TaylorMade Completes the Family With the New M2

On February 19th, the TaylorMade M family will be complete with the M2 driver, woods, and irons.

Bag DropIf you watched any of the AT&T Pro Am at Pebble Beach this year, you’d have noticed that all of the TaylorMade Staffers were wearing the same hat with “FAM1LY” across the front and M2.19 on the side. That is because on February 19th (Friday), TaylorMade will be completing the M Family of Clubs with the M2 series. Unlike how the R11 replaced the R9 or the Titleist 915 series replaced the 913 series, the M2 is an addition to the current line up rather than being a replacement. The M2 series of clubs is composed of a new driver, fairway woods, and irons.

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TRUE Linkswear Announces TRUE Elements

After a few quiet months, TRUE has announced its newest shoe.

Bag DropAfter a couple of quiet months that led some on the Sand Trap to speculate that the company might have gone under, TRUE Linkswear has announced their newest shoe. A favorite among many for their ultra comfortable shoes, TRUE shook up the lineup last year with the introduction of their first spiked golf shoe. Regardless of spikes or no spikes, the focus for TRUE has always been to create golf shoes that help golfers enjoy walking. With features such as a zero heel drop to being waterproof to being super lightweight, TRUE continually produces some of the best shoes (not just golf shoes) available. Now, seven years after the company started, they are continuing in their mission of helping golfers enjoy the walk with their new TRUE elements hybrid golf shoe.

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Early Favorites To Win 2016 Ben Hogan Award

Twenty-five collegiate golfers have been named to the 2016 Ben Hogan Award watch list, but these are the ones to truly watch.

College GolfThe 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List was recently released, and there is no shortage of big names included. The award recognizes the outstanding male amateur and collegiate golfer of the year, and the recipient also gets a spot in the Colonial National Invitation field. Twenty five of the best college golfers in the nation made the first cut. The list will be trimmed to 10 April 13th before a trio of finalists will be named May 3rd. The competition will be fierce as always, and here are a few of the favorites as things stand right now.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty-Five

A late charge and a missed putt lead to a surprise winner.

Hittin' the Links
The AT&T National Pro-Am pulled a coup this year by getting six of the world’s top 10 players to tee it up with celebs and business types. It’s cool to see the players relaxed and having fun, but the real show at Pebble Beach is usually the scenery and the celebrities. But this year, it also managed to produce a suspenseful finish.

Next week, it’s Jordan vs. Rory at Riviera, as McIlroy makes his first U.S. start of the year. Just one more stop on the West Coast Swing and then it’s on to Florida.

Let’s hit the links.

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Arccos Golf Review

The Arccos is one of two semi-automated stat-tracking platforms available to the common golfer. How does it stack up? Read my comprehensive review to find out.

ArccosThe saying goes “Different Strokes for Different Folks.” The premise is that different people like different things for different reasons. It is the reason why there are so many different types of pizza toppings.

So when I set out to review the Arccos Golf Statistic Tracker, I did so largely by comparing it to the trusty GAME Golf I’d purchased a few months prior. Both systems collect the same type of data. You hit a shot, and both record its GPS location. From that, you can determine the distance between shots, and combined with a map of the course, can determine the type of lie from which a shot was hit (fairway, rough, green, bunker, etc.).

I’ll primarily talk about the Arccos in this review, but where things are different, I’ll mention the GAME Golf separately. I cannot tell you which system is better for you. There are some key differences between the Arccos and its competitor, and which is best for you lies in choosing the one which differs in the way that suits you best.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty-Four

It’s Super!

Hittin' the LinksRickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama conspired to create marital discord in my house. See, I was under strict orders to record Lady Gaga singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. While I remembered to set the DVR to record the Super Bowl, I was caught up in the sudden death action in the desert and wasn’t watching what was happening in San Franscisco.

Suffice it to say, Ms. Gaga began right about 6:29, and the DVR started to record at 6:30. Oops! “I got part of it for you, Honey.” Oh well, that’s what YouTube is for.

So, did you miss Denver’s fast start in the Super Bowl, or did you miss the Rickie vs. Hideki showdown? It was a tough choice.

Let’s hit the links.

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Why the Pros Should Not Play in the Olympics

In 2016 golf returns to the Olympics. I share why the Professional’s should not go and let the Amateurs play instead.

Thrash TalkThe 2016 Olympics are fast approaching. It will be here before you know it. I get the sense that most golf fans couldn’t care less. We have so many events to look forward to — mainly the four majors – and oh yeah, if that guy Tiger Woods ever comes back, that it’s difficult to find a spot in our minds for an event about which we don’t know much.

In some sports the Olympics are at the pinnacle. In track and field, swimming, and a number of others, winning gold at the Olympics means you are the undisputed king of that sport. For some others — boxing, for example – it is place where the up and comers can show off their skills before making it into the professional ranks. Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are the first the comes to mind for me.

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PING Introduces G Series

New for 2016, PING introduces the new G-Series family of clubs including three new drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, and even a crossover.

Bag DropAnybody that follows the golf equipment world at all knows that PING has essentially two major product lines, the i series and the G series, and 2016 is a G year. Like the company did with the i series last year, the number has been dropped from the name, so what would have been the G35 is just the G. Like previous iterations of the G series, the one for 2016 is an entire family of products including three new drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, crossovers (utility club), and irons. Read on to get all the details.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty-Three

El Nino sinks Walker and Choi, and buries Brown

Hittin' the LinksWith the women back in action this week at the LPGA’s Pure Silk Classic in the Bahamas we can officially say that all of the major tours are back in action. Paradise Island also saw what’s believed to be the first par-4 ace in the tour’s history.

The annual drool-fest in Orlando took place last week as the golf industry rolled out its newest products that will soon be turning up in a pro shop near you.

But the weather at the Farmers Championship and its effect on the players was the highlight of the week. Trees were down all over the course as play resumed on Monday, but scores were up.

Let’s hit the links.

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