Author: Erik J. Barzeski

Little Mountain Country Club (Concord, OH) Review

“Deep Freakin’ Bunkers Country Club” may be a better name for this course, but Little Mountain will suffice for now.

Little Mountain CC LogoI looked high and low, but never really saw any large mountains at Little Mountain Country Club (LMCC), so they must be little. Or perhaps I was simply distracted by the gaping bunkers sprinkled liberally about the course.

LMCC is a five-star layout (as determined by Golf Digest), which places it in some heady company: Bethpage Black, Spyglass Hill, Pinehurst #2, Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, Arcadia Bluffs, and Whistling Straits are among the others to receive a perfect rating.

I live less than 90 minutes from Little Mountain, so I’ve stopped by a few times. Is the course worthy of five stars? Read on to find out…

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Ogio Straight Jacket Travel Bag Review

The Ogio Straight Jacket: a $99 travel bag that protects your sticks while looking stylish to boot.

Ogio Straight Jacket HeroThe tales of a golfer on the go’s woes often begin with “airline baggage handlers” and ends with “broken clubs.” It’s a sad tale, yet one that needlessly plays itself out time and time again across the airports of the world. A golfer arrives, waits anxiously at the baggage claim, pulls his clubs off the track, and opens the zipper to his rain hood with trepidation. Have his favorite clubs survived or met an ugly fate?

The frequent golf traveler has no doubt invested in a golf travel bag. Travel bags fit over your standard bag – be it a cart or a stand bag – and offer additional storage and protection to your collection of sticks. Ogio, makers of some fine stand and carry bags, makes two travel bags: the Monster and the Straight Jacket.

I’ve spent some time recently lugging my clubs through airports in a Straight Jacket, and here’s what I think.

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Golf Talk [Episode 035]

Will Tiger Woods ever lose again? Seriously? He just won his fourth in a row, beating Stewart Cink with his C game.

PodcastTiger Woods wins his fourth tournament in a row while Richie Ramsay wins the U.S. Amateur despite not knowing that golf has rules. Also, the 2007 PGA Tour ‘Fall Series’ is announced, Miyazato aces two holes in a six-hole stretch, Tiger (and John Hawkins) go over (or through) the roof, the Ryder Cup team practices, and Tiger favors drug testing. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 035 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.

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Golf Talk [Episode 034]

Tiger is now batting 0.300 in majors played as a professional despite two “slumps” during swing changes. Wow.

PodcastTiger Woods has captured his second major of the year, his fourth in the past two years, and his twelfth overall. Wow. Also this week, Tom Lehman’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup – Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank – Sergio Garcia “waiting” for a win, Shaun Micheel, drug testing on the PGA Tour, Dave Pelz’s dumb comments, Pat Hurst, and Carolyn Bivens. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 034 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.

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Live Blogging: Final Round of the 2006 PGA Championship

We’re live blogging the final round of the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah. Will Tiger Woods win his 12th, or will someone else hoist the Wanamaker Trophy?

19:00 – The final standings of the 88th PGA Championship.

#    Player          Tot  Today  R1    R2    R3    R4   Total
---  --------------  ---  -----  --    --    --    --   -----
1    Tiger Woods     -18   -4    69    68    65    68    270
2    Shaun Micheel   -13   -3    69    70    67    69    275
T3   Luke Donald     -12   +2    68    68    66    74    276
T3   Sergio Garcia   -12   -2    69    70    67    70    276
T3   Adam Scott      -12   -5    71    69    69    67    276
6    Mike Weir       -11   +1    72    67    65    73    277
T7   K.J. Choi       -10   -1    73    67    67    71    278
T7   Steve Stricker  -10   -3    72    67    70    69    278
T9   Geoff Ogilvy     -9   +2    69    68    68    74    279
T9   Ian Poulter      -9   -1    70    70    68    71    279
T9   Ryan Moore       -9   -3    71    72    67    69    279
T12  Chris DiMarco    -8    E    71    70    67    72    280
T12  Sean O'Hair      -8   -4    72    70    70    68    280
T14  Tim Herron       -7   +1    69    67    72    73    281
T14  Henrik Stenson   -7    E    68    68    73    72    281

Nobody managed to gain any ground in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. Tiger Woods has won his twelfth career major.

18:47 – Tiger backs off from his putt a second time, saying “you’ve gotta be kidding.” Nantz: “If it happens a third time Steve Williams is taking names.” I’m not sure what the disturbance is. Tiger rolls his putt to a foot. It’s over.

18:37 – Wadkins: “Tiger can still get them when he’s not playing his best. I don’t think Phil can.” Tiger finds the right intermediate cut on #18.

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Golf Talk [Episode 033]

Will we ever go one week without talking about Michelle Wie or Tiger Woods? Highly unlikely.

PodcastTom Lehman almost makes his own Ryder Cup team, but falls short of Dean Wilson. Kimberly Kim becomes the youngest to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur (at 14) and Cristie Kerr gets back on track. Plus the usual Tiger and Wie stories along with Divotgate, bent grass gone wild, and PGA Championship previews. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 033 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.

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2006 PGA Championship Pairings

The 88th PGA Championship tee times are now available. Get the scoop on the groups to watch at Medinah CC.

The pairings for the 88th PGA Championship have been released. Traditionally, the winners of the first three majors are paired together, and that’s the case this year as well. Fortunately for golf fans, that means Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Geoff Ogilvy will be playing together for at least two days of the 2006 PGA at Medinah Country Club.

Woods and Mickelson

All the other pairings are listed below. Those with high star power are in bold face text (including a few pairings with three PGA Championship winners) while those with U.S. Ryder Cup hopefuls have been italicized.

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Sun Mountain Speed E Cart Review

I’ve always been a “walker,” but the Speed E Cart has redefined how I view lugging a bag around 18 or more holes of golf.

Sun Mountain Speed E Cart HeroWe’ve all seen them. The first time we see them, we usually do a double-take. “Is that cart going along all by itself?” we ask. Yes, yes it is. The cart is driving itself, the owner a few paces behind, strolling along the fairway without a care in the world (nor a bag over his shoulders).

At only 28 years of age, I must admit to having mixed feelings over electronic carts. I longed to have the freedom to walk without carrying a bag, yet I didn’t know if I could tolerate the “old man” jokes I felt certain would accompany the use of an electronic cart.

After spending some time with a Sun Mountain Speed E Cart, I can assure you that I suffered no such jokes – only curiosity – and I found the pleasure of walking a golf course without the weight of a bag on my back all I thought it would be.

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Golf Talk [Episode 032]

I have a question for Tiger: “Have you ever mistaken your wife’s twin for Elin?”

PodcastTiger Woods becomes the youngest player ever to amass 50 wins on the PGA Tour, beating Jack Nicklaus by nearly three years. Also this week, Michelle Wie’s “mossy” penalty, Wie’s fall in the world rankings, the Ryder Cup, Colin Montgomerie’s “Money Hole,” and the oh-so-dumb questions reporters ask Tiger. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 032 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.

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