Grouchy Golf Blog

2012: Year of the Tiger Dragon?

2011-12-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

According to the Chinese calendar, 2012 is the year of the Dragon and begins on January 23. In the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the strongest sign. According to chinesezodiac.com, "Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion."

Does that sound like a certain feline golfer we all know? But Tiger's birthday is today and just missed being born in a dragon year by a month. Born on December 30, 1975, Tiger is technically a Wood Rabbit, a sign sandwiched between the Tiger and the Dragon.

Clearly, the Chinese calendar is slightly off. 2012 will be the Year of the Tiger for a number of reasons. First, Tiger will be well over 2 years removed from that fateful Thanksgiving car crash that sent his life spiraling out of control. Not having TMZ camped in front of your house will do wonders for your golf game, or so I'm told. Second, Tiger will start the year with a new looper on his bag, Joe LaCava. Dropped in mid-2011, the acerbic Stevie Williams has since proven to be a petty, bitter old man with the maturity of someone one-tenth of his age. This is hardly the kind of person who could be a positive influence for Tiger (good luck Adam!). Third, Tiger starts the year fully healthy. Extensive injuries to his knee and Achilles' tendon over the last several years made it virtually impossible for him to play anywhere close to his full potential.

But most importantly, Tiger's full swing is due to return to greatness. Historically, it takes Tiger around two years to fully incorporate a major swing change. Butch Harmon oversaw Tiger's first swing overhaul during the 1997 season that intended to sacrifice distance for accuracy. It took almost two years for Tiger to get comfortable with the changes that resulted in perhaps the greatest season in golf's history in the year 2000. Tiger started another major swing change in early 2004 under Hank Haney's tutelage. The intent of this change was to lessen the stress on Tiger's left knee. Again, it took almost two years for Tiger to adopt this change following a one-win 2004 with two major wins in 2005. However, Tiger never looked completely comfortable with Haney's single-plane concepts and began working with Sean Foley in the summer of 2010 on yet another swing revamp. If history repeats itself, Tiger's new swing transition will be complete by mid-2012.

In fact, Tiger's swing development may even be a little ahead of schedule. His swing over the tail-end of 2011 looked fantastic. More Butchie and less Haney, Tiger's swing is producing more power and more accuracy. As a result, Tiger was in contention more often and culminated with a win at the Chevron World Challenge.

So there looks to be a lot of positives in store for Tiger Woods next year. Go ahead and toss that inaccurate Chinese calendar in the trash. According to the Grouchy Golf calendar, 2012 is the Year of the Tiger. Happy birthday Tiger but you'll have to wait until next year to open your gifts. But the wait will be worth it because I think one of them might be an ugly green jacket!

Golf Tips - Hands Ahead of the Ball

2011-11-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, my golf swing went through a little rough patch where I was making poor ball contact with my longer irons. Having played this godforsaken sport for so long, I knew that it most likely had to do with something basic. Well it did. After double-checking all the basics, I discovered that my hand position had drifted from the ideal position. From a first-person perspective looking down at my club, my hands were just a little too far to the right (for a right-handed golfer). As a result, I was losing the critical hands ahead of the ball impact position to achieve proper ball contact.

Once I got my hands back to the proper setup position, good ball striking returned. Here's a good photo (except for the barrel distortion caused by the wide-angle lense) of the ideal positions for a 4-iron courtesy of Mr. Woods:

There are two positions from this photo that I try to replicate when I look down at my setup position:

1) Left hand covering the left knee - When I look down, I like to see my golf glove covering my left knee. This ensures that the hands are positioned slightly in front of the golf ball and not too far away from the body. The left foot and the golf grip should form a "V".

2) The golf shaft is angled back to the ball and the clubface is square to the target - This creates a bit of an angle between the shaft and clubface. Visually, think of a hockey stick. It is important to return to this position at impact. I like to imagine pulling the club into the ball as a simple swing thought to reinforce this crucial hands ahead of the ball impact position.

If ball-striking with your irons is poor, try this tip and see if it improves. Let me know if it does!

Sanding Your Grips to Improve Your Game

2011-10-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

The golf grip is one of the most important parts of your golf club. It is the only direct contact that you have with your golf club. I completely agree with Golf Pride's explanation: "The traction that a fresh grip provides lets you hold the club lightly without the subconscious fear of losing the club during your swing. This relaxed state promotes proper swing mechanics and wrist action. While a worn grip causes you to grasp the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension that inhibits proper swing mechanics."

In addition, Golf Pride recommends: "As a rule of thumb, you should regrip once every year. Regardless of whether you play golf every day or twice a year, ozone, heat, dirt, and oils are constantly at work breaking down the materials that make up your grips."

However, I've been able to extend the life of my golf grips by simply sanding them down when they start to get slick with medium grit sandpaper to reveal a fresh layer of rubber. As a reference, Fred Couples uses 220-grit sandpaper. To get them extra clean, follow the sanding with a wash using dish soap and rinse with water. Try it and discover how a little sandpaper can prolong the usefulness of your grips and save you some major coin!

Bubba Watson & Co. Rules!

2011-09-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

First there was New Kids on the Block in the 80s. Their inexplicable success spawned a flood of "boy bands" including the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, O-Town, and 98 Degrees. But musical tastes changed and the boy band phenomenon faded.

That is, until Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, & Hunter Mahan formed the "Golf Boys". Check out their newly released video for their soon-to-be-#1 song, "Oh Oh Oh":

How awesome is that? These guys must be truly cool cats to appear in such a hilarious video. Bubba might have choked away the Deutsche Bank Championship last week, but he is still a winner in my book!

Adam Scott Copies Tiger Woods Again!

2011-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Charles Caleb Colton once wrote, "Imitation is the sincerest (form) of flattery." If that's true, Tiger Woods must feel like Adam Scott is absolutely in love with him. It is well known that Adam Scott was completely captivated by Tiger's golf swing and set out to copy it as best he could. He did a pretty darn good job and his swing looked like a carbon copy of Tiger's until Tiger started toying with it about a decade ago. But if you look at Adam's swing now, it's still the same old swing. He's like a human time capsule preserving Tiger's vintage swing circa 2000.

But the swing isn't the only thing that Adam copied from Tiger. Adam hired Tiger's former swing coach, Butch Harmon, to perfect and maintain the swing clone. Proof of Butch's influence can be found if you watch Adam's pre-shot routine where you can see him use Butch's golf grip method. On the equipment front, Adam signed an endorsement deal with Titleist, Tiger's former weapons dealer. Then, after Tiger dumped his caddy, the grouchy Steve Williams, who do you think was there to yank him off the unemployment line? Adam, of course. Most recently, Adam copied Tiger by winning the 2011 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club last weekend, a course that Tiger has won seven times before!

Now is there anything left for Adam to copy? An easy one would be to wear red on Sundays. A much harder one would be to win a major. But I'm most interested if Adam will try to date one of the Nordegren twins. If he ends up marrying one, he could start having affairs on her to be a true Tiger copycat!

Joey Chestnut is the Tiger Woods of Eating!

2011-07-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. One of the great recent traditions of the celebration of America's independence is Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. The excitement this year surrounded Joey "Jaws" Chestnut's title defense. He is ranked #1 in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. Joey plowed through 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win by a Tigeresque margin of victory of nine over his closest competitor, Patrick Bertoletti. Check out the event below:

It was Chestnut's fifth-consecutive championship earning him $10,000 and the coveted mustard yellow championship belt. Hmmm...I guess the real lesson here is that if you're going to dominate an individual sport, do it in golf rather than eating. Also, I'm pretty sure that the groupies aren't as hot on the hot dog eating circuit as it is in golf.

Jerry Kelly is No Welcher!

2011-05-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

The average golf fan doesn't know much about Jerry Kelly. He's a low-key kind of guy with a likeable demeanor. But after finding out he made good on a Rose Bowl bet with J.J. Henry, his cool guy status was firmly cemented in my mind. He actually teed off during the Crowne Plaza Invitational pro-am at Colonial Country Club in a full SuperFrog Horned Frog mascot costume! Check out the video for proof.

How To Shoot a Double Snowman!

2011-04-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

All golfers have had their fair share of blowup holes. You know, the kind of holes where absolutely nothing goes right and you just want to chuck your clubs into the nearest dumpster and take up a rational sport. Once we've regained our composure, we find that the stroke tallies on such holes are simply abominable. If it happens to be an eight, it is affectionately called a "Snowman" because the number "8" resembles that ubiquitous man-made winter creation. It truly gives new meaning to the creature known as "The Abominable Snowman"!

But even more frightful is the dreaded "Double Snowman". That is the term for a 16 because it is composed of two snowmen added together (8+8). It is so rare that it has never been captured on camera. That is, until now. Luckily the Golf Channel was there when it was spotted on the the ninth hole at the TPC San Antonio during last week's Valero Texas Open. Kevin Na was the unfortunate sap to shoot this terror of the links. Watch it below whenever you feel down about your next inevitable blowup hole. In some ways, it can be considered a feel-good horror movie!

Rory McIlroy Chokes Away the Masters Green Jacket

2011-04-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

After watching Rory McIlroy completely dominate the field after 3 rounds of the 2011 Masters, I logged into my favorite online betting site to consider placing a wager. According to the odds makers, to bet on Rory to win the whole kit and kaboodle you had to lay down $160 to win $100. With a four shot lead and demonstrating a complete mastery of Augusta National, I figured that betting on Rory was a sure thing. I didn't hesitate to lay down my hard-earned greenbacks on the Irish kid with the Ronald McDonald's fro.

But just when I thought that the recent meltdowns were over and confined to Japan, a complete meltdown was about to happen during the final round at Augusta. The overwhelming pressure cooker of the Masters finally got to the once unflappable McIlroy. I don't want to recount the blow by blow destruction but it was ugly. His sizeable lead evaporated in quick order and left the door wide open for the field to march right in. There was probably a dozen players in contention all day and it actually made for one of the most entertaining Masters final round ever. Tiger Woods was one of those contenders, but his putting still isn't back to form and he fell short. However, his new swing has made great strides and he's far ahead of schedule, IMHO. It will be interesting to see what happens to Rory now. Will he bounce back or will his massive choke job haunt him in the future? He's got a great swing and he's young so my bet would be on the former. Unfortunately, that doesn't say much based on my betting results as of late! Regardless, the first Major of the year was phenomenal and hopefully it sets the tone for the rest of the year. Congrats to Charl Schwartzel!

Golf Tips - Supination Through Impact

2011-03-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Supination of your lead wrist is a key movement in the golf swing.

A good drill that I've come across to teach this action is the wrist watch drill advocated by David Leadbetter. It relies on the simple image of a wrist watch on your left wrist. Concentrate on maintaining the watch face facing toward the ground at impact. Leadbetter says, "To get the feel of this, practice making smooth half-swings holding the club with your left hand alone and swinging waist-high to waist-high. Focus on the face of your watch, trying to feel it going from looking at the sky from the top of your swing to looking toward the ground through impact."

Another simple drill that I like is to ungrip the right thumb and index finger (for a right-handed golfer) right before impact with the ball. This drill quiets the right hand and wrist so that they don't overpower that of the left. I have found it to be very effective in preventing the dreaded wrist "flip" or "scoop." Remember, scooping is for ice cream, not golf.

VideoCaddy: The Worst Golf Gadget Ever?

2011-02-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

I love to play golf. I love to ride motorized golf carts. I love to record video with my video camera. Now there's a device called the VideoCaddy that let's me combine my 3 loves together. But why on Earth would I want to do that?

Well, someone thought that it would be a great idea. Unfortunately, it appears that the entrepreneurs behind the VideoCaddy didn't quite understand the concept of addressable market (the total potential market for a product). Did these guys do any market research whatsoever? Do they even know what that means?

Think for a moment about who would need such a device. Anyone who wants to videotape their swing would want to do it in a controlled environment such as the driving range. In that case, you'd want a dedicated tripod to ensure stability and flexibility. At a cost of $70 vs. a decent $10 tripod, the VideoCaddy is clearly a poor solution. But the makers of the VideoCaddy tout it's ability to record your swing on the course. But I ask, "Why?!" The pace of play is slow enough on the average golf course. Can you imagine playing behind some clown who's trying to record their swing? It takes extra time to position the cart, aim the camera, and work the camera. These kinds of ridiculous delays is a capital offense at my home course.

The only thing I see the VideoCaddy being useful is to tee up my video camera for all the golfers behind me that want to tee off on it for holding up play! If someone sent this to me for free, I'd toss it right into the garbage in knee-jerk reaction. However, the VideoCaddy might be interesting for collectors of rarities because I doubt they'll ever sell more than a handful.

Golf Bag Eating Squirrels!

2011-01-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. In dishonor of this ridiculous day, I have a story to tell:

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a sweet, innocent, harmless, bushy-tailed little squirrel. You're prancing along, you get hungry, you spot some food. You put your little squirrel lips around a big, juicy chestnut...and BAM! A frickin' 460cc Titanium driver head cold clocks you silly.

Well that's almost exactly what I witnessed by the tee box of the 2nd hole at my home track, Rancho Park Golf Course, several years ago. As usual, there was a two group backup at the 2nd hole. A squirrel came begging for food to a guy in my foursome who I had met for the 1st time a hole earlier. Without hesitation, he swung his driver at the squirrel like it was a teed up Titleist Pro V1x. The driver hit the squirrel squarely on it's side and it went down like a sack of potatoes. It was convulsing uncontrollably and I was certain that it was a goner. I glanced at the assailant in shocked disbelief. He just smiled and exclaimed, "Ha, gotcha ya stupid squirrel!" After about a minute the squirrel miraculously got back on it's feet and limped away.

What kind of person would commit such a callous and senseless act on one of nature's cutest creatures? I say a smart and rational person! This wasn't my opinion at the time, but over the years I've come to understand why such violence is perfectly acceptable. You see, the squirrels at this particular course are not the typical and harmless variety. They have devolved into ravenous golf bag destroying monsters! They have learned that golf bags often contain tasty snacks and it's now coded into their DNA. Any golf bag left unattended will attract a squirrel looking for food. If it sniffs something yummy, it will do whatever it takes to get to it. These squirrels are adept at opening velcro and unzipping zippers. If it still can't get to the food, it will chew it's way through. Over the several years that I've played on this course, squirrels have destroyed two of my golf bags. Here's a picture of the latest victim:

So if you ever see someone play whack a mole with the squirrels at a golf course, understand that he's just saving your golf bag from destruction!

A 6-Iron Giveaway!

2011-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Alert!: Taylor Made is giving away 20,000 new Burner 2.0 6-irons. Sign-up at their website for a chance to win! I couldn't determine an expiration date for this offer so it's best to enter early. Good luck!

Will Tiger Ever Win Another Major?

2010-12-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

After many unTiger-like performances this year, the media has already written the guy off as a has-been. In fact, one writer has gone so far as to proclaim, "Tiger Woods will never win another major championship again." Any true followers of this maniacal game knows that this is ridiculously premature. Sure, Tiger has played badly this year. But isn't that entirely understandable? He's been the subject of one of the salacious scandals in sports history at a time when tabloid headlines rules the news. If that wasn't enough, he's had to go through a divorce proceeding that took away a major chunk of his massive change.

But to say that these major life-changing events somehow permanently erased Tiger's golf superpowers is just absurd. Tiger was still competitive in many of the tournaments that he played during the year. In my opinion, his swing looks great, maybe even better than before the infamous 2009 Thanksgiving Day crash. He just needs to get comfortable with new swing changes and return to form with the flat stick. It was obvious that this is the weak spot when Tiger switched putters for the first time in over a decade at the British Open. But Tiger has been one of the best putters in history and it's just a matter of time before his touch returns. Now that his divorce is finalized and the tabloids are moving on to the next flavor of the month, expect that time to come sooner than later. In fact, I confidently proclaim that Tiger Woods will win another major championship again!

Best Investment of 2010: Wedges?

2010-11-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

With the economy still in shambles, it's difficult to find a decent investment these days. All the usual suspects such as stocks, bonds, and commodities all look about as promising as Lindsay Lohan staying sober. So what is the savvy investor supposed to do?

I say buy wedges. Yeah, you heard me right. You can thank that meddling USGA. I've concluded that their sole guiding principle is to make golf more difficult and less enjoyable for the "bad" of the game. Their latest impediment to the much-needed growth of the game is a new ruling on club grooves. In effect, the beloved U-grooves/square-grooves that let us back up the ball on the green like a tour pro will soon go the way of the dodo bird. As of January 2011, "Manufacturers can no longer manufacture products with the pre-2010 grooves and can no longer ship products with the pre-2010 grooves. Retailers can continue to sell clubs shipped to them before this date as conforming clubs indefinitely." As the laws of supply and demand dictate, this sudden reduction in supply with a steady demand will result in a rise in price. Cleveland Golf has even launched a dedicated website, Year of the Wedge, to recognize (and capitalize on) this unique situation.

Keep in mind that wedge grooves become ineffective much faster than any other club. I've read recommendations to replace wedges every 15-20 rounds! So even if you don't plan on selling a pre-January 2011 wedge for a future profit, you should stock up on them to last you before they may become outlawed altogether by January 2024.

I've already made my investment. I bought a TaylorMade TP wedge with xFT. The cool feature of this model is the exchangeable faces. Once the grooves wear out you can simply replace the face with a fresh set of grooves. It is both economical and eco-friendly. I bought 3 replacement Z-groove faces for the cost of one wedge. I'm expecting a solid return on this investment in some form!

Rain Pours Through Sun Mountain

2010-10-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of Sun Mountain golf products. They have repeatedly won me over as a customer with such novel golf innovations as the stand bag, Dual X-Strap and the Speed Cart. Unfortunately, Mother Nature literally rained on their parade at the 2010 Ryder Cup this past weekend.

If you didn't hear, Sun Mountain provided the rain suits for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Initially, the gear was panned for their gawd awful looks. Butch Harmon quipped, "They are the ugliest things I have ever seen." But really, hasn't ugly golf attire been somewhat the norm for Ryder Cup teams? Not a surprise to me since it appears that the only qualification for designing and selecting the team's wardrobe is to be married to the captain. But so what about fashion? When it comes to rain gear function over form is paramount. Anyone who has had to play golf in the rain knows the utter misery of playing in wet clothing. Not only is it uncomfortable but it can adversely affect your play.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Ryder Cup team experienced this firsthand since their Sun Mountain rain suits possessed neither form nor function. They were found to be about as waterproof as one of Lady Gaga's fishnet tops. Their leaky gear had to be ditched in favor of generic off-the-rack digs bought from a merchandise tent. What a debacle! It's quite simply an excusable failure by any measure and a huge blow to the manufacturer. This is certainly a low point for the company but it got even lower when, in classic "kick 'em when they're down" fashion, the manufacturer of GORE-TEX issued the following statement:

"It's unfortunate that the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup was not wearing uniforms with the GORE-TEX® brand, especially if the faulty gear ultimately interfered with performance," said Yvonne Erickson, marketing leader at W.L. Gore & Associates. "Gore has rigorous uncompromising standards in place to ensure that our products are of the highest quality, to back up our Guaranteed to Keep you Dry® promise to consumers. Gore and Sun Mountain Sports parted ways in 2006 and, therefore, GORE-TEX® brand technology was not used in the rain jackets and pants worn by the U.S. team this morning. We hope that the U.S. Ryder Cup Team will be wearing uniforms with GORE-TEX® product technology in the future."

Hopefully this epic disaster doesn't dampen Sun Mountain's hard-earned reputation as a producer of quality golf products. I've owned two stand bags and a Speed Cart and I've been 100% satisfied with their quality and performance. I'm still a fan and I'll continue to buy their products as long as I play golf.

The Sport With the Most Ridiculous Rules

2010-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have always thought that the creator of the Rules of Golf must have been some sort of mentally challenged sport sadomasochist. Isn't the feat of rolling a ball into a tiny hole from hundreds of yards away using only sticks hard enough by itself? I guess not because there are a plethora of rules to make this darn sport even more difficult.

All the golf rules ruckus right now is over Dustin Johnson's 2-stroke penalty for grounding a club in a hazard during the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. The controversy is that Dustin failed to recognize that his ball lay in a bunker because the crowd had been standing in it and trampled it down. Sure, it wasn't clear that his ball lay in a bunker, but it was a bunker none the less. Because he grounded his club prior to his shot, he violated USGA Rule 13-4: Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions of the Rules of Golf.

However, my problem isn't with the determination of a bunker or other hazard on a golf course. My beef is that there is a rule about grounding your club in the first place! Grounding your club is just a natural resting spot for your club before you swing. Why should it be any different in a hazard? Isn't it penal enough to have your ball lay in a hazard? But more to the point, is there really any advantage to grounding your club? It's not like you're allowed to tee the ball up. I have been playing this godforsaken game for over 15 years and not once did I feel that not grounding my club in a hazard materially affected my shot. I'm sure that Dustin would have had the same result with his 2nd shot on hole #18 if he had not grounded his club in the bunker. The rule prohibiting grounding of the club anywhere is just asinine to me and is just one of the many rules that should be stricken from the Rules of Golf.

In the end, this is just another instance of why golf is often the laughingstock amongst the sporting world.

Is There a Free Drop From the Propeller?

2010-07-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

To take advantage of the 4th of July weekend half day Friday, my friend and I scheduled an after-work tee time at our favorite local executive muni, Penmar in Venice, CA. It's a great little track that is always in great shape with lots of challenging holes. The only real downside to this course is that it is located within a stone throws away from Santa Monica Municipal Airport. Lots of small planes take off right over the golf course and can be a distraction. But after a while you get used to it and accept it as just background noise.

The night before our tee time we were shocked to discover that a small plane had crashed near the 8th hole. Apparently, the student pilot lost power on his ascent and the plane dropped like a rock. Unfortunately, he died but luckily no one else was hurt since golfers were still on the course. I guess it was bound to happen.

I assumed that the course would be closed the following day after such a tragic accident. However, we called the next morning about our tee time and the grumpy starter told us it was business as usual. They had already removed the wreckage! We played our round and indeed the only evidence of the crash was broken tree limbs and that police yellow tape surrounding the area. Air traffic was normal, if not even more busy than usual. It's just amazing how quickly things can return to normalcy.

Tiger Getting Mickelsonized?

2010-05-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tiger finally returned to golf at the 2010 Masters. After a humiliating scandal, it was obvious Tiger had to change his ways in the public eye to win back certain golf fans. And that's what he did. Tiger walked without blinders on, acknowledged the crowd at every opportunity with that Cheshire Cat smile, accepted gifts from kids, and actually signed some autographs. In other words, he was acting like Phil Mickelson.

"Acting" is the key word. The whole world now knows that Tiger isn't such a great guy. But I never thought that he was to begin with. Now that he's suddenly become Mr. Nice Guy on the course, it strikes me as completely disingenuous. Are people really buying this crap?

But the vast majority of people are suckered into a public image. Phil Mickelson has made a career of it. I have a golf buddy who is a member of Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Mickelson happens to be a fellow member. According to my friend, the real Mickelson is 180 degrees from his carefully-crafted public persona. I've heard stories that will rock any Mickelson fanboy's world.

What I liked about the old Tiger was that his public persona was reflective of his true personality. The old Tiger was a cold, focused and ruthless competitor full of "I'm the best ever" confidence. In short, I prefer wolves without sheep's clothing. Phil is just covered in wool.

But how does this all translate into cold hard cash? Contrary to what many believe, Tiger raked in the mega sponsorship dollars because he won and won in unbelievable fashion, not because of some wholesome family-guy image. If that were the case, guys like Zach Johnson, Kenny Perry and Steve Stricker would be the faces of corporate America. The proof will be when Tiger goes back to his winning ways. I bet the sponsorship money will return en masse.

Golf Gods Strike Mickelson?

2010-04-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

During the final round of the 2010 Masters, a strange thing happened to FIGJAM Phil. On the par-5 second hole, Mickelson rolled a birdie putt on the perfect line to the hole. But just as he putt, a piece of debris landed directly on the line and threw the ball off course.

Coincidence? I think not. The announcers claim it came from a pine tree, but there wasn't a tree within 100 yards of the hole and the wind was calm. I think that the Golf Gods were watching from above and dropped a morsel from their party mix onto the green. Whether it was by accident or intentional, it certainly came from those heavenly arbiters of the game! Regardless, it's just further evidence of their existence.

See it for yourself:

But in the end, the Golf Gods struck down Tiger for his Philandering ways by letting his arch-nemesis win his favorite major.

You Want To Give Me Golf Advice? Wait ‘Til The 19th Hole!

2010-03-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

My golf blogging friend Pat "GolfGurl" Mullaly was kind enough to write the following grouchy golf observation for us:

It’s a fascinating phenomenon: golfers always want to give fellow players advice — especially guys giving advice to women. What makes a guy think I need advice right in the middle of my round?

I’ve been playing the game of golf for years, and though I am not a great golfer, I enjoy the game as much as anyone. I love being outside, enjoying the good weather, enjoying the good company, enjoying all the little things that make a round of golf so much fun. I especially enjoy the little sounds that are part of the game: the pure, clean “thwack” sound of a great drive that goes right down the middle of the fairway; or that sweet sound of the ball as it hits the back of the cup. The sounds I can’t abide are the mumbles and side remarks of my male golfing partners giving me advice — often, bad advice, as I play my next stroke.

I play twice a week, one day with three guys, the second day with three women. Advice is always forthcoming from the guys, seldom from the women. It must be some sort of protective instinct that males have built in, — trying to give me advice that will help me “survive” my round with a decent score. The women I play with don’t care about my game unless I am playing as a team member in a tournament. Then, I hear strategy, suggestions, and advice—but it’s directed at the group and at how we are going to manage the hole. It’s not about one player’s style of play. With guys, it’s different. Even the clunky players think they know best.

Unsolicited advice drives me nuts. If you want to give me advice on the way I play golf, first ask if I even want to hear it. I may, or may not. If I agree to receive your wise words, then wait ‘til the end of the round, meet me at the clubhouse, buy me a drink and I will hear you out. Just don’t do it while I’m playing. It’ll probably ruin my round, and you wouldn’t want to see that happen, would you?

Submitted by Pat Mullaly
Editor, GolfGurls.com
http://www.golfgurls.com
The Resource Site for Today’s Woman Golfer

Tiger Woods Got Famous...

2010-03-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

The Tiger Woods scandal has long overrun its course, IMHO. To me, it's just another story about a somewhat normal person who became corrupted by the trappings of fame and fortune. Irene Folstrom, his ex-college girlfriend describes the pre-famous Tiger as a normal college kid who was "so human and cared so much about other people and the world around him." Considering he attended Stanford, he was most certainly on the nerdy side of things as well.

But when your hommies go from Screech and Urkel to Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, it's safe to say that your world is turned inside-out. Add in to that mix the universal praise and adoration for being the "best of all-time" and it's understandable how Tiger felt invincible. Yeah, Tiger messed up. But the failings of such self-righteous public figures as John Edwards, David Vitter and Eliot Spitzer are far worse. These guys were supposed to be our moral leaders and instead became the faces of hypocrisy.

Tiger has made his public apology, so it's time everyone moves on. No offense to the rest of the PGA Tour but it's been a real snoozefest without him.

Is Phil Mickelson a Cheater?

2010-02-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Phil Mickelson has long been rumored to be one of the least popular players amongst his peers on the PGA Tour. But now his popularity is dipping to new lows over his use of 20-year-old Ping Eye2 square-groove wedges that sidestep the new groove rule. "I don't like it at all, not one bit," Rocco Mediate said. "It's against the spirit of the rule...We have to get rid of those clubs, because they're square grooves - what else can you say?" According to Scott McCarron, "It's cheating, and I'm appalled Phil has put it in play."

Readers of this blog know that I'm no fan of Phil, but in this case I believe that he's getting unfairly crucified. In my opinion, it's perfectly fine to play golf with anything that the USGA deems to be legal. Heck, if the Iron Byron was legal, I'd be the first to use one. Since all square-groove Ping Eye 2 irons manufactured before April 1, 1990 are legal, Phil didn't do anything wrong by putting them in the bag. The USGA agrees. "The clubs are usable where USGA rules apply," said Dick Rugge, the USGA's senior technical director. "The rules speak for themselves and show it's not cheating to use them."

So the critics of Phil need to back down. He's certainly not cheating. If people have any beef, they should redirect their rage at golf's governing bodies. But more interestingly, I think that this controversy sheds light on other issues. For instance, what does all this say about golf club technology? The message I get is that 20-year-old technology is better than that of today. I've long believed that iron performance improvement through technology is limited and this is further validation. My conviction was so strong that I put a set of Mizuno MP-14s in my bag about a year ago. These irons are about 18-years-old and play just as well as my much newer Nike Blades. I'd hate to work in the marketing department at any golf club company when consumers watch that the pros are opting for clubs made two decades ago!

Tiger Woods Rumors Lure the Tabloids to Golf...

2009-12-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

The tabloid media has grown in prominence dramatically over the last several years. Gossip around the private lives of celebrities has overtaken actually substantive topics across America's water coolers. Nothing is more telling than the simultaneous explosive growth of TMZ and PerezHilton.com in contrast with the near bankruptcies being faced by legitimate news stalwarts such as the New York Times.

But golf has seemed to be immune to this tabloid pandemic. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods' enormous popularity placed him under its greasy microscope. All it took was something minutely unusual in the petri dish for them to pounce. That indeed occurred over Thanksgiving when Tiger drove his Caddy around like a carnival bumper car with his wife going all Nicholson on it (let's just hope it wasn't with his priceless Scotty Cameron putter!). Like a herd of great whites drawn to a drop of blood, the media descended upon Tiger's Isleworth sanctuary with dollar signs in their eyes. Could this be evidence of a domestic issue?!

So friggin' what? A couple of years ago on my Bandon Dunes golf vacation, a friend of mine told us he knew a person close to Tiger's entourage. According to him, Tiger was quite the Casanova who was not opposed to "stepping out" and playing much more than just 18-holes. He also emphasized that it was more about quantity rather than quality. I didn't entertain the discussion because I didn't really care. Lots of people step out and it's almost a given amongst pro athletes. Big deal.

It turns out that it is a big deal to many. The Chinese have gone so far as to create a CGI re-enactment of the whole incident. Not quite Pixar, but way too polished than it should be and just another sign that the end is near (I wonder if they actually mocapped Elin swinging that club!):

But why all this attention? My guess is that people somehow build up a fanciful notion that famous people lead perfect lives. When anything surfaces to dispel these fantasies, it devastates them. It's just absurd. In the case of Tiger Woods, why should we think that he is better than us commoners at anything outside of playing golf? As a society, we need to come to the realization that all people suffer from faults. No amount of fame can make them go away. If anything, fame does the opposite. It would be naive to think otherwise. Accept it and move on. There are many more important things in the world be concerned.

To those who still think that most famous people stay on the straight and narrow, just remember that a wise man, Chris Rock, once said, "A man is only as faithful as his options." Ponder that for a minute. It's probably safe to assume that virtually all famous people are cheating. Certainly that's a better assumption for us as a whole than to deitize them if we want to put an end to the tabloid fascination. Lastly, for the record, I'm an extremely faithful guy by choice, not due to a lack of options!

P.S. Check out some of my blog friends' posts on this topic:

Hooked on Golf Blog

Mike Pederson Golf

Whad'Ya Know? Wie Actually Won!

2009-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally happened. Michelle Wie actually won a legitimate professional golf tournament. It occurred at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational over some of the top women golfers in the world.

While I've always thought that Michelle would win on the pro circuit someday, I didn't think that it would take this long. I had some serious doubts a couple of years ago when her pursuit of distance to compete with the dudes led to some questionable swing changes. But her Ernie Els-like swing of old returned last year and she was able to go flag hunting. She was competitive in many tournaments before her breakthrough win.

So what now? Obviously, it is a tremendous weight lifted off of her shoulders. The kind of pressure to win this kid must have built over the years must have been absolutely maddening. With every loss the PSIs were raised a notch. But the relief of winning must have been equally euphoric.

I think that the boost to her confidence from her first win could propel her to multiple win seasons in the near future. LPGA majors are certainly part of the picture. Why not? Have you seen the names of the recent winners of LPGA majors? Since Annika left, it's a who's who list of "who?". Over the last 3 years, the World's #1 Lorena Ochoa has taken only 2 majors. The rest are players likely to be unrecognized at my local muni. Clearly, there's plenty of opportunity for Wie to win majors in the current competitive landscape. We'll see what happens, but I'm sure that it will interesting to watch regardless. Good luck Michelle!

The FedEx Cup Still Sucks

2009-09-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I could care less about the FedEx Cup. I know that they made some major changes this year to avoid last year's debacle where the winner was decided before the final event even started (a disaster many people including myself saw coming)! However, there are still many issues that still make this series a bore-fest.

I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person having earned a graduate degree from a prestigious institution of higher learning. And yet, I still can't comprehend the new and supposedly simplified FedEx Cup points system. I've heard all the golf talking heads on TV try to explain it, but it has yet to sink in. I've tried to read articles explaining it, but I just can't get past the 3rd sentence. If I can't understand it nor have the motivation to do so, isn't there still a huge problem?!

I've already suggested changes to make this thing more interesting. But is the FedEx Cup even necessary? I'm content with 4 majors and a team event as the major events in a golf season. So far, the FedEx Cup doesn't feel any more important than your run-of-the-mill PGA Tour stop. Maybe it's a hopeless case anyway since football takes priority for the majority of sports nuts at this time of year. Regardless, I know that it's bad when I'd rather watch my beloved, yet pathetic Oakland Raiders and our QB JaMarcus Russell throw to the other team than Tiger cashing in another paycheck.

Rancho Park's Arnold Palmer Tribute?

2009-05-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, I moved about 20 miles west to the beach town of Santa Monica, CA. As a result, my home course went from the Rose Bowl parking lot to Rancho Park, former home of the L.A. Open. On the par-5 18th tee, there's an interesting plaque to commemorate Arnold Palmer's achievement at the 35th L.A. Open in 1961.

Here's the engraving:

The first day of the 35th L.A. Open, Arnold Palmer, voted Golfer of the year, took a 12 on this hole.

As an inspiration to all Golfers The L.A. Jr. Chamber of Commerce dedicate this monument.

Palmer hit a fine drive. He sliced his next 2 shots into the driving range, then hooked two more onto Patricia Ave. Hit the green with his sixth shot, and two putted. Eight strokes plus four penalities add up to 12.

Here's the detailed story according to Golf For Dummies:

Palmer needed a par 5 on the 18th for a 69 in the second round. After a good drive, instead of laying up with an iron for the tight second shot, he went for a birdie and pushed a 3-wood out-of-bounds onto the adjacent driving range. He paused briefly to regroup and then hit another 3-wood. This time, he hooked it onto Patricia Avenue. Stubborn if not downright foolhardy, Palmer hit the 3-wood yet again, and again hooked it out-of-bounds. On the fifth try, after four straight penalties, he finally put his 3-wood on the green and went on to make a 12. A long, sad story. Arnie's description was more succinct. Asked by a reported how he managed to make a 12, he replied, "I missed my putt for an 11."

The plaque and story are great comic reliefs to any golfer having a bad day on the golf course. But did anyone bother to check the grammar before it was engraved in stone!?

Congrats to The Golf Space!

2009-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

The golf blog community is generally composed of kind and supportive people who simply want to write about that crazy game we somehow love. One of the best golf bloggers out there is my friend Tony K. who created the Hooked On Golf Blog. It is definitely one of the best golf blogs out there and I visit it almost every day for its regularly updated content.

But Tony has also created The Golf Space, a social networking site specifically built for golf and golf businesses. Recently, The Golf Space celebrated its 3rd birthday! The site is 100% free and membership has grown to over 4,100 members and with over five million page visits since it opened in 2006. Check it out and meet others who share your passion for golf! Congrats Tony!

Sally Jenkins' Premature Prognostication

2009-03-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine emailed me an article written by Sally Jenkins about Tiger Woods' post injury return to golf.

What shocked me most about this article was the writer's prematurely drawn conclusions about Tiger's golf game. Just read this passage:

But so far, Woods's comeback has been a relatively humdrum event...After an eight-month layoff to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Woods missed dozens of putts and seemed frustrated by the slow pace of the whole affair. All of which was a reminder that the injury is a clear demarcation in his competitive life: He's now 33 years old and in the last third of his career, and while he surely has a lot of greatness left, the game may no longer come so easily.

At the time that the article was published, Tiger had been out of competitive golf for almost 9 months and had logged fewer than 6 competitive rounds, 2 of which were match-play shortened and didn't require putting out. That's right, the writer believes that this sample size is sufficient to derive meaningful conclusions. Anyone who plays golf regularly at any level knows about the fickleness of golf and how maddeningly long it can take to recover one's form after a sustained layoff. Just because Tiger is a little rusty, it certainly doesn't mean that he's lost his game. To make that kind of jump is just regoddamndiculous!

Yet the writer has seen enough to proclaim, "For the first time in a decade, Woods will enter the Masters at Augusta National as something less than the clear-cut favorite." Oh brother!

But it doesn't stop there. The writer later suggests that Tiger may never recover his putting touch:

Oddly, the thing that seems most affected by the long layoff is not his swing...but his putting...But his trouble was perhaps a glimpse of what to expect when he gets older: Other greats who were nervy, aggressive putters, such as Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, saw their touch desert them in their mid-30s, and struggled to ever make short putts again.

All golfers know that putting is one of those things that is highly variable over the short term. The fact that Tiger's putting game was off for 6 rounds is hardly surprising. The writer seems to have forgotten that Mickelson's putting blew all year until he won at Riviera. Tiger is arguably the greatest clutch putter of all-time and I'm sure that he'll regain his putting sooner rather than later. Oh, and don't believe the writer. Tiger is the clear-cut favorite at Augusta.

Henrik Stenson, Golf's First Male Underwear Model?

2009-03-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

There were a couple of important things we learned from the 2009 CA Championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa:

Mickelson's game is in top form heading into the Masters
Tiger Woods' swing is the best it has looked since perhaps 2000
Henrik Stenson wears tighty whities

Most people don't know about #3 because it didn't make the television broadcast. But luckily for us, an alert shutterbug was able to capture the moment in pictures!

Apparently, Stenson stripped to his skivvies to avoid soiling his clothes from hitting out of the water hazard. But c'mon, doesn't he get those stylish threads for free anyway? Surely he could have borrowed Fanny's caddy bib. Maybe Stenson signed with a new underwear sponsor that demanded more exposure. On second thought, I think he was simply looking for a good excuse to show off that professional athlete bod of his. Golf is a sport, right?

SwingVision - Tiger Woods Driver

2009-02-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

To commemorate Tiger Woods' return to the tour this week at the Accenture World Match Play Championship, I dug up a SwingVision video from a couple of years ago showing him hitting driver off the tee. As you can see, Tiger tees the ball low for greater control. If he teed it higher, like Vijay, he'd be able to raise his angle of attack with the driver and drive it much further. But if there's one thing Tiger doesn't lack, it's distance! Boy, I sure do miss those SwingVision close ups of ball impact, don't you?

Phil Mickelson Man Boobs Authority?

2009-01-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

I've read that search engines account for more than half of all internet traffic. It's not surprising to me since that's where most of the traffic to this site originates.

What is surprising are some of the search terms that return this site. One of the most popular terms is "Phil Mickelson Man Boobs." I kid you not. I don't know what is stranger - that so many people are searching for information on this topic or that search engines have deemed this site as one of its best sources of information.

Out of curiosity, I Googled "Phil Mickelson Man Boobs" to check out where this site would turn up. Lo and behold, Grouchy Golf was at the top of the search results!

Phil's dopey plastered-on smirk has been fodder for several posts on this site, but there's been nothing that addressed his growing chest problem. There has got to be better information on the internet for people researching Phil's busty assets. Unfortunately, after clicking on some of the other search results, I realized that there was simply a dearth of material on this titillating topic.

Sensing an unsatisfied need by the general public, I was determined to fill that need. After some in-depth research, I found the answers straight from the horse's mouth:

I will always have fat on me. There's nothing I can do about it, just genetics. As I said earlier, I've got subcutaneous fat. And most people who are ripped have visceral. There's nothing I can do it. It just lies underneath the skin as opposed to underneath the muscle. And as long as I feel better and get stronger, then I can't really worry about, you know, body fat.

- Phil Mickelson

There you have it folks. The reason for Phil's full figure is subcutaneous fat. But blaming genetics? Mr. FIGJAM must have been adopted because his immediate family — mom, dad, brother and sister — are all thin. Regardless, this site is proud to provide the best information on the topic of "Phil Mickelson Man Boobs". We will be sure to keep you abreast of any future developments!

Water Hazards Aren't All Bad!

2008-11-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

California is ground zero for the great housing bust of our generation. Having worked in distressed real estate for over 4 years in the early nineties, I saw the early warning signs of the current housing bubble back in 2001. I felt like Chicken Little warning people that the real estate sky was falling over the last half decade. Alas, only a few people listened. One was a friend who was so spooked, he sold his overinflated Pasadena, CA house in 2005 in favor of renting a place in Indianapolis.

It took a while, but my doom and gloom prediction came true. After peaking a couple years ago, home prices here have fallen faster than John Daly's bank account after a Vegas weekend. And don't expect home prices to stop falling until they reach levels last seen in 2002, in real terms. Adding insult to injury, wildfires last week have destroyed around 1,000 homes in southern California. It probably would have been worse if it weren't for those things that haunt all golfers: water hazards.

As long as they contain more water than golf balls, golf course water hazards are perfect refilling stations for firefighting helicopters! Check out these photos from grouchy reader David:

David has more photos here.

Bandon Dunes Vacation Trip Tips: Part III, On the Course

2008-11-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, I took a once-in-a-lifetime golf vacation to Bandon Dunes. I have already written about my off-the-course experiences and how to prepare for it. Here are my on-the-course experiences:

Consider a Caddie

Playing on local munis for most of my golf life, I'm not used to nor am I a big fan of caddies. I prefer to rely on myself for many of the things that caddies provide such as club carrying, club selection and green reading. But since Bandon is walking only and we were playing 36 holes per day on links courses, a caddie is almost a necessity to prevent death by exhaustion! But it's not cheap. Caddie fees at Bandon are $55 per round per person. Double bagging provides no discount! Oh, and don't forget the suggested $25 tip per round!

Unfortunately, the quality of caddies at Bandon is not consistent. At Bandon, you are paired with a caddie and they remain your caddie for all of your future rounds no matter what courses you play. This is fine if you have a good caddie, but it can be uncomfortable at best if you don't. My 8-person golf party each hired a different caddie. Unfortunately, 2 caddies didn't make it past the halfway mark of our trip for various reasons. They would have been dismissed a lot earlier if it wasn't so awkward!

The Courses

All three courses are spectacular! They'd better be with $210 green fees during the high season (but the same-day replay fees are only 50% of the full green fee!). Both Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes saddle up alongside the Oregon coastline and present some great ocean views. While Bandon is slightly longer than Pacific in total length, Pacific feels so much longer! I found Bandon to offer a slightly more interesting layout while Pacific is a tad more scenic with more breathtaking ocean views. Pacific also seems to play much more difficult than Bandon. I didn’t think that I would ever fail to break 100 again, but it happened at Pacific!

Bandon Trails is located away from the ocean right where the dunes meet the coastal forest. It starts and ends with true links holes, but in-between the course winds through a hilly and densely wooded forest. With its wider fairways and wind-breaking trees, Trails is a much more forgiving course than its oceanfront siblings. There are some dramatic elevation changes that add character but can make club selection difficult.

So which course is the best? Picking your favorite course at Bandon is a lot like Hef picking his favorite girlfriend from The Girls Next Door. You want to play a round with all of them, but you definitely want to play some more often than others! If the Bandon courses were Hef's girls, Pacific Dunes would be Holly, Bandon Trails would be Kendra and Bandon Dunes would be Bridget.

However, if Pacific didn’t exist, I’d rank Bandon ahead of Trails (but I'd still take Kendra over Bridget). That’s because while I prefer both links courses to Trails, it offers such a nice change of pace from a traditional links style course that it pairs perfectly with Bandon and Trails. My ideal day at Bandon would be a morning round at Trails, followed by a nice lunch in the clubhouse and ending with an afternoon round at Pacific. Just don’t remind me how much that costs!

My Favorite Memories

My favorite off-the-course memories from my Bandon Dunes golf trip are easily the dinners with my friends in the Lodge. These are some special people and I really appreciate the few times that we get to spend together.

But my favorite Bandon golf memory has to be my amazing driving round at Pacific Dunes. I hit driver on every non par-3 hole and hit the fairway each time! And these weren’t just dinky Funk-like pokes down the fairway, they were full-bore 250+ yd. drives! Of course the golf gods wouldn’t let the rest of my game reflect this excellence. They made sure that I didn’t break 90 by delivering an exact score of 90! My friend thought it was impossible not to break 90 if you hit every fairway. I sure proved him wrong!

Golf Tips - "Hit Up on the Ball" With the Driver!

2008-09-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

In the January 2008 issue of Golf Magazine, Charlie King wrote an instructional article titled, "The Easy Way to Add 20 Yards." What caught my eye was a table of data that showed driving distances of varying clubhead speeds and angles of attack with the driver:

At all clubhead speeds, the maximum driving distance was achieved with a positive angle of attack. In other words, hitting up with the driver produced the longest drives! This is contrary to the proper technique to hit irons and fairway woods where the clubhead should impact the ball with a descending blow or "Hit Down on the Ball".

According to Fredrik Tuxen, the inventor of the TrackMan launch monitor system:

Optimizing driving distance is a question of high ball speed, high launch angle and low spin rate. But you can, in general, not increase your launch angle without also increasing the spin rate. So the fundamental question was: What determines what spin rate/launch angle combination can be obtained? It turns out that for a well hit shot, attack angle is the primary parameter dictating what combinations of launch angle /spin rate are obtainable for a given player.

Attack angle is the primary parameter telling you why you obtain certain combinations of launch angle and spin rate – it is even more important than the club head speed! Also, the attack angle is related almost solely to your golf swing and not equipment related, which means it is something you, as a golfer, can change – it is pure technique!

Players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Charles Howell III are all players who often swing with significant, negative attack angles. However, common for this group of players is their very high club and ball speeds, so they fly the ball pretty far despite their negative attack angle – they do not really have a distance problem! However, if they increased their attack angle they could hit the ball 30-40 yards further. But apparently they have deliberately chosen not to do this.

SwingVision - Where Are the Close-ups?

2008-08-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

The always witty David Feherty recently proclaimed CBS' SwingVision a "weapon of mass instruction." A brilliant pun, it is a great summary of the slow motion technology. It has been an invaluable tool in my never-ending quest to understand this perpetually perplexing game!

Over the years, SwingVision has evolved with advances in technology. It added color to the close-up camera, upgraded the resolution to high definition (HD) and added a mobile camera to evaluate live swings. However, I think that SwingVision has taken two steps forward and one step back. For some reason they have abandoned the close-up camera from their arsenal. Once featured every time, it is now only utilized once in a blue moon. This is highly unfortunate because it was my favorite feature. There's so much that you can learn by seeing a close-up of club-to-ball impact at 12,500 frames per second!

Here's an old SwingVision of Tiger hitting iron off the tee that shows you what I mean:

C'mon CBS, please bring back the SwingVision close-up cam!

Bandon Dunes Vacation Trip Tips: Part II, Be Prepared!

2008-07-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

Bandon Dunes is fast becoming the North American golf mecca. Recently, I had an opportunity to take a Bandon Dunes golf vacation with some good golf buddies. I have already written about my off-the-course experiences. Here are my thoughts and tips on how to prepare for the golf at Bandon Dunes:

True British Open-style links courses in the U.S.!

Bandon Dunes is three-course golf resort situated on an isolated part of the rugged southern Oregon coastline. Re-creation of the traditional links courses of Scotland and Ireland is the name of the game here. In my 10+ years of playing golf, I have never played a true links course. So what I found at Bandon was golf unlike anything that I've ever played in my life. Natural contours from seaside dunes meant that there was rarely a flat lie. Fairways were very firm with tightly mown grass. Carts and cart paths were non-existent. On the course, about the only man-made structures that will come into view is the Lodge/clubhouse. The courses are isolated from civilization and you definitely feel it!

Rain and Wind are Par for the Course

One of the things that I hate is playing golf in the rain and/or cold. As a spoiled southern California golfer, I've become accustomed to dry and warm weather. Usually, if there's any chance of rain or the mercury dropping below 60, I don't even bother driving to the golf course. There are just too many sunny days here to have to play in those conditions! But I knew that rain, wind and cold are all considered the norm at Bandon Dunes. In fact, such playing conditions were the only apprehension that I felt when I booked my trip. Eventually I figured what the hell, this is a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip! I just have to man up and be strong mentally. But the biggest dilemma was how to prepare for the rain...

Get Wind and Waterproof!

Before my Bandon trip, I owned no rain equipment. Unfortunately, high quality golf rain gear is expensive. A good rain suit is well over $300! Would it be worth spending so much money on equipment that I may just use on one trip? I concluded it wasn't. Instead of a heavy-duty rain suit, I opted for a light-packable rain suit for around $50. Sure enough, during our first round it rained and it rained hard. While my rain suit kept me dry, it didn't fit well at all. It was bulky and adversely affected my swing. I was definitely second-guessing my penny-pinching decision. It rained again during our next round, but luckily not again for the rest of the trip! It turned out that being a cheap-skate didn't bite me back too badly. But if it rained any more than it did, I would think that a high-quality rain suit would have been worth it. Not only is it important that a rain suit keep you dry, but it should allow you to swing as freely as possible. Other essential golf rain gear that you must pack:

Shoes: Nothing is worse than water getting into your shoes. I really never quite understood that concept until it happened to me on my Bandon trip! My socks got wet and my feet started to swim in my shoes. That caused blisters to form!

I just assumed that my shoes were waterproof because it came with a 2-year waterproof warranty. Unfortunately, I have been using them well past the warranty period and they must have lost their waterproofing ability. Don't make my mistake! Be sure to use waterproof golf shoes and make sure that they are still within the warranty period. It's also a good idea to bring another pair of shoes to rotate amongst and allow proper drying between rounds. Remember to stuff 'em with newspaper after the round to dry them properly!
Headwear: The wind chill at Bandon can be brutal. In such conditions, you lose much of your heat (30% or more) through your head and neck! That's why it is so important to preserve warmth by donning a winter hat. Choose hats made of wool, polyester or acrylic knits that stay warm when wet. Also, look for non-itch materials or linings for comfort. I choose a high-quality beanie hat made for mountain climbing. It was made of Polartec for warmth and had a Windstopper lining to prevent wind and water penetration. It was a little more expensive, but well worth it!
Gloves: Golf rain gloves allow you to grip wet grips. Unfortunately, they don't keep your hands warm in the cold!

Adjust Your Game

Links courses and their associated weather conditions require certain adjustments to play them well. The biggest adjustment for me was hitting off of the firm and unyielding sand-based fairways. I'm used to fairways with supportive turf that sits the ball up off of the ground beneath. However, the grass and ground seem to be one and the same on a links fairway. As a result, it is unforgiving to less than perfect ball-striking. Even simple chipping and pitching is maddeningly more difficult on a links fairway. Hit the ball just a fraction fat and you'll flub it. I must have averaged 4 chunky chili dips per round with my wedges until I just gave up and putted them instead! There's a good chance that putting is your best option for anything on the fairway within 30 yards of the green. Watch this week's British Open to see how it's done. If you are lucky enough to play Bandon, be sure to check out their practice facility to get used to that pesky turf.

Stay tuned for Bandon Dunes Vacation Trip Tips: Part III, On the Course!

Tigers are Tough, Especially the Human Kind

2008-06-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski wrote an article that included a seemingly absurd proclamation that "Tiger Woods is the greatest individual athlete of our time. OK, of all time." After Tiger's unhuman-like performance at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Wojciechowski's statement might be right on the money. Winning the most difficult tournament against the world's best with a torn ACL and a double stress fracture is nothing short of miraculous. Unfortunately, recovering from that injury will cost Woods the rest of the season. It seems that Wojciechowski might be the Carnac the Magnificent of golf with his prescient statement: "Only injury stands between Woods and any record worth owning."

But there are always haters out there who will try to bring you down. Surprisingly, the sharpest barb came from the usually docile Retief Goosen, himself a two-time US Open champion. When asked whether he believed that Woods was faking the extent of his pain, he said: “I think so. It just seemed that when he hit a bad shot his knee was in pain and on his good shots he wasn’t in pain. You see when he made the putts and he went down on his knees and was shouting, ‘Yeah’, his knee wasn’t sore. Nobody really knows if he was just showing off or if he was really injured. I believe if he was really injured, he would not have played.” Retief later tried to downplay his jealous-tinged remarks saying, “I was being light-hearted. No one but Tiger himself knows how badly hurt he was. But if he was really badly hurt, he would have withdrawn, wouldn’t he?”

Well Retief, maybe your wuss ass would have withdrawn, but Tiger is tough as nails. In addition, you just gave Tiger the extra motivation to crush you every time you set foot on the same course that he does. Get better soon Tiger, and when you get back it will be open season for Goose hunting. He may or may not be the greatest athlete, but Tiger Woods is the greatest competitor!

Amy Winehouse Ugly? That Must Be Really Bad!

2008-05-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

I watched the CBS broadcast of the Colonial last weekend. There was plenty of poor play, but one player hit such an awful shot that it would've embarrassed a hack like myself. The quick-witted Gary McCord deadpanned, “That shot was ugly, very ugly. That was Amy Winehouse ugly.” I hit the floor laughing.

If you think about it, that must have been one helluva ugly shot. Because not only is Amy Winehouse fugly appearance-wise, she has an ugly drug addiction problem, an ugly attitude, and a downright ugly voice, IMHO. When I first heard her music, it sounded to me like a woman high off her rocker on crack. And that was before she was caught smoking the rock on video! I've heard her albums multiple times out of sheer peer pressure to be cool, but I just don't get it. I find her music old-fashioned and nothing special. It is perplexing to me why she is so popular and receives so much universal praise for her music. I'm tempted to hold American Idol-like auditions at drug rehab centers around the country to find the next "musical genius" and really milk this craze!

I applaud Gary McCord for continuing to interject his hilarious but dead-on accurate comments during golf broadcasts. While uptight old farts like the Men of the Masters might find his comments offensive, I find them entertaining, especially during boring golf tournaments. Gary McCord is good, very good. He is Tiger Woods good. Well maybe not that good!

Bandon Dunes Vacation Trip Tips: Part I, Off the Course

2008-05-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, I took my dream golf trip to Bandon Dunes with 7 of my golf buddies. Here are my quick thoughts on my off-the-course experience and hopefully they will help you plan a Bandon Dunes golf trip:

Air Travel

The fastest way to get to Bandon is to fly into North Bend airport (OTH). Unfortunately, there's not a lot of flights into it. Your best bet is to fly to Portland and then take a puddle-jumper to North Bend. If you're nervous about flying like I am, be warned that the plane from Portland to North Bend is small. There are only 9 rows of seats with 4 seats per row! Thankfully, the airline (Horizon Air) offered complimentary wine and beer to take the edge off.

Ground Transportation

The resort is about a 20 min. drive from the airport. I called about 5 local ground transportation services for quotes. I decided to go with Aviation Transportation (877-315-7963). Not only were they the best deal at $50 round trip per person, but they offer complimentary beer. Service was top-notch and reliable. Just tell them your flight information and the driver will meet you at the gate and load your luggage into a luxurious van. For your return flight, they will pick you up from your hotel about 2 hours before your flight. I will definitely use them again.

Lodging

I stayed at the The Lodge at Bandon Dunes in the Lodge Suite which is basically a 2-story, 4-bedroom, 4-bath, condo sans kitchen. It sits right next to the 18th green of the Bandon Dunes golf course and offers distant ocean views. Every room was spacious and features a flat-panel HDTV. I would characterize the architecture as modern rustic. The accommodations were excellent, but you'd expect that for a $1,7000/night suite ($425 per person)! My only complaint was that there was no HD signal going into the HDTVs. That's like driving a Ferrari with a Kia engine!

Dining

The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a little isolated from the main town so the dining options are limited. However, the food at the resort is so good that there's really no reason to dine anywhere else. Here's my thoughts on some of the food that I consumed:

Oregon Blueberry Pancakes and Pure Maple Syrup ($6.50): Two fluffy plate-sized flapjacks stuffed with plump blueberries. They're so big that it's plenty for two healthy appetites but so tasty that one will want to finish it by himself!

Flash Fried Calamari Appetizer ($8.00): Very good of the light-batter variety.

Duck and Ginger Potstickers Appetizer ($9.00): Very tasty with a pleasant sweet-soy dipping sauce.

Pan Seared Elk Striploin ($36.00): When it comes to food, I just have to try everything at least once. Since I've never eaten elk, I figured that this was a must order. I found the meat to be very similar to beef in both taste and texture. It was good, but not quite as exotic as I expected. While I'm glad I tried it, it's probably not something I'd order again.

Grilled Ribeye Steak ($38.00): I ordered it rare just like all steaks should be ordered. While it was a mammoth-sized steak, it was a bit tough in spots. However, the flavor was excellent.

Grilled New York Strip ($39.00): Again, rare! This steak was much better than the ribeye I had a few nights earlier. Much more tender with a slightly better flavor. If you have only one steak on your visit, this is the one to order.

Pan Seared Sea Scallops ($32.00): Nice big scallops each resting on its own mound of shrimp risotto. Easily one of the best scallop dishes I've ever eaten.

Grandma’s Meat Loaf ($17.00): Probably as good as meatloaf can get but that's not saying much. However, I love meatloaf so I really enjoyed it. I would recommend having it for lunch as opposed to dinner because there's just so many better options for dinner.

Beer: The resort features Deschutes Brewery's Mirror Pond on tap at every dining facility. Is there really any other choice? It's probably the best American style pale ale ever brewed. For the lighter beer palates, there's also Widmer Hefeweizen on tap. I admit I downed a couple of those too!

Wine: I love wine, but I know very little about them. Luckily several members of my crew were well-versed in fine wines. According to them, the wine list at the resort is excellent. My favorites were the Opus One "Proprietary Red Wine" (Thanks John!), Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad and the Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon. As you can tell, I'm well on my way toward wine snobbery!

Overall Dining: I was pleasantly surprised by the gourmet quality, generous portions and reasonable prices of the food at the resort. Usually isolated resorts operate like ruthless monopolists and really stick it to you for food. Not so in this case.

Stay tuned for Bandon Dunes Vacation Trip Tips: Part II, Be Prepared!

Titleist Pro V1 and V1x Differences?

2008-05-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Introduced in the Fall of 2000, the Titleist Pro V1/V1x was one of the most revolutionary golf balls of all time by incorporating a multi-layer construction with a soft urethane-covering to virtually eliminate the traditional trade-offs between distance, spin, feel, and durability. Since then the Pro V1/V1x has been the dominant ball in golf. Dominant among pros and amateurs alike.

Not wanting to be left behind, I adopted the Pro V1 as my primary ball from the get-go. I'm always open to trying the competitor's new offerings, but I just haven't found anything that's materially better yet. Part of the reason is that Titleist isn't content to rest on its laurels. There has been at least 2 major revisions to the original Pro V1/V1x. The newest adds the A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp so that you don't even have to manually line up your golf ball anymore!

I've always used the Pro V1 rather than its X-rated sibling because I've always thought that the former was softer, spun more and produced a higher ball flight; all qualities that I prefer. According to the Titleist website, here are the differences between the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x:

Distance: For most players, Pro V1x will be longer off the tee.
Feel: Pro V1 is softer than the Pro V1x.
Durability: Pro V1 is the most durable Titleist tour played golf ball.

However, results from the cover story, "The Best Ball For You" of the February 2008 issue of Golf Magazine seem to contradict some of these claims. According to this exhaustive robot golf ball test, the Pro V1x is indeed slightly longer than the Pro V1 by about 1.4 yds in total distance (carry plus roll) off a driver (90 mph swing speed, 137 mph ball speed, 13.75-degree launch angle, 2,900 rpm). However, additional tests indicate that the Pro V1x also spins more (the printed article lists the spin rate of the Pro V1x at 12,299 rpm vs. the Pro V1 at 11,914 rpm with a sand wedge) and is softer! Based on these new test results, here's a revised summary of the differences between the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x:

Distance: For most players, Pro V1x will be longer off the tee. (According to Titleist and Golf Magazine)
Feel: Pro V1x is softer than the Pro V1. (According to Golf Magazine)
Spin: Pro V1x spins more than the Pro V1. (According to Golf Magazine)
Durability: Pro V1 is the most durable Titleist tour played golf ball. (According to Titleist)
Ball Flight: Pro V1 has a slightly higher flight. (According to Titleist)

As a longtime Pro V1 user, I found the new evidence that the Pro V1x is actually softer and spinier than the Pro V1 to be downright shocking. Maybe even more shocking is that it took almost 8 years to come to light. Durability and ball flight be damned, any ball that flies farther and spins more is a better ball in my book. I'll be switching to the Pro V1x right after I go through my current stash of 3 dozen Pro V1s! How about you?

Golf Tips - "Hit Down on the Ball" with Irons and Fairway Woods

2008-03-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of golf is hitting irons. There's no better feeling than hitting that pured iron shot. I can spend all day at the range without hitting a wood and be perfectly content. Irons are the surgical instruments of golf. In the right hands, they can place a ball within 10 feet of a hole from 2 football fields away. If you think about it, that's pretty amazing. The U.S. military would love to have a weapon that accurate!

But mastering the irons is much easier said than done. To understand the concept of hitting irons properly, you must throw logic out of the window. Like most things in golf, your common sense will lead you down the wrong path. Most people look at a pitching wedge and assume that to get the ball in the air one must somehow get the club under the ball and hit it with an upward blow. In other words, people see the clubface and assume that the club must impact the ball perpendicular to its the loft. This is incorrect and the reason that most people have difficulty with irons.

In reality, an iron launches the ball into the air because it imparts massive amounts of backspin. This backspin combined with the dimples on the golf ball creates lift, known as the Magnus force. As a result, the spin rate directly influences how high the ball flies.

To impart this necessary backspin, the clubhead must impact the ball with a descending blow. The swing advice, "hit down on the ball" is meant to convey this concept concisely. However, I find that this term can be somewhat misleading because it implies that the clubhead should impact the ball on a very steep angle. Better ball-striking will result from a shallow or slightly downward approach into the ball. Once I understood this concept, it truly was a golf epiphany. The key is to re-wire your brain.

It helps to see the physics in slow motion. Below is an impact sequence from the SwingVision of Tiger Woods hitting an iron off a tee. A red dot marks the same point on the ferrule. Some important things to notice:

The club strikes the ball on a slightly descending angle of attack
At impact the ball compresses and then leaves the clubface with backspin
The club strikes the ball first and then takes a divot out of the turf

But remember, "hitting down on the ball" only applies to irons, hybrids and fairway woods. For a teed driver, you should "hit up on the ball" to maximize your distance. Are you confused yet?

Matt Jones: Johnny Miller's Man Crush?

2008-03-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Johnny Miller sounded like a man in love last week at the Honda Classic. However, the object of his affection wasn't some hot young Betty, but a 27 year-old Aussie golfer named Matt Jones. Johnny's frequent gushing over this PGA Tour rookie during the 3rd round reminded me of some pre-teen girls talking about heartthrob Corey Haim back in middle-school.

Just read a giddy Miller commenting on a slo-mo replay of Matt's swing on Saturday: "He has a perfect setup...Just a "10" on a scale of 1 to 10...He has a real good "chase"...I really believe that he has a good chance to be a star in the next couple of years."

Ironically, these comments came shortly after Johnny criticized Ernie Els' swing, arguably the best swing of all-time! I guess Johnny reserves the über praise for golfers that have incorporated his patented "chase" move. It's been a recurring theme with Johnny Miller for quite some time now. I just wish that I knew what the heck he's talkin' about.

And Johnny, don't you think that you're a little premature anointing this guy as the next young golf star? In four years on the Nationwide Tour, he failed to win any of the 94 events that he played. Have the Wies finally convinced you that winning doesn't matter? Remember, people once thought that Corey Haim had star potential. Those people were morons.

Tilghman and Faldo: Corporate Shills?

2008-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

During the television coverage of last week's Accenture Match Play Championship, there seemed to be enough promotion to rival a Ron Popeil infomercial. Only it wasn't Ron plugging stuff but the Golf Channel's on-air personalities, Kelly Tilghman and Nick "Han" Faldo. Every time a player hit the new Nike SQ Sumo square driver, Kelly was sure to identify the driver and comment about how much that player loves its performance. During the final match between Tiger and Stewart Cink, Kelly made sure to point out that the "Swoosh" was well represented in the tournament with Nike staffers Woods, Cink and Leonard making it to the semis. Is Kelly trying to make amends with Tiger over the "Lynch him in a back alley" incident or is there some kind of undisclosed relationship between her and Nike? Whatever the reason, it is suspicious at best that she made no similar comments about other golf manufacturers or equipment.

Tilghman's booth-mate was even guiltier of thinly-veiled promotion. Faldo did his best to sneak in plugs for his current endorser, TaylorMade Adidas Golf. Faldo made it a point to talk about players using the new TaylorMade Monza Spider putter with success. But even worse, he took an opportunity to bash his former endorser, Nike, while extolling the performance of TaylorMade's new golf ball. Nick went out of his way to highlight Golf Magazine's recent golf ball test results that showed the new TaylorMade TP ball bested the Nike One Platinum by 20 yards with a driver (90 mph swingspeed). C'mon Nick, was it just a mere coincidence that you happen to choose your current company's ball to compare against that of your old company? I think not. It was quite a cheap shot you old bloke!

Sadly, this isn't the first time that golf announcers have utilized their abundant air time to serve as pitchmen. In the past, I can recall Paul Azinger plugging Nike and Johnny Miller will still occasionally mention Callaway. It's just that this kind of conflict of interest has never been as blatant before as it is now. If an announcer has a relationship with another company, it needs to be disclosed upfront. When I tune into a golf broadcast, I want golf coverage, not an infomercial. It's not like this kind of advertising is effective anyway. How stupid do they think we are?! Now I wonder where I can demo that new Nike driver and buy a box of those hot TaylorMade balls...

Adam Scott: Tiger's Top Challenger?

2008-02-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

Butch Harmon believes that one of his current pupils is best poised to take down his former star student, Tiger Woods. Who would that be, you ask? Phil Mickelson would have been a good guess. However, it's not the Joker, but the White Tiger, Adam Scott. According to ESPN, Harmon said, "He (Scott) is the only one who can challenge Tiger Woods in the next four or five years. He's the only one I see of the young players with all the things it takes to get close to Tiger Woods."

That's a pretty bold statement. IMHO, Scott just doesn't possess the short game or putting skills to put him anywhere close to Tiger. On top of that, he hasn't exhibited that "I'm gonna rip your throat out" killer instinct that is a prerequisite for all great athletes. Tiger simply owns the best mental game in golf and no one will be able to beat him on a consistent basis as long as his body holds up.

However, the current #5 player in the world does many things that rival and may even exceed that of the world's #1. In particular, Adam Scott's full swing is a thing of beauty. In fact, it's almost an exact copy of Tiger's swing, circa 2000. I think it's one of the best golf swings of all-time and I was sorry to see Tiger abandon it due to stress on his left knee. But it's really amazing to see how well Adam has copied Tiger's old swing. A while ago, I posted a video comparing the swings of Adam Scott and Tiger Woods side by side. It is one of my personal favorites and remains one of the most viewed videos on this site. Recently, I've uncovered another swing comparison video for your viewing pleasure:

It is quite apparent that Adam has copied Tiger's swing to the "tee". However, it is Tiger Wood's innate ability, intangibles and insane work ethic that will keep him well ahead of the pack over the foreseeable future. Does anyone really think otherwise?

Has Titleist Jumped the Shark?

2008-01-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

My friends over at the Sand Trap got the latest scoop on Titleist's upcoming 2008 iron lines. It includes four new models, the AP1, AP2, ZB and ZM. My first reaction was, "Oh crap, has Titleist just jumped the shark?"

"What the hell does that mean?" you ask? Well it's an entertainment industry term that refers to the point when a successful show has passed its peak. The phrase refers to a scene in "Happy Days" where Fonzie (Henry Winkler), wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, jumps over a shark while water skiing. The sheer ridiculousness of that scene sent the popular TV show into a ratings tailspin. Now it has been used as a metaphor for anything that has passed it's peak. I use it often to describe some of my favorite companies when they start to make crappy products.

For example, one of my favorite car companies was BMW. Ever since I could remember, BMW had consistently improved the aesthetic designs of their cars. Amazingly, each generation of their models had improved upon the previous generation in both form and function. That is, until one Christopher Edward Bangle became BMW's Chief of Design in 1992. Soon thereafter, BMW produced cars that were more Rosie O'Donnell rather than Angelina Jolie. My friends over at The Truth About Cars wrote, "Chris Bangle’s designs are still a shock to the system. I still cringe whenever one of the BMW's 'flame surfaced' 7 Series hoves into view. I still shake my head when I catch a glimpse of a 5 Series’ mascara headlights. I still avert my eyes when any of his models drive past, for fear of glimpsing the rightfully reviled 'Bangle butt.'" I couldn't describe my feelings about the "Bangle Mangle" any better. I swear that the people who buy these new bimmers are suffering from a kind of "beer goggle" phenomenon produced by the BMW badge. Take that bavarian logo away, and they'd quickly realize that their beauty was really a beast. Yes, BMW jumped the shark!

Similarly, I believe that the same fate may be in store for my beloved Titleist. IMHO, Titleist is the premier all-around golf company. If I had to equip myself with golf gear from only one company, there's no doubt that I'd choose Titleist. Most serious golfers would do likewise. But that may all change based on the early teaser shots of their new iron lines. Of course it's premature to base anything from a couple of photos, but aesthetics are an important feature of an iron's design. Unfortunately these new Titleist irons just don't do it for me. They are a dramatic design departure that reminds me of BMW's recent history. Well, I guess it doesn't look like my garage will feature a new bimmer or a new set of Titleists anytime soon!

The Silly Season Got Sillier

2007-12-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

I used to really enjoy watching the Skins Game when Turkey day came around once a year. It was exciting to watch the game's best go mano y mano for mucho dinero. But over time, the marquee silly season event changed and so did my interest.

What changed? This year the event moved to a new course, the new Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort. But that can only be a positive since the previous course, Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta, was just not up to snuff. I played that course shortly after it opened in 2002 and it was one of the most disappointing $150+ green fees that I've ever spent. While golf is hard enough, this course just didn't offer much in the way of challenges. The fairways are about as wide as they are long. The small, densely-packed cookie-cutter tract homes that line the fairways ruin the otherwise beautiful natural desert and mountain surroundings. It wouldn't surprise me if the course paid the Skins Game a ton of dough to host the event.

So what changed that turned me off to the Skins Game? Quite simply, it was the players that played in the event. This year the usual $1 million purse was up for grabs for Stephen Ames, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson, and long hitter Brett Wetterich. You gotta be kidding me. I'm a huge golf fan, but you gotta have at least one marquee name to get me to tune in to an off-season golf event. Not only was I uninterested, I was disgusted. What did these guys do to deserve a million bucks playing golf for fun over two days? I bet if they reduced the total purse to $100,000 these same players would have still shown up. It took 25 years but I guess it's official now, the Skins game no longer features the game's best.

The Skins Game debacle just cast a pall over the whole silly season for me. Not only did I not watch a single second of the Skins Game, I didn't watch any silly season event this year. The real season just can't start soon enough!

FedEx Cup Recommendations

2007-10-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

Creating a season-ending playoff system for professional golf is a tremendous challenge. While PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has been taking a lot of flak lately, he should be commended for attempting such an ambitious venture. While the FedEx Cup has some serious problems, several of the lessons learned can be used to make it better. What's important is that the PGA has taken its first step towards a playoff system.

But if Mr. Finchem asked me for some grouchy advice, I'd be happy to dispense them! Basically, I think that any playoff system for golf needs to conclude with a match play tournament. That way, players are forced to compete in every round/event to win all the marbles. I think that a point system should be retained, but only during the regular season. Points would accumulate for each player during the season, and would determine the qualification and seeding for a post-season match play event. This event would include the top 12 players placed into a 16-slot, 4-round bracket system. The top 4 players would receive automatic byes into the 2nd-round.

However, I've never liked typical match play tournaments where a player must beat an opponent over a single 18-hole match to advance to the next round. It allows too many upsets from inferior players riding a flash-in-the-pan hot streak. Instead, I'd like to see each round played in a best of three match format. In other words, each player must win two out of three matches to advance to the next round. One match would be played per day, so each round would be played over the course of three days, if necessary. This format would be dramatically less draining on players who would otherwise play a full 72 holes in a stroke play event. I envision one round per week and since there are only 4 rounds, it would cover the same amount of time as the current FedEx Cup format.

Imagine the excitement of watching such an event. The winner would be the indisputable golf champion and truly worthy of the FedEx Cup! What do you think?

FedEx Cup Lessons Learned

2007-09-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the inaugural run of the the PGA Tour's playoff series, currently known as the FedEx Cup, has come to a close, here are some of the things that I've learned:

Tiger really is "The Man" - It seems like after every time Tiger tees off, some yahoo in the gallery yells out, "You the man!" It turns out that this yahoo was right all along. The FedEx Cup showcased the best player in the universe playing some of the best golf of his career. When Tiger hits fairways, he is virtually unbeatable. The FedEx Cup reaffirmed this emphatically.

Tiger Woods' swing has changed for the better - During NBC's coverage, Dan Hicks commented that Butch Harmon believed that Tiger was swinging the club better than his phenomenal ballstriking year in 2000. That's not surprising because it appears that Tiger has returned to some of those Butch Harmon swing elements circa 2000. I'm no swing expert, but my eyes have noticed some changes in Tiger's swing over the last several months. He appears to be standing taller and reverting back to Harmon's bread-and-butter two-plane swing. Tiger originally hired Hank Haney to teach him the one-plane swing with the ultimate goal of relieving career-jeopardizing stress on his left knee and to solve his frequent swing flaw of getting "stuck." While the one-plane may extend the life of his rickety left knee, it does little to prevent him from getting "stuck." I think that Tiger has finally come to this realization and he will commit to the two-plane while incorporating certain teachings from Haney. I think that we are all naturally either one or two-plane swingers and that Tiger is a natural two-planer. No offense to Mr. Haney, but Tiger swings the club best on two-planes.

Phil Mickelson is less of a choker, but he's still the joker - Phil has all the skill and talent to go toe-to-toe with Tiger. However, his mental approach will prevent him from beating Tiger on a consistent basis. Sure, Phil beat Tiger at the Deutsche Bank Championship, proving that he's no longer sitting near the top of ESPN's "Worst Choke Artists" list. However, his constant go-for-broke mentality almost cost him again. He's clearly too stubborn, too arrogant or both to ever relinquish this long-standing behavior. I guess it doesn't bother him because he's always smiling about it.

The FedEx Cup format is far from perfect - I have a graduate degree in finance from a reputable institution, but even that high-priced education was insufficient for me to understand the FedEx Cup's point system. I can only imagine how the everyday golf fan felt about it. The architects of the FedEx Cup need to revisit the drawing board and devise a better system. Not only was it too complex, it allowed the top golfers to ditch some events altogether without causing much of a penalty. Not only did Tiger not participate in the first FedEx Cup event, The Barclays, but in retrospect he could have skipped the last event, The Tour Championship, and still have hoisted the FedEx Cup. That's a pretty ridiculous scenario for a so-called playoff system.

Money talks - Usually this time of the year, the world's best golfers have packed it in for the season to watch football. The FedEx Cup's huge purse enticed them back onto the course for some serious competition. Heck, it wasn't until the FedEx Cup's second event that we got to see some head to head competition between Tiger and Phil this year. With all of it's flaws, the FedEx Cup succeeded in this regard.

The FedEx Cup sure is pretty - One thing that adds legitimacy to the FedEx Cup is its beautiful trophy. Designed and created by Tiffany & Co., it is made of sterling silver and took approximately six months to create. At 15 inches in diameter, it is perfectly sized and shaped to hold all that prize money!

Did you learn anything interesting from the FedEx Cup? Please let me know! Stay tuned as I reveal my recommendations for next year's FedEx Cup in the near future. That means you Mr. Finchem!

Funny Golf Stories

2007-08-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

Jason Sobel over at ESPN asked his readers to email him their best golf stories after he wrote about one of his. In a scant 4 days, he received over 500 reader submissions! Jason highlighted the 10 best here. I found the grouchiest story, i.e. the one that would most likely happen to me, to be the one submitted by Dan S. from Goldens Bridge, N.Y.:

In the early '90s, I was a guest at the Shady Oak Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Founded by Ben Hogan, by this time, the elderly Ben would spend his days in the grill overlooking the 18th hole. I was 12-over-par after 17 that day and was feeling good about my round until my approach at 18 found one of the greenside bunkers. I grabbed my sand wedge and as I readied to hit the shot, I noticed that Mr. Hogan was standing at the window watching me. Shaking like a leaf and with a bad case of the nervous sweats, I proceeded to blade the ball and hit it directly into the bunker on the opposite side of the green. I then repeated the performance and ended up about one foot from my original lie in the first bunker. As I readied my third bunker shot, I looked up towards the grill window and watched as Hogan sadly shook his head and turned away from the window, probably wondering who had let this bumbling cretin on his course. To this day, when I'm asked about the quality of my game, I honestly reply that I have a game that disgusted Ben Hogan.

It's a great story and one that can be appreciated by any golfer. However, I still think the funniest golf story is "The Hottest Driver." I still get a chuckle out of that one!

You're Fired!

2007-08-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

If there was one tournament that I wish that I could have attended this year, it would have been the Canadian Open. It's not because it featured a particularly strong field, nor that it was an exciting competition. The real reason was to witness the drama that unfolded on the 15th hole during the first round involving Jay Williamson and his caddy. You can read the full story on ESPN, or you can just read the Grouchy Cliff Notes:

Golfer flies green
Golfer blames caddy
Caddy tells golfer to shove it
Golfer fires caddy
Caddy dumps golfer's golf balls into the lake
Golfer hires a new looper from the gallery

How cool would it have been to have seen this happen live and in person?! But the real clincher for me is that Jay only paid his temporary caddy a dozen golf balls for four holes of work! Come on Jay, we all know that you get 'em for free. At least tip the guy a couple of Benjis.

Jackass: Golf Edition

2007-07-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Jackass, the wildly popular TV show and movie series, is one of my guilty pleasures. It's so stupid it's funny. It also evokes memories from my youth because Johnny Knoxville and his crew reminds me of my crazy buddies from high school.

Interestingly, Jackass has inspired a countless number of idiots to videotape their random acts of stupidity. A couple of Jackass wannabes have managed to incorporate golf into a wild stunt:

I don't know who's crazier, the human golf tee or the guy swinging the club. I know that I don't have the cojones to do either.

Is Michelle Wie Lost in the Nile?

2007-07-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mark Twain once remarked, "Denial is more than just a river in Egypt." Never has this been more evident than in Michelle Wie's comments during last week's U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. After posting a shockingly hacker-ish 82 after the first-round, Wie explained, "It's just a very fine line between shooting 69 and shooting what I shot today. It's really frustrating because my scores aren't showing the way I'm playing." Say "What?"

Clearly, her over-paid sports psychologist has over-marinated the poor girl with the "stay positive" psycho-babble. Her interview responses are so forced now that it sounds absolutely regoddamndiculous. Any golfer in his right mind will tell you that the line between 13 strokes is pretty friggin' wide. I didn't watch her round at all, but from what I've read, Wie's game is in total disarray. After hitting only four fairways and four greens, how she could have possibly thought that a 69 was in the realm of possibility is beyond me. I have shot a bazillion 82s in my life and never once did I think that any of them had a shot to break 70! Like my old boss used to tell me, "you can put as much lipstick you want on pig, but it's still a pig."

All of this comes shortly after Wie exited Annika Sorenstam's Ginn Tribute under a cloud of mystery thicker than Angel Cabrera's cigarette smoke. To top it off, the little ingrate had the nerve to refuse to offer an apology to "Ms. 59" for checking out early. Like a modern-day Dorian Gray, the image of Wie in the public eye has deteriorated from the once adorable and innocent golf prodigy and into the spoiled and disrespectful golf cretin.

Is it too late to salvage Wie's once promising golf career? Of course not. But things must change drastically for the better. Her current path is a progressive train wreck and will only lead to self-destruction. Michelle needs to grow up and "find" herself far away from her helicopter parents. She needs "Team Me" instead of "Team Wie". What better place for this to happen than in college? She has already stated her intention to attend Stanfurd this fall. There she can concentrate less on the game of golf and more on the game of quarters, century club, and beer pong. Who knows, it turned out great for Long John Daly.

Watch "The Science of Golf"!

2007-06-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last month there was a really cool golf TV show produced by the PGA Tour and IBM called "The Science of Golf":

"The Science of Golf will show how the best players on the PGA TOUR utilize cutting edge technology to elevate their game to the highest level," said Gil Kerr, the Tour's SVP of Programming. "We went inside the laboratories of virtually every major golf equipment manufacturer. We sat down with the best swing coaches in the game today—including Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Jim McLean, Jim Flick and Dave Pelz—and we have combined this with the best of the PGA TOUR archives and never before seen super slow motion footage to capture how the best players in the game utilize science and technology on and off the course."

It featured a lot of great slow motion swing and ball impact sequences all in glorious HD! If you missed the original airing, you'll have another chance to watch it:

"Part 1: The Power Game" will be re-broadcast Sun., June 24th from 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST.

"Part 2: The Short Game" will be re-broadcast Sat., July 7th from 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST.

If you're a golf junkie, be sure not to miss it!

Update: "titleistman1" has posted "The Science of Golf, Part 1: The Power Game" in seven parts on YouTube. Below is the first part. Thanks titleistman1!

Driver on a Par-3? Sacrilege!

2007-06-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Back in April, Tiger Woods played Oakmont Country Club, site of this week's U.S. Open, for the first time. Based on his experience, it sounds like we're in for a doozie! According to the world's #1, "Overall, I'd say it's a lot harder than Augusta National...The greens were running about 10 ½ on the Stimpmeter, and they were plugged last week. I don't think they were designed for that kind of speed, so it should be interesting."

But what I found the most interesting was reading about the par-3 8th hole. From the tips, it plays to 288 yards! It will be the longest par-3 in major championship history. Are we going to be seeing players hit driver on this hole? Most of the field will let the big dog eat, but not Tiger Woods! During his practice round, he hit 3-wood and managed to reach the middle of the green.

"I refuse to hit driver," Woods said, smiling. "It's against my religion."

If that's the case, forgive me Father, for I have sinned! I have hit driver on par-3s several times, but all on one course. Ironically, it is the site of next year's U.S. Open, Torrey Pines South Course. On the back nine, there are two monster par-3s: the 221-yd. 11th and the 227-yd. 16th. While not as daunting yardage-wise compared to Oakmont's 8th, both of the tee shots on these holes face directly towards the ocean. As most of us know, ocean breezes can have a adverse affect on golf balls. The first time that I played Torrey Pines, a storm played with me. The blustery conditions forced me to hit driver on both of these hellish par-3s but it still wasn't enough! The gale force winds spade and neutered my normally 250-ish yd. drives to mere hacker-like 200 yd. drives. I guess it was the Golf Gods' punishment for my sins!

Michelle Wie vs. Ernie Els

2007-06-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

It's almost en vogue these days to hate on teen golf phenom Michelle Wie. It wasn't too long ago that she was the darling of women's golf. She was supposed to be to the LPGA what Tiger has become to the PGA. Alas, a series of odd mishaps and a Kobe Bryant-esque stubborn desire to play with the big boys have dropped her popularity amongst her peers and fans alike.

It's too bad that her life is becoming stranger than fiction. But let's not forget that this girl can flat out play golf. Her golf swing is a thing of beauty. In fact, I would rate her swing among the top ten of all active players, male or female. Clearly, there's not a better better swing on the LPGA. Just check out how her swing sequence compares to arguably the best swing in golf, Ernie Els:

It's remarkable to see the similarities of their swings both in positions and tempo. But as we all know, owning the best swing doesn't amount to jack unless it is coupled with solid putting and a winning attitude. Unfortunately, Michelle has yet to demonstrate either on a consistent basis.

Justin Timberlake, Take Your SexyBack!

2007-05-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Not that the PGA really ever had sexiness to begin with, but it sounds like Justin Timberlake is intent on bringing it back. A couple of weeks ago, an unnamed source close to the star said, "Justin is a very keen golfer and he's playing to a very high standard now. His aim it to take it into a pro event - just for a tournament or two. He practices every day, has a coach and takes his clubs wherever he goes." The rumor persists here in LA-LA land.

The nerve that this arrogant sumamabitch thinks he has even a minute chance to make it on the PGA. Somehow being a Musketeer, fronting a boy-band, bedding a few Hollywood's A-listers (including the Club Chucking Cameron), and winning a couple of Grammys has convinced Timberlake that he can do anything. Currently a self-proclaimed 6-handicapper, he is clearly suffering from prolonged delusions of grandeur.

I, for one, hope that this megalomaniac tries to make it to the PGA. I will laugh with glee for days when Q-School (if by some miracle he makes it that far) thoroughly humiliates him back down to earth. His ego-adjusted handicap of 12 is about even with my true handicap. When I tried to play one of Q-School's courses, the Stadium Course at PGA West, it whipped me silly. I happened to play the best golf of my entire life on that course, and yet I still could only muster up an 89 from the middle tees! If I had to play that course from the tips with a tournament setup, I doubt that I could break 100 with my A+ game. That's what's in store for the Mr. *NSYNC. If he is cocky enough to pursue the PGA, it will be far more embarrassing than Michael Jordan's attempt to make it to Major League Baseball.

Just the notion that he thinks that he can hang with the pros supports his position atop US Weekly's biggest ego list. According to the entertainment magazine, "(Timberlake) has claimed that McDonald's shares climbed 25 per cent when he walked into their offices and changed their image." I'm sure that the Golf Gods can't wait to strike down this überposeur and start singing, "Bye bye bye!"

It Must be Great to be the Skipper

2007-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Pro-Ams are a cool way for hackers to tee it up with the best golfers in the world. Being able to play with the pros is one reason why golf is so special. While pro-ams can be a bore to watch, it must be a tremendous thrill for those amateurs lucky enough to participate.

I would die to play in a PGA pro-am. Having the opportunity to compare my game directly to a real PGA tour pro would be just mind-blowing. The amount that I would learn from such an experience would be priceless. Just having a gallery to keep my ball in play would be great!

From what I’ve read, most pro-ams have a "pairings party" with a drawing to determine the pros that the amateurs get to spend 5+ hours of quality time together. So, if you are especially fortunate enough to play in a pro-am that Tiger Woods is also playing, there's a possibility of playing a round with him! To anyone who considers himself a golfer, scoring a tee time with Tiger is like winning the lottery.

In that case, Skipper Beck must feel like he just won the Powerball. You see, not only is Skipper playing with Tiger in today's Wachovia Pro-Am, but the third person of their threesome is Michael "Air" Jordan! Yeah, you read that right: the Michael Jordan of golf and the Tiger Woods of basketball. Can you imagine spending most of your day playing golf with arguably the two greatest athletes of our generation? To say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is an understatement.

Just who is this Skipper Beck? From what I can gather, he's a high-roller who inherited a Benzo dealership, married a blond bombshell, and hobnobs with Charlotte's upper crust. In short, this guy's life doesn't suck. The fact that he is playing in every sports fan's dream threesome on top of all this makes me wonder whether he sold his soul to the devil. One thing is clear: just like it was in the Sixties, it's much better to be the Skipper than Gilligan.

Butch Harmon is Phil Mickelson's Coach. Oh, Sweet Revenge!

2007-04-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

"Oldboy," a movie directed by Chan-wook Park, is one of my favorite movies of all-time. The second movie of a revenge-themed trilogy, "Oldboy" is a brilliant tale of the tragic consequences from revenge breeding upon itself. In other words, revenge begets revenge which begets even more revenge, so on and so forth.

If Mr. Park decides to make another revenge flick, he can simply base it on the recent pairing of Butch Harmon with Phil Mickelson. According to the Kojak of Golf, Tim Rosaforte, "...sources have told Golf World the Mickelson-Harmon alliance will be made official before the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas." While the coaching change is meant to fix Mickelson's wayward driver, it also satisfies the thirst for revenge.

Here is a short summary of the vengeance undertones found in golf's newest coaching relationship:

Butch is seeking revenge against Tiger Woods for leaving him in favor of Hank Haney
Mickelson is seeking revenge against Tiger Woods for the countless times that he has finished behind the world's #1
Butch is seeking revenge against Rick Smith for giving swing advice to Tiger Woods at the 1996 U.S. Open when Harmon was still Tiger's coach

But the story may not stop here. Of all the coaches that Mickelson could have chosen, he couldn't have picked one that would have irked Rick Smith more than Butch Harmon. They like each other about as much as Kobe and Shaq. Interestingly, Rick Smith could exact revenge against both his former pupil and his coaching arch-nemesis by teaming up with Tiger. Such a scenario would also enable Tiger to exact revenge on his former coach and his top rival. It sounds almost too good to be true, but with rumors circulating that Tiger may now be unhappy with his swing under Haney's tutelage, don't count it out!

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. But one thing is clear, the proverb "revenge is a dish best served cold" still holds true.

Tiger Woods Juggling Act, Part Deux?

2007-04-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Remember that cool Nike golf commercial where Tiger is bouncing a Platinum One up and down with his wedge without any of that special effects mumbo jumbo?

Well, EA Sports has an interesting take on that concept with Nintendo's virtual reality machine called the Wii. Check out the video:

It's clever, but I enjoy watching Tiger playing himself on the Wii a little bit more. Kudos to EA Sports!

The Tiger-Proofed Masters

2007-04-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

This seems to be the consensus opinion on the 2007 Masters:

“Tiger-proofing” has made Augusta National too difficult
As a result, birdies and eagles were rare, taking the excitement out of the event
Bottom Line: It was a borefest

I must be in the minority, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 71st Masters. Maybe the setup was too difficult for a traditional Masters, but when it comes to tournament golf, I prefer attrition warfare over shootouts. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that a course can be too difficult. The 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock was a prime example of the silliness that can arise from a sadist greenskeeper gone wild. But as long as a golf course is fair, I think that it’s fine. After all, everyone plays on the same course.

The difficult conditions left a wide-open Masters for the final round. On Sunday, Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini, Retief Goosen, Zach Johnson and Tiger Woods all owned a piece of the lead at some point. Call me crazy, but I find such a “neck and neck” competition much more interesting than someone trouncing the field by 5 strokes the entire day.

Unfortunately, there was one key ingredient missing from this year’s Masters that would have made it magical: a classic Tiger charge. We all expected it, but it never came. Uncharacteristically, Tiger lost a final-round lead! However, don’t blame the course for that, Tiger clearly didn’t have his A, B or even C game. But take nothing away from Zach Johnson. He did not fold under the pressure and instead played brilliant golf. Unlike many winners this year, Zach won this tournament.

But imagine if Tiger was his usual self and forced Zach Johnson into a playoff ala Bob May in the PGA Championship circa 2000. Wouldn’t that have been exciting? All of a sudden, this Masters goes down in the history books as one of the best ever. Oh well, I guess Tiger is indeed human. It's either that or the Masters has truly been "Tiger-Proofed." Regardless, I'm just glad that I watched it all unfold on CBS in 100% high def, unlike that NBC "HD-lite" treatment.

A Golden Tee for Distance?

2007-04-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Jack Mehoffer, VP of marketing at Hanso Golf, regarding their latest product introduction. It's called "Golden Tees", and they represent the latest in golf tee technology.

Golf Grouch: What are they?

Jack Mehoffer: In short, Golden Tees provide the lowest Static Coefficient of Friction between a golf ball and a tee. In layman's terms, these tees are scientifically proven to provide the least resistance between the golf ball and tee. As a result, the ball will travel farther.

What does this mean for golfers?

Research conducted by our Head of R&D, Rod Stiffington, indicates that Golden Tees can increase driving distance 10% or more. So a golfer with an average driving distance of 250 yards can expect a 25 yard increase by simply switching to the Golden Tee.

How do they work?

The wooden golf tee has been used universally since its commercial introduction in the 1920s. Unfortunately, the coefficient of friction from wood is very high, especially against the new urethane-covered golf balls. Metals offer much lower coefficients of friction, but you can't make 100% metal golf tees because they damage clubs and lawn mower blades. Golden Tees offer the benefit of metal contact with the golf ball, but without the drawbacks of 100% metal golf tees. In addition, we are utilizing the metal with the lowest coefficient of friction against urethane, gold."

Are you using real gold?

Yes, we only utilize 24K gold. We try to minimize the cost by only coating the contact areas with gold. In addition, we've developed a patent-pending electroplating technology to apply a layer of gold onto the contact area about 100 microns thick. That's about the thickness of a human hair.

What is the availability and retail price?

Golden Tees can be found soon at specialty golf retailers for $10 a tee or a package of 50 for $450. We think that this is a small price to pay for a 10% increase in driving distance.

Who's using them?

The best players in the world will be teeing up with Golden Tees at this week's Masters. Look for them on TV! Interestingly, Golden Tees are also becoming a favorite among major Hip Hop artists such as Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and P. Diddy. Apparently, they love the "bling".

What's next?

Well, we're constantly looking for ways to minimize the friction between the golf ball and tee. We have already developed prototypes of tees utilizing the material with the lowest coefficient of friction. Care to guess what that might be?

I have no idea.

It's ice. We are tentatively calling the product "Iced Tee". They are currently undergoing hot weather testing in the Mojave desert. Unfortunately, it appears that there are still some snags that we must overcome before we bring it to market.

NBC HD and NBCee It Is Not Must See TV

2007-03-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was ecstatic to learn earlier this year that CBS is broadcasting all of its golf coverage now in glorious high-definition (HD). It looks spectacular on my 6 month-old 1080p Sharp HDTV. Well it turns out that the only other national golf television broadcaster, NBC, is broadcasting in HD too! Naturally, I expected NBC's HD coverage to rival that of its competitor, especially after they were able to see several CBS golf broadcasts. Sadly, it appears that the once innovative peacock has lost some of its tail feathers.

Anyone who owns a high-def TV can appreciate the enhanced resolution that HD content presents over standard definition (SD). Some say once you go HD you never go back. The clarity can be amazing, but only if the content is originally shot in HD. In fact, due to rescaling and resizing, normal old SD content looks especially bad on an HDTV.

I've watched virtually every NBC golf broadcast this season, and it's obvious that they are only employing HD cameras in about half of their coverage. It appears that they use HD cameras in their towers and SD cameras on the course. One minute the picture appears as if you were there at the tournament observing through a glass window, and the next it looks like your viewing through a screen door.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that NBC is improving their golf coverage quality. However, I'm a bit irked that they are billing their presentation as HD when it is clearly only partially HD. Compared to CBS' full HD offering, NBC's "HD-lite" comes up woefully short.

But it also seems that NBC is losing ground on the innovation front. We all love CBS' Emmy award-winning SwingVision to analyze golf swings. Earlier this year, NBC introduced "NBCee It" to combat SwingVision. In short, it simply enlarges any small part of the picture, like a magnifying glass over a photo. Unfortunately, the resolution of the magnified area is painfully low. It resembles the Atari 2600 game "Breakout". Disaster isn't the word. Not only does it look horrible, but it does little to enhance the swing analysis.

Then there's NBC's golf announcement team. What can I say? If not the most elegant speaker, Johnny Miller does know golf. But there's just not much exciting going on with his supporting cast. They're kind of like parsley on a dinner plate, they neither enhance nor detract from the main course. They definitely don't inject any amount of wit and humor like that of the CBS golf crew. You would have thought that NBC would have landed an interesting personality in the aftermath of the ABC golf breakup. Instead it was CBS who bolstered an already excellent crew.

Like most things, it probably boils down to money. It's clear that NBC is spending much less on it's golf coverage than CBS; much less on technology, equipment, and talent. If NBC wants to compete with CBS, they need to step up and show me the money! If they do, then maybe I'll watch more NBC shows than just "The Office" and "Heroes".

I am Tiger Woods (on the Wii)

2007-03-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Technology moves at a quick pace. Video games has been a major beneficiary with the introduction this year of the "next-gen" gaming consoles the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PS3 to do battle with Microsoft's Xbox 360. Probably the coolest innovation is the Wii's motion-controlled controller, the Wii Remote. Instead of simply moving a joystick and mashing buttons, you control the action by motioning the controller itself.

This technology greatly expands the possibilities for video gaming. Take golf games, for example. Now it's possible to play a golf video game by actually "swinging" the controller. Can you say, "a golf simulator in your living room for around $300?

Check out this video of EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 in action on the Wii in the hands of the great Tiger Woods himself. It's well worth a couple of viewings:

If anyone has played this game, please let us know your thoughts.

SwingVision - Justin Leonard Driver

2007-03-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

For all of you SwingVision junkies out there, I dug up this SwingVision of Justin Leonard hitting his TaylorMade R7 TP driver off the tee. I believe it comes from the 86th PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2004 where the sadomasochist of golf, Pete Dye, exacted his revenge on the best golfers in the world. I'm sure that you can recall how ridiculously difficult the course played over those couple of days. Just getting your ball to remain on the green was a great accomplishment. It's a great example of how it is possible to set up a golf course so hard that it's unfair.

Anyway, below is the video. Justin Leonard has a very identifiable golf swing and it is characterized by his Johnny Miller-coined "chase" move through the ball. The video also highlights how contact with the ball should be high on the face of modern drivers to maximize launch conditions (high launch, low spin). Enjoy!

Real Tiger Woods Putter on eBay?

2007-02-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago, I visited a local golf store and came across an authentic backup to Tiger Woods' Scotty Cameron putter. I really wanted this putter, but I wasn't ready to give my life's savings for it!

As with any high-priced items, there are scumbags out there that make cheap knock-offs to scam unsuspecting consumers. One such scoundrel had the nerve to link his fake Tiger Woods' putter eBay listing to this site as some sort of mark of legitimacy! I tried to foil his plot by telling people who visited that link to have any rare Cameron authenticated prior to purchase. Unfortunately, some poor bastard still shelled out over $300 for this POS. Oh well, buyer beware.

Recently a reader emailed me about another eBay auction for a Tiger Woods' Scotty Cameron putter. With such auctions, it is better to assume guilty (fake) until proven innocent rather than vice versa. But upon closer inspection, it appears that this auction may indeed be legit. First, there is a photo of the putter in front of a Certificate of Authenticity. Second, I ran the registry number from the certificate at the Scotty Cameron Registry and it shows up as registered. The only thing that looks suspicious is the "Letter of Authenticity" signed by Scotty Cameron. You would expect such a letter to be written on more official looking company letterhead and written in the first-person. However, the signature looks like Scotty's.

I decided to do a little more research. I emailed the Scotty Cameron Shop and they replied, "If the putter has a COA then its authentic. As for being made for Tiger that is not stated on the COA nor the number made. Thanks." I checked the forums at the Cameron Collector and found a thread dedicated to this auction. The experts there seemed to think that the auction was legit.

Regardless, bidders of this auction clearly think that it's legit. There's still 4 days remaining in this auction and the bid price has already exceeded $30K. That's a lot of moolah for a single golf club. For the winning bidder's sake, I hope that the putter is real...

Playing with the Pros

2007-02-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

Golf is one of those rare sports where amateurs can play exactly where the pros play. Want to play baseball at Dodger Stadium or touch football at Lambeau Field? Sorry, it ain't happening, ever. But in golf, playing where the pros play is rather easy. Torrey Pines, Riviera and the PGA West Stadium Course are just a few of the PGA tournament courses that I have played. Sometimes it is even possible to play some of the ultra-exclusive PGA stops.

My friend from high school used to work for the Golf Channel. Every year, they flew him out to Augusta, GA to cover the Masters. He told me that the tournament holds a special drawing for the media covering the Masters every year. What are they drawing, you ask? Get this, it's for tee times at Augusta National the day after the final round of the Masters! Unbelievably, my friend won the drawing one year and played Augusta National. Can you imagine that? He got to play Augusta National in the best condition of the year with the Masters setup and final round pin positions. Lucky bastard.

In golf, not only can you play the same courses that the pros play, you can also play with the pros. Every pro tournament features practice rounds where amateurs can tee it up with the pros. However, in some events, amateurs can play with the pros during the actual tournament.

That's the name of the game as the traveling golf circus made it's way to Pebble Beach last week directly from the FBR Open's "Bird's Nest". The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is a tournament where the rich and famous get to team up with the pros. Are there any other sports that allows this? Imagine if Phil Jackson put Bill Murray into a game to defend LeBron James. Or how about Kenny G getting decleated by Brian Urlacher after running a slant across the middle. Yes, it's bizarre and it only happens in golf.

It's cool that amateurs can play with the pros, but count me among those who doesn't care to watch it. It's interesting at first, but it gets old fast. Watching narcissistic, spotlight obsessed celebrities trying to ham it up for the camera is just mind numbing. The worst offender this year was D-list, celeb wannabe Vegas entertainer Danny Gans. It's obvious why this dude hasn't "made it" in Hollywood. If I want to watch stand-up I'll tune in to Comedy Central, not a golf broadcast.

CBS SwingVision in High Definition!

2007-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Television is currently undergoing a technological revolution. It is called high definition television (HDTV) and it delivers a dramatic improvement in television resolution. In fact, HDTV has at least twice the resolution of standard definition television (SDTV) and features the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio.

Unfortunately, HDTV comes with a steep price tag. Even after several years of price erosion, quality HDTVs still command well over a grand. But at some point, you just have to bite the bullet. I did so recently and it put a serious dent in my wallet. But the pictures that it produces are amazing! As much as it cost, I think that it's worth it for the improved entertainment experience.

Sure, the amount of HD content is still relatively minuscule. However, it is constantly improving. Take golf HD programming, for example. It was pathetic just several months ago. Very few tournaments were broadcast in HD last year. It seemed that only the majors received the HD treatment, and even then, only the Masters delivered a high quality picture. But it seems to be different this year.

I was pleasantly surprised last weekend to find that CBS' first 2007 golf broadcast, the Buick Invitational, was broadcast in delicious 1080i HD goodness! In fact, all CBS golf broadcasts will now be shot and broadcast in HD! As a byproduct, my favorite slo-mo technology, SwingVision, is also now in HD! I'm trying to figure out where to get my hands on SwingVision HD videos for you to enjoy, but in the meantime, check out the photo of my Sharp Aquos HDTV displaying HD Swingvision via an antenna (click on it to expand):

CBS has been leading the national broadcast networks in terms of HD picture quality. It used to be that if you wanted to show off your HDTV, you would tune it to CSI or a CBS HD NFL game (CBS will deploy 47 HD cameras for this year's Superbowl!). Now you can do the same by tuning it to a CBS golf broadcast. Let's hope that CBS continues the trend and that its competitors follow suit. If you're a golf fan and still don't own an HDTV, now may be a good time to jump on board. Nick Faldo in high def...does it get any better?

"This is a great finishing hole..."

2007-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've heard that comment more times than not on the walk to the 18th tee.

Although there's no official definition, I've determined that the phrase "great finishing hole" means a final hole that is much more challenging than average. Usually it's a long par-4 that requires a long approach or a par-5 where there is a critical decision to be made on whether to go for the green in two because of some hazard.

Now that's great for golf spectators. A great finishing hole adds drama much like a surprise bikini model bachelorette does in "The Bachelor". You just have to watch and see whether the player has the cojones to go for it.

However, when I'm playing a round of golf, a "great finishing hole" is the last thing I want to see, especially when I'm scoring well. I can't tell you how many times my round has been ruined by a "great finishing hole". My home course features such a hole, a 450-yard thorn-in-my-side that features a narrow fairway bounded by trees on the left and a pond on the right. I can vividly recall over a dozen times when I needed a par or better on that beast to break 80. Of those times, I only parred once!

As a result, that hole has taken residence in the part of my consciousness housing such terrors as the Boogie Man, Freddy Krueger and Michael Jackson. Whenever I play my home course, the thought of #18 haunts my game from the get-go. When I hear the inevitable, "This is a great finishing hole..." from a playing partner, it just sends chills up my spine. To me, it is a "great finishing hole" because it's great at finishing me off!

I'm convinced that golfers are masochists. Saying, "This is a great finishing hole..." after spending 5 hours playing 17 holes is akin to saying, "I can't wait for the Cat o' nine tails" after being flogged with a cane for a good hour. If it's alright with you, I'd like to continue with the cane please. Thank you very much.

Michelle Wie College-bound?

2007-01-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

Michelle Wie recently announced her intention to attend college later this year. This is a relief to those who feared that the teen phenom would forgo college to become a pro golfer full-time. These people argue that the “college experience” teaches one invaluable life lessons in and out of the classroom that one can’t learn elsewhere. Even the great Tiger Woods said, “"I think you [miss out] on several things by not going to college, the most obvious being educational."

Such talk has prompted me to pause and reflect on the good ol’ college days. My alma mater happens to be the bitter rival of Stanfurd, the college that Tiger attended and the one that Wie plans to attend. While my college is superior to Stanfurd, I believe that my experience may shed some light on what Wie can expect from college.

I can recall those formative four years being exposed to such things as Keynesian economics, Nietzsche’s Übermensch concept and the Schrodinger equation of quantum mechanics. I toiled countless hours cramming these subjects into my head. Unfortunately, I have long ago lost the ability to recollect any specifics regarding these topics. Thankfully, there are many other things that I learned in college and will remain with me for the rest of my life. Here are just a few of them:

How to survive on less than $3 per day
The number of Keystone Lights that one can safely pour into a beer bong without spilling any of the precious nectar
How to milk 4 full meals out of the The Olive Garden by doggie baggin' your dinner and stuffing yourself and your pockets with the Endless Salad and Breadsticks
How to unhook a bra in less that 4 seconds using only 3 fingers of one hand without looking
The tangible benefits of a bong over a pipe
How to get free CDs shipped to your door from Columbia House and BMG using names such as "Hugh Jass"
How to work with complete strangers to dismantle field-goal posts after an emotional victory fueled solely by school spirit and Popov Vodka.

These are just a few of the precious things that Wie could experience from college. However, she can still chuck the idea and instead travel the world in first-class playing golf on the best courses while making millions of dollars. But why would she do such a silly thing?

I didn't have such an option, but I have successfully parlayed my college experience into a life filled with 60+ hour workweeks at a dead-end job where I’m bored to death trapped with other college-educated lackeys in a cold and sterile office.

It is often said that “the grass is always greener on the other side.” From my standpoint, Wie is standing in the greenest grass in the world. All I know is that I want to be on the side where the grass is in the fairway.

College Football is Killing Me!

2006-11-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

To add insult to injury, my beloved college football team lost again last Saturday! Unfortunately, I witnessed the defeat in person as my team came into town to face the nation's #3 BCS team. It was a huge loss because it knocked us out of the coveted Rose Bowl.

At least we kept it respectable. We actually led at halftime but we couldn't keep the 'mo going through four quarters. Regardless, we lost and my depression has found new depths of despair. I don't feel like writing about anything right now, let alone golf! In fact, I vow never to write again until my team wins again. With only one more game left in the season, it may be indeed a very long time...

In the meantime, enjoy a newly updatedSwingvision video of Briny Baird hitting an iron off the tee. Oh yeah, Happy Friggin' Thanksgiving.

On Hiatus from the Agony of Defeat...

2006-11-14T17:23:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my top-10 BCS-ranked college football team went down in flames to a crappy inter-conference team that my high school team could beat. It was an embarrassing defeat that shot our season to holy hell. This comes on top of my pathetic NFL team scrapping the very bottom of the AFC cellar. As a result, I've been sent into a very deep and dark depression. As you can understand, the last thing I want to do right now is write about friggin' golf!

I apologize to the handful of souls who visit this site weekly. However, I have made an appointment to see my therapist and maybe she'll bring me out of this funk soon. In the meantime, enjoy the Eye of the Tiger post that I have updated with a video of Tiger Woods swinging the driver. You can learn so much from these videos! Good luck, and bye for now...

Supinate The Wrist: The Key to a Solid Swing

2006-11-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

As I have written before, all great swings, whether they be single-plane/two-plane, steep/flat or fast/slow, have one thing in common: the hands are ahead of the ball at impact.

It is truly a key position for proper ball-striking. Equally as important, if not more important, is the fundamental action that produces this key position.

It is a wrist/forearm motion known as supination. Ben Hogan emphasized that through impact, the left wrist and the back of the left hand (of a right-handed golfer) should gradually supinate. In other words, they rotate from nearly a palm-down position toward more of a palm-up position coming into the ball. At impact, the back of the left hand faces toward the target and the knuckles of the left hand should face the ground.

In addition, the left wrist should be flat or bowed through impact. In the April 1956 issue of Golf Digest, Hogan wrote, "I've noticed one thing that all good golfers do and all bad golfers do not. The good ones have their left wrist leading at impact. It seems a small thing, but I've found it to be universally true. At impact the left wrist of a good player is slightly convex, while that of a poor player is generally concave."

This is all easier said than done. Proper supination with a flat or bowed left wrist is an advanced concept and one that it very difficult for the average golfer to learn. The vast majority of golfers instinctively flip their left wrists forward through impact believing that such an action will produce the optimal results: maximum distance and trajectory. Unfortunately, this couldn't be any farther from the truth. As with most things in golf, intuition must be thrown out the window. Instead, think of rotating your left wrist without breaking it.

Supination is probably the single most important action in the proper golf swing. Unfortunately, it is also probably the least understood. If you are a golfer and have never heard of "supination" before, you owe it to yourself to fully understand this concept and ensure that it is a part of your swing. If you need hands-on assistance, your friendly neighborhood PGA teaching professional is your best bet. In the meantime, check out this helpful tip on supination.

Is Tiger Bad for Golf? Ask Greg Norman

2006-10-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Golf has been an interest of mine since childhood. My grandfather was a golf nut and he passed the bug onto me. However, I wasn't completely bitten. I enjoyed whacking balls at the range once in a while, but that was about the extent of my golf passion. The simple truth was that chicks dug guys who played other sports, so golf naturally took a back seat.

Then in 1996, I was channel surfing on a lazy weekend and caught the final match of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Pumpkin Ridge G.C. I had heard of this golf phenom named Tiger before, and this was my first opportunity to see what all the hoopla was about.

I was instantly mesmerized by Tiger's perfectly textbook swing. I was in awe as he routinely drove the ball over 300 yards, an amazing feat at the time. However, his opponent Steve Scott finished five up after the morning 18 holes. With another 18 to play, it didn't look good for Tiger. But Tiger came roaring back with some truly incredible putting. It was one of the most exciting sports moments that I had ever seen. I was so inspired by Tiger's masterful and passioned performance that I dusted off my hand-me-down Hogan blades and persimmon woods and headed to the range.

10 years later I'm a certified golf nut. I play golf or watch it on TV whenever I get a chance. I subscribe to Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and Golf World. As a self-taught golfer, I study golf instruction material like a PhD student. I research and experiment with golf equipment to eek out every possible performance gain. I write a freakin' golf blog for chissake! I can trace all this mania back to that one magical day in 1996 at Pumpkin Ridge.

Not only is Tiger Woods the reason that I developed a passion for golf, he was the main catalyst for golf's resurgence over the last 10 years. However, it seems that golf has been stuck in neutral lately. Greg Norman recently voiced his opinions on the subject. Surprisingly, he hints that Tiger is to blame! Is this just another case of a bitter old fart longing for the "good old days"? As a whole, I don't think that you can argue that Tiger hasn't been anything less than a boon to golf. People always prefer tigers over sharks anyway.

Viewer Mail: Anonymous Writes...

2006-10-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Grouchy Golf welcomes your grouchy golf observations. If you have a grouchy golf observation that you would like to be posted on Grouchy Golf, please email it to the address in the sidebar. Remember, all submissions become the property of Grouchy Golf. Submissions chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity.

The following grouchy golf observation was submitted by an anonymous grouchy golfer. I think that all golfers can relate to his story. I sure know that Darren Clarke does!

Shanks a Lot!

A little background - I am a 4 handicap, and over the winter my swing had become "unorthodox". I started standing closer to the ball, with less hip sway etc. The changes were amazing and I started playing some amazing golf. I was getting under par during some rounds, but I was just having a little trouble scoring. No biggy.

Well a week ago it all suddenly went to the crapper. I showed up at the range one day before a round and hit hosel rockets with everything. I headed out to the course and it was as if they were not there. They came and went for a few more days. Then on Saturday, I shanked so many I shot 49 on the front nine of my home course. I came back with a 37, and thought they were through. Next day I hit a few more but nothing bad.

First day of my tournament came, on Monday. I was a little nervous about shanking, but nothing came up, and I was 1 over on the front nine. I hit some more lack luster irons on the back, but nothing major round, for a 43, and an 80. I was very disappointed.

Second day was yesterday. No range at the course so no warm up. I hit a 3 wood right down the pipe on the opening short par 5. I then heeled a 3 wood so bad off the deck it dribbled into the hazard about 30 yards ahead of me. I dropped, hit two shanks, and ended up with a triple bogey. Next hole I hit a driver so far off the heel. Punched out, and had 140 to the flag. I hit another shank, flubbed a chip, and three putter for a triple. I heeled another drive on the next hole, and had to lay up. I then shanked a gap wedge and made another triple. I started with 3 triples. Next hole I actually hit a somewhat flush drive, landed in a divot, hit into another divot next to the green made bogey. I then bogeyed the next par 3. I then made a par on a par 5. Then I made an 8 on a par 3, shanking a few O.B. I ended up with a 54 on the front nine. At that point I almost just through my clubs in a lake and walked in. I decided to forge ahead, and shot a shank filled 40 on the back.

I went and played today and was probably around 50 for nine holes before quitting. I am seriously thinking of just walking away from golf for the first time in my life. I am not having any fun right now.

Correct Shaft Flex: Stiff or Regular? Can You Handle the Truth?

2006-10-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest equipment faux pas that golfers make is playing with golf shafts that are too stiff for their swing. Most of this can be directly traced to the golfer's ego. Just like there are no men driving VW Beetles with those dainty flower holders, the macho factor won't allow male golfers to play anything less than a stiff flex.

However, it is important to understand just how shaft flexibility affects performance. After all, the shaft is often known as the "engine" of the golf club.

Theodore P. Jorgensen authored a book called "The Physics of Golf." He conducted several experiments to demonstrate that the shaft of the golf club during the golf swing actually bends forward at impact. Jorgensen provides a graph indicating that the clubhead lags behind the hands at the start of the downswing. However, by the time that the club is about horizontal to the ground, the clubhead catches up to the hands and eventually leads the shaft at impact.

This is counterintuitive to what most people believe. While all golfers acknowledge that the clubhead lags at the start of the downswing, most assume that it continues to lag until well after impact. Furthermore, it is commonly assumed that the more flexible the shaft, the more that the clubhead lags throughout the swing. Golfers assume these things because that's what it feels like during the swing. However, as with many things in golf, what you feel is not always what is real.

In reality, the shaft unloads during the downswing and kicks forward by impact, regardless of swing speed or shaft flex rating. Our hands simply cannot outpace the clubhead as the shaft unloads during the golf swing. In fact, the more flexible the shaft, the more that the clubhead will kick forward, increasing velocity and effective loft. Therefore, all other things being equal, softer shafts provide more distance and a higher trajectory than their stiffer siblings. This applies to all human-generated swing speeds, including that of Tiger Woods. Tiger himself acknowledges this phenomenon writing, "If I had weaker shafts I'd hit the ball farther just because there's more flex in the shaft and more kick in a regular-flex shaft than in the stiff shafts I use."

So why doesn't Tiger switch to "senior" flex shafts? While a more flexible shaft will provide more distance, the tradeoff is less control. It is simply much more difficult to control the clubface at impact with a more flexible shaft. The last thing that Tiger wants to do is to miss more fairways! For the rest of us, distance is probably our primary concern. Regardless, it is very important for us to play with the right flex for our unique swings. If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you visit your local golf retailer and receive a proper fitting. Finding the correct flex is fast, easy, and usually free.

Nick Faldo Joins CBS Sports: Birdie or Bogey?

2006-10-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last week it was reported that Nick "Han" Faldo joined CBS Sports as its lead golf analyst. This is welcome news for anyone who was a fan of Faldo in the ABC booth and was concerned about his future when ABC bailed out on the PGA Tour. The news only gets sweeter as it means that Faldo replaces Lanny Wadkins, arguably the weakest link of the CBS golf team. Faldo now completes an all-star golf broadcast team that includes David Feherty, Peter Kostis, Bill Macatee, Gary McCord, Peter Oosterhuis, Bobby Clampett, and Jim Nantz. Faldo will take the co-captain's seat in the tower alongside Jim Nantz.

While adding Faldo to the CBS dream-team looks wonderful on paper, there's no guarantee that it will be a match made in heaven. Faldo worked out great at ABC because he injected a needed shot of humor into a broadcast team that was the television alternative to Ambien. Faldo also turned out to be a great foil to the usually serious but opinionated Paul Azinger. Both of them livened up ABC's golf coverage immensely.

However, Faldo will join a CBS team that's already the most entertaining in the business, chock-full of interesting and humorous personalities. David Feherty and Gary McCord are two of the funniest and wittiest sports commentators. I will always remember the time when I saw a pro hit an errant shot on a CBS telecast and then hearing Feherty quip, "Well, it looked good until he hit it." These are the kind of humorous comments that make CBS golf tops in my book. Will adding another funny fellow to the mix be too much?

Living in the heart of the entertainment industry, I have been exposed to the stand-up comedy culture first-hand. Surprisingly, it is a very competitive and cutthroat business where envy, jealousy and ego often turn comics against each other. Yes, comedians secretly want their fellow comedians to bomb. Sometimes, when these people are forced to work together, the results can be disastrous. Several casts of Saturday Night Live are proof of this phenomenon.

But if the chemistry is right, funny people can feed off of each other and produce great entertainment. The Howard Stern Show is one example where it keeps getting better every time they add a new cast member. While it remains to be seen whether the CBS golf team will improve with the addition of Faldo, can you really go wrong hiring someone with a Spinal Tap-esque British accent? Regardless, I can't wait to hear him comment about SwingVision. Also, it'll be interesting to see if Faldo mutters anything "offensive" during the Masters broadcast. Would the "Men of the Masters" dare banish a former Masters champion? I'm sure Gary McCord will take notice.

Fake Tiger Woods Putter?

2006-09-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Anytime someone takes the time and effort to link to this site, I'm extremely appreciative. Well, at least that's what I used to think.

Recently, I came across an eBay listing that linked to the Tiger Woods Scotty Cameron Putter post. To my astonishment, it appears that Grouchy Golf is being used to help sell a fake Tiger Woods Scotty Cameron Putter!

See it for yourself, if it's still available. It's an eBay auction entitled "Scotty Cameron Tiger Woods Red Circle Newport 2 Pro T."

From what I can tell, it's just a dinged-up Scotty Cameron Newport Two Pro Platinum not worth more than a C-note that's been doctored up to look like Tiger's Newport 2 303 GSS. The putter face and the bottom of the putter are the dead giveaways. While this technically may not be a counterfeit Scotty Cameron, it is grossly misleading at best with the seller claiming that "This club is the same club that Tiger Woods used on tour." To those in the know, it is obviously not the Cameron putter model that is in the hands of the world's #1.

It is such a blatant fake that it is laugh-out-loud, rolling-on-the-floor hilarious. It kinda reminds me of those cheesecocks who modified their Pontiac Fieros with cheap-looking fiberglass body panels to make them look like Ferrari Testarossas. Who are these people kidding?! If you're going to copy a Ferrari, at least get the color right. To my knowledge, Ferrari has never produced a car in Puke beige. Can you imagine if this guy tried to pawn this POS off as a bona fide Testarossa? I hope that no one would be fooled into buying it, just like I hope that no one would be fooled into buying that fake Tiger Woods putter.

Ryder Cup: American Golf Wake-Up Call

2006-09-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

The 2006 Ryder Cup concluded this weekend as most expected. The European team delivered a complete shellacking to the American team. While the Europeans were favored, it wasn't even close.

Aside from being one of the most lopsided contests in the history of the Ryder Cup, the recent results highlight the problem with the future of professional American golf. On the ladie's side, the American stock looks healthy with the likes of Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie. However, the young talent on the male side has been paltry for a number of years. Sure, there's Tiger, Phil and Furyk. But after that, the talent drops off a cliff. As Johnny Miller puts it, "Seven of the top 30 in the world are Americans. That's unfathomable," he said. "I can't believe the state of the game in America. ... It's like you've got 12 guys - three of them are firing a 50-millimeter cannon and nine guys are shooting BB guns. The bottom line is, the U.S. has got to step it up."

Quite simply, there have just been a striking number of American male golf phenoms who never panned out. What ever happened to Ty Tryon and David Gossett Jr.? The other "young guns," namely Charles Howell III and Sean O'Hair, are good, but not exactly lighting it up. Outside of Tiger Woods, how many U.S. Amateur champs of the last decade are finding success on the PGA Tour? Ryan Moore is at least on the PGA Tour, but it remains to be seen whether he can ascend into the upper echelons. It's like the American golfer factory exhausted all of it's parts and craftmanship on Tiger Woods and then closed up shop.

So, are there any quick fixes for American golf's Y chromosome woes? I'd love to hear some ideas. Short of cloning Tiger Woods, I sure don't see any. As for the Ryder Cup, can we go back to how it was prior to 1979 when it was a contest between America and only the Brits?

Michelle Wie in PGA Tour Events? I'm all for it!

2006-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last week, Michelle Wie made her sixth attempt to make the cut in a PGA Tour event at the 84 Lumber Classic. Like all of her previous attempts, she came up short. With each passing failure, more and more people are calling for an end to her exercise in futility.

However, I remain one of the few who wants to see Michelle continue to play in PGA Tour events. For one, I couldn't give a rat's arse about these tournaments if she didn't enter. The John Deere Classic and the 84 Lumber Classic? These tournaments are anything but classic. Take away Michelle Wie and these events wouldn't even register in my consciousness. At a minimum, these events aren't any less interesting without Wie.

Second, it's not like Michelle is forcing herself into these tournaments. She is invited to play via a sponsor's exemption. Sponsors pay the big bucks and in return are allowed to give several spots in the field to whomever they want. If they choose to give a spot to Wie or Dora the Explorer, it's their prerogative. You can't blame Wie for accepting an invite. Heck, I'd accept any and all invites that were sent my way. If people don't want Wie in these events, they should take issue with the sponsors. But, since these "minor" events are the only ones that would invite Wie, who cares?

But the primary reason that I want Michelle to play in PGA Tour events is that they are tremendous money-making opportunities. Every time she tees it up against the men, bookies are accepting proposition bets on whether she will make the cut. At the 84 Lumber, my bookie was offering a money line of -800 on Wie missing the cut. In other words, you win $100 if you are willing to lay $800.

Sounds like long odds, right? But not long enough if you consider the real odds. The golf course at Nemacolin Woodlands stretches over 7,500-yards and hosts a strong field. Michelle Wie had an ice cube chance in hell of making the cut. But those are the same chances for any woman. According to Robert Allenby, "...if Annika Sorenstam can't make the cut at [the 2003] Colonial, on the course that plays shortest on tour, then no chick in the world is going to make the cut on this tour."

If you could lay $800 to win $100 that the sun would rise tomorrow, you'd take it all day, correct? Well that's about the same bet as Wie missing the cut at the 84 Lumber. If you do the math, that's a 12.5% return over 2 days! By my calculations, that's an effective annual rate of over 200,000,000,000% (please correct me if I'm wrong)! I challenge you to find a better investment.

So, if you like easy money, you should support Wie's desire to play in PGA Tour events. The next time that she does, get yourself to Vegas or a local Ladbrokes and bet that she'll miss the cut. While you're at it, betting that Wie won't win a major next year is another sure bet. There's money for the taking!

A Postcard That We Can All Relate

2006-09-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

There's a cool site that I visit on occasion called PostSecret.

The premise is simple: people send anonymous postcards to the site's owner confessing their dirty little secrets. Sometimes depressing, sometimes humorous, it's an intriguing and somewhat voyeuristic look into people's lives.

I had been contemplating sending a postcard until I noticed that someone had already sent in a similar confession:

Initially, I thought that it may have been sent by Vijay Singh, but I ruled him out because he couldn't possibly cheat each and every time. Michael Bamberger would never allow that to happen.

In reality, it could have been sent by any of us weekend warriors. I can't think of a round where I didn't either pick up a gimmie putt, improved my lie, tapped down a spike mark, or took an improper relief. It's not that I intentionally cheat, it's that it takes too much effort to follow all the rules. Is it just me? What would you write on your postcard.

Happy Labor Day. I'm Out Golfing!

2006-09-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm taking a break from labor this week, and that means this site as well. In the meantime, here are a few things to check out:

The Ryder Cup is just around the corner. Get the latest info at the Ryder Cup Diary.

Also, I've updated my post of Darren Clarke's Swingvision Shank with the video. Although rare, even pros launch the dreaded hosel rocket. Even rarer is to capture such an event in slow motion! This video really is a must see!

Hit 'em straight and see you next week.

Golf Gods Strike Tiger, But He Still Won

2006-08-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since Tiger thoroughly dominated the British this year, he has been playing some out-of-this-world golf. He has played so well that it's almost godlike. Well the Golf Gods don't like mere mortals to approach their divinity, so it was just a matter of time before they struck him down.

They did so Saturday during the 3rd round of the Bridgestone Invitational. After taking a commanding lead, Tiger turned into your average Weekend Warrior golf hack. Tiger succumbed to the God of Bogeys and recorded four consecutive bogeys, his longest such streak in nearly 10 years. All of a sudden Tiger's comfortable two-shot lead disintegrated and left him five shots behind the leader. Dave Pelz was smiling. Phil was smiling too, but when is he not?

But knocking Tiger's A-game down his C-game is still better than most PGA Pros' A-games. In the end, it was barely enough to get by a feisty Stewart Cink and chalk up career PGA Tour win number 52. Simply amazing.

With all of Tiger's success after two major swing overhauls, I'm beginning to think that Tiger could win if he adopted Charles Barkley's swing:

However, I still think that Tiger's swing under Butch Harmon's watch was still the best. Fortunately, we can still see what it looked like by watching Adam Scott, the White Tiger (updated with video).

Dave Pelz Was Wrong for Once

2006-08-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

First, thanks to Tiger on the unbelievable clinic he gave at the Windy City. It's just another example of how Tiger-proofing courses only makes it easier for Tiger to win. Now, back to the regularly scheduled program...

Dave Pelz, the well-known short-game authority and mad scientist of golf, is one golf instructor that I respect tremendously. As a former NASA engineer, Pelz supports his teachings with solid scientific research. It's not uncommon for him to have reams of data to back up his findings. For example, Pelz provided the statistical data that proves that putts rolled at a speed to exactly 17 inches beyond the hole have a higher probability rate of going in than putts hit at any other speed. He also conducted experiments that answered the age-old question, "Should you leave the flagstick in the hole or pull it out?" When Pelz says something about golf, you might as well just accept it as fact.

That is, until last week. Uncharacteristicly, Pelz went on the record to make several totally unscientific claims:

"When Phil's at his best, I'm thinking nobody can beat him."

[And that includes Tiger Woods?]

"You bet it does," Pelz said. "If Phil's long swing is good, his short game, I believe, is the best in the world. He doesn't have a serious weakness inside 150 yards.

"I'm not saying Tiger's short game is bad. He has a great short game. But I think Phil putts more consistently than Tiger does. He has more imagination and a few more shots around the green."

What you talkin' about Willis?

There's no doubt that Phil Mickelson is one of the best golfers of his generation. But he happens to be in the same generation as the best golfer ever. To make such obviously biased and subjective statements is quite surprising for Pelz, especially his assertion that "Phil putts more consistently than Tiger does." Ever since Phil turned pro in 1992 he's been touted as a "great putter". But I've always thought that he was overrated in this area. Over the years, I don't think that I've seen a "great putter" miss as many 3-footers as Phil. I've even seen Phil 3-putt from about 10 feet. Tiger, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to miss a putt when it really matters. In fact, according to Shotlink, Tiger hasn't missed a putt inside 4 feet this season! If I needed someone to make a putt to save my life, there's no question that I would choose Tiger over Phil.

Regardless, why the heck would Pelz make such ludicrous comments? Did he put an ounce of thought into it? Was it an over-exposure to the noxious fumes emanating from his golf laboratory? Whatever the reason, all it did was to agitate an already fired up Tiger Woods to crush Pelz's chubby student with the phony grin. Like Michael Jordan, Tiger makes it a point to ruthlessly annihilate those who "diss" him.

Mr. Pelz, for your well-established reputation's sake, retreat back to your lab and stick to your test tubes and bunsen burners. And if there's room, take Stephen Ames with you.

Birdie in One?

2006-08-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

We all know that golf is one heck of a tough game. But for many of us, that's why we play the game. People who love golf love challenges, and there's not many other games that present both the mental and physical challenges quite like golf.

There's even some things in the game that seem impossible to achieve. For example, is it possible to shoot a birdie in one? In other words, is it possible to shoot a birdie on a hole with just one total stroke? That would mean one would have to record a hole-in-one on a par-2 hole, correct? However, that's impossible because par-2 holes don't exist.

But shooting a birdie in one is possbile! Here's the video to prove it:

Michelle Wie Losing Was a Sure Bet

2006-08-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you had heard about a 16-year-old boy who placed 3rd at the Masters, 5th at the U.S. Open and 3rd at the PGA Championship within the same year, you'd be pretty amazed wouldn't you?

Well that's the male-equivalent of what Michelle Wie accomplished this year. Unfortunately, the Michelle Wie hype has effectively numbed people to her achievements, no matter how impressive they may be. Some have even been critical. This kid could cure cancer while walking on water and it still wouldn't satisfy some people.

But sometimes, you can use such irrational expectations to your advantage. Earlier this year, my online bookie took action on the number of majors that Michelle Wie would win in 2006. The Wie hype actually convinced people that she could win majors already! While I think Michelle is a tremendous talent, I just think that it's too early for her to win in the big leagues, let alone the majors.

Back in February, my bookie offered 1-2 odds on Wie not winning any majors. That was just an offer too good to be true. In my mind, that was a guaranteed 50% return over about 6 months. With the stock market going sideways and the real estate market topping out, was there a better investment? I just wish that I had bet the farm instead of a measly 20 clams:

It just goes to show you that it pays to still listen to Public Enemy's classic, "Don't Believe the Hype!"

P.S. FYI, I've added the video of the Tiger Woods SwingVision to the original post. Enjoy!

For Michelle Wie, Close Doesn't Cut It...

2006-07-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Americans demand and expect a lot. It's part of our culture.

When we hear about the next and greatest "thing", we tend to expect that it is the next and greatest immediately. I remember hearing about the prospects of cold fusion decades ago. The media hyped it up to the point that I assumed that the world's energy problems were going to be solved in a matter of months. Well, like the flying car, robot maids and laser guns, that has yet to materialize.

The same phenomenon occurs in sports, including golf. The media is continuously searching for athletic phenoms to fill their headlines. When Tiger Woods started his professional career, the media quickly anointed him the successor to the great Jack Nicklaus. Some were calling Tiger the greatest golfer ever before he had even won his first tournament! The hype was astronomical and when Tiger didn't win his first few PGA events, many were stunned. But over time, Tiger eventually proved his greatness. It was an extremely rare case where reality actually met the hype.

But soon after the hype train dropped off Tiger, it picked up Michelle Wie. Only it is rolling with much more steam now. Although it is difficult to measure, it seems that the expectations for Michelle are even higher than those were for Tiger. People seem to expect Wie to win and win dominantly. Because she hasn't yet, there seems to be a wave of negativity building against Michelle. Some have already written her off altogether.

But really, hasn't the expectations gotten a little out of hand? I, for one, haven't bought into all the hype. Instead, I try to remain more realistic and simply admire her talent and ability for the time being. I'm no swing guru, but I believe that she possesses the best golf swing of any female today, maybe even ever. She has a swing that many PGA tour pros envy. With her tee to green game alone, it's just a matter of time before she chalks up her first pro win. But a great swing doesn't guarantee greatness. She could very well become the female version of Sergio Garcia...

Regardless, I feel that it is too early to expect Wie to win a pro event, especially the tournaments that she plays. Fellow teen phenom Morgan Pressel is still winless on the LPGA even though she is a full-time pro and has played in the weaker LPGA events. With her much ballyhooed amateur record, Pressel should be expected to find the winner's circle before Wie. But since the media hasn't over-hyped Pressel, she can hide comfortably in the shadow of Wie. Fair or not, the anti-Wie sentiments build with every tournament that Michelle fails to win.

But there is one place where Michelle Wie can escape this growing negativity - her parent's homeland of Korea. In fact, Korea has been making a strong push to claim Michelle Wie as their own. Don't be surprised if America's ridiculous expectations drive Michelle to apply for Korean citizenship. Heck, she only has to hit a couple of hanging metal pans with a golf ball from about 15 feet away to keep them satisfied:

SwingVision - Ernie Els 3-Wood

2006-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

First, congrats to Tiger on the clinic that he gave over the pond this weekend. He demonstrated that you don't need to hit driver to win a major. Maybe he should change his name from Tiger Woods to Tiger Irons! Regardless, Tiger is back and it didn't take long...

Now that I've discovered how to put videos on my site, I'm diggin' through my vast golf library for some cool stuff for y'all to enjoy. Based on the positive feedback on my last post, there seems to be a lot of interest. But it takes time; time to find worthy clips, time to transfer it to my PC, and time to upload it. Just bear with me and I'm sure that there will be something that you'll dig!

Do you like the SwingVision feature on CBS? Well, I found a SwingVision video of Ernie Els hitting a 3-wood off the tee. It demonstrates that proper ball-striking with fairway woods require that the club strikes the ball on a slightly descending clubpath. Remember, the only club that may be struck on an ascending clubpath is the driver! Please let me know how you like it! Look for more in the future.

Grouchy Golf Videos!

2006-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

My buddy Rich over at Eatgolf.com recently wrote a post about his "Video of the Pros" section. Rich captured a number of golf swings from a local PGA tournament and put them up on his site for us to enjoy. I was surprised how smoothly the videos streamed to my PC.

I've always wanted to put up some golf videos on Grouchy Golf, but I didn't really know how to do it easily. I always assumed that it required lots of technical skills and server space, neither of which I possess. But after experiencing Rich's excellent implementation, it gave me the inspiration to revisit video.

I quickly discovered that Rich used a 3rd party video sharing service called YouTube. I've seen their videos on other sites before, but I had never clicked on them because I was worried about spyware. But I figured that Rich is a smart guy and whatever he used on his site would be legit. After a short and simple registration process, I was ready to upload a video. For my maiden upload, I selected an "Eye of the Tiger" video that I had written about in August 2004. I chose this video because it's unique and I believe it's tremendously helpful to students of the game. Once it was uploaded, I simply embedded the html code into the original "Eye of the Tiger" post. That's it!

Please, check out the updated post and give me your honest feedback. I have a broadband cable connection and the video works great on my PC. But how does it work for you? Does the video load quickly and run smoothly? I'd be interested in hearing about the experience on slower connection speeds.

Also, how do you like the video content itself? Would you be interested in seeing other similar videos? The Grouchy Golf Video Vault contains a number of "Eye of the Tiger", SwingVision, and various swing analysis videos. Please let me know what you'd like to see and I'll try to accommodate you!

Headcovers Protect the Clubhead and More

2006-07-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through the June 2006 issue of Golf Digest recently and came across "The Golf Guru" column. Every month, the Golf Guru answers questions posed by readers of the magazine. It's somewhat entertaining, but the writer tends to write for chucks at the expense of sound advice. Such was the case in response to a reader's question, "Do headcovers do any good?"

In short, the Golf Guru believes that headcovers were a remnant of the persimmon wood era that serves no functional purpose today. He argues that headcovers did indeed protect "soft-as-cheese persimmon clubheads and the 'whipping' that bound the hosel to the shaft" but is unnecessary for the modern metal-wood.

However, I think that his advice is a little half-baked for several reasons. For one, some of us like to keep our clubheads free of dings and paint chips. Not only is maintaining the clubhead's condition aesthetically pleasing, but it helps preserve the club's resale value.

But one of the best reasons to use a headcover is to protect those precious graphite shafts. I knew a guy who never used a headcover, whether it was on or off the course. He would just let his clubs clang around in his bag unprotected on the golf cart and also in the trunk of his SUV. Then one day he was hitting driver on the driving range and the head snapped off. I think the clubhead flew farther than the ball!

You see, not using a headcover leaves the shaft exposed to the leading edges of any neighboring irons. Like eager beavers chipping away at a tree, the countless mini-dings from these irons can weaken the shaft to the point where it may break. At least that's what the pro shop guy says. Whether it's true or not, why take the chance?

Lastly, a headcover can protect your club from the prying eyes of thieves. With clubs such as the TaylorMade R7 TP worth as much as some people's cars, a generic headcover is the best deterrent for the growing golf club theft problem.

As you can see, there are some good reasons to continue using headcovers. But please, for the love of mankind, don't use a tiger headcover unless your name happens to be "Tiger." Otherwise, it's rather poseur-ish.

This Month Marks Two Years of Grouchy Golf!

2006-06-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, I was dying to get one of those newfangled Gmail beta accounts. At the time, they were hard to come by, and I was too cheap to buy one on eBay.

I had heard that Google was giving away gmail accounts to users of Blogger, a subsidiary of Google. I figured, what the heck? I'll sign up for a stupid Blogger account to receive a Gmail account. That's easy. I waited and waited, and no gmail invite. I reasoned that I needed to actually use Blogger to receive that coveted Gmail invite. I had never even heard of "blogging". But I was so determined to get that friggin' Gmail account, I started a shill blog called "Grouchy Golf". My first post was short and sweet, because I figured that one post would qualify me for a Gmail account. But when I still didn't receive a Gmail invite, I created another post to better my chances. That began a vicious cycle: no invite, new post, spin cycle, repeat. Eventually, I directed some friends to Grouchy Golf for fun. They got a kick out of it so I continued to create new posts for our amusement. Two years later, and I'm still going strong! The ironic thing is that I never did receive that dog-gone Gmail invite from Blogger! Newman!

FIGJAM - Ego Cost Phil Mickelson the U.S. Open

2006-06-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the term "FIGJAM"? Apparently, it is widely used on the PGA Tour to describe fan-favorite Phil Mickelson. FIGJAM is an acronym standing for "F#ck I'm Good, Just Ask Me." According to an article in GQ magazine, "There are a bunch of pros who think he and his whole smiley, happy face are a fraud. They think he's preening and insincere."

That's what I've thought all along. It's convenient that Phil's peers, the people who truly know him the best, have already coined a term to describe him so accurately. Whenever I see that pompous Phil Mickelson smirk on TV, my mind automatically superimposes a cartoon-like thought bubble next to his head filled with those words, "F#ck I'm Good, Just Ask Me." That phrase fits his expression to a tee!

But being a FIGJAM, by definition, requires a massive ego. Unfortunately, such megalomania often clouds sound decision-making. That was exactly what happened to Phil at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Playing in front of a Phil-friendly crowd, Phil was determined to show off his golf skills at every available opportunity. Time and time again, Phil chose to dazzle rather than to play it smart. For the most part, he got away with it, flashing that FIGJAM smile whenever he did. But when you laugh in the faces of the Golf Gods, expect to be struck down.

Holding a one shot lead on the 18th tee, Mickelson only needed a par for the victory. A safe fairway wood off the tee would have been the wise choice, but that's beneath a FIGJAM. No, a FIGJAM needs to hit driver to impress. Phil sliced his drive so badly off the tee that it hit a hospitality tent and landed between the trees onto the spectator-trampled rough. Chipping back onto the fairway would have all but guaranteed a bogey and a playoff with Geoff Ogilvy, but again, that's beneath a FIGJAM. Phil just couldn't resist the temptation of bringing the house down with a miraculous 3-iron through the trees and onto the green. Only the miracle didn't happen. Phil's ill-advised 2nd shot hit a tree and dashed his hopes of winning.

"Discretion is the better part of valor" is an old expression derived from Shakespeare's King Henry the Fourth. It means that caution is preferable to rash bravery. Phil must not have paid much attention in English class because it is a lesson that he continues to ignore and this time it cost him a U.S. Open. But I don't think that he was too upset by it since he was smiling the whole time.

Is Carolyn Bivens Running the LPGA into the Ground?

2006-06-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

I enjoy watching LPGA events just as much as that of the PGA. In certain cases, I prefer the LPGA. For example, given the choice between watching an LPGA major or a non-major PGA event, I always choose the LPGA.

That was the situation I was expecting to face this weekend as I sat down on my comfy leather couch. I took a sip of my tasty beverage and powered up the old boob tube. I knew that the LPGA's 2nd Major, the McDonald's LPGA Championship, had just started. I flipped the channels to find the television coverage. NBC - nada. ABC - zilch. CBS - the Barclays Classic. What's the dealio?

I checked my trusty TV Guide. My worst fears were confirmed. None of the major networks were televising the McDonald's LPGA! Instead, the Golf Channel was covering all four rounds. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Golf Channel. However, I had to drop it from my cable service after it moved into the premium sports tier and pushed my monthly cable bill over a Benjamin.

Regardless, I was just dumbfounded that no major broadcast network picked up the final rounds of an LPGA major at a minimum. Since I had nothing else to do, I jumped onto the internet to find out the scoop. According to the article, "The McDonald's turns to TGC" by Jay A. Coffin in the April 18, 2006 issue of Golfweek:

The McDonald's LPGA Championship will receive four more hours of coverage this year but it will not be shown on network television for the first time in nearly two decades. After 15 years on CBS, the tournament announced April 17 a three-year deal with The Golf Channel, making it the first major championship on the LPGA broadcast solely by the network.

Had the major networks simply lost interest in the LPGA? Apparently not. According to "Major savings?" by Ron Sirak in the May 26, 2006 issue of Golf World:

Jon Miller, NBC's senior vice president of sports, said when NBC learned CBS was giving up the McDonald's (because tournament officials wouldn't agree to the network's request for a 3 p.m. Sunday finish), he called the LPGA and told commissioner Carolyn Bivens his network would like to take over the telecast. But Miller says Bivens told him McDonald's officials had already decided to go with The Golf Channel; when Miller pressed her on it, Bivens told him the decision was "out of the LPGA's hands."

Why would any tournament, particularly a major, opt to give up broadcast network coverage? Money is the most obvious answer. A source familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said McDonald's saved $1.2 million a year by going to The Golf Channel instead of a network. Unlike the PGA Tour, the LPGA buys network time for its tournament broadcasts, then sells the commercials itself to try to recoup its cost. The source told Golf World it would have cost $1.5 million to put the McDonald's on CBS (or, presumably, NBC), but just $300,000 on The Golf Channel.

Unfriggin'believable. Sure, it's cheaper to broadcast an event on The Golf Channel, but the revenue opportunities are a lot less as well. Also, with the emergence of new and exciting young female golfers such as Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer, etc., isn't this the best time for the LPGA to invest in the tour's exposure? These future golf stars deserve the spotlight of broadcast network coverage to capitalize on a new wave of viewer interest. The Golf Channel's miniscule audience just doesn't cut it.

How could the LPGA let this happen? Someone clearly dropped the ball big-time. Ultimately, Bivens must take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs. If her blunders persist, she will lose the support of the players, including one that's not yet a member but may be key to the LPGA's future: Michelle Wie.

Many people have been critical of Michelle Wie's limited LPGA schedule. The fact of the matter is that Wie is not an LPGA member and is limited to playing a maximum number of eight LPGA events this year. Not only is Wie playing as many LPGA events that she can, but she actually entered a much more difficult U.S. Open Sectional qualifier to be able to play in the McDonald's. She could have easily skipped the McDonald's to play in a much easier U.S. Open Sectional qualifier that would have almost guaranteed her chances to make history at Winged Foot. That's a pretty big sacrifice. How much more could Wie do for the LPGA? Outside of maxing out LPGA events, Wie plays in the best events that she is invited, whether it be a men's or women's event. Considering that Wie lives in Hawaii, it makes a whole lot of sense.

If Carolyn Bivens continues to penny-pinch the LPGA into obscurity, maybe Wie would be better off to remain a part-timer on the LPGA. Why play on a tour where only a fraction of the population can view it? I wouldn't blame Wie if she were to bypass the LPGA altogether. I'd be in favor if it meant that I could watch her more often. Bivens needs to increase the LPGA's visibility, not lessen it. If she can't grasp this obvious and simple concept, she is totally clueless and needs to step down immediately. After only ten months as the queen bee, Bivens has already seen the departure of seven senior LPGA executives, two of them she had hired. Asked why she bolted from her post as the senior vice president of golf, Deb Richard responded, "I've lost faith in the leadership." Let me translate that cryptic message for you, "Carolyn Bivens is running the LPGA into the ground and I'd better bail out now before the $hit really hits the fan." Ty Votaw, you are sorely missed.

Avoid Golf on a Driving Range Mat!

2006-06-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

When I first started playing golf, there were no grass driving ranges in my area. By default, I was forced to practice on artificial grass range mats. Not knowing any better, I believed that they were just as good as the real thing. Boy was I wrong. Indeed, I became pretty proficient hitting golf balls off padded Astro Turf. But that's a lot like saying you can fly a plane well after only piloting a video flight simulator.

While hitting a teed ball off range mats doesn't pose a problem, hitting unteed balls off range mats can adversely affect your swing. The main problem with range mats is that they don't allow you to take divots. When an iron impacts real grass, it digs in and scoops out a chunk of turf leaving the so-called divot. When this happens in relation to contact with the golf ball is all the difference with iron ball-striking. When hit properly, the iron contacts the ball before it impacts with the turf. If the iron hits the turf before the ball, the turf will interfere with the iron on ball contact resulting in the so-called "fat" shot (see picture). Besides the dreaded shank, the fat shot is the ugliest shot in golf. Laying sod is for landscaping your yard, not for hitting a golf ball.

Practicing on real turf gives you the necessary feedback to learn proper iron ball-striking. Hit a fat shot on real turf, and the ball behaves just like it does on the golf course - it goes nowhere. The beauty is knowing that you must have done something incorrectly to produce such a poor result. However, a fat shot on a range mat will likely produce a somewhat acceptable result. How do you improve if you don't know when you are doing something wrong?

Another problem with range mats is that they are unyielding to the impact from a properly struck iron. As a result, golfers may try to minimize contact with the mat, adversely affecting their swing. I certainly felt that extensive practice on range mats caused me to develop an overly shallow swing and become a "picker" of the golf ball. In other words, I was hitting the golf ball without taking a divot whatsoever.

While I don't think that there's anything significantly wrong with being a "picker", the margin for error is much less for a picker. Strike the ball one or two grooves lower than normal on the clubface, and a picker will hit it thin. A steeper swing will forgive such faults.

Lastly, the firmness of mats may actually start to alter your clubs! If you have soft, forged irons, the constant pounding against a range mat could bend the club's lie angle. Be sure to have the lie angles of your forged irons checked if you've been hitting off a mat.

Thankfully my local course now has a full-time 100% real grass driving range. I realize that my extensive practice on range mats was not only largely fruitless, but also detrimental. I now refuse to practice on range mats, using them only to warm-up before a round in the absence of a grass range. As Cheech and Chong might say, "there's just no substitute for real grass."

Golf Jackets in Green, Tartan and Plaid...

2006-05-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed that golf awards some of the most gawd-awful trophies in all of sports. They do nothing to dispel the notion that golf isn't a "real" sport.

I've already written about the megalomaniacal "Tiger" trophy awarded to the winner of the Target World Challenge.

But those silly jackets that sometimes accompany these trophies are even worse. Yes, the Men of the Masters will likely send a hitman to silence me when I write this, but the Green Jacket is just downright awful. The only thing that looks good wearing it is a Leprechaun.

With the Masters and its Green jacket fresh in our minds, the golf gods hit us with something far worse. In fact, the Green jacket is Paris Hilton-stylin' compared to the red Tartan jacket awarded to the winner of the Verizon Heritage held the week after the Masters. The madness continues with the red Plaid jacket given to the winner of the just concluded Bank of America Colonial.

I cringe whenever I see these hard-edge patterned threads in jacket form. I always think, how the hell does that look good? In fact, when did it ever look good? Can you look at these fashion fiascos and not laugh?

I tried to think of things where that bold red tartan or plaid pattern may look at least normal these days. Boxers? Blankets? Tablecloths? Skirts? Not surprisingly, he list is very short. Whoever first said, "Yeah, that pattern would look great as a sports coat" needs to have their eyes checked.

Just because these jackets are horrible, doesn't mean that nobody wants them. When asked about the Verizon Heritage, Ernie Els said, "I'd love to get one of those ugly jackets."

Remember that classic Stanley Kubrick sci-fi flick, 2001: A Space Odyssey? I loved that movie in my youth because at the time I thought that it was a glimpse into the not-so-distant future. It predicted that we'd all be flying around the universe in cool spaceships having intelligent conversations with talking computers. It turns out that the only thing that they managed to get right about the turn of the millennium is that no one wears tartan or plaid. That is, unless you win a golf tournament.

Michelle Wie Winless in the Past?

2006-05-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

The popular knock on Michelle Wie is that she hasn't won much. People often point to her lack of wins at the amateur level and conclude that she is doomed to failure at the professional level. In my opinion, this is short-sighted at best.

People seem to overlook that Michelle grew up in Hawaii. While it may not appear significant at first blush, it is a major reason for her limited track record at the amateur level. Quite simply, junior golf tournaments in Hawaii are lacking both in number and in the quality of the competition. The junior golf events with any substance are all located within the continental United States. Therefore, any accomplished Hawaiian junior golfer who wishes to compete at the highest junior levels would have to travel to the mainland. Easier said than done.

Let's assume that you are a parent of a junior golfer living in Hawaii. She is entered in the Rolex Girls Junior Championship this June 13 – 16 in Park City, Utah and you need to make arrangements.

Booking the lowest cost itinerary on Expedia on May 6, 2006, the total cost is $1,739.10. This amount includes 2 roundtrip tickets, 1 room for 5 nights at the Sky Harbor Suites, and a 5-day economy car rental. Throw in another $300 for incidentals and subtract out the maximum AJGA stipend of $250 and the net cost of this trip is $1,789.10.

But the cost isn't the only sacrifice that you're making for your daughter. Air travel from Hawaii to Salt Lake City is about 10 hours each way. Therefore, to arrive for the registration at 9am on Tuesday, June 13, you need to spend most of Monday, June 12 traveling. The tournament ends late in the afternoon on Friday, June 16. However, there are no return flights past 5pm. Therefore, you must fly on the following day. All told, the time you must sacrifice for this tournament amounts to practically a full week. If you are a working parent, you probably have 2 weeks of vacation per year. Do the math and you'll discover just how many mainland tournaments your daughter can enter per year.

In effect, a Hawaiian junior golfer who wishes to play against the best would require the equivalent of a Hawaiian vacation for each event. Any trip from Hawaii to the mainland is a tremendous burden of cost and time. Even the shortest trip from Hawaii to the mainland is still at least 5 ½ hours each way!

Here in California, some of the top junior golfers in the nation compete with each other on a weekly basis. Most tournaments are just a short drive away. Had Wie grown up in California, I'm sure that she would have built up an impressive amateur resume.

So, is it any wonder why Wie's amateur record is so barren? It's just unrealistic to expect Wie to have entered many prestigious amateur golf events in the first place. How do you win tournaments that you can't enter? In the end, it may not really matter. History has proven that winning at the amateur level doesn't guarantee success at the pro level. Kelli Kuehne knows that all too well.

Alpha C830.2: 460cc Never Looked So Small

2006-05-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

The UPS delivery guy is the Santa Claus for adults. I always get that sudden rush of excitement when I see that plain brown cardboard box sitting on my doorstep. Such was the feeling when I recently found a long, skinny box perched against my front door. Inside was an Alpha C830.2 driver with an Aldila NVS shaft!

You may be wondering, what the heck is an Alpha C830.2? We are all familiar with the big golf club companies such as Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade, etc. These guys have huge marketing budgets to ensure that they remain top of mind with the consumer. As a result, it's very difficult for the new and smaller golf companies to get noticed.

Alpha Golf is one such golf company. Started in 2000, Alpha was able to attract some attention relatively quickly by making a name for themselves in the sport of professional long drive. Long drive is golf's loud, rebellious and juiced-up younger brother. It is a sport that takes one element of golf to the max and then kicks it up a notch. To be successful, competitors need equipment that can withstand extreme conditions.

Alpha Golf recognized this need and developed drivers that could take the punishment while still offering top performance. Alpha's success on the Long Drivers of America (LDA) circuit speaks for itself. But how would such a specialized driver work for the average golfer?

That's what I wanted to find out with Alpha's C830.2. I had read that the driver head was a full 460cc, so when I opened the package I fully expected to see a Yugo on a stick. However, I was surprised to find a rather conventional looking driver in terms of size. In fact, it looks even smaller than my 400cc TaylorMade 540XD when viewed from the top! At first I thought that I had received the wrong driver, but "460cc" was clearly stamped into the sole. Like Anna Nicole Smith, the Alpha C830.2 hides its mass well.

I was anxious to get to the course to see how the Alpha C830.2 would stack up. To be honest, I haven't hit many 460cc drivers. They always appeared a little too big for my liking. In this respect, the C830.2 was easy on my eyes.

I have been playing with the C830.2 exclusively over the last month and I can honestly say that I'm pleasantly surprised. With my trusty ol' TaylorMade 540XD, I probably drive the ball an average of 260-270 yards when I nut it. It's hard to say for sure, but it seems that I'm a little longer with the C830.2. I just don't know if it's the sword or the swordsman. I could be subconsciously swinging harder than normal because I know that the C830.2 is a "long drive" driver. Regardless, I've hit some of my longest drives ever on my home course with the C830.2.

In terms of accuracy, the C830.2 fares well. With 460cc, it better! With all that surface area from its deep face, I seem to hit the screws on the C830.2 more frequently than my 540XD. As a result, my drives are a little bit more accurate.

As far as feel goes, I would characterize the C830.2 as having a solid metallic feel and sound, reminiscent of a Titleist driver. It doesn't have that hollow aluminum baseball bat sound found on some of the other 460cc drivers.

Having put the C830.2 through its paces, I believe that it compares very favorably against the "Big Name" offerings. Whether it is the right driver for you is another question. I feel that golfers need to demo many different drivers to find one that best fits their individual game. That being said, the C830.2 is definitely worth a swing. It may be especially attractive to those traditionalists who are uncomfortable looking down at some of the gigantic looking 460cc drivers out there. Just don't fall into the trap of assuming that the C830.2 is a "long drivers only" club. It works great for the "average" player as well.

BallFinder Scout: Titleist Pro V1 Finder

2006-04-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the RadarGolf system has made it to retail, I wonder just how successful it will become. The company has certainly been successful garnering media attention and forging alliances with major retail partners such as Golfsmith and The Sharper Image. However, the product itself still seems a bit too gimmicky because it only finds its own proprietary golf balls. Once the novelty wears, will it have a viable market? I remain dubious. Golfers just won't give up their Titleist Pro V1s!

Well, there is another golf ball finding system called the BallFinder Scout that finds all (white-colored) golf balls, not just special ones. Remember those cool fictional robots from the movies, The Terminator and Robocop? They possessed advanced optical recognition technology to scan an area and highlight objects of interest. This is kinda how the BallFinder Scout works. The system utilizes digital video camera and color recognition technology to identify white golf balls.

According to the website, the device:

is similar in size and weight to a mobile phone
utilizes a 3.2 mega-pixel imager to locate balls within a range of up to 35-feet
searches up to 600 square feet in one second
can locate balls with just 3 dimples on the ball visible

But how do you use it? According to the website:

Just point the SCOUT™ in the direction where you think the golf ball may be hidden press the button and slowly move the SCOUT™ in a side to side scanning motion, once the SCOUT™ "locks" onto a ball you will see small red brackets appear on the LCD screen highlighting the area where a golf ball is located, the golfer then walks towards the area shown on the LCD screen to pick up the ball - its that simple!

Aside from the grammatical landmines, it sounds great. But like most things, I'm a bit skeptical. While it is endorsed by the great Han Faldo, I'm curious about the real world effectiveness of this device in practice. Even if it works as advertised, is it a solution to a problem that needs solving? Sure, it'd be nice to have a device that finds lost golf balls, but at what price? According to the website, you can order a BallFinder Scout for £148.00. At the current exchange rate of $1.8259 per £, that amounts to a tad over $270. Assuming that a slightly used Pro V1 is worth about $2, it would take about 135 found Pro V1s to recover your investment! I don't know about you, but I can't imagine that I'll lose that many balls in my lifetime. Regardless, I'm a gadget freak, so I may just have to procure one of these babies! Maybe I can hack it to find other stuff like lost money...

Golf Tips - Proper Setup

2006-04-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

So you already know how to achieve the proper golf grip, ball position, and learned that rap lyrics hold the key to golf. All of this doesn't mean Jack if you can't set up to the ball correctly. According to Jack, "If your setup at address is sound, there's a good chance you'll hit a reasonably good shot, even if you make a so-so swing. If you set up poorly, you'll hit a bad shot even if you make a perfect swing. Pay attention to the pre-swing fundamentals!"

Truer words were never spoken. You just can't overemphasize the importance of proper setup positions as the foundation for a solid and repeatable golf swing.

So just what is the proper setup? There are just so many elements to it that it just can't be conveyed in words. I think that the best way to achieve the proper setup positions is to understand the main elements by viewing pictures of the correct positions. Once you understand them, you should try to attain them in your setup. Next, you need to check your setup positions, ideally from a knowledgeable person, or from a mirror.

Brady Riggs, a Class A PGA Professional, has collected setup positions and swing sequences of some of the best players in the world. His Redgoat Swing Fundamentals Galleries are a must visit for a visual understanding of the proper setup. Brady's website alone has improved my game tremendously. I've been so impressed with his work, both on his website and as Senior Instruction Editor for Golf Tips Magazine, that I've even inquired about taking private lessons with him. According to his website, "Brady loves students that are stubborn, argumentative, challenging, and demanding...Oh, and by the way, learning the game should be fun, and often times funny." I've never met him, but I just know that he's my kind of guy.

P.S. It appears that Brady has recently required a password to access his photo galleries. Try emailing him for the password. Believe me, it's worth it! In the meantime, be sure to check out the Tiger Woods setup as seen through the "Eye of the Tiger"!

Phony Stuff in Butler Cabin

2006-04-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Masters is all about tradition. However, not all traditions are good. One of these traditions that I can do without is the made-for-TV green jacket ceremony in Butler Cabin. After sitting through a couple of these shams, I have concluded that it's one of the most ridiculous ceremonies in sports.

It was bad enough seeing Phil Mickelson purposely flaunt that carefully manufactured wholesome family image in front of the cameras on the walk to Butler Cabin. GQ nailed it on the head when they named Mickelson to the Ten Most Hated Atheletes List and wrote, "Mickelson has aggressively pursued a family-man image that is crucial to his success as an endorser." I, for one, have not nor ever will, be fooled by the Joker of Golf.

Unfortunately, the phoniness only worsened as the festivities rolled into Butler Cabin. As we all know, Hootie and the Men of the Masters are wacko control freaks. When they try to deceive the viewers into thinking that the tightly-controlled green jacket ceremony in Butler Cabin is a casual and spontaneous affair, the result is just laughable. This year, the ceremony started the same way as it always does. Hootie introduces Jim Nantz and then reads off the teleprompter:

In a few minutes we'll be joined by our 2006 champion, Phil Mickelson. And with him will be last year's champion Tiger Woods who will present him with his green jacket. And Jim, I believe that they're coming in now.

Right on cue, Phil and Tiger stroll into the picture. Can you say "contrived"?

The rest of the ceremony was as artificial as Splenda. Even Tiger feigns joy as he slips the XXXL green jacket onto Phil's naturally padded shoulders. The only thing missing was a live performance by Milli Vanilli. As JD Salinger wrote in The Catcher in the Rye, "People always think something's all true." As Holden Caulfield would have done, I turned off my TV in disgust.

P.S. My buddy Tony K. of Hooked On Golf has started golf's version of MySpace. Called The Golf Space, it's a networking site only for golfers. Users have their own profiles, pics, blogs, connections, business associates etc. Be sure to check it out.