Volume Four Hundred Nineteen

Golf loses two icons in the same week, and maybe a GOAT candidate.

Hittin' the LinksIf you don’t know about Charlie Sifford, you should.

Until 1961, the PGA Tour had a “Caucasian Only” clause. It’s hard to believe in 2015, but less than 60 years ago people were excluded from playing at the highest level solely because of the color of their skin. Much like Jackie Robinson in baseball, Charlie Sifford wasn’t the first African-American golfer. He may not even have been the best at the time. But he was the one who broke the color barrier on the PGA TOUR.

By the time Sifford was allowed to measure his skill against other pros on the PGA TOUR, he was 38 (Tiger and his back are now 39). Sifford won but twice on the TOUR but his contributions and sacrifices went far beyond that. Charlie Sifford, in 1960, opened up what was then a very exclusionary sport to a new audience. Sifford endured insults, threats, and galleries who would occasionally kick or throw his ball into the rough, woods, and other bad lies.

Though there is still work to do to make golf more inclusive, Sifford’s contributions made it unlikely that anyone will endure what he did in the future, and we should all take notice and honor him.

Let’s hit the links.

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Volume Four Hundred Eighteen

Brought to you by Chip Yips from Tiger Foods.

Hittin' the LinksUsually a bad round by a PGA TOUR pro is one that I would like to shoot. But 82? I’m not a great golfer, but I don’t get very excited about any score that starts with an eight. Yet, Tiger Woods, who still might be the best ever, shot an 82 Friday on his way to missing the cut by a lot.

Chip yips sounds like a tasty snack, but I don’t think they agree with Tiger. When the short game of the former undisputed top golfer looks like a 20-capper at the local muni, it’s painful to watch.

And I failed to note last week that the Most Interesting Golfer in the World notched another win on the senior circuit at the Champions Tour’s season opener in Hawaii. That gives Miguel Angel Jimenez two wins in three starts with the old guys.

Let’s hit the links.

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New Irons from Wilson Staff

Wilson Staff, one of golf’s oldest brands, releases the new FG Tour V4 irons and utilities.

Bag DropIn today’s golf equipment world, the major manufacturers are companies like TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist and PING. Look in the bag of most players and you’re likely to find clubs with one of those names stamped on them. That wasn’t always the case though. It wasn’t long ago that a different name dominated golf clubs; Wilson Staff. While the company definitely lost a bit of popularity in the 2000s, they have been making a comeback as of late and their clubs are popping up in more and more bags, including both weekend warriors and tour pros alike.

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The Return of Ben Hogan Golf

One of the most famous names in golf is making it’s way back into the equipment world.

Bag DropAt one time, it was hard to beat a set of Ben Hogan irons. For the better player, they had it all; the company offered a sleek blade that was forged out of soft carbon steel and offered feel that many felt was unmatched by any other manufacturer. Then the company got sold. And then sold again. And again; until finally in the mid 2000s, clubs with the Ben Hogan name all disappeared. Now the company is owned by Eidolon Golf. Readers of this site might recognize the name as the company that owns Scor Golf.

Scor is the maker of the unique 4161 wedges, which offer every loft from 41 degrees to 61 degrees with their V sole. Their thoughts are that short irons are more like wedges and less like irons and should be designed as such. Some of the ideas found on the Scor Wedges are found on the new Ben Hogan irons and wedges, which promise to be the best feeling, most consistent and most responsive clubs you can put in your bag.

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The Trouble with Dustin Johnson

Dustin is getting prepared to make a return to the PGA Tour after a self imposed six month break from the game. There were many rumors about why he took this break I give my take on his story.

Thrash TalkI probably shouldn’t care about Dustin Johnson’s issues, but I do. When you watch a guy at the top of his game “take six months off,” it immediately makes you wonder what happened to him. How can you not?

In a very short time after Johnson made his announcement, golf.com put out a very juicy story that Johnson had failed a drug test, testing positive for cocaine. Wow. This story satisfied our need for an explanation of why such a talented golfer would take a break seemingly in the middle of the peak of his career. There was little corroborating evidence to provide support to this story, but because it satisfied a check box for most of us it seemed plausible.

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Callaway Announces XR Product Line

In February, Callaway will release their new XR Product Family; a line that they say is built for speed.

Bag DropWhile the Big Bertha line is undoubtedly the most popular line of clubs that Callaway Golf has ever created, the X Hot line, which first came out in 2013, has seen it’s fair share of love from golf fans. If you remember, it was that line that promised to add a whopping 17 yards of distance to your fairway woods, and for a lot of people, that’s exactly what they got. While the awkwardly named sequel to the X Hot Line, the X2 Hot didn’t seem to take off quite as well, those were still solid clubs that took a step forward from the original. Soon to be released now from the company is the successor to the X2 Hot, the XR. Like the line it is succeeding, the XR is a complete product line featuring multiple drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and a couple sets of irons. Read on to get all the details.

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Volume Four Hundred Seventeen

Toothgate, Westwood makes a save, and what happened to Allenby?

Hittin' the LinksLast week was golf’s annual droolfest, the PGA Merchandise Show, where the big brand names and the not-so-big roll out all of their new gizmos and doodads in hopes of getting shelf space in pro shops of North America. Twitter was buzzing with news from the event. That and the tours provided the normal expected news of the week, but the recent spate of weird news also continued. So we got that going for us.

Let’s hit the links.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixteen

A collapse, a kidnapping, and a congressman threatened.

Hittin' the LinksThis has been one strange week in golf.

Next week promises the PGA Merchandise Show, the annual drool fest for golf gear heads everywhere and a working week for those looking to stock the shelves of the pro shop for another year. The PGA TOUR returns to the mainland for the Humana Challenge at PGA West, while the European Tour continues it’s run in the deserts of the Middle East (Qatar this time). But back to this past week…

Just two weeks into the 2015 golf year and we have probably already witnessed the collapse of the year. A PGA TOUR pro was kidnapped, robbed, and beaten over the weekend. A golf course employee has been arrested for threatening to kill a congressman. And disturbingly, bodies seem to be turning up on courses with some regularity this year. Is this golf or NCIS?

Let’s hit the links.

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Titleist 915H Review

Titleist’s 915H packs technology and performance in a classic looking package.

Titleist 915H 915HdIt seems like the trend nowadays for equipment manufacturers to find the latest technological innovation and rush production on a line of clubs. This often results in multiple lines released in the same calendar year, all touting to be the longest and most accurate club in the market. It can be hard for the consumer to keep up with all of these product lines and determine which one is aimed towards their skill group. In the end, many golfers simply dismiss the manufacturers’ claims as marketing fluff.

Titleist is not one of those companies. They have a modest equipment lineup compared to other manufacturers, and typically release product lines about every two years. This gives them time to really develop their clubs and the technology that goes into them. The result is usually a club that is more refined, but also one that consumers can buy with confidence, knowing that it won’t be replaced by the next big thing several months down the road.

The latest hybrid release for Titleist is the 915H and 915Hd. The company claims that they are the longer and more forgiving than any of its predecessors. Titleist’s slogan for their 915 line of clubs is “Distance without compromise.” Is it just marketing jargon, or do they deliver? Read on, to find out.

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