Category: Review

Pelz Wedge Collection by Bobby Jones Review

Jesse Ortiz and Dave Pelz have cooked up a new set of wedges featuring some pretty fancy technology.

Pelz/Bobby Jones Wedge HeroNext to one’s putter, your wedges are the most important club in your bag. Considering that the majority of your golf shots occur within 100 yards, having a wedge (or wedges) you can trust is vitally important to playing good golf.

To give you an alternative to the “big boys” of the golf equipment field, Bobby Jones Golf have combined the forces of clubmaker aficionado Jesse Ortiz and short-game guru Dave Pelz and have come out with a set of wedges that are one part classic and one part science-fiction technology.

I spent a month playing the Pelz/Bobby Jones wedges and though I had to adjust my wedge game a little bit, I was pretty impressed by what Ortiz and Pelz had come up with. Read on to find out what I thought of their creation.

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Kennsington Golf Club (Canfield, OH) Review

Kennsington Golf Club is a great second-shot golf course, and if you can get over the somewhat bland driving, a great bargain at a good price.

The joke Alan and I came up with when arriving at Kennsington Golf Club is that we must have passed through some sort of warp door. We made a right turn off a crowded street, right between a Wendy’s and a Panera, then passed some dentist’s offices, and bam! We were suddenly in the middle of nowhere with a golf course stretching out for miles ahead of us. The attractive cart girl (is there another kind?) drove out to grab our clubs and we were off.

Kennsington opened in June, 2006 and has the potential to be one of the top courses in the surprisingly crowded Youngstown, Ohio area. The course is lined by construction (though the interior remain free of McMansions or any other houses) as large houses are being built at a good rate, and the entire area seems to be growing rapidly.

Read on to see what we thought of the golf course at Kennsington Golf Club.

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Frogger Amphibian Towel Review

The Frogger Amphibian towel might be the last golf towel you need to buy.

Frogger Amphibian Towel HeroSeveral weeks back I discussed some towel options you may want to check out during your next trip to your favorite golf shop (or to look at during lunchtime at the office). One of the towels mentioned was the Frogger Amphibian towel, which I’ve been using for the past month.

I know what you might be thinking, “It’s just a towel” but if you’re even semi-fanatical about keeping your clubs clean while on the course, you know how important a good towel can be. A good towel is key in keeping your clubs free and clear of debris and looking good. Read on to find out why I think the Amphibian towel is the best towel currently on the market.

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iGolf Neo GPS Review

Can a small, low-cost GPS help your game?

The iGolf NeoAre you still pacing off yardages? How many times do you find a marker that seems inaccurate? Wouldn’t you rather have a rangefinder? I know, they’re expensive, but now there’s one that costs less than a new fairway wood.

The iGolf Neo represents the new entry point for GPS rangefinders. At $149.99 (plus a $30 annual subscription), the iGolf Neo will make owning a GPS rangefinder a more likely proposition for many golfers.

I know what you’re thinking, a GPS rangefinder for $150? It must be seriously limited in features. Well, as a matter of fact, this review is a bit overdue, because I’ve been enjoying playing golf with the iGolf Neo instead of writing about it.

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Leupold GX-I Laser Rangefinder Review

Laser rangefinders are getting smaller and less expensive, and Leupold has entered the fray.

Leupold GX-I Laser RangefinderI started a Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 review in 2005 with the sentence “Tiger Woods has long said that the secret to good golf is always being pin high.” A lot has changed since 2005, but Tiger’s advice still rings true.

What has changed is that three years ago rangefinders and GPS units were a rarity. In 2005, these types of devices were illegal. Since 2006, they’ve been legal for tournament play under a local rule, and it seems as though every serious golfer has one (or more!) in their bags. The market has expanded quickly, and the early guys in – Bushnell with laser rangefinders and SkyGolf with GPS – are being challenged at every turn.

One of the challengers in the laser rangefinder category is longtime rifle scope-maker Leupold (& Stevens) with their GX-I and GX-II laser rangefinders. These rangefinders notably improve upon the venerable PinSeeker 1500 in just about the only ways I think a laser rangefinder can really be improved: by adding features, making it smaller, and shaving a hundred bucks off the asking price.

I’ve put the GX-I to a thorough test. Read on for my results.

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Mizuno Skintite Golf Glove Review

The Mizuno Skintite golf glove is good enough for Luke Donald, but is it good enough for me?

Mizuno Skin-Tite GloveThe golf glove is often overlooked because of new drivers, irons, wedges, putters, etc. Understandably so. And while I dislike buying new golf gloves each year, it’s a must for me. People have tried to get me to play with no glove in the past, but I’ve never been able to do so. Whether it’s a mental thing or just the Oklahoma humidity, I have to wear a golf glove until I’m chipping or putting.

A few years back, I reviewed the 3M Greptile Premium golf glove. At the time, it was the best glove I had ever worn, but I haven’t had one in more than a year. I switched to FootJoy gloves, but even they left me wanting a bit more. I’ve been playing a lot more golf this year than in the past, and the Footjoy gloves don’t last more than a few rounds in the Oklahoma heat without losing their grip.

When I had the chance to review the Mizuno Skintite glove, I jumped on the opportunity. Is it good enough to replace my beloved 3M Greptile, or will I have to keep looking? Keep reading to get my full impressions.

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Clicgear Cart Model 2.0 Review

The Clicgear Cart 2.0 might be the last pushcart you’ll ever need to buy.

Clicgear FoldedSince finding out that the folks at Clicgear had made improvements to their award-winning push cart, I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on one to find what the fuss was all about with this easy-to-store, easy-to-use push cart.

Personally, I would much rather walk when playing golf versus having to use a motorized cart but don’t like having to sling my clubs around anymore (must be a sign of getting old) so a push cart is a vital piece of equipment for me and the enjoyment I get from playing golf.

You may not think of a push cart as being that big of deal but having had some not-so-pleasant experiences with some push/pull carts in the past, I was hoping that the Clicgear would be the final answer to my search for the “perfect pushcart.” Read on to find out whether my search is over.

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Caesar Featherie Dimpleless Golf Ball Review

There’s no other golf ball like the Caesar. Find out why in this review.

Ceasar Dimpleless Golf BallA baseball pitcher can make the ball curve because the stitched seams disrupt an otherwise smooth surface. The seams “grip” the air when the baseball is in flight and can cause the ball to curve, dip, rise, and dive on its way to the plate, frustrating batters.

The golf ball’s equivalent of seams are dimples. Every reasonably well-struck shot in golf has backspin, and backspin creates aerodynamic lift, which keeps a golf ball climbing in the air well beyond what would be its maximum height without the aid of lift. The dimples, like the seams of a baseball, provide a little “grip.”

Of course, the downside is that the same is true in the horizontal direction as well: any sidespin applied to the golf ball will result in the dimples “gripping” the air and turning the ball to the left or right. Good players can play draws and fades, but bad players are plagued by hooks and slices.

The folks at Caesar Golf Company have eliminated the problems of hooks and slices by – get this – eliminating the dimples. Their ball, the Caesar “Featherie,” is round like a pool ball. Unfortunately, eliminating hooks and slices also eliminates the aerodynamic lift, so the Featheries are also a shorter golf ball.

We played several rounds with the Featherie. Read on to see if we feel the tradeoff is worth it.

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Cleveland HiBORE XLS Fairway Wood Review

Is Cleveland’s latest HiBORE fairway wood solid enough to warrant a purchase?

Cleveland HiBORE XLS Fairway Wood ReviewI’ve been playing golf more than a decade now, and I’ve always been a huge fan of the fairway wood. Unfortunately, that’s because I’ve never been real consistent with my driver, so the fairway wood has been my go-to club off the tee on many occasions. Even though I recently started to hit my driver better, I’ll still pull my fairway wood multiple times per round.

A few years ago, I started hitting the Titleist 904F fairway wood. My game off the tee changed for the better because of it, and I’ve had a love affair with the club ever since. I knew it would take a solid fairway wood to replace my Titleist, and that’s where Cleveland comes into play.

I’ve had the original Cleveland HiBORE Driver in my bag for a year or so, and unlike most critics, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve hit it very well, and that has given me confidence in the Cleveland brand. With that in mind, I figured I’d give the new HiBORE XLS fairway wood a shot. Has it been solid enough to replace my Titleist 904F? Keep reading to find out.

For the record, the model I am reviewing is the 15° fairway wood.

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