all featuring a grooved aluminum insert and named for precious stones. For our review, we chose the Ruby model. It’s an Anser-like head with a plumber’s neck. Here’s what we think after using it awhile…

Nine Holes with the Presidents Cup

It’s no Ryder Cup, but the Presidents Cup has been a lot more competitive lately than its big sister.

ProfilesHere’s the question this week: will more people tune it to watch David Duval play in the Viking Classic or most of the top golfers in the world play the Presidents Cup? I would think it’ll be the Presidents Cup hands down. After all, Tiger’s playing (but I am pretty interested in seeing how Duval does).

2007 Presidents Cup Staff Predictions

The Sand Trap Caucuses are complete, all votes are in, and no hanging chads! Read on to see if we are indeed bellweather journalists.

Thrash TalkThe seventh edition of the Presidents Cup match play event begins today at Royal Montreal. Unlike their performance in recent years’ Ryder Cup matches, the U.S. has had a pretty successful run in these international matches since the inaugural event in 1994. Will it continue? Read on to hear our soothsayings.

Pinnacle Revamps Entire Golf Ball Line

Guess which golf ball brand is number two behind Titleist. It’s Pinnacle, another Achusnet company. Here they come with five new models to choose from.

Bag DropI never cease to be amazed at the way golf balls keep evolving. I mean, when you think about it, it would seem the laws of physics, available materials, and rules restrictions would one day bring innovation to a halt. But that’s not so. Every year we are treated to new versions with new feel and new performance characteristics.

Pinnacle has long been established as the leading low-priced, long distance ball. As one of the first two-piece balls to hit the market, it was one of the balls players used to call “rocks.” But that’s no longer an apt moniker. In fact the current Pinnacle marketing mantra is “Distance Doesn’t Have to be Hard.”

Low-priced distance balls have become softer and a lot more playable. And now there are five new Pinnacle versions to suit your game and your pocketbook including two aimed at the better player. Here’s a look at the new lineup…

Volume One Hundred Fifteen

Well let’s see, there’s the Walker Cup, the Solheim Cup, the PGA Cup…

Hitting the LinksEven with the race for the coveted FedExCup over, there is still plenty of golf yet to be played with PGA Tour players trying to stay employed on the main circuit and, oh yeah, this little event call The Presidents Cup.

This week, we have several links from the PGA Tour’s Fall Season, the upcoming Presidents Cup, and back-to-back shots you won’t believe.

Kaenon Sunglasses Review

You’ve only got one set of eyes, so we suggest you take care of them. Do these sunglasses from Kaenon fit the bill?

Kaenon SunglassesAs a contact wearer and avid golfer, I’ve been in need of a good pair of sunglasses for a while now. It isn’t much fun squinting and fighting dry eyes during a round of golf in the sun.

Kaenon Polarized is a company that manufactures sunglasses for a variety of sports, ranging from kite boarding to climbing to golf. Competing against giants like Oakley and smaller but somewhat entrenched companies like Tifosi, Kaenon has their work cut out for them. Can their products compare or even surpass the others? Read on to find out.

The Good, Bad and Plain Old Ugly of the FedExCup

Sometimes a plan comes together and sometimes it doesn’t. The FedExCup actually worked (surprised?), at least for the most part.

Trap Five LogoThe PGA Tour’s first FedExCup (FEC) is in the books, and the Cup is in Tiger’s hands as most of us thought it would be. For the most part, the “playoffs” were a success. They attracted more attention to the Tour, post-PGA Championship, as it was supposed to. The best player from the regular season was also the hottest player going into the FEC, and sure enough, he continued to be the hot player in the playoffs.

Golf Talk [Episode 072]

The FedExCup succeeds in telling us what we already knew: Tiger Woods is good at golf.

Golf Talk PodcastTiger is the inaugural FedExCup champion, with a five-shot victory at the Tour Championship. Zach Johnson shoots a Saturday 60, Cold Knost goes pro, the American gals win the Solheim Cup, the Tour Championship is poorly scheduled in 2008, and much more in this week’s episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 072 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

Volume One Hundred Fourteen

Tiger made East Lake look like Uncle Al’s Pitch and Putt.

Hitting the LinksAfter taking a bit of heat for not watching golf last weekend (the horror!), I sat down and watched Zack Johnson throw up a 60 on Saturday and Tiger Woods giving the rest of the field a beat-down with an eight-stroke victory at the Tour Championship to claim the inaugural FedExCup.

This week, we have several links from the Tour Championship, “choking dogs,” and a golf score that is simply ridiculous.