Volume Four Hundred Sixty-One

Tiger’s a short game guru and aloha also means goodbye

Hittin' the LinksFor the second full week of January, it was sure a busy golf calendar.

The PGA Tour went full field for the first time in the shadow of the “Big W.”The European Tour split up to play the EurAsian Cup (yawn) and the Joburg Open (yaw…, oh look a monkey!). There was the new Latin American Amateur Championship, thanks to the Masters, the USGA and the R&A, contested for the first time at the Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic. And if that weren’t enough, Mardy Fish handily beat a celebrity field in Florida to win the Diamond Resorts Invitational.

Not bad for January. Let’s hit the links.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty

It’s 2016, and the face(s) of golf has changed.

Hittin' the LinksAnd we’re off. It’s a new year if not a new season on the PGA TOUR.

Questions abound… What does the year hold for the Big Three-plus. Will Rory get back to form? Probably. Will Jordan Speith pick up where he left off? Keep reading… Now that Jason Day has won a major, how long will we wait for number two? Not too long, I suspect. Can Fowler make it a Big Four? A major win would go a long way. Will Tiger tee it up in 2016? Would you really be that shocked if he showed up on the tee at Augusta? What young players will break through this year (DeChambeau?… assuming he goes pro after the Masters), and what old pros will show they’re not quite ready for the senior circuit (Phil?)?

Let’s hit the links.

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Titleist 716 AP1 Review

Titleist updates the AP1 with more forgiveness and distance.

titleist_716_ap1_heroTitleist has updated their AP1 line with the new 716 AP1 irons as their longest, most forgiving iron ever. The new 716 AP1 design has an unsupported face made of heat treated 17-4 stainless steel that provides more flex for faster ball speed. More high density tungsten in the toe than previous models lowers the center of gravity, improves MOI and increases launch angle. The 716 AP1 line includes a new high launching True Temper XP90 staft. Let’s take a look and see how it performs.

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Volume Four Hundred Fifty-Nine

Is the Tiger Era over? And why solo players really have no status on the course.

Hittin' the LinksIs he or isn’t he? Have we seen the last competitive golf from Tiger Woods who, love him or hate him, is right at the top of the greatest of all time list?

This week was also Tiger’s Hero World Challenge, where Jordan Spieth had a hole in one on his second hole. The Euros’ South African swing is on hiatus until January. There are 17 shopping days until Christmas. Let’s hit the links.

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Where Does Tiger Go from Here?

Tiger will not say he is retiring, but his recent interviews suggest that his dominant years are now in the past. I give my suggestions on how he should become a new improved retired Tiger.

Thrash TalkThe model for a retired golfing superstar has been set. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have written what I would call the perfect book on how to do better in your retirement than in your actual career. Now it is Tiger’s turn.

I am not certain that we can agree that Tiger’s career is completely over, but his days of being a dominant force in the game are over. He is now giving interviews in which he says everything right up to “I am retiring.” I can understand the urge to spend time with his kids. Right now with his injuries and how he has played lately they probably bring him ten times the joy of anything golf-related. Add to this, his relationship with his father was so strong, he likely wants to mimic that relationship with his kids. His father was a teacher and now Tiger likely feels the urge to teach his kids as he was taught. Good for him.

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Callaway Great Big Bertha Driver Review

Callaway wants you to leave no yard behind. To do this they designed Great Big Bertha Driver to get the most distance for ALL golfers. I review the driver and let you know if I left any yards behind.

GBBThe golf industry like any marketplace is constantly changing. In the late 1990s Callaway was as hot as any golf company could be. They were the first to really embrace titanium driver heads in a big way. Over the years that stranglehold on the top spot was lost. Callaway seemed to lose their way.

That is until the last few years where Callaway has gone back to utilizing the brand name that was so popular for them, Big Bertha. The last few drivers released by Callaway have been outstanding, and the latest release – the Great Big Bertha for 2015 – is the crème de la crème. The marketing campaign for this driver, “Leave no yard behind,” is really a great theme. Because we are constantly blasted with marketing nowadays it might not get as much attention as it deserves, but if I were to sum up the performance of this club and someone mentioned that tag line to me, I would wholeheartedly agree.

Callaway has packaged almost all of the really good technology that they have developed in the past few years and threw it all together into one awesome driver. For the review I was given a 9° driver with a stiff shaft. With that introduction, let’s get started with the review.

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Volume Four Hundred Fifty-Eight

McIlroy wins in Dubai, Ko and Kerr in Florida.

Hittin' the LinksThat’s basically a wrap on professional golf for 2015. The LPGA and European Tours held their championships this weekend and the PGA Tour’s last FedEx Cup points until January were handed out in Georgia. Over the next month, we only have Tiger’s event and a few silly season-type events to get our golf-viewing jones on, until it all starts again in Hawaii.

So enjoy some turkey and the holidays of your choice. Let’s hit the links.

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Volume Four Hundred Fifty-Seven

Another first-time winner, a fifth-time winner and a Monday finish

Hittin' the LinksDon’t look now, but 2015 is drawing to a close, particularly in golf.

The PGA TOUR is already on its 2015-16 season, and there’s only one more week of FedEx Cup points available until January. The Champions Tour is already on hiatus. Both the European and the LPGA Tours will conclude next week with their season ending championships. The Race to Dubai will crown a winner at the DP World Tour Championship in the United Arab Emirates. The women will gather a Tiburon in Florida for the CME Group Tour Championship, where a Lydia Ko and Inbee Park showdown is expected.

While we still can, let’s hit the links.

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TaylorMade M1 Driver Review

TaylorMade introduces their new multi-material M1 driver with carbon composite crown and new T-Track adjustable weight system.

taylormade_m1_driverTaylorMade introduces its first multi-material driver, the M1 Driver, with a carbon fiber crown and new T-Track adjustable weight system. The carbon fiber crown allows TaylorMade to shift even more weight lower in the head for a lower center of gravity. The T-track’s tungsten weights provide independent positioning to change both spin and flight. Let’s take a look at the new driver and how it performs.

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