Month: November 2011

AimPoint Swinkey Review

Yes, it’s a stick that costs $99, but read on to find out why that’s more than the sum of its parts.

SwinkeyThe lyrics for the song used to help advertise the children’s toy the Slinky included the line that “for fun it’s the best of toys.”

If the Swinkey – dubbed “The Golfer’s Toolbox” – were the product being marketed by a song, the line would read “for golf it’s the best of tools” or something, and except for the fact that many would be unable to get the damn song out of their heads, it wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Training aids in golf are expensive. That’s because if you’re in the market for a golf training aid, you’re more than likely able to afford an expensive one. At $99, the Swinkey is an expensive training aid if you view it as “a stick.” But the Swinkey is more than a stick, and this review may convince you that $99 is a reasonable price.

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Atlantic City Country Club (Atlantic City, NJ) Review

Built in 1897, this seaside classic has a lofty reputation as New Jersey’s top public golf course.

ACCC Logo“Stay out of the bunkers” is the warning from the starter on the first tee, which also happens to be the putting green at Atlantic City Country Club.

By the end of the day, I’d have said, “stay out of the marsh,” as the holes that wound along the coast proved to be exceptionally difficult on a particularly windy October day. With gusts around 35 mph, and blowing directly toward the water in most cases (and this is the prevailing wind, according to a local expert), the teeth of the course are really exposed on the back nine.

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2011 Presidents Cup Singles Matches Live Chat

The U.S. goes into the singles matches with a commanding 13-9 lead. Will they hold on for the victory? Will it be a blowout?

Read our live chat that took place during the singles matches of the 2011 Presidents Cup from Royal Melbourne in Australia as the U.S. team wins 19-15.

PING Anser Irons Review

There has been a lot of hype about PING’s latest deviation into the realm of forged clubs, we’ll see if it’s warranted.

PING Anser HeroThe Anser carries the same name as one of the early iron models Karsten Solheim produced before he transitioned to the popular investment-casting process. The newest version pushes the forging process to create performance benefits not previously associated with a forged club.

I know PING irons. PING irons aren’t suppose to be forged. When I think of PING irons the following design features come to mind: investment cast, moderate offset, industrial grey Guyson finish, healthy topline, wider soles. The obvious exception is the “S” line but those heads are still cast. With the introduction of the Anser line, PING is moving into new territory.

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Recapping My Five Predictions from 2011

How did I do predicting the majors this year?

Trap Five LogoThis year at The Sand Trap, we’ve run five prediction columns. Back in January we made some general pre-season predictions, then we picked each of the four majors. Despite the fact that no one picked a single majors champion (I blame Tiger’s demise for this, five years ago these would have been no-brainers), we had a few near-misses and plenty of nuggets of insight. And if there’s anything we’ve learned this year, it’s that I am not a psychic, and that I suck big time at predicting the future.

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Titleist Announces 712 Series – Part Two: MB And CB Irons

Titleist improves on its established and proven players irons with their recently introduced 712 Series CB and MB irons.

Bag DropLast week we introduced the newest series of game improvements irons from Titleist, the 712 Series AP1 and AP2, but you didn’t think the lower handicappers would be left out, did you? With this new series also comes Titleist’s newest player’s irons, the 712 CB and MB, designed for the golfer that doesn’t need the assistance offered by larger cavity backs and prefers something both small in stature and big in workability.

Of course with the introduction of a new series of irons from Titleist comes their newest players irons, this year (as it was in 2009’s 710 Series) in the form of the MB and CB. By building on those previous models, Titleist was able to incorporate a number of small refinements that push these irons even further in terms of what the accomplished amateur as well as the touring professional desires in a traditional blade. With that in mind, let’s look a little deeper into Titleist’s latest MB and CB irons.

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