Category: Hot Topics

Nine Holes with the Masters

Nine things to ponder and watch for at the 2008 Masters Tournament.

ProfilesThe Masters Tournament is upon us again, and anticipation is running high. Most of us will spend at least a portion of the Masters sitting in front of our TVs, making many of the same comments we made last year about how pleasing to the eye an immaculately kept golf course is when set against azaleas and pines. We’ll marvel at putts that seem to roll forever. And we’ll dream of seeing the course in person (to play it might be too much to even hope).

It’s not a perfect place, though. Such places don’t exist. At Augusta, there’s the inherent stratification of society made obvious by an elite country club, not to mention issues of color and gender, both past and present.

But for all of that, the tournament is an annual rite of Spring, promising warmer days and brighter skies to those in colder parts of the world. And it’s arguably the most popular tournament of the year.

With all its history and tradition, I’m continually learning new things about the Masters Tournament and Augusta National. For instance, did you know that there’s only one hole on the course that doesn’t feature a bunker? Chinese Fir, #14, is a beachless stretch of perfect turf. Or that the first Masters included four international players: two pros from England, one Canadian, and one English amateur? Did you know that alterations to the course have been taking place for its entire history?

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LPGA Tour Questions for 2008

The LPGA Tour’s stock continues to rise in 2008.

Thrash TalkThe 2008 LPGA Tour season is in full swing, and things are off to a great start. There have only been five events so far, and Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, and Paula Creamer each have at least one win already. That’s a great sign for the LPGA Tour because all three are among the most marketable in the women’s game.

The season’s first major championship, the Kraft Nabisco, starts today. This event was very exciting the past two seasons, and it should be highly competitive again this year. With the first major on the horizon, it’s time to ask a few LPGA Tour questions for 2008. Keep reading to find out what I have to say about Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, and more.

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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.

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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.

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Gary Sherrell – Inventor of the ClubGlider

ClubGlider inventor and Fore Inventors Only finalist Gary Sherrell gives us the scoop on how he came up with his idea on a napkin and dishes some dirt on being on a reality show.

Throwing Darts Today’s interview is with Gary Sherrell, inventor of the ClubGlider travel bag which was one of the finalists on the Golf Channel’s Fore Inventors Only show.

Gary was nice enough to give us a few minutes of his time to share a bit of history behind the development of the ClubGlider, his relationship with Sun Mountain as well as to provide some insight on some of the other products featured on the show. We hope you enjoy the interview.

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The Dream Season

Some day soon, there will be golf again. Until then I can dream.

Trap Five LogoIt’s dream season here in Ohio. By that I mean the only golf we’re getting to play right now is in our dreams. But it’s also close enough to spring (just over a month away) that we can start thinking about playing. One of these days, the snow is going to melt and the mercury’s going to rise into the 40s, 50s, and (dare we hope?) 60s.

Unlike many years when it’s possible to play at least a few times during the winter, it just hasn’t worked out this year (my wife and I even left the clubs at home on a weekend trip to Florida last month… What were we thinking?). Most of the warmer, dry days this winter have fallen during the work week. On the one or two weekend days that have been playable, I’ve been tied up with other commitments. So, needless to say, now is the winter of my discontent.

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ClubGlider Rolls Out for 2008

With the ClubGlider, you can roll through the airport in style and save your back in the process.

Bag DropIf you watched Golf Channel‘s Fore Inventors Only show last year, you would have seen some “interesting” ideas that the contestants were hoping would be “the next big thing.” While some of the ideas were strange, impractical, or just plain stupid in my opinion, there were a few that were of particular interest to me. The ClubGlider belonged among the latter.

ClubGlider inventor Gary Sherrell signed a licensing agreement with Sun Mountain in 2007 to “perfect, manufacture and distribute the ClubGlider golf travel bag.” That’s a pretty sweet gig as Sun Mountain has been around for over 20 years and the Missoula, Montana company has been pretty innovative when it comes to bags, carts, and outerwear. The ClubGlider and Sun Mountain seem like a perfect fit.

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Modern Marvels

One of golf’s greatest writers hits a common nerve, and Thrash Talk talks back!

Thrash TalkIn his February 8 Globe and Mail Column, virtuoso golf writer Lorne Rubenstein makes an interesting observation about televised golf: there is very little attention paid to architecture.

While I am not sure this characterization is accurate in the literal sense – every telecast of big tournaments I can remember has at least some segment on the course, either with flyovers and commentary, or the omnipresent telestrator commentary – I would certainly agree that compared to, say, swing analysis, golf viewers are indeed starved for good content on architecture. Is there anything to be learned from this sort of thing, other than the difference between tifdwarf bermuda and zoysia? I think there is, although I suspect the expert commentators would reach different conclusions than would I.

Read on to learn what I think you’d be missing.

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Field Testing the Titleist AP1, AP2, ZB, and ZM Irons

Proving that you can’t judge a book by its cover, the Titleist AP1, AP2, ZB, and ZM are put to the (field) test.

Titleist AP2 IronWhat do Adam Scott’s final-round 61 and three-shot victory at the Qatar Masters and 2007 European Tour Rookie of the Year Martin Kaymer’s first win a week earlier have in common? Both were fired with new Titleist irons. Adam Scott won with the Titleist Forged AP2 irons while Martin Kaymer played the Forged ZM irons in taking the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by two.

The existence of these irons (and their two siblings) has been official for a few days now, but the details were made known in our Bag Drop “Titleist Introduces New Irons for 2008” of a few weeks ago. Titleist is replacing every iron in their set with the new AP1, AP2, ZB, and ZM irons. Gone are the well-liked 695 (in CB and MB variations). Gone is the 735.CM. Gone are the 755s and the 775s. Five models are being replaced by four, three of which are forged, and one of which aims to bring incredible feel and performance to the “aspiring golfer” crowd.

Though no Acushnet company (Titleist, FootJoy, Cobra, Pinnacle) has displayed at the PGA Merchandise Show in several years, Titleist was nearby prepping sales representatives and their vast club pro network on the changes coming in 2008. For many of the sales reps, that meant familiarizing themselves with the 2008 irons lineup.

The Sand Trap was there, and I’ve hit all of the irons. What follows are my quick observations. As a quick teaser, I will tell you this: you cannot judge a book by its cover.

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