Category: Bag Drop

In my family, the three U.S. majors all marked significant annual observances. The Masters fell around my dad’s birthday and the PGA Championship around mine. And, of course, every year the U.S. Open wound up on Father’s Day.

It was always fun trying to pick out a golf gift for my dad, even if it was a challenge to come up with something truly useful for a golfer who had everything. If that’s your predicament, here are some ideas to consider from a golfer who has everything and who’s probably old enough to be your father…

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First I have to make a couple confessions: I am a headcover freak. And, yes, I know headcovers are probably unnecessary, if not a hassle to deal with. But to me they are a fascinating anachronism that has lived on far longer than their necessity would dictate. Why is that? And where do you stand on one of the burning issues in the game today?

Continue reading “Headcovers: Art Form, Fashion Statement, Personal Expression, or Unnecessary Evil?”

It had to happen sooner or later. Golf design has advanced so far it has entered into the realm of science fiction. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda have apparently conspired with Cobra Golf to design a putter that is half golf club, half light saber. Armed with the new Cobra Optica SL putter, you’ll have to tell your foursome to stand back and watch out. You are a Jedi knight about to light it up on the putting green.

I’ve played golf an awful long time. And during that time I’ve seen some awfully strange putters. But Cobra’s latest design just proves no matter how long you hang around, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Where do I begin?

Continue reading “Cobra’s Optica SL Putters: Star Wars on the Putting Green”

In these days of marquee designers like Vokey, Cameron, Wishon, and Cleveland, it’s interesting to watch as their creations evolve to incorporate new technologies and materials. But perhaps the most extreme example of design evolution over time is that of a club maker whose work has spanned the transformation from wood to steel to exotic composites in drivers and fairway clubs. I had a chance this week to talk with Jesse Ortiz, try his new clubs, and see for myself the passion he brings to his craft and his role as vice president and chief designer for Bobby Jones Golf.

Continue reading “Bobby Jones Golf: Everything Old Is New Again”

The golf grip industry has come a long way since the days of the venerable black and green rubber Victory grips that were standard issue on just about every club sold in America in the 70s and 80s. Whole new materials and technologies have emerged to deliver a dizzying array of choices for golfers. Now you can pick from colors, sizes, weights, and feel that suit your eye, your hands, and your touch. Here’s a look at some of the industry leaders, plus a couple of specialty makers, and their latest and most popular offerings…

Continue reading “Before You Rip It, You’ve Got to Grip It”

They say that practice makes perfect. The corollary must be that no practice makes imperfect. So, unless you’re a golf professional, work at a course, or live down the street from a range, finding time to groove your swing or practice your short game can be difficult. And given the choice between spending what time you do have playing or practicing, well, it’s not hard to figure out why those scores aren’t coming down.

That’s why I became so intrigued when introduced last fall to a relatively new product that’s turned my backyard into a viable, fun practice range. The invention of a father-son team from Colorado, it feels and flies like a regular golf ball, just a much shorter distance. The odd part is, it looks like a napkin ring.

Continue reading “How a Napkin Ring Improved My Practice”

First were the bushes planted at 150 yards. Then came the 150-yard stakes. Then the yardages engraved on sprinkler heads. Then colored circles and lines painted on cart paths. And of course, finally, detailed yardage books. Now technology has come to the rescue with amazingly accurate laser range finders and GPS systems.

With the “information age” of golf yardages decidedly upon us, the USGA and R&A relented last year and agreed to make modern distance finders legal for handicapping and tournament play subject to the enactment of local rules permitting them. Huzzah! But wait… they quickly followed up with an “Oh, by the way…”

Continue reading “Home on the Range (Finder)”

If you’ve played golf for any length of time – like in the past 70 years – and played a ball other than a Titleist or Top-Flite, you may very well have played a ball made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Never heard of them? Well, neither had I until this winter when hanging around my clubmaker’s shop wishing it were spring, I spotted an unusual-looking iron – a demo forged 6 iron my clubmaker had picked up at the PGA Show.

It was the Srixon I-506 model and it prompted a lot of web surfing and, ultimately, big changes to my bag.

Continue reading “Srixon: Japanese Powerhouse Slowly Emerging in U.S.”