Author: Erik J. Barzeski

Sick of Wie Whiners

The Michelle Wie boo-birds come out of the woodwork every time she tees it up, and I’m sick of hearing it.

Michelle WieJoe Ogilvie may have said it best: “She’s better than Tiger was at 16. I played with Tiger, and Tiger wasn’t this good. Everybody is like, ‘Win, win, win.’ She’s 16. Chill out. Once she gets to winning, you’ll get sick of her winning.”

I’m not a raving, ranting Michelle Wie fan. I’d like to see her win a tournament. I’d like to see her learn to crush opponents. I’d like to see her spend some more time competing against her peers.

But don’t put me in the camp of Wie detractors, either, and I’m sick of hearing from those who are.

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Golf Talk [Episode 030]

Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Michelle Wie, and Annika Sorenstam all fell to underdogs last week.

PodcastTrevor Immelman, Allen Doyle, and Brittany Lincicome all knocked off some big names to claim titles the past week (Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam). Plus, Tiger vs. Ozzie Guillen, Michelle Wie vs. the heat of the John Deere Classic, Nick Faldo to TGC, Mickelson at Hoylake, Tiger’s loss of intimidation, Natalie Gulbis winning her first tournament (we predict!), and thoughts on metal spikes. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 030 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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Grey Hawk Golf Club (LaGrange, OH) Review

Grey Hawk will drop the jaws of the higher handicapper, but it fails to appeal to better players and fans of architecture.

Grey Hawk LogoGrey Hawk Golf Club in LaGrange, OH is a residential golf course built in 2004. 45 minutes from Cleveland, the course is a bit out of the way, but worth the trip if only to see what warranted its inclusion in Golf Digest’s “Best New Affordable Public Courses” list. A friend and I visited the course in late June, 2006 to give the course a look. Measuring anywhere between 7079 and 5091 yards, Grey Hawk offers a linksy Florida blend at reasonable prices.

Before we begin, we’d like to thank forum member Mark (aka “ezmoney5150“) for the invitation. If I’ve ever played with a more gregarious fellow, I can’t remember it. Mark’s company made what could have been a very dull round much more interesting.

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Old School Bomb and Gouge

A quote on hitting driver and wedge… but who is it from?

Guess where this quote comes from?

I’d rather play a wedge second shot out of rough than a 5-iron from the fairway if I gain 40 or 50 yards by doing it… There’s ninety ways to get out of the rough after a long drive, but no way at all to pick up those yards you’ve lost by hitting them soft.

Tiger after his T2 at the Western Open? Phil discussing his strategy at Hoylake or Winged Foot?

How about Sam Snead in his 1962 book Education of a Golfer? You wouldn’t have guessed it, but the same problems that “plague” the PGA Tour these days “plagued” the game in the 1950s, too. Or was golf “in ruins” back then, too? If so, how did it survive?

Guess what? The game back then was still won by the guys that put the ball on the green in regulation and putted well, just as Dave has shown it does now.

Thanks to Golf Blogger for the lead.

Golf Talk [Episode 029]

Congratulations to Annika Sorenstam, the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open champion. Talk of this and more in this episode.

PodcastAnnika Sorenstam needed 90 holes to do it, but she wins the U.S. Women’s Open. This week, talk of Annika’s win, Geoff Ogilvy on distance, Greg Norman’s advice, Carolyn Bivens’ reign of terror, the flaws of the FedExCup and Ryder Cup, Seve on the U.S. Open, and two chips by Jeong Jang. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 029 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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Print Style Sheet Added

It’s now a lot easier to print articles here at The Sand Trap.

Site NewsThanks to the (not-so-) modern miracle of cascading style sheets (CSS), today we’re introducing a long overdue feature here at The Sand Trap: printer-specific style sheets for cleaner prints.

Any browser capable of understanding media directives can take advantage of this new functionality. Simply choose “Print” in your browser – be it Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. – and a cleaner version of the article you’re currently viewing will print.

By “cleaner” we mean without the background, the right-hand column, the tabs or images at the top, and with all links written out (because, unfortunately, you can’t click links on a piece of paper).

Give it a try – we think you’ll like it. Just print normally in your browser. If you’re the cautious type, check the print preview.

The FedExCup: Failure from the Start?

The 2007 FedExCup details are now known, and all they’ve done is firm my belief that it will be a massive failure.

FedExCupAs I write this, a ticker at pgatour.com/fedexcup informs me that I have but 184 days, 1 hour, 22 minutes, and four seconds until the start of the 2007 PGA Tour season and, by implication, the beginning of a “New Era” in golf – the FedExCup.

Earlier this week, Tim Finchem laid out the rules, points distributions, and the other mundane details of what will certainly become the most mundane “playoff” system in all of modern sport. It is, after all, the only playoff system in which nobody is eliminated and which accepts participants who won’t even be in the league the following season.

The announcement has stirred the pot of discussion, and though everyone from John Hawkins to us here at The Sand Trap has an opinion, I’ve yet to see one supporting the plan.

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Golf Talk [Episode 028]

The U.S. Open is over, and even forum member Rafi sees fit to join in. That Rafi doesn’t care for Phil Mickelson is a moot point, right? Nah…

PodcastPhil Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, and countless others collapse under the weight of the U.S. Open, and only Aussie Geoff Ogilvy manages to avoid a crash and burn to win the 106th at Winged Foot. This week, we talk about the rough, the greens, Phil’s fateful 18th hole, and a whole lot more. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 028 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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Titleist 905R Driver Review

Titleist was one of the last of the club manufacturers to move to the legal limit of 460cc. Was it worth the wait?

Titleist 905R GloryTitleist is a traditional company, and with tradition comes a somewhat slower, more calculated pace. Though drivers have been capped at 460cc for a few years now, Titleist has made due with drivers measuring less than 400cc – the 905S and the 905T.

Late last year, PGA Tour pros began playing the rumored “905R” in significant numbers. Ernie Els and Adam Scott were playing the driver as early as one year ago, and “spy shots” were showing up on Internet forums. Speculation ran rampant, as it is wont to do, and the public was interested, to say the least.

In March, Titleist formally introduced the 905R. Considered by many a “bigger” version of the 905T, nearly every Titleist staff member playing a 905T switched, as did some playing Titleist’s 905S.

Until earlier this year, I was one of those 905S users. I had a chance to give the 905R a spin, and here are my thoughts.

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