Golf Talk [Episode 044]

Quite seriously, if you were Michelle Wie, wouldn’t you rather be at the mall than shooting 78-76 and missing the cut again?

PodcastThe Golf Channel settles in and an oldie (but goodie?) wins the Sony Open in the form of Paul Goydos, knocking off the forever-bridesmaid Charles Howell III and young gun Luke Donald. Tadd Fujikawa makes a compelling start, makes the cut, and makes a lot of friends, while Michelle Wie’s play on the men’s tours of the world continue to stir up opposition. Her 78-76 next-to-last-place finish didn’t help much, either. All that and more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 044 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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The Architects Golf Club (Lopatcong, NJ) Review

On New Jersey’s western border, just across the Delaware from Easton, PA, lies a golf course that proves a great test doesn’t have to bring you to your knees.

Architects LogoLucky to play so many wonderful courses over the years, I’ve devised my own simple Goldilocks rating scheme. Some are too hard. Some are too soft. Some are just right.

Too hard? Bethpage Black, Winged Foot, Kiawah Ocean. Too soft? The Old Course at 70°F in dead calm from the forward tees with a great caddie and your “A” game working. Just right? Harbour Town, Troon North, and Somerset Hills come to mind.

The latest in my life long list of “just right” is my home club, The Architects Golf Club in Lopatcong, NJ. Here’s as unbiased a review as I can muster given that I love it so…

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The Art of Choking

The PGA Tour’s brightest young stars can’t seem to finish the job on Sunday.

Thrash TalkForgive me if I sound a little hasty this week. It’s no secret by now that Charles Howell III is far and away my favorite golfer in the world. Howell III had The Sony Open trophy well within his grasp this past Sunday before crumbling like an Oreo cookie. I had my victory celebration planned out, but I should have known better. Just when CH3 looked to be getting over the hump, he let himself and his number one fan down yet again.

I’ve watched the PGA Tour since the early-to-mid 1990s, and I can’t recall being so disappointed in a tournament finish as I was this past Sunday. Even after Howell III lost his lead, he still had a chance to birdie the 72nd hole to force a playoff. An awful chip and putt later, and he finished in a tie for second with fellow young gun, Luke Donald.

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Scotty Cameron Unveils Latest Prototype Putters

The Cameron Detour putters created quite a stir with their revolutionary arced sightline. Now Scotty is applying the concept to traditionally shaped heads.

Bag DropWhether you’re a fan of Scotty Cameron or not, you have to acknowledge that his putters are something special. Not only has he succeeded in refining and improving classic designs, he’s been a true innovator with putters like his Futura and Futura Phantom models.

Last year’s introduction of the Detour putters took his innovations a step further. A subtly curved sightline mimics the path the putter head takes on an arced inside-square-inside stroke… the technique espoused by Cameron and Stan Utley, among others.

While the Detour won a lot of converts, it was a radical-looking head shape. Now it appears Cameron is marrying the curved sight line to a more traditional head. Here’s a first peek…

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Volume Eighty-One

What do Vijay Singh, Michelle Wie, Nick Faldo, The Golf Channel and the Golf Digest Hot List have in common?

The last of the fruitcake is ready to be re-gifted for next Christmas and I have already broken all of the resolutions I made for the new year. Big deal you say. Give us some links we can check out at work.

This week we have a recap of not only the Sony Open but also a bonus recap of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, a Hot List, 2007 predictions, and a teen golfer in Hawaii.

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Indoor Practice Facilities

Feeling sad because it’s winter and you won’t be able to hit a bucket of balls for the next few months? Well, cheer up, because there are some new options out there you can take advantage of to keep in golf shape year around.

About Golf Screen ShotMy golf season having been officially “over” for two months and the next one still three months out, I will no doubt find the next few months quite maddening. So what can I do? Do I sit around and read the golf magazines looking for the latest tips and drills? Do I drool over the latest equipment and gear? Play Tiger Woods 2007 endlessly?

I will be doing all the above. However, I’ve also decided to take a different approach and come up with an off-season game plan of getting into better golf shape over the winter so I am ready to go come spring. My best round of the year was my last one at the Newport Cup and needless to say, it was the perfect springboard into working on an off-season plan to be a better golfer in 2007. Think of it as “Extreme Makeover: The Sand Trap Edition.”

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Masters of the First Major

Augusta National is America’s most prestigious golf venue and it has revealed some of the greatest players in the game. Here are Masters champs with the most victories.

ProFilesThe 2007 Masters is just a twinkle in the collective eye of golf fans. The highs and lows of 2006 are fading into the past, the leftover turkey is gone, “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” plays in the background, and the decorations are up. Not exactly Masters weather.

Never-the-less, looking at the masters of The Masters is worth it because, before you know it, the on-air pontification over potential winners and contenders is going to start. You want to have a little history in your back pocket to impress your friends.

One rule: Those who make “Masters of the First Major” qualified by winning at least three.

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The World Golf Rankings Explained

What better place to start my run as the Numbers Game columnist than with the Official World Golf Rankings. In this column I hope to shed some light on a couple of things.

The Numbers GameWelcome to my first The Numbers Game column. I’m David Mosher, a new staff member here at The Sand Trap, though many will know me as “underparnv” in our forum.

This first week I’ll be talking about the Official World Golf Ranking. First, I want to explain how they work. Then I’ll take a look at how they have affected the top ten in the past five years. We all know Tiger has dominated them with Vijay having a stint at the top, but what about the rest of the players? How have the rankings separated the top ten in points?

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Golf Talk [Episode 043]

Will Tiger and Elin’s baby be the sexiest and most dominating golfer ever – man or woman? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

PodcastThe PGA Tour season kicks off with a Vijay win in Hawaii and an absent Tiger and Phil. The Golf Channel showcases its new content with four days of coverage, golfers sweep the AP Athlete of the Year awards, and Michelle Wie is heading to Stanford in a year – by her choice or B.J.’s? All that and more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 043 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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