Volume One Hundred Thirty Eight

You may not want to take Tiger’s picture.

Hittin' the LinksHello and welcome, Hittin’ the Links is back on the job bringing you the hot happenings from the world of golf. Oh, and what a week it was. Let’s get started.

In this edition of HTL we explore another reason why people are giving up golf, investigate The PGA’s April special, check in on the college ranks, and check up on Ernie Els and his virus. Also, we see who won the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, take a look at the LPGA winner, find out what’s so special about the Langer family, and find out why you may not want to take Tiger’s picture for a while. Read on!

Reid Sheftall’s “Striking it Rich” Book Review

Think you’ve got what it takes to make it on tour? You might want to consult with the doctor, first. Dr. Reid Sheftall, that is, plastic surgeon-cum-Malaysian PGA touring professional.

Striking it RichOne of the most often-touted explanations for the appeal of golf is that we play the same game, on the same courses, under the same rules, as the greatest players in the world. Is it any surprise, then, that so many of us entertain Walter Mitty-esque fantasies about turning pro? Come on, admit it, if you’ve piped a drive down the middle, followed it up with a pured iron and one putt, you’ve probably allowed yourself to wonder and fantasize, “What if…”

Truth is, most of us are about as likely to see tour action as we are to see, well, Gisele Bündchen action, but every once in a while, a real-life Walter Mitty shows up on the radar. Such is the central theme of Reid Sheftall’s Striking it Rich: Golf in the Kingdom, with Generals, Patients, and Pros. The book will prove entertaining reading for just about any golf-obsessed Sand Trap reader, and might just teach you a thing or two about the game you love most.

There are so many things both fascinating and puzzling about Striking it Rich it’s tough to know where to start. The author, Reid Sheftall, is an American-born, expatriate surgeon who, after completing his medical training in the U.S., emigrated to Cambodia where he has a thriving medical practice at the American Medical Center in Phnom Penh. In the preface, we learn that Sheftall was a talented, promising junior golfer, who left the game due to waning interest and a temper ill-suited for the game.

The Streak is Over, but the Beat(ing) Goes On

Time to drag out the “greatest ever” debate again. If there is even any debate anymore.

Thrash TalkAs I reckon most of you already know, The Streak (the latest one, anyway) is officially over. Someone beat Tiger Woods, finally, by two whole strokes, at last week’s CA Championship at Doral, ending his run of official PGA Tour victories at five. Past Tiger streaks have ignited fiery discussions over Sir Eldrick’s historical standing in golf, so to extend the Tiger theme of last week’s Thrash Talk, I’d like to give you a few additional things to chew on. Read on to get my take on the matter.

MacGregor Releases MT Line

MacGregor Golf goes back to some classic styling and releases some fine looking clubs in their MT line.

Bag DropThe folks at MacGregor Golf have been making golf equipment for 110 years. Recently, some profitability issues, ownership changes, and some rather bland product lines have made them almost an afterthought in today’s golf equipment world.

Happily, those days seem to be in the past with the release of their new MT line of clubs that include drivers, woods, hybrids, wedges, and five new iron sets. So come along as we peruse all that MacGregor Golf has to offer.

Volume One Hundred Thirty Eight

Hey, I think you just ran over David Feherty!

Hittin' the LinksHappy Easter from Hittin’ the Links. I certainly hope most people enjoyed better weather than they had at Doral on Sunday. I know the members at Isleworth Country Club cannot be too happy with what has transpired, as it has cut into the playing of The Tavistock Cup. The official Tavistock Cup website has a press release stating there is a two and a half hour delay for the start of play. I guess you do anything to get Tiger there.

In this edition of HTL we check in on the ailing David Feherty, see where they plan to play the Byron Nelson, and investigate what golf balls and condoms have in common. Also hot off the web we have an 80-year old man with three holes-in-one in a single day, we take a look at Michelle Wie’s hurt wrist, listen to the PGA Tour rumor mill, and check out some of the best golf resorts money can buy. Read on!

Nine Holes with Myrtle Beach

We’re approaching peak golf trip season. For many of us, that means Myrtle Beach and its plethora of golf courses.

ProfilesTo many American and Canadian golfers, the words “golf trip” are virtually synonymous with Myrtle Beach. Though the total number of open courses, by my count, has now dipped just below 100 due to a number of closings over the last decade, there is still plenty of variety and quality golf to be had.

Sure, I’m personifying Myrtle Beach by putting it in ProFiles, but it is almost like a friend (or antagonist at times). We spend much of the year dreaming of a few days spent golfing our brains out with a motley collection of characters we call our golfing buddies. If you’ve been on a golf trip to Myrtle Beach, you can probably relate. If you haven’t you’ll probably recognize bits of your own golf trip in the hints and observations below.

Tiger’s Still Streaking

When and where will Tiger’s win streak end?

Thrash TalkTiger Woods is taking the golf world by storm yet again. To put things in perspective, Woods hasn’t lost a tournament he has entered since the Deutsche Bank Championship last September. Phil Mickelson outlasted the world’s number one golfer that day, but nobody has been able to stop him since. That’s a win streak in excess of six months for crying out loud!

With The Masters on the horizon, the talk of Tiger’s win streak is dominating the golf headlines for good reason. It’s a pretty safe bet Woods won’t win every tournament he enters for the rest of his career, so the win streak has to end at some point. When and where that happens is worth looking into, and that’s what I’ll attempt to do in this week’s article.

Golf Talk [Episode 081]

1 in 150 children are born with autism, and Ben Els is sadly one of them.

Golf Talk PodcastCink sinks again, and O’Hair has two good weeks, nabbing a win and a top 10. But Tiger’s the story again as he wins at Bay Hill. Also this week: Tripp Isenhour the jerk, John Daly the jerk, and Ernie Els makes a confession about his son in this week’s Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 081 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.

Getting Ready for Spring

Spring is right around the corner! Are you ready for some golf?

Bag DropI’m doing something a bit different this week for The Bag Drop (don’t worry, we’ll get back to introducing you to new clubs next week!) and instead focusing on a great event that is coming up for those of us who live in the northern part of the United States.

That’s right, golf season is right around the corner. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for those of us who’s cabin fever is driving them (and our spouses) nuts. George highlighted a few items last week and that got me thinking about what I need to do in order to hit the ground running for the fast approaching golf season.

Hopefully some of the items below will help you out a little bit in getting ready or serve as a reminder that you should start preparing today.