Jack Nicklaus

Folks… He Ain’t Done Yet!

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

Whether you’re a massive fan of Tiger Woods or a passive fan of his you have got to be impressed with what the man has accomplished. Say what you will about him and his transgressions Tiger Woods has roared back making his fans excited more than ever. If that was even possible. I’ve never been a huge fan of his and that’s a fact that I’ve never hidden behind or tried to mask.

I have my reasons, namely because of his seemingly smug attitude. I know, and before many of you call me a “hater” I’m quick to point out that he’s earned the right in a sense to be that way. No, I’m not talking about his demeanor on the golf course during competition, my issue with him was how he always approached his press conferences or on-camera appearances post-round.

gettyimages-51549440-e1555541103339

Tiger at the 2000 PGA Championship. (Photo Credit: Golfweek)

In case you live under a rock you might have missed that Tiger Woods won this week. This time over in Japan at the Zozo Championship. Tiger Woods turned in a great tournament at the rain-soaked event. An event that saw the 376 yard Par 4 10th Hole shortened to 140 yards. for the record, I have no issue with that. You ALWAYS protect the golf course, and it’s something that we’ve had to do where I work on too many occasions this year. Tiger’s turnaround in Japan was impressive considering he started out with three straight bogey’s. Ladies and gents, there’s something to be said for that. If you start your round off in a difficult manner, put your head down and grind it out. You can turn it around.

With the victory, Tiger Woods claimed the 82nd victory of his illustrious career tying the legendary Slammin’ Sam Snead. A feat that whether you’re a fan of his or not you have to admire. Now does this make Tiger the G.O.A.T? The majority of golf fans will say yes. Without a doubt. However, love me or hate me I’m going to say that he’s the greatest of this era/generation. Why?

Sam-Snead-9303901

Sam Snead (Photo Credit; Golf history Today)

The reason is quite simple. I honestly feel that there can never be a true G.O.A.T. because when you think about it only two names surface for that sort of talk. Ironically, Sam Snead is never in the conversation with his 82 wins. Instead, it’s either Tiger or Mr. Nicklaus. In a debate that’s raged on over the last millennia or so I honestly feel that it’s neither. Instead, I think that we need to look at the greats from a generational or era standpoint. The reasons are many and not limited to better equipment, better agronomy (course conditioning/machinery), more awareness of mental coaching and physical fitness.  Imagine if Snead, Nicklaus, or Bobby Jones had these resources? They won’t obviously, so we’ll never know what they would have accomplished. Which is exactly my point!

tiger-zozo-win-1040x572

#82 (Photo Credit: Sportsnet)

Even though I’m not a true Tiger fan I will go on the record and make the following statement. Tiger Woods isn’t finished winning golf tournaments yet. He has 82 and if he can remain somewhat healthy and continue to play like “Tiger”I think 90 is NOT out of the question. Whether he wins 83 or 90 nobody will ever touch him. At that point in time, I would resign myself to the fact that he’s the greatest of all time. Oh, by the way, I think two of those wins are Major Championships breaking Mr. Nicklaus’ record.

Until The Next Tee!!

#seeuonthenexttee #fightandgrind

Swing Your Swing

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

This week’s PGA Tour stop was the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The hole of “The People’s Tournament” where the rowdiest, rocking, raucous fans gather around the 16th Hole. It’s a stadium atmosphere that by no accident happens to be on the same weekend as the Super Bowl. Honestly, I wish golf had more of this but this is what makes this tournament so special. It’s their baby… it’s the very entity of this event. What often is forgotten about the WM Phoenix Open is the fact that this tournament has raised $122 M USD for Arizona Charities.

900x500_general-admission

The Thunderbirds do their thing… one day I will be there too. (Photo Credit: WM Phoenix Open)

This week was different as well because we saw the PGA TOUR debut of Matthew Wolff. Wolff, is a 19 year old amateur who plays collegiate golf at Oklahoma State University (yes… the same OSU as alum Rickie Fowler). He was a First Team All-American as a freshman and won his final three events last fall. A swing that can win quite obviously… right?!

According to the “Golf Twitterverse” Wolff’s swing as unorthodox as it “seems” drew the ire of the “keyboard warriors” that are all “PGA Professionals” amongst us. Some of the comments that I read were things like

  • “I have seen better swings in my golf league”.
  • “That swing is just yuck”.
  • “That’s a gross swing FR”.

Basically, there were plenty of people insinuating that his swing was trash. A total “Dumpster Fire”. Basically, if you think that this swing is trash you must also think that Jim Furyk and Ryan Moore are also trash and have no idea of the golf swing in general.The first thing that you need to consider is this. It doesn’t matter how you get to the top… it’s how you get to the bottom. The swing is the most important in the approximately 24″ before and post impact. When I work with students I ask a couple of questions the first time that I work with someone. The first is “Do you have any health impediments?”. The second question is this.

“What do these swings have in common with each other. Annika Sorenstam, 2000 Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Ryan Moore have in common?”

The answer is almost always “No idea”. So I enlighten them with the easy answer. It’s where they’re at pre-impact, impact and post-impact”. There is NO ONE correct way to swing a golf club. All of those swings proves the point.

Here’s my take on his swing.

  1. His waggle is a mechanism to get things rolling. I’ve never met him but maybe there’s a hint that he has to keep moving.
  2. He takes the golf club outside a little bit like Jim Furyk or Ryan Moore. In a way that is sort of similar to elements of Leadbetter’s “A-Swing”. Note the downturn of his lead shoulder.
  3. Notice the left heel. Hi lead heel. He lifts it like so many of the greats. For that reason his swing will last through the years and will likely prevent him from major back issues.
  4. He plants the heel… stimulating the transition.
  5. As steep as it is… he flattens his plane with lag to burn. Pause at .02.
  6. Wolff extends great thru impact and down the line

Essentially, there’s a ton of good going on in his swing… and it clearly displays the power and why he’s won.

The long and short of this is to simply… “Swing your swing”. Oh… he also made the cut too!

***I will elaborate on Ho Sung Choi in the near future

Until The Next Tee!!

#FightAndGrind #SeeUOnTheNextTee

Tuesday at The RBC Canadian Open

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

The time has come!! It’s time for #OurOpen.

This week marks the playing of the RBC Canadian Open which once again will be contested at the course that “Jack Built”. Glen Abbey Golf Club.The course located in Oakville, Ontario (not far from Ontario’s Capital Toronto) was the first solo design of Mr. Nicklaus. Unfortunately, the course (as historic as it is) has been mired in uncertainty.

DSC_0002 (2).JPG

All too often that we see golf courses give way to housing and real estate developments. The reality is that real estate is worth way more  than a golf course is… especially when we’re talking about the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The GTA is literally enveloping the surrounding periphery of its greater metropolitan area and there is a premium on multi-million dollar condominiums. It remains to be seen if this will be the last Canadian Open held at the storied golf course but if it were to be a star-studded field will be the pre-cursor to the final curtain. Personally, I don’t think that this will be the final Open for “The Abbey”. I base that conclusion on nothing more than a hunch.

I always love to attend practice rounds when I get a chance. Personally speaking, I’d rather attend a practice round (day) then the actual events. There’s just so much to do and see. So I took advantage of Tuesday which has free admission to attend. even though I was miffed at my “Open Snub” for media credentials I was still excited to make a day of it. So I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and after walking the dog (who chased two raccoons as we walked out the door) and showering it was time to make the roughly 55 minute drive. If you’ve never attended the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey the organizers do a fantastic job at arranging shuttle buses leaving from various locations around the city.

DSC_0003 (2)

 

 

 

The air was sort of heavy with the smell of dew and freshly cut grass. Really, it was more sweet than anything. But as I walked deeper into the venue and walked through security there was a sort of buzz. I watched the first fairway as there was one lone golfer (Tyrone Van Aswegen) and his caddie walking towards the first green getting in some early work. Oh to be in that position. But, I made my way to the green complex of the Par 3 7th hole which is home to “The Rink”. Adorned with a hockey net that entices the field to take a “shot” at “our game”, boards that make it look like a hockey rink and lastly a real Zamboni it really adds a dimension that makes the event feel uniquely Canadian.

I made my way to the range where there was a bevy of activity. However, if I do have one “beef” about Glen Abbey as a host site for the RBC Canadian Open it’s that the practice grounds are not fan friendly. While there is a spot to view from overlooking the short game area what there isn’t is a good vantage point for watching the players on the range. The way that they set it up makes you feel like you’re miles away from the action. But you can see the players warm up. Sabbatini, Hahn, Schneiderjans, Jimmy Walker, Tringale, Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Sergio to name a few. Some of the events really big names like DJ, Kooch, Bubba, Sneds were elsewhere off-site. One of these days I’ll catch Sneds and Kooch.

DSC_0054 (2).JPG

 

 

While there I took the time to walk the course. Spots that I’ve never seen like “The Valley”. A section of the course that consists of holes 11 through 15. I walked halfway down it when I realized that I had to climb back up. I survived unscathed much to my delight. For a while I stuck around a group that consisted of Wesley Bryan, Domenic Bozzelli and Harold Varner III. With hopes of catching Sergio Garcia I headed back towards the practice area and holes 6 and 7. Sure enough, there was a throng of golfers and looking much like the “Pied Piper” there was Sergio Garcia and his playing partners. So I sat in one of the “Muskoka Chairs” that sat by the 6th green. Waiting patiently. his group appeared on the sixth tee. His tee shot was pulled left and came to rest nestled in the rough amongst the trees. Sergio got to his second shot and went through his pre-shot routine a thought emerged. “He’s pulling this left” I nonchalantly said to another spectator. He made his swing and then it happened. I heard a ball whizz by my head and land about 2 feet away from me. Indeed he yanked his shot left. He sort of chunked his pitch and left it a tad short. After studying the green with his caddie and group off to 7 Sergio went signing a few autographs along the way

DSC_0046 (2).jpg

I planned to stay the entire day but an early wake-up, poor sleep, hot weather and hunger pains later I decided to head home. Rain threatened all day and there is  more rain on the way. The Superintendent and his crew have The Abbey looking great. The greens were receptive and will be even more so with more expected rain. I have no doubt that the players will go deep and I predict a score of -26 to win come Sunday afternoon. Nearly anybody there can shoot that type of score but I like Varner III to win this week. He’s been playing some “lights out” golf and a win seems imminent. I saw him stretching out his back on 14 and he assured me his back was fine right after the picture below was taken.

IMG_20180724_124208

This guy is due! He’s trending the right way.

 

 

 

With that prediction it means that a Canadian will not win our Open. So who will the Top Canadian be this week? Corey Conners!

DSC_0022

A bag full of Ping goodness.

Until The Next Tee!!

 

 

2018 Honda Classic

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

Alright this week on the PGA Tour was a very eventful one. There’s a few things to digest here so let’s get right to it.

Let’s start with the golf course. PGA National Resort and Spa is home to the PGA of America and features a five golf courses that include The Champion Course. The golf course designed by George and Tom Fazio later saw a redesign by Jack Nicklaus. While not overly long at 7,140 Yards (7,048 yards Actual Scorecard Yardage) while carrying a slope of 147 and a course rating of 75.2 (Actual Scorecard) it provides a challenge. The course yielded a winning score of 272 (-8) which means that it held up very well against the field. I love ‘The Bear Trap” and like the plaque says “It should be won and lost here”. Most of the holes (14 of them) played a touch over par so it goes to show that if the course is set-up (pin locations on “funny” parts of the green) you can still protect the course versus length. Of course, the winds through the first 3 days helped.

bear

Photo Credit; USA Today

Golf ball rollback. Well this is a conversation that isn’t going to go away any time soon. Again it became part of the week when Mr. Nicklaus said after having dinner with USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. Is it inevitable that the rollback is going to happen? Honestly, I don’t know and quite frankly at this point of my life it doesn’t impact me. But the way that the world has become I wouldn’t be surprised if it did happen. Sure ,the guys on Tour are crazy and yes Mr. Nicklaus had concerns about the golf ball dating back to 1977. I still think that if you just grow out the courses and let the course superintendents and tournament committees have a little “fun” scores will ultimately drop. The drawback however could be upset membership at host clubs. Is the issue with the golf ball the fact that it hinders pace of play (as suggested by Mr. Nicklaus)? In my opinion this might be the case for the top half percent of golfers playing the game.

Justin Thomas!! The young man has been on some sort of roll. He hasn’t seen a finish worse than a T-22 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions since at least October 15, 2017. In that stretch he has two victories and quite frankly he’s playing wonderful golf. He won this week and was cool under pressure coming into the 72nd hole when he had to hit a clutch shot and hit a tremendous wedge shot. He actually thought that he had holed-out the shot. He would end up in a playoff with Luke List and would eventually outlast List as day turned night. Thomas now owns 8 victories on the PGA Tour. But winning the tournament wasn’t the only thing that he did… Thomas also managed to get a fan ejected from the tournament when a fan cheered against wishing his ball to go into a bunker. Thomas was then picked up on a live microphone during this exchange…

jt

Photo Credit: thescore.com

“Who said that? Who yelled for that ball to get in the bunker? Was that you? Enjoy your day, buddy, you’re gone.”

The “offender” was of course singled out by other spectators. I think JT was ultra-sensitive here. It’s not like the fan said it during his backswing. It never factored in on his shot. If anything, this now has set a sort-of precedent. Maybe we’ve heard the last of “mashed potatoes”, “you da man” and every other stupid remark you hear when someone hits a golf ball. I’m trying to think back to when “that” became a “thing”. Oh yeah… Tiger Woods!

tiger-woods-honda-classic-2018-friday-hat-tip.jpg

Photo Credit: Golf Digest

For those that are unaware Tiger Woods played this week and the “Tiger Effect” was obvious at the Honda Classic. Those galleries! Only one person does that to a tournament. Tiger had his best showing in a tournament since… forever and even though I’m not a staunch fan of his it always sucks to see someone great be in a decline. Watching Tiger this week I observed a guy who’s feeling healthy, seems to be in a good place mentally and has a swing that’s working. He was impressive off of the tee and more importantly he led the field in proximity to the pin. I loved that he went for the flagstick on 15. He wanted to win and that’s an even more telling sign of where he is. Again though, I simply ask the golf world (fans, media etc) not to get too high or too low on him. Just let the guy play golf!

Until The Next Tee!!

PEAKVISION Sunglasses Under New Ownership

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

I always love sharing information about products and brands that are either new or new to me. Part of the reason why I like to do what I do is to educate the general golfing public on products from both industry giants and those that are not.

gold_PV[1933]

PEAKVISION Sunglasses are a brand in the golf industry that I have heard of. Although, I have to admit that I have no practical knowledge or familiarity with them. I do intend to make that change. One of the intriguing technologies that the brand features is their patented “Zero/Zero Distortion Lens”. How many times as golfers have we left our sunglasses on and missed a putt because the green didn’t look quite right through our sunglasses? What happens? We remove them and place them on our heads. this is where “Zero/Zero” would come in handy. Also of note is that they have a “Jack Nicklaus Signature Line” of sunglasses available as well.

Carole Imperiale of PEAKVISION Sunglasses was kind enough to share this press release with me. Recently, PEAKVISION saw a change in ownership and this press release describes the transaction, their success at the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show and some of the brands plans for the future.

PEAKVISION_GX5 Black 1[1932].jpg

Named 1 of 9 top items at 2018 PGA Merchandising Show by Orlando Sentinel

(CONWAY, SC – February 14, 2018) — PEAKVISION, the sunglasses that took the golf world by storm with its unique, patented Dual-Zone/Zero Distortion lens, is under new ownership. David Feaser of Conway, South Carolina, who’s been in the sunglass business for thirty years as the owner of Shades of George (www.shadesofgeorge.com), bought PEAKVISION company assets and all the patents for the popular lenses from the original company in May 2017, and is running the company as President/CEO.

Nicholas Feaser is National Sales Manager of PEAKVISION. The father-son team is committed to growing the brand and giving back to the golf community.
The Orlando Sentinel named PEAKVISION one of the top nine items at the PGA Merchandising Show this year. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/golf/os-sp-golf-top-merchandise-0204-story.html

”PEAKVISION lenses have such great clarity and high definition that it provides three times more visual information on the green for an impeccable read,” says David Feaser. “Everywhere we go, golfers come up to me and tell me they’re the best sunglasses on the market. These sunglasses visually ‘Change you Game,’ and help you make better putts and save strokes on the green.”

“Let’s face it,” Feaser continues. “Your round is won or lost on the green so if you can save one or more strokes off your game, who wouldn’t want to try these sunglasses? Most golfers take their sunglasses off or put them on their hats or head while they putt. Your eyes during that moment are adjusting to more visual information, which makes putting even more difficult. With PEAKVISION Sunglasses, it provides a continuity of visual information and you don’t have to take the sunglasses off. In fact, you’ll want to leave them on!”

PEAKVISION offers a line of Jack Nicklaus-signature sunglasses as well. “The JN1 and the JN5 in the collection reflect the high standards of Jack Nicklaus himself,” adds Feaser. All PEAKVISION styles are available and are currently on-sale by ordering on-line at http://www.peakvision.com.

PEAKVISION will be partnering with the Myrtle Beach World Amateur in Myrtle Beach, S.C., August 27-31, 2018 by providing PEAKVISION Sunglasses to the winning golfers. The easiest way to order PEAKVISION is to go on-line at http://www.peakvision.com. PEAKVISION ships the same day the order is placed.

Be sure to connect with PEAKVISION via their new social media sites:

Follow PEAKVISION on Twitter: @PEAKVISION1
Follow on Instagram: PEAKVISIONSunglasses
Like PEAKVISION on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PEAKVISIONSunglasses/

Until The Next Tee!!

Christmas and the Holiday Season

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

‘Twas the night before Christmas,

and all through the course.

Not a creature was stirring,

not even in the gorse.gorse

The golf clubs were hanging with such tender and care.

With hopes that The Masters was coming with some spring air.

The golfers were nestled, away in their beds.

While visions of birdies and eagles danced through their heads.

Clad in my CHASE 54 and TRUE Linkswear,

There was a chance that when it came to trick shots

I too might even care.

When out on the course came such a flurry of thwackin’,c54

I had soon realized it was all about Jack’s action.

Then suddenly he appeared all grey-haired and smiling,

It was Arnie himself  with eight mighty golfers,

All famous and many a champion.

He called out their names,

On Justin, On Jordan, On Rory and Dustin.

On Rosie, On Lexi, On Rickie and Brookie.

Off to the tee they went to swing, swing away

Every one of them no less hitting the fairway.rosey

Pounding their drives out of sight.

Then I heard Arnie say to all 

Happy Christmas and good night.

 

To my dear readers. May all of you stay safe and enjoy your time with you loved ones. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

 

Alex

IMG_20171218_152142

 

 

 

 

This and That!!! (Volume 3)

/ Until The Next Tee / Leave a comment

According to my calculations this is the third installment of an article that I simply titled “This and That”. I honestly don’t remember what said article was about but I do know that something cheesed me off so I wrote about it. In this installment I’m going to get a few things off of my chest.

Recently, I was asked why is it that I’m so hard on Tiger Woods bordering on the point of hate. The greatest player to have ever played the game. I feel this is the best outlet and time to discuss it. First and foremost I just wanted to clarify that I don’t hate Tiger Woods. I have never had a talk with him and therefore I don’t know him. Yes, he really comes off as arrogant and elitist but that is what I see and I am entitled to my opinion.. I don’t how he interacts with children or elderly people. But there is a certain air about him isn’t there? Is he the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off of his back? I’ll never know. I get it… to his legions of fans that fact doesn’t even matter… or at least I assume that it doesn’t.

tiger-woods-hero-pre

Photo Credit: cbssports.com

But there are some things about Tiger that I do hate. The first thing is that I hate the choices that he’s made. I spoke about that before within these pages. There’s absolutely no excuse for driving under the influence whether it’s prescribed medications or alcohol and there is no explanation that forgives it. To be honest, I don’t care what he did or didn’t do during his marriage to Elin Nordgren. Of course, I am referring to his act of indiscretion (or two), Hey, it’s his life right? The media and how they handle/treat him. This really bugs me. Especially the  Golf Channel most notably and how they gush about him. I get it…. Tiger did a lot for golf  but not in the sense of what Mr. Palmer did. What Tiger has done for golf was bring people to the golf course or driving range who otherwise may not him. He had his name on a very popular game for consoles further immersing youth and old alike in golf. Viewers and broadcasts love him and in particular the ratings that he brings. Ratings that  in all likelihood Golf Channel wouldn’t have. But we don’t need to hear about every time he swings a golf club or what he has for breakfast and so on. Did you know that tere were other players in the event? Did you know that Kevin Chappell was leading? When Tiger is involved directly with the game or an event there is a certain buzz that envelops said event. Look no further than the recent President’s Cup. Tiger is great for the golf industry and he brings attention to a game that is much maligned.

tiger

Photo Credit: golfweek.com

As everybody and their uncle knows Tiger teed it up this week at his event (Hero World Challenge). An event with a field of 18 players most of which are among the game’s elite. In typical fashion during the days leading up to the event all that you saw was Tiger here… Tiger there. It’s understandable… because it was huge. It was a comeback and one that felt different and the masses soaked it all in. Heck, there were some pictures circulating on social media that bordered on creepy. Pictures taken from behind bushes. you know the typical stalker-type. Pictures that were ominously close to being labeled as sociopathic. As I said, this time around the comeback felt different. His swing didn’t look hesitant like in other returns from injury etc. He looked good and I’m the first to say that and give Tiger credit where credit is due. He played well.. real well in fact. He was right there near the top of the leaderboard for a bit. That in itself is great to see and love him or hate him you never want to see a guy struggle or be a shell of their former selves. Whether you’re a “golf fan” or a “Tiger fan” (and there is a difference) it can only be good for our struggling sport. It’s sort of strange for me to see him playing TaylorMade Golf equipment and Bridgestone Golf Tour B XS balls. I don’t even look at the 75 that he shot on Saturday when looking back at his return. He played well period! All that I say now is just let him play golf when he decides to play and nature will take its course.

goat

My GOAT (Photo Credit: arnoldpalmer.com)

A couple of other things real quick. A reference has been thrown around a ton. The reference of which I speak is a type of livestock. Goats! Otherwise known as the greatest of all time. Many say that Tiger is THE G.O.A.T. and to me I feel that he isn’t. I feel that Tiger is by far the greatest of my generation without question but he isn’t the G.O.A.T. Many factors weigh in to somebody being the G.O.AT. For me it just isn’t about stats or victories. There’s more to being a champion on the course, the field or the rink. Maybe to a rabid Boston Bruins fan Wayne Gretzky isn’t the GOAT when it comes to hockey. Maybe to that fan it’s Bobby Orr.  To me there’s a hidden variable to being a GOAT. That variable is how someone was or conducts themselves in life. Everybody has an opinion and that’s what makes debate fun. Each individual has a reason why (to them) somebody is the GOAT. To me when I look at the greats Tiger is there. But then again so are Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus seeing that his statistics speak for themselves. For me the greatest of all time was Arnold Palmer. Not just for his 93 total victories which included 7 Majors. But he was a champion at life. He was a champion off of the course. To me that makes him THE G.O.A.T!

Another thing that has my hackles up. Golf balls! This entire “bifurcation thing”. It isn’t going to work and unless you’re playing on the PGA Tour you don’t really need to worry about it. I’ll stick to my guns and what I wrote last week or whenever it was. Water the crap out of the fairways, narrow the fairways, grow the rough out and firm up the greens. I know there’s a crusade about water conservation. But again my idea only affects Tour courses and the weeks leading up to an event. Sure the member’s at courses that host an event would have it tough for a bit but it’s an easy payoff to lessen the chances of making your 7,300 yard golf course look like a pitch ‘n’ putt and yielding mini-putt scores. Protect the architects!

langer

Photo Credit: Golf Digest

Long putters! People are bashing Bernhard Langer, Scott McCarron and Adam Scott. Scott because he’s reportedly going back to a long putter.  Langer and McCarron because people feel that they’re breaching the rule (anchor ban) and cheating. I hate long putters and I’ve tried them. They aren’t for me. But if they were automatic everybody would use them. When it comes to the Tour. I think it should be clear. No use… period! Which gets me to the equipment and golf balls for the run of the mill hack… like me! Use whatever you want. Use what makes the game fun for you and gives you the best results. Use a 53″ long driver or a belly putter. Use irons that don’t conform to the groove rule if you wish. If you aren’t playing in a sanctioned RCGA, USGA or R & A event then don’t worry about it. These rules affect only a miniscule percentage of the world’s golfers. If the curmudgeon that you’re paired with on the first tee gets their knickers in a bunch about your equipment… Screw ’em! Just get on the course, play golf and have fun!

Until The Next Tee!!