Volume Two Hundred Fifteen

Silly Season is here, Lee Westwood pads his bank account, and we all need to stop littering!

Hittin' the LinksGobble Gobble Sand Trappers and welcome to the Thanksgiving Edition of Hittin’ the Links. It’s turkey time around the U.S., and you know what that means, right? Black Friday for the ladies and a quick 18 for the guys. Make sure to get that tee time ASAP!

In this edition of HTL we begin by looking at what Rory McIlroy said, then investigate who is in the final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School, and check out some opinions on Silly Season. Also, we explore the golf ball litter problem, watch the best Seinfeld golf moments, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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“Golf, Naked” Book Review

Greg Rowley writes a book giving you insight on all the “little things” that can make golf a maddening mystery. Think of it as an insider’s guide to golf, with a endless supply of adjectives for chunks and shanks.

Golf, NakedThe holidays are just around the corner and if you’re like me, you might be starting to put together a list to give your love ones on the golf-related items you want to receive (otherwise know as “Dropping a Big Hint”). While not everyone can afford to get you the latest driver, putter, or shoes there are many items that are quite a bit more economical and might in the long run make you a better golfer than the latest and greatest in club technology.

A book review probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you consider the reviews we’ve done here at The Sand Trap. While the vast majority of reviews are equipment in one form or another, occasionally a book comes along that piques our interest. One such book is Golf, Naked by Greg Rowley, which was released by Pick It Up Publishing.

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PING i15 Irons Review

Freakish forgiveness at the cost of a little feel? To mix my sports metaphors, that sounds right up the alleys of a lot of golfers.

PING i15 HeroI admit that I held out on the hybrid craze longer than made sense. I carried a two-iron in place of a 5-wood or hybrid and would use it from the tee, the fairway, and the rough when the lie was good enough to goad me into going for it.

What’s that have to do with a set of irons? My two-iron was a PING Eye2, and until I tried the i15s, that single club represented the vast majority of my experience with PING irons. Sure, I’d seen how popular the Eye2s were with players in the 90s, but I never liked the look of the excessive high toe weighting, the bulge in the heel, the thicker topline, and the general look and feel. Even that two-iron had a bit too much offset for my taste – I had to watch that I didn’t hook the thing off the planet.

Having played with the i15s for several rounds now, though, it’s obvious to me that while PING has stayed true to their roots (the i15 is immediately recognizable as a PING iron), they’ve made substantive improvements through the years and deserve consideration from a wide variety of players.

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Golf Talk [Episode 129]

A live episode. In other words, you’ll find new appreciation for how much we normally edit. 😉

Golf Talk PodcastWe catch up on Tiger, Phil, Michelle Wie, the PGA Tour (and its first drug test failee), and everything we’ve missed in the past month, and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 129 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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What To Know Before You Buy New Clubs

It’s that time of year, when those of us equipment junkies start to get a little restless. So many new choices, so little time. Before you make that big purchase, maybe there are a few things you should think about.

Bag DropNew products are being announced left and right, and they’re starting to make their way into stores. Surely, you’re tempted by something, whether it’s a new driver or a new set of irons. We’ve seen new clubs from Mizuno, Ping, Titleist, TaylorMade, Tour Edge, and others. Nike and Callaway have their new stuff waiting in the wings. Of course the latest and greatest is going to cost you a pretty penny. If you’re going to drop even a single dollar on a new club, it’s important to do your research and testing to find what’s going to be best for you.

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Volume Two Hundred Fourteen

Michelle finally gets a W, see the world’s most dangerous golf course, and Tiger walks away with a lot of Australian cash

Hittin' the LinksHello again golf fans and welcome to Hittin’ the Links. I am back in action this week, I would like to thank Alan Olsen for picking up the slack for me last week – a fine job he did.

In this volume of HTL we start off with a look at one dangerous golf hole, investigate why Hollywood isn’t excited about golf movies, and check out the golf bra. Also, we find out who is atop the European Tour Order of Merit, see who is suing the PGA Tour, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Tiger, You’ve Crossed the Line

Once is a mistake. Any more than that and it’s a pattern, buddy.

Thrash TalkAustralia wisely invested $3M to lure Tiger Woods to the JBWere Masters, and they were treated to nothing less than Tiger’s best effort in a two-shot victory.

Fortunately for Tiger and those same Australians, nobody was treated for an injury caused by a flying Nike driver, which only moments earlier had let the world’s best golfer down with a poor tee shot on the thirteenth hole Saturday.

I’ve excused Tiger’s verbal outbursts in the past. Ben wrote an article about them and largely supported Tiger as well. I continue not to care about Tiger’s verbal outbursts, and will point out that he seems to have improved both in volume and content in recent years.

But tossing a club into a crowd of people? Well, now, that’s well across the line.

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Tour Edge Launches New Exotics XCG-3 Hybrids, Fairways, and Drivers

Like Enzyte for your long game, Tour Edge guarantees you’ll be longer, or your money back. Hopefully the creepy smile isn’t a side effect.

Bag DropIt seems like all too often, all we hear about is Callaway, TaylorMade Titleist, Nike, or Ping – the big boys in the industry. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but some of the smaller guys deserve a look sometimes as well. They are possibly even more deserving of attention than the giants are because we all hear about it as soon as one of them brings us the latest in moveable weights, adjustable heads, etc. The marketing guys cleverly place ads with everything from Tiger to Trevor to a smooth talking baby in a high chair, sporting a certain visor and calling his buddy a shankapotamus.

What we don’t always see are the products from companies such as those from Tour Edge. Though they make some pretty strong claims (“20 yards longer or your money back”), they also stand by another guarantee – one that says you can play their club for 30 days and if you’re not completely satisfied, you’re entitled to a full refund. That alone may make the latest in the Exotics line worth trying out. Continue on to see many other reasons to give the new XCG-3’s a chance.

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Volume Two Hundred Thirteen

Phil wins his showdown but it wasn’t with Tiger, 2010 Tour schedules get released, and our nominee for dumbest criminal of the year.

Hitting the LinksIt’s Monday and I know you’ve spend the weekend anticipating what journey through the golf world we will send you on as you settle back into your workweek. So kick back, grab a danish, and enjoy your mocha.

This week we have schedule releases for both the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, a nomination for dumbest criminal of the year, and some guys named Phil and Tiger duke it out behind the Great Wall.

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