The Players: Fifth Best But Still Not a Major

For a multitude of reasons, the Players still falls short.

Trap Five LogoI’ll make no bones about it – I love the Players. There is something about it that makes me happier than Jim Nantz dreaming up his next final-second call.

But as we know, the Players is not a major. It’s not ahead of the PGA, it’s not the Fifth Major, and it’s not the PGA Tour’s answer to anything. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love nothing more than to see the Players hyped as much as the U.S. Open, but realistically it’s just not there.

Here are the top five reasons why.

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Miura Passing Point 9003 Irons, Adams Idea Pro a12 Hybrids, Irons

Check out the latest forged cavity backs from Miura and while you’re at it, take a look at the latest in the Idea Pro line from Adams Golf.

Bag DropWe’ve got a good mix of stuff to cover this week, one being Miura’s new Passing Point 9003 irons which were actually released right around a month ago, and the other being more new stuff from Adams in the form of their latest in the Idea Pro line, the a12 hybrids and forged irons.

While Miura marches along at their own schedule, taking their time painstakingly crafting their forged irons, Adams on the other hand, who we actually just visited a couple of weeks back, rolls along with their yearly release of game enhancement hybrids and irons. Lets dive right in and have a look at both.

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Volume Two Hundred Seventy Six

Let’s play some Bubba Golf!

Hittin' the LinksHello again golf fans and welcome to everyone’s favorite little column, Hittin’ the Links. After a week’s hiatus, call it Easter vacation, I am back with all that is going on in the golf world. And what a week it has been! Bubba wins, a sixteen year-old leads through 54 holes on the LPGA Tour, and a Monday qualifier wins on the Nationwide Tour.

In this weeks column we begin with some Tiger Twitter, investigate the latest rules gaffe, and find out what Notah Begay is up to. Also, we look into the U.S. Open Qualifying, find out what’s happening to Brazilian golf, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Players Should Stand Up, Save Heritage Themselves

If they love the Hilton Head event so much, take a cue from LPGA Tour and turn it into a no-purse, all-charity week.

Thrash TalkThere’s been an awful lot of hand wringing and furrowed brows over the future of the PGA Tour’s Hilton Head Island stop, thanks to a lack of sponsorship to continue carrying the Heritage.

From players who rave about Harbour Town Golf Links as well as the beautiful HHI setting to the locals who say the tournament creates millions in revenue for the local economy, it seems no one wants to see it go.

I’ve got a solution for the players: Fund it yourselves.

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Bag Boy and Sun Mountain Introduce New Bags For All Occasions

Bag Boy introduces a new cart bag and travel cover while Sun Mountain’s featherweight champion gets a belt.

Bag DropNo new clubs to report this week, but we do have a few new carrying options to keep your stuff secure whether you’re walking, riding, or even flying. While a nice bag won’t directly improve your game, it can have an effect on how other aspects of your round go. For example, if you frequently walk, a lightweight bag can simply reduce the level of fatigue you feel. One with strategically placed pockets can improve your pace of play simply due to the additional level of organization it provides.

So this week we take a look at a couple of new bags to use on the course, and one that’s used off of it. The first two come courtesy of Bag Boy, makers of favorites such as the Revolver, and the third from Sun Mountain, whose Four 5 and others have been some of the most popular bags made. Lets have a look.

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Volume Two Hundred Seventy Five

Lee Westwood wins his way back to number one.

Hittin the LinksHello fans of golf, and welcome to this week’s Hittin’ the Links. It was an exciting one in the world of golf, as one of the PGA Tour’s premier events came down to a playoff. Brandt Snedeker won his first PGA Tour even since 2007, edging out hopeful number one Luke Donald.

This week on HTL, we take a look at Poulter the scaredy cat, a Woods finally winning a golf event, and John Daly’s advice to an NFL rookie. We also take a look into Dustin Johnson’s world, check in on Phil, and reinforce the fact that Donald Trump never misses an opportunity for self-promotion.

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When it Comes to Memorable Golf, it’s About More Than a Score

My most special on-course experiences involve great courses. But to reach the top of the list, these three go beyond anything I’ve seen before.

Thrash TalkSo many elements add up to creating an unforgettable round of golf. It might be a birdie on the toughest hole, the miraculous putt on 18 for your career best, or the golf course itself. Could even be watching your uncle make four birdies to start the round and caring far less about your match and more about him carding the type of score that made him your golf hero to begin with.

Thanks to my day job as a newspaper editor (and my obsession with playing golf whenever and wherever possible) I’ve had opportunities through the years to play some of the best golf courses in the world. USGA championship media events at Baltusrol and Saucon Valley come quickly to mind as two of the heavyweight classic designs I’ve been lucky to play.

But as much respect and admiration as I have for the classics, I’ve come to realize that to crack into the class of “burned into the memory forever” it takes something beyond simply a great golf course.

It usually means seeing something new, experiencing golf in a way you’ve never previously imagined. Three unique experiences stand out and illustrate exactly how I’d define the formula for truly memorable golf experiences.

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Adams Introduces New Redline Iron/Hybrid Set and Yes! C-Groove Putter Line

The latest game improvement hybrid-iron set looks to take distance to the next level with their all new Redline set.

Bag DropThis week’s Bag Drop comes courtesy of Adams Golf in the form of their latest game-improvement irons, the Redline Hybrid-Iron set, and the re-release of the former Yes! putters. Adams’ long, successful history in the hybrid really speaks for itself, but another place where their equipment really shines is in the hands of Long Drivers of America (LDA) players. That would lead one to believe that if there’s one thing they’re familiar with, it’s milking every bit of distance out of any and all clubs they produce. Distance, in fact, was the primary design goal in this new Redline set. So how did they go about implementing a set that meets that goal? We’ll get to that in a minute, but first we have some other Adams news to mention.

As an added bonus, we take a look at Yes! Golf’s new and improved C-Groove putters. In case you weren’t aware, Adams purchased Yes! this past January, and now they’re pulling the curtain back on the first new putters to be (re-)released since this acquisition.

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Lessons from Augusta

We take a look back at the season’s first major.

Trap Five LogoIt’s been a long winter since last we saw major championship golf but, finally, it’s back. No, this time around we didn’t have any crazy rules violations, but we did see a final-round collapse, a back-to-back-to-back-to-back birdie finish, a charge by a legend, and a crazy chip-in on the last hole. We saw guys that we expected to go low falter, and we saw a few Masters rookies nearly pull out a victory. We almost saw a broomstick win a major, and we saw KJ Choi contend with a putter grip that is so big you could land an airplane on it.

The back nine at Augusta once again proved that while it’s tough and long, it can be had, and when someone (or a bunch of someones) puts on a late round charge, it’s as exciting as anything in golf.

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