Volume Two Hundred Seventy Four

Rocco is exempt for life!

Hittin' the LinksHello out there golf fans and welcome to another fact filled edition of Hittin’ the Links. How about the number that Kevin Na put up on the ninth hole at the Texas Open. Wow, I guess he should have listened to his caddy’s advice and hit his third from the tee box. Live and learn… though I bet we don’t see him hacking from the underbrush again anytime soon.

In this newest edition we look at Tiger’s new video game, check out what’s happening in the college ranks, and see what Jim Thorpe is doing with his new found freedom. Also on tap, we find out what has Phil upset, investigate Rocco’s exemption for life, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

Brush Caddy Review

Spend more time practicing and less time wiping dirt and sand off of your clubs with the Brush Caddy.

Brush CaddyWe all know that taking a divot is a good thing if it’s made in front of the ball, but even if it’s behind the ball, there is one result that is the same – dirt and sand caked on the face and in the grooves of your club. So unless you want the face of your club to look like a 5 year old kid went wild with 24-grit sandpaper after a single practice range session, after nearly every shot you’re walking back to your bag, wiping down the face with a towel, and possibly cleaning the grooves out. While you’re doing repeating this process, it doesn’t seem as if that much time is wasted, but think of how much more efficient your practice could be if you never had to go back to your bag to clean your clubs.

That’s where the Brush Caddy (the product for which the company is also named) come into play. The Brush Caddy sticks in the ground right beside your pile of balls, allowing you to quickly clean your clubs. While that’s a great theory, does it pan out in practice? Read on for my take.

Volume Two Hundred Seventy Three

A Green Jacket for Schwartzel. Who’d a thunk it?

Hittin' the LinksHello golf fans and welcome to yet another installment of Hittin’ the Links. It has been a busy week for me, but in a good way. Monday I had the pleasure of experiencing Augusta National for the first time in person. Wow what a place, I urge any golf fan to try and get there at least one time in your life. The Masters is like no other golf tournament in the world.

In this Masters edition of HtL we begin with a look at Reggie Bush playing golf, then see what the Masters did to upset women this time, and see what rule got a little updating. Also on tap, we check out some tweets, investigate Mr. Unofficial, and do a wrap-up of the Masters. Read on!

Masters 2011 Final Round Chat

Staff Predictions: 2011 Masters

More than winners and losers, our panel offers up surprise picks and the style of golf they hope to see.

Thrash TalkA year ago, Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf set the stage for a remarkable Masters week. While Woods had the attention heading in (and played what turned out to be his best tournament of the year), his long-time rival Phil Mickelson stole the show. Consecutive eagles on Saturday. A rousing final round to capture his third green jacket. Little did we know it would be the high point of both golfers’ season.

A year later, we enter Augusta with Mickelson fresh off a birdie-fest victory and Tiger still limping along, having fallen to a once-unimaginable seventh in the world. Will this be the first time since 1999 that a European player — five of the top six in the world are from across the pond — emerges? Our experts weigh in.

Bag Drop – Masters 2011 Edition

From commemorative shoes to game consoles, the Masters brings out some of the most unique schwag that most of us will never hold in person. Just because we can’t buy it doesn’t mean that we don’t want it. Follow along as we take a look at some of the special goods that come out during Masters week.

Bag DropLast night, Stewart Cink tweeted “The Masters is the SWAG season”, and that’s probably the understatement of the week. In the past 24 hours, details and pictures of loads of limited edition apparel and accessories have made their way out into the public’s eye and it looks like the goods this year is going to dwarf that of last year.

Though most of it is given only to Tour pros participating in the year’s inaugural major, some of it is going to be released in limited numbers to the public, but all of it is extremely cool. I thought this would be a great time to wrap a lot of it up in one cohesive (though likely not comprehensive) post for your enjoyment.

I’ll give you fair warning that we won’t be spending a lot of time on minute details like we normally do, since, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and I’ve got a lot of pictures.

Staff Roundtable: All About the 2011 Masters

Favorite moment? Is Augusta National at its best? Will inclusion in a video game cheapen golf’s most traditional event? How much would you pay to tee it up? All that and more.

Thrash TalkBefore each major, The Sand Trap staff offers up our (supposedly) expert predictions. But when it comes to Augusta National and the Masters, there’s so much more to the event than winners and losers.

Today we held a virtual roundtable, weighing in on the history, tradition, and even controversies that make the Masters one of the highlights of the golf season.

Volume Two Hundred Seventy Two

It was a good weekend to be a Scottish Golfer

Hittin' the LinksHello golf fans and welcome to another Hittin’ the Links. A big thank you goes out to Alan Olson for taking care of HtL while I was on vacation, I fabulous job he did indeed.

In this newest edition of HtL we begin with a look at why we love Bubba, find out what is coming out on redneck paperback, and see what Arnie thinks about Tiger’s swing. Also, we check out the Tiger Woods swing app, investigate what’s ailing Bernhard Langer, and do a wrap-up of the weeks events. Read on!

EA Sports Releases Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

For the first time in franchise history, the most popular golf video game includes Augusta National, along with “a tradition unlike any other.”

Bag DropSome people thought it would never happen, but here we stand just a few days away from the launch of EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, and for the first time ever in the 12 year old franchise, golf’s closest thing to Mecca, Augusta National, will be a playable course. With Augusta National comes The Masters, as one would expect, because having the course without the tournament would be sort of like having a cake with no icing.

While we normally don’t cover video games, this is a bit of a special occasion, and this might be that one piece of must-have equipment that gets you through those days you can’t make it out to the real golf course.