Ok, here’s an update on my recent post The Quest for a New Driver.

I’ll cut right to the chase. The Ping G15 driver I initially purchased was sent back the day after I took it to the range. I just could not hit the club. Everything was a slice or peeled off to the left (I’m left-handed) with a severe loss in distance.

This is probably due to the wrong loft. I purchased an 8.5 degree when I usually hit a 10.5. 2 degrees is not a lot but when it comes to a flatter face club like the driver it makes all the difference. I believe the shaft flex is still OK with a R shaft.

I think emotion really got the better of me. I was looking for more distance but I should have known that loft was not suited to a recreational player like me – oh well!

Needless to say I was very disappointed because I loved the look and feel of the G15. Very classic and very confident feeling at address. Before I hit it I felt like it was going to go 300 yards on the first swing – not quite.

First, I was glad I ordered from TGW with the 30-day playability guarantee. This means (on selected clubs) you can play it for up to 30 days and then return it for another club it the one you purchased does not suit you.

Well, the caveat to this guarantee is that you can only do it once – which I did not know. The customer service rep said “people will play for 30 days and just keep returning it for a new one” I can understand what she meant but I am curious if this is really being done and is supported by facts.

I am sure you will have the occasional customer who has nothing better to do then package and repackage clubs in order to keep getting a new one but, for me, (and I suspect many others) I just want to find the right driver for ME. I am not interested in playing games with ordering a new club every month. Once I find it I want to keep it – for a long time.

So I don’t really understand this guarantee of returning a club only once. If it takes me a few clubs, so what, they still get my business because there is no cash return (only credit)

This is definitely an issue for me. I know there are some companies who do have demo programs where you can try clubs for X amount of time the return them. You can do this as many times as you like.

Otherwise you have to be aware of and attend demo days in your area. Really the only way to test a club is at the range. There is no way you can get any feedback from hitting in one of these little indoor hitting areas.

So, to sum up. First mistake was not not getting tested (see article I mentioned above) Second was getting caught up in thinking I am a different player than I am (the loft issue)

Third, I should have investigated an alternate demo program with unlimited return because now I’m stuck with a $300 credit at TGW and really don’t want to purchase another driver in fear that’s it’s the wrong one.

I already used my one-time “30-day playability guarantee” so I’m screwed if a get a driver that I cannot use again. It would probably end up on Ebay for a fraction of it’s new price.

I’ll keep you posted on next steps.

Related posts:

1. The Quest for a New Driver
2. Alpha Golf Driver Test
3. Alpha V5 Driver Review

So I have been on a quest a for a new golf driver for about a month now. Finding the right driver can be both maddening and fun at the same time but I’ve made my choice.

I kept hemming and hawing about it because I did not play as much as anticipated in the last few years but I have re-dedicated myself to playing substantially more in 2010.

I have had the same Cobra driver now for 3+ years and it was just time to upgrade. It was a 360cc head and I felt like it was just losing it’s pop. Maybe that was psychological, not sure, but anyway, it was time.

Now, just to let you know, I did a lot of things right and a number of things wrong (in my opinion) in making my final selection.

Being a golf blog writer for a number of years I know there is a process you should go through which I did not. That is really to go get tested at some sort of golf facility, like SwingLabs or GolfTec and get your swing speed, launch angle and all of that tested so you have a solid baseline of what you’re looking for.

I even put up an article/video not long ago by Tom Wishon called Tom Wishon and the Truth about Golf Equipment, where he emphatically discusses the last “remarkable technology” which is really custom fitting. Check it out – it’s well worth listening too.

But for a lot of reasons (they’re all excuses – so it doesn’t really matter) I did not do this. I ordered directly from a catalog.

The other biggie is I have never hit the club – one of the “grand poobahs” of no no’s when purchasing a new club. But I have have been reading Reworkby the founders of 37 Signals (one of the smallest but most successful software companies operating today) who produce business software solutions like Highrise, Basecamp, Campfire, Backpack, etc – you may have heard of them.

They have contrary views to almost every working methodology out there today. But at the same time they sell millions of dollars of software every year. Highly recommend it. So I was feeling extremely contrarian and at the same time – inspired to just “follow my gut”

But I did do a fair amount of research. From reviewing newer to older golf magazine reviews and quite a bit of online golf driver reviews (Rankmark, etc.) – again looking at reviews, specs, pictures, options and more.

I also have the somewhat unique challenge of being left-handed so the options are not really limited, per say, you just have to do do a bit more hunting. Plus lefty’s get a bit hosed at the golf shows and range days where they always have like 3 lefty drivers.

Long story short, I finally paired it down to 2 choices. The TaylorMade R9 460 and the Ping G15. A number of my friends play not necessarily the R9 but other TaylorMade drivers and absolutely love them. But I heard so many good things as well about the Ping G15.

Finally I just had to make a decision cause bottom line is I want to play so I pulled the trigger and bought the Ping G15 from TGW. The specs are 9 degree loft, regular shaft. Cost was $299. Could not find any coupons or discounts.

Another reason I went with The Golfers Warehouse is that they have the “30 Day Playability Product” guarantee where you can return the club within 30 days if it is not to your liking. You can only get credit (no cash) but that was a nice incentive in case it does have to go back. As of this writing the club has not yet been delivered.

Next up I will be discussing my 1st experiences with the G15 and how it is actually performing on the range and more importantly on the course. Stay tuned!

Related posts:

1. Quest for a New Driver (Continued)
2. Alpha Golf Driver Test
3. Custom Golf Club Fitting (Part 2)

My good friend Brandon Williams was kind enough to send me an autographed copy of Claude & Butch Harmon’s golf instruction book, ‘The Four Cornerstones of Winning Golf’. I was excited to add it to my growing golf library, but, to be honest, I was prepared to chalk it up as just another ‘how to’ book on golf.

I have to report that I was pleasantly surprised, almost shocked on how good this book is. As far as I know it hasn’t ever been that popular since it was published in 1996. Too often ‘how to play golf’ books go into way too much detail. To wit, Nick Faldo’s ‘Golf – The Winning Formula’ that was published in 1989. It’s not that it doesn’t have good information, it’s that it has way too much. Nick describes about every 1/10th of a second of the entire swing and after 30 or so pages you don’t know if you’re coming or going.

By contrast, Harmon gets to the basics of the swing quickly and simply. The book is a little over 200 pages, but I read most of it in a day – it goes fast. I didn’t read all the historical sections, but concentrated on the instructional bits.

Besides a very nice piece on the core components of the full swing, there are sections on chipping, pitching, bunker play and putting. They aren’t long, but they are to the point. You get simple instruction and practice routines that you can actually remember and use.

I also enjoyed the section on ‘specialty shots’ and Harmon’s Hints. If you’re more than a rank beginner, you want to learn how to play all the lies and conditions that aren’t flat and in the short grass. Here Harmon covers most of the situations you’ll run into with just 2 or 3 sentences each. If you find yourself in a tough situation and you’re trying to recall if you should play the ball back or forward and make a flatter or more upright swing, this guide will be very welcome. The most accurate detailed instruction is of little use if you can’t remember it on the course.

Lastly, I enjoyed the chapters where he discusses the work he did in the early nineties with Greg Norman, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods. Here Harmon discusses the changes he made and how they relate to the core principles of the first chapters. It’s refreshing for amateurs to see how small fundamental changes for even the best in the world can make all the difference in scoring. Trust me, your game can benefit from some of the same instruction.

I’m always surprised when I have a preconceived notion about something, only to discover that I was completely wrong. Harmon’s ‘Four Cornerstones of Winning Golf’ is just such a book. If you want a solid, simple accurate reference manual on how to play better golf, then this book is as good as any. This is a  book that won’t just gather dust!

Related posts:

1. Golf Instruction For The Rest Of Us
2. ’7 Laws’ & Nick Bradley
3. Privileges of Winning the US Open

A promise is a promise, so here are my reviews of the two golf courses I played in Houston; Tour 18 Houston and Lakeside Country Club.

Tour 18 Houston

Tour 18 is a composite of great holes from great courses. The idea here is that the average amateur can get a taste of what some of pro golf’s most famous and most storied holes are about. The course isn’t ridiculously pricey, which means it gets a lot of play. When I was there in December the big fall golf season in Houston had just ended. The course was in good shape, but you could tell it had been played hard.

First and foremost, this course is fun just for reading the history and stories of each hole on the tee box plaques. If you watch much pro golf, you’ll conjure up your own memories. Each hole is a classic, like the famous island 17th at TPC Sawgrass. It’s a kick just to make up your own scenario – say to go one up on Tiger on Sunday - and see if you can hit the green. I played in a threesome and I can say we all had a great time playing the course while walking down memory lane.

If you’re looking for an exact replica of each hole, you’ll be disappointed. There’s no way a public course can match the quality of the greens for one. But they were all in good enough condition to take nothing away from the round.

The last hole is a replica of the 18th at Doral’s Blue Monster. I checked scorecards and found the back tees to be 26 yards shorter in Houston. Other things that are different; elevation changes, bunkering, some of the water and foliage. Hey, who would even dream of trying to replicate the magnolias at Augusta!

The first hole is a copy of the 18th at Harbour Town. Here again the distance is a bit shorter, the tall pines are missing as well as some of the water surrounding the hole. While the holes aren’t ‘exact’ replicas they are close enough to make for an enjoyable round. The next time I watch a pro event, I’ll have a different perspective for some of the classic holes like Augusta’s 12th. This is a fun course to play at least once, probably more if you live in Houston.

Lakeside Country Club Houston

Lakeside Country Club is a private Houston club and I was fortunate enough to have a friend who is a member there. This club is one of the top four or five private clubs in the Houston Area and is built around a lake/river as the name implies. As you would expect of a private course, the facilities, practice area and course conditions are impeccable. There are lots of tree-lined fairways and plenty of water, sometimes appearing as a lake and at other times a meandering stream.

The greens are first-rate and add a lot of character to the course. I understand that the club is in the process of rebuilding many of their bunkers, but I found most of the existing ones to be good. While the land is flat and definitely park like, the course is very well laid out. You almost always feel separated from the other holes and for a Texas course, the plantings are very lush.

A couple of holes really stood out. If I hadn’t misplaced my scorecard I could tell you what number the par 3 was that is flanked by water on the left and in back, while the narrow green is well protected by traps in the front. This one is a real challenge and plays harder than the replica of Sawgrass’s 17th at Tour 18.

I absolutely loved the last hole. It’s a fairly long par five that turns right from the tee and then slightly back left at the hole. Add to that an elevated green with steep banks and water on the front and left and it’s nearly impossible to reach in two. It’s as interesting an 18th hole as I’ve seen in a long time and must make for some dramatic finishes.  I’m sure many a club player has gone down in flames on this one. By yourself a beer if you par it.

Bottom line on Lakeside, it’s a first rate course that has to make no apologies to anyone. With difficult greens, challenging hole layouts, and varying tee boxes this is one you’d be happy to call home. If you’re in Houston and know a member at Lakeside, it’s a must play. If you haven’t played a Tour 18 course, be sure to try one out.

Related posts:

1. Hitting The Texas Golf Trail
2. Hazeltine National Golf Club Facts
3. Scottish Trip Course Rotation

I have been itching to looking into golfing in Spain since my brother visited it and was wowed by the beauty and hospitality of the country. Oddly enough it’s one of the few European countries I have never visited – and being an art buff, too is a major travesty.

And now doing some research, I have found, contrary to it’s reputation as an elite hangout for the rich, it’s actually very affordable. With rates on terrific courses from $41 on up to over $450 to play Valderama, it won’t require a cash advance unless you choose the high end courses. But bargains now abound so do your homework.

One of the top destination has to be Valdrama. Valderama was designed in 1974 by Robert Trent Jones, Sr,. Valderama also gained much notoriety in 2002 the Club hosted the 32nd Ryder Cup, won by Europe in a spectacular finish.

The fairways have been described by top pros and leading golf writers as the best in Europe, if not the world. It is not an easy course – nor was it intended to be. It is designed so as to call forth thought and precision for every shot. If you can, it’s a must play.

One of the best places in Spain for golf is the Costa del Sol, which has become known to fans of the game as the Costa del Golf, or the Golf Coast is now home to over 130 golf courses.

The climate on the Costa del Sol is ideal golfing weather, as it lies in southern Spain (on the Mediterranean coast) where the climate is sunny and mild during the season.

One course that deserves a visit is the San Roque Club – in the Andalucia region of Spain. Designed by Dave Thomas with bunkers redesigned by Seve Ballesteros, The Old Course is rated amongst the finest in Europe. The center piece is a magnificent mansion, formerly the home of the Domecq sherry dynasty.

The Old Course is a beautiful walk amid the foothills, where many green locations show off the Sierra Bermeja mountains and overlook the Mediterranean.

In Andalucia you find the essence of Spain. Bullfighting began here (at Ronda), tapas (hint: tapas bars don’t get lively until after 9 pm or so) was invented in Seville; Jerez produces the crisp, clean taste of fino sherry – the region’s favorite drink – sounds good to me!

One of the newest and hottest areas of golf is the Costa Brava area – underlining that Spanish golf is not necessarily focused on the south.

There are two reasons why the Costa Brava is among Europe’s fastest growing destinations: the region’s micro-climate ensures that it remains dry and warm for much of the year; secondly, the Costa Brava boasts four courses ranked inside the continent’s top 50, and a further 3 that have been chosen to host European Tour events.

These include PGA Golf de Catalunya and Emporda – both who are featured as one of the top 10 courses in Spain.

Golf in Spain is truly a destination that now has me licking my chops after reviewing some of these courses. not sure when exactly I’ll get there, but I know one thing – it’s got everything I want and need for a truly memorable golf holiday – some stunning golf courses, superb weather, some of the best food in the world and great art.

PS: You might also want to check out these fabulous Barcelona Hotels while in Spain.

Related posts:

1. La Manga: Golfing Heaven in Southern Spain
2. 10 Worthwhile Things to Do During the US Open Rain Delay
3. Golf in Portugal

So my brother is heading on a honeymoon in Spain. I am a wee bit jealous as Spain is, strangely, one of the few countries I have not visited in Europe – why, I’m not exactly sure.

One of my favorites artists, Picasso, of course hails from Spain and my first stop would probably be the Museu Picasso in Barcelona . I have visited the Picasso Museum in Paris – and it was just fabulous.

So besides the Picasso museum and a tour of the incredible Antoni Gaudi architecture in Barcelona -  I would HAVE to get in some golf.

One destination that I have heard great things about from my European friends is the La Manga golf resort – a 1,400 acre sporting paradise nestled between the low hills which separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor sea in south eastern Spain in the southeast corner of Southern Spain.

The La Manga Club & Resort has always been synonymous with golf and with its three championship courses and outstanding practice facilities, it is hardly surprising that it has been voted Europe’s top golf resort twice in the past five years.

The 3 courses are the North, South and West (did they forget the East one?) The South is considered the premier layout which was reworked by Arnold Palmer in the early 1990′s. The other two courses are quite challenging as well, but in different ways.

The South Course has been the venue for many major professional tournaments; Spanish Opens (both ladies’ and men’s), PGA Championships and Qualifying Schools for both the men’s and ladies’ European Tours.

The North course (6,291 yards) has more palm trees, lakes, larger greens, tighter fairways and ‘barrancas’. These natural storm gullies feature on all three golf courses and add an extra dimension to the game.

The West course is set amid serene pine woodlands, the West Course’s design closely follows the natural contours of the undulating land. Its distinct character makes it a good alternative to the other, more classical championship courses.

The West is many golfers’ favorite, both because of its unique setting and outstanding views. It weighs in a bit longer than the North at 6,529 yards.

We’ve made it a goal to do more traveling the next few years and with the kids getting older. One stop will surely be La Manga in Southern Spain.

“If I had to choose one golf course to play before I die, it would be the South Course at La Manga.”
Lord Deedes – Editor of the Daily Telegraph

Related posts:

1. The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly in . . .
2. Golfing in Panama Is a Hole in One
3. Golf In France

As many of you know my other passion is art and I just love looking at it, producing it and writing about it and now creating DVDs on it. I actually recently completed an DVD called, An Introductory Guide to Oil Painting Tools and Supplies which was a ton of fun to create, script, shoot, edit and design packaging – yup, all by me.

And when it comes to golf course art – there after seems to be a lot more bad than good. So I was quite surprised when I was made aware of a young golf course architect named Nick O’Connell who lives in Paris, France.

What first caught my eye was the beauty of his work. You can see one up above but are a little misleading seeing them on a computer screen.

He sent me one of his calendars which has beautifully reproduced pencil sketches of courses around the world – and on the most luscious, heavyweight, cream-colored paper.

Some of the sketches of courses include: Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, Ballybunion in Ireland, Royal Porthcawl in Wales and Gleneagles in Scotland.

Of course, the craftsmanship and exquisite detail of the drawings are what first lure you in but it is his unique perspective as a golf course architect that gives them a unique perspective.

He has a beautifully simple website called GolfSketch which you can order the calendar (2010 of course) and also has (just as beautiful) greeting cards you can purchase as well. By the way, the greeting cards are printed using waterless ink on card from sustainable forests.

Finally, for every card sold, Golf Sketch will donate a percentage to ‘Just A Drop’ water charity and each card depicts the ‘Just A Drop’ logo on its back.

These would make perfect gifts for the upcoming holidays for your golfing friends, associates and clients which go to help a support Nick’s golf study trips (which can get expensive fast!) and the wonderful “Just a Drop” charity.

Who knows, maybe we’ll be saying the Name Nick O’Connell in the same breath as Rees Jones, Alister MacKenzie and Donald Ross one day.

Related posts:

1. Check Out These “Extreme” Golf Adventures
2. Scottish Trip Wrap-up
3. Golf Cheats and Sandbaggers

It would be hard to pick a favorite Scottish course from the trip my wife and I made to Scotland this past Spring. We played 12 different courses and they were all remarkable, beautiful and challenging in their own way.

If I had to pick a favorite it would be hard not to choose Cruden Bay. Maybe the one word that sums it up best would be ‘magical’. It certainly is beautiful and challenging, but that doesn’t begin to convey what a true test of golf it is. The staff is friendly and helpful beyond reproach. The starter appears to have been chosen by Hollywood central casting. All this puts the course on par with the other beautiful seaside courses we played in Scotland.

It’s the ‘magical’ bit that separates it from the field. It’s other-worldly. Standing on the third tee (photo above) my wife and I felt like we had been transported to some fictional golf links that exists only in the mind of a good novelist.

The course is laid out on dunes within dunes. The entire course appears ringed by large dunes that surround a smaller set of dunes in the center. You have no idea what the next hole is like until you arrive at the tee box. After putting out on a hole we were like kids, almost running to the next tee to see what wonders lay ahead. We were never disappointed. The course retains it’s magical character from the first tee to the 18th green.

Even now I have goosebumps on my arms thinking about Cruden Bay. I’ve been to Scotland three times for golf trips and have never been disappointed by any course. Do yourself a favor and go if you haven’t been and you’re an avid golfer. Do yourself an even bigger favor and get to Cruden Bay if at all possible. It’s the closest to golf nirvana that I’ve ever found and I’ve been fortunate enough to play some of the world’s best courses.

A special thanks to Rosemary Pittendrigh, Cruden Bay’s Managing Secretary. She was gracious and exceptionally cordial to me and my wife. She also was kind enough to part with one of the last remaining Centennial books, which I will forever charish. I’ll know fate has been tremendously kind to me should I find myself once again on Cruden Bay’s first tee.

Related posts:

1. John’s Adventures Continue – Cruden Bay – Fri April 24
2. Review Of Scottish Links Courses
3. Bandon Dunes – Great Golf Destination

I have to be honest, this hasn’t been the summer of John’s terrific putting. I admit I haven’t practiced enough, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t tried a lot of different things.

Back in June I wrote about trying and liking the ‘Giant Pistol’ grip from Winn (Big Fat Putter Grips – Do They Work?). Well it did work  for awhile and then something went wrong – isn’t that the way it always works? It’s been my experience that almost anything new works for awhile for improving putting, but then quickly loses its magic.

Therein lies the danger of experimenting too much. You never stick with anything long enough to really understand your putting and what works and what doesn’t. I think some of the pros, like VJ and Sergio, are caught in that cycle. It seems every other week they’re trying a new putter, grip or stance.

So what does this have to do with the Tiger Shark Ultra-Tac grip I now have on my putter? Look at the picture for this blog and you’ll see the original grip on my Rife putter on the left. The big one on the right is the jumbo grip I tried for a month. The one in the middle is the Goldilocks ‘just right’ Tiger Shark grip that I’m now using – and will stick with.

I have big hands so the Tiger Shark feels more comfortable than the standard size grip that is on most putters off the shelf. I went to the jumbo grip when I started thinking about stabilizing the wrists – something the golf commentators seem to mention every week. While I liked the jumbo grip at first, I began to feel constrained. It felt like I couldn’t release the putter head through impact.

That’s when I decided to go for the middle ground and try the Tiger Shark  Ultra-Tac. You can see from the picture that it’s a nice compromise between the two extremes. I get some wrist stabilization, but I can still release through impact. The middle size just feels better to me as well. The grip has a nice tacky feel, just like current Ping grips which I like very much.

Am I sinking every putt – of course not. But I’m comfortable knowing that the grip is no longer a problem. I’ll stick with the Tiger Shark no matter what putter or putting style I use (no belly putters for me -yet). I now have one less thing to worry about – or use as an excuse!

Related posts:

1. Big Fat Putter Grips – Do They Work?
2. Ping G10 3 Wood Review
3. On Becoming A Better Putter

So I finally got a chance to watch Jon Fitzgerald’s wonderful film, The Back Nine, It’s Time to Take Your Shot, which he so generously sent me.

The film chronicles Jon’s quest to play pro golf at the age of 40.

I must admit when first watching it that Jon’s swing was no where near professional quality. So it was hard to “believe” that he would ever come close to playing at a professional level. (But he did improve – getting to a 4 handicap!)

But as the film progressed and more of the story of Jon was revealed I began to see just what a huge heart and desire this guy has. It’s really a film about transformation – and on so many levels.

Without giving away too much. Jon had essential 2 fathers growing up. One a pragmatic, reserved, physician stepfather and the other, his biological father – a bawdy, emotional, former athlete who shared the game with him growing up in Palm Springs.

It’s easy to see how Jon suffered from a kind of identity crisis in dealing with these two very different fathers he had to reconcile with somehow. And he used golf to heal both relationships in a way that was just magical to watch.

I found myself caring less and less about his journey to becoming a pro and more about his transformation as a 40 year man, husband and father.

Not that the golf part was understated. It was not. I came away with a totally increased appreciation of the dedication and the commitment it takes to play golf.

It was fascinating to watch Jon assemble his golf team – from personal trainer, to swing coach, to mental coach and more. Just some fabulous insights into the science and technology of today’s game.

The movie also has a very memorable scene of Jon playing with his biological father at St. Andrews, Prestwick and other fabulous links courses in Scotland and Ireland. It was their dream to play there together. The scenes and film footage are just incredible.

In the end, The Back Nine is about a man’s quest to heal his past through golf, become a pro at age 40 and realize your dreams. But how the process transformed him and his relationship to his family is the real story.

I am so glad Jon took the chance to share (and film) his journey with us. Please give yourself (and your family) the gift of watching this amazing film. You will not soon forget it.

Pick it up here: The Back Nine

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1. Francis Ouimet – Heart and Soul of US Golf
2. Family Golf
3. Next Year’s Golf Vacation