New Clubs Time of Year

Are your clubs more than five years old? If they are you are likely missing out on the best of new technology. Now is a great time to buy new clubs. There are some great deals on end of the year clubs, new clubs are coming soon. If you buy the 2013 there are many, maybe too many, reviews of what you will get. Buy 2014 and you might be taking a bigger chance. Right now E-bay and Amazon have dozens of sellers hawking last year’s latest technology.

Not in the market for new clubs, did you know that you should change your grips every year. Some of mine are five years old and I play a lot of golf, 200 plus rounds per year. But I am not going to take my advice on grips; instead I am going to order new irons. I bought new Calloway woods last year, and love them. I bought a new putter two years ago and will probably buy a new one this year. I have been looking at some new Adams hybrid irons and Ping putters so believe that is the way I will go.

-Laugh for the day-

A golfer, playing a round by himself, is about to tee off, a non athletic looking salesman runs up to him, and yells, "Wait! Before you tee off, I have something really amazing to show you!"

The golfer, annoyed, says, "What is it?"

"It's a special golf ball," says the salesman. "You can never lose it!"

"Whattaya mean," laughs the golfer, "you can never lose it? What if I hit it into the water?"

"Not a problem," says the salesman. "It floats, and it detects where the shore is, and spins towards it."

"Well, what if I hit it into the woods?"

"Easy," says the salesman. "It emits a beeping sound, and you can find it with your eyes closed."

"Okay," says the golfer, impressed. "But what if my round goes late and it gets dark?"

"No problem, sir, this golf ball glows in the dark! I'm telling you, you can never lose this golf ball!"

The golfer buys it at once. "Just one question," he says to the salesman. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

10 Things To Remember On The Course This Year

As we all start, at least trying, to think about golf. Yes it will warm up and turn green sometime in the future.

Here are my things to remember for this year.

1.    Do not try to hit through a tree—all that stuff about trees being 80% air cannot be true

2.    If you are not sure, go around instead of over—remember trying to hit that lob wedge over a 60 foot tree 20 feet in front of you?

3.    Club up or down and hit your 70 or 80% shot from uneven lies

4.    Light rough still hit one more club

5.    Heavy rough – see #3 above

6.    Remember, direction is more important than distance

7.    Find out your distance with each club – average distance, not best distance

8.    Find a swing for the 75 yard shot – sand wedge, half sand wedge, half gap, whatever it takes

9.     A found golf ball is a good golf ball - tee it up

 

10. Remember the other nine

 

Happy Golfin'

 

 

Best Golf Ball For Senior Golfers

If you type in ,“best ball for senior golfers or best golf ball,” you will get hundreds maybe even thousands of hits. The reason? Everyone wants to hit it far and straight and no one wants to practice. So the best ball is—

Find one that feels soft but not so soft that you feel like you need to swing harder.

I personally like three piece balls because I hit them for decent distance and they will spin and stop. I also will play a two piece ball if it is soft, almost everyone is making one now, but I really like the Wilson Staff 50/50.

The short game is still where most of the scoring takes place but when you become a senior type citizen, we still would like to drive it past the ladies tee. So in my pursuit of hitting it farther I have the following suggestions—

1.    Find a softer ball

2.   Make sure your swing speed matches your driver shaft

3.   Stretch at home—30 seconds of stretching before you tee up on #1 is not enough

4.   Increase your swing speed—50 or more hard swings with a full length driver every day in the off season, and during the season for that matter, swing faster each swing for the first dozen, for the rest maintain the fast swing. Take your time between swings, make sure you finish with weight on your front foot and chest to target.

5.   I also have found that playing in the off-off season when there is no water on the course and the fairways are frozen really helps my distance off the tee—maybe I should give up summer golf and concentrate on winter golf, but not in the south.

Golf Season - Yeepee It's Here

Looks like the golf channel turns 18 tomorrow, happy birthday. I watch a lot of it; love it in the winter when I cannot play here in the Wyoming high country.

Golf season is rolling now, the first full field tournament last week and this week two big ones. It will be great TV, especially if your Football team has checked it in for the season. Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, with the world’s number one and two and now best friends playing. We will see about this best friend stuff when one or the other starts dominating his new best friend.

Sorry Rory, but I think this may be Tiger’s year- now that you are both playing with the almost good enough equipment and balls - the field had leveled.

The other tournament this week – The Humana challenge, should be a birdie filled, fun to watch event. Look for a score of -25 or better to win. And the winner is---

Matt Kuchar, Pat Perez, Brandt Snedeker or the guy we will say, “who dat guy.”

Until next time, Happy Golfin’

Looks like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are both playing for Nike now. That gives Nike the number one and two players in the world as Tiger just moved from three to two. I did a quick, what’s in the bag, check on Rory and it is all Nike, ball, clothes, everything. I see where the two have already done their first commercial for Nike together.

Myself, I will keep playing whatever I can get on e-bay and some cheap stuff from Wal-Mart.

Still waiting on a deal from one of the biggies-got the handicap down to 12-could be soon.

Three Million-Come on Man

 Looks like Tiger Woods will not be playing in the Qatar Masters, this year. Woods three million dollar appearance fee was too steep for the tournament that has a total purse of about two and a half million.  I like Tiger, always have, love to watch him play, great, fierce competitor. But like the NFL folks say, “Come on man,” three million is a little steep for the world’s number three.

Let’s see if the average American lives on about $50,000 dollars a year it would take 60 years to make the three million that Tiger needed for less than a week of work-good deal if you can get it, but even Tiger couldn’t pull this one off.

 

 

I still think a quarter a hole is a big deal match! And maybe a beer a side.

The Great Golf Ball Test --2013 soon

I bought ten dozen (at least) new golf balls, (OK, so sometimes I get a little carried away on E-Bay) can’t wait for spring and a chance to use them. I will let you know what I find out after using at least a sleeve of each. I am still on the quest to find a mid or low priced ball that fits seniors who are still serious about their game. But like me, seniors on a fixed income that makes the top balls a little out of reach, or we would have to give up food or alcohol or some other meaningless wants we have to buy them.

I will be testing three Wilson Staff Balls, two Taylor Made balls and one Calloway and one Bridgestone to start.

Wish me luck, gonna be tough having to play all those rounds, oh the sacrifices I make in the name of good golf.

“Golf is golf. You hit the ball, you go find it. Then you hit it again.” ~Lon Hinkle

No Golf Today

Jan 1, 2013 – Going on official record – “I love the New Year and I love New Year’s Resolutions.”   "And I will play more Golf in 2013"

6:00 a.m. - Eight hours of sleep, healthy, balanced breakfast, went for a walk, did my stretching and lifting workout, spent some hobby time, did some putting away and picking up in my workshop.

8:00 a.m. - New Years are great-reinvigorating, life anew - and soon more golf

9:00 a.m. - Feel like I need a nap, have a bit of an upset stomach, my shoulders, hips and feet ache.

10:00 a.m. – Doing much better now, reclining on the couch, watching first of many New Year’s Day Bowl Games, still resting after my workout, and dreaming about the next year.

11:00 a.m. - Very soar, dull pain starting on top of my head and ending on the bottom of my feet, not feeling well at all, will take a handful of pain killers and continue resting on couch.

I really do not like New Year’s—except for the Football

Noon – Drinking soda, eating chips and peanuts, still resting on couch, feeling some better, game has reached halftime, watching shootout on the Western Channel until second half starts. Golf is all reruns.

“Maybe Next Year, never have liked New Years stuff, too much hype, just another day for this ol’ cowboy”

-Happy New Year-

Golf The Times They Are A Changing

I’m more than a little surprised that the Long Putter will be illegal soon. I have played for a long time and seems like the only other ban I have seen was when the USGA came down against Sam Sneed and the crochet style putting.

Here is my list of ten changes I have seen in 50+ years of playing golf that might have been banned but were not.

1.       Metal heads for woods

2.       Metal shafts

3.       Graphite shafts

4.       Oversized heads for drivers

5.       Cavity back clubs

6.       Cut proof balls

7.       Cavity back (open back) putters

8.       Giant weird looking putter heads

9.       Hybrid irons

10.   Lob wedges

11.   Dozens of design changes to golf balls (this one should be 10 ¼ )

Still trying to hit the ball longer-who isn't? Tried new driver or two, several new balls.  Here is what I have learned-fitness is the key. Stretch, get stronger (I am using the long bands and enjoy the exercise). And work on developing your stamana, thats about it. At 64 it is hard but I will continue my attempt to hit it deep.

Two old golfers (much like me) stood looking across a river that boarder number six on the front.  One old duffer looked at the other and said, "Look at those idiots fishin' in the rain, what's the matter with them" .

Golf In the Heat - Hey, It's 100 Degrees

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad.

 ~A.A. Milne

Gotta be past 60 to enjoy golf when it is 100 degrees out, seems like everything works better when it is warm. Have to tell myself to face the target (turn) in my swing, warm weather helps.

Seems as I get older I have had to narrow my stance, too wide restricts the chance for the hips to help you finish the swing.

Best thing about playing golf past 60 – I never feel bad about riding, no walking for me, well maybe if it’s flat and I play just 9, and it’s not too long. Oh-forget it I am gonna ride.

Enjoy the Fourth-and be safe.

Winter Golf and Snow

Can't play at 7,200 feet this time of the year. Good news is I will retire in June so next fall and winter I may go south a way's and play. Love fall, love football hate the golf weather. We have had 2 nights where we were -16 and -12 and so far 23 inches of snow--nothing like dreaming of warm weather and good golf.

These Guys Are Good

Phil Michelson has Bones pull the stick on 18, just in case. When I am hitting a ball in from more than a hundred yards out, I just hope to get it close enough to avoid a four putt.
The Farmers tournament was really good this year and with no football, unless you call the pro bowl later, football, I hope the ratings were good.
Good to see David Duval, Tiger and John Daly hitting a few good shots and staying around for the weekend.
Nice to see Bubba Watson win again, remember the famous quote, when a very young Jack Nicklaus won the 1965 Master's? Golf legend Bobby Jones said he “was playing a game with which I am not familiar.” That is the game Bubba plays, but he seems like a great guy and is fun to watch.

Golf and Snow

We have snow and cold here but the PGA is off and running in Hawaii. Love watching golf this time of year. Can’t play golf in the snow, so watching on TV is the next best thing-

“I never did see the sense in keeping my head down. The only reason I play golf is to see where the ball goes.”
Charles Price Golfer-at-Large (1982)

Bridgestone, Davis Love III, and Me

I see Davis Love is switching to Bridgestone balls. I believe he has been a Titlist guy for his entire career. Bridgestone has done a great marketing job moving from tires to golf and being accepted in both areas. We all know that players get big bucks to play certain balls and clubs and even to wear their shirts. But not a single pro would use anything that would make their game worse.
I have played Bridgestone balls for two years—I like them. I play the RX –i.e., the old guy ball. I have found it to be soft and long, at least for me.

Viewer Call In Golf

So here we go again a viewer calls in a violation and Camilo Villegas is gone from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Villegas was chipping up a steep slope to the 15th green and twice the ball rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted (Craig Stadler and John Daly style) away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot while the ball was still rolling down the side hill.

That is a violation of Rule 23-1, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty was two shots. Villegas had already signed his card which disqualified him for signing what was now an incorrect score card.

Well, all is not lost, Camilo still got $50,000 plus for his day of golf.

Ever wonder what would happen if we started calling in basketball, football and baseball rules violations the officials missed? Sometimes the penalty seems a bit harsh for the violation. But that’s just me speaking.

-Enjoy the golf-

How Do You Spell Graeme Anyway?

Graeme McDowell has been voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America. Not sure I will ever learn to spell his name. I am good with the spelling of Tiger or Phil just in case they rise again next year.

Let Me At Um

-David Fay to retire-

David Fay is retiring from the U.S. Golf Association and I am waiting by my phone for a call. I even checked my answering machine to make sure it was working in case I happen to be outside scooping snow (something I do a lot of these days).
When Fay stepped down last Friday many people were surprised, not me. He is nearly as old as I am and old guys like us need to play golf not watch others play. But I will put down the clubs and take over if the call comes. Ordered two dozen golf balls yesterday just in case someone in the Association office is on vacation and they accidentally call the wrong person.

FORE !

FORE – Is that enough warning for one of my wild shots?
Looks like I don’t even need to holler.
A case brought to court by Dr. Azad Anand, who was struck in the eye ( and blinded in that eye, according to news stories) by a shanked shot in 2002 on a New York (Long Island) golf course by his friend Dr. Anoop Kapoor. (I think this may have strained their friendship.
Anand said his injury was caused by Kapoor failing to yell "fore" or some kind of warning for a ball headed his way.
But the New York State Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling, saying that Kapoor was not at fault.
"A person who chooses to participate in a sport or recreational activity consents to certain risks that are inherent in and arise out of the nature of the sport generally and flow from such participation," the court wrote.

Tiger's Got A Brand New Putter

So Tiger’s got a brand new putter. He ditched the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 he has used for years in favor of the new Nike (surprise) Method 003 in the last tournament of the year. Wonder if the change will stick this time.

Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover are already using this model and looks like Tiger thought he needed to give it a try. It has a different look than the Scotty Cameron, might take some time to get used to how it looks at address. I thought Tiger looked pretty comfortable on my TV screen with the new putter. Changing from the more conventional looking Cameron to the semi-mallet is a huge for the greatest golfer on earth and may take more than one tournament to find the correct feel.

The putter is a little pricey for this old guy (who once putted great with a fourteen dollar K-Mart putter) and at two and a half bills I will pass. I think for most of us a putter in a mid price range will look and feel good. If you want to compare brands, prices and styles before going to the shop or range, I like this site—GolfPutters.net.


Oh by the way-Think Tiger will put a Ping grip on this new putter like he always did with the Newport 2?