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The Golf World Is A-Changing!

John — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:47:59 +0000

Europeans and Internationals dominate the game, 340 yard drives are routine and politicians are being praised for taking time from work to play a little golf. Could it be that the North and South poles have reversed themselves while we weren’t looking?

Congrats to Rory McIlroy for playing spectacular golf and winning his first major, the U.S. Open at Congressional. He’s come so close in the past that I don’t think anyone was rooting against him in this one. I’ll join the crowd in predicting he’ll win a lot more. He’s such a nice guy that it’s easy to pull for him.

Welcome to the age of ‘Power Golf’! Finesse will be locked away until golf’s ruling bodies do something to reduce distance and/or increase driver spin. Guys like Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard don’t stand a chance on 80% of the tour courses. If you can’t regularly drive it over 300 yards you’d better take up a new sport if you want to win. For any youngsters pursuing a pro golfing dream, focus on your driver, wedge and putter. Who needs anything else! Poor YE Yang, Rory had him by two clubs on every shot it seemed. It’s tough to hit 8 when your opponent draws wedge.

You might be guessing I’m in a sour mood and you’d be right. Golf has always been a game, at least until now, where the playing field was level. Not anymore. Bomb it or forget it. Even 300 yard drives may leave you too far back as a number of players routinely hit it 340. With less side spin from drivers, even if you hit it crooked you won’t be too far off line – nothing a wedge can’t fix. I remember when playing golf required 14 clubs, but that seems like ancient history.

Enough sour grapes. The ‘Age of the Internationals’ is now upon us in full swing. First it was beating us consistently and soundly in the Ryder Cup, now they’re taking over the Majors. Where were the upcoming U.S. stars during the Open? Looking at the leaderboard you might think that many opted out of the field. That may not change soon.

Phil is showing his age and Tiger is physically beat. Behind them are a few old horses and a slew of young guns that appear to be shooting blanks most of the time. Well, these things happen and I expect someday the Americans will have a resurgence. Could it be that the European tour is a better developing ground than the US Tour? Don’t expect to see British bookmakers rate American golfers as anything but long shots for the upcoming British Open.

Hope you didn’t miss one of the most interesting golf events of the weekend; President Obama and Speaker Boehner playing golf to help improve their relationship and maybe even solve some of our problems as a nation. The real event is that the press actually played up the benefits of golf rather than knocking our leaders for wasting time.

If you ask me, golf should be mandatory for all politicians. They should have to get out to the links with their rivals on the other side of the aisle at least once a week. It would be a good first step to reminding us that we’re humans and fellow citizens first and foremost. Plus you learn more about someone during a round of golf versus a year of grandstanding in Congress.

US Tour Young Guns MIA

John — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:43:07 +0000

What happened to the vaunted youth movement of Americans who were going to take the PGA Tour by storm? In light of the fact that we haven’t seen hide nor hair of any of them this year I have some theories, none of which are based on fact but then very little that makes the news is these days.

Has Dustin Johnson been pitching side sessions at the Boston Red Sox training facility in Florida? It’s rumored he may pitch a game for the AA Portland Sea Dogs by month end. Some say his go-to fastball has been clocked at over 100 mph.

Someone who looks a lot like Ricky Fowler has been seen training with Shaun White in Chile. Ricky may be gunning to make the 2014 team in the half-pipe. I have it from questionable sources that the US Olympic Team is considering orange jumpsuits for the opening ceremonies in Sochi Russia.

Lucas Glover may not play in the US Open this year as the dates conflict with the conjectured filming of the sequel to Grizzly Adams in New Zealand. If the movie is a hit, Hollywood insiders say he will be a shoe-in for the Chewbacca role in the next 3 episodes of Star Wars.

It’s thought that Anthony Kim may be the buyer who recently snapped up the 10,000 square foot mansion next to Wayne Newton’s home in Las Vegas. Some photos have surfaced on the internet that seem to show Lady Gaga on Anthony’s arm at Kate and Williams wedding. If that turns out to be true then rumors of him headlining at the Bellagio with Mr. Newton in the near future may not be that crazy.

Ryan Moore may own as much as 25% of Ralph Lauren Corporation stock. Speculation is that he could be the heir apparent to the Lauren empire, particularly as Mr. Lauren purportedly doesn’t appear in public anymore without a tie.

Have you noticed that Bill Haas only plays in tournaments when his dad Jay Haas is not playing on the Champions tour? Could they be one and the same person? Is there some new hormone therapy out there we don’t know about?

It’s been rumored that Ricky Barnes has bought a house in London and has applied for English citizenship. He has supposedly become friendly recently with many of the younger European tour players and they might have explained to him that they owe their superior playing to what they put in the water in Europe. If that’s the case, the US might not win another Ryder Cup until Tiger Wood’s kids join the tour in 15 years.

Just to show you how far out of touch you are, I’ll bet your one of the US golf fans who thinks that Tiger isn’t playing because of his left leg. Don’t be fooled by his walking cast. After his indiscretions he’s decided to devote all his energy to doing for his kids what his Dad did for him. I’ve heard from sources I can’t name that you shouldn’t be surprised to see Sam & Charlie take on Ray Romano and Rush Limbaugh in a pay per view best ball match on the Golf Channel in the near future. I don’t want to give anything away, but I wouldn’t bet on Ray and Rush if I were you!

Maybe the Golf Channel should move their European Tour coverage to prime time.

Tiger Doesn’t Need A Swing Coach

John — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:32:19 +0000

Tiger needs a ‘how to win’ coach, not a swing coach. Let me explain.

For approximately 12 years Tiger dominated golf by overpowering it. His approach was ‘I can hit any shot, any time, anywhere.’ Respecting the game and the fact that you could never beat it was for everyone else. When he did miss, he’d recover by making shots no one had ever seen before. Like a wayward Greek, he thought himself on the same level as the Golf Gods. He didn’t need their help, he was one of them. Now the Gods are teaching Tiger that golf is not a game you can overpower forever, even if you’ve done it longer than any other pro of the modern era.

In many ways, he followed Phil in his approach, who followed Arnie. Phil just wasn’t quite as good as Tiger, who started the game earlier, practiced more and was in better shape. Phil believed in the same ‘any shot, anytime, anywhere’, but too often couldn’t pull them off, like on the 18th at Winged Foot. At the moment, Phil is having an epiphany that may change all that. In yesterday’s interview he admitted that by playing conservatively he was in first place, albeit a boring round for him. If he wins today, he may decide that boring is not so bad.

Tiger’s 12 years at the top are the most dominant in golf, but Jack is still the best because he has 18 majors – the ultimate yardstick for greatness in the game. Jack won by using the same philosophy as Ben Hogan; eliminate half the golf course. Tiger thinking his problem is his swing is his Achilles heel. It’s the wrong approach and won’t get him much past where he is today – tied for 44th.

Keep in mind that Jack’s only goal was to beat the second place player by 1 stroke. If that meant hitting 1 iron off every tee instead of driver, then so be it. The goal was always winning. Dominating wasn’t even in the equation.

Every golfer alive can benefit from Jack’s advice, taking comfort and gaining confidence knowing your ball is never going to one side. Jack has never been secretive about this and Hogan hit more golf balls than anyone on earth to get rid of his hook and never have to worry about the left side of the course. Tiger’s lack of respect for his elders is now costing him big time.

To contend again, Tiger has to give up the idea that he’s going to master hitting every shot shape there is whenever and wherever he wants. That’s the seductive side of golf that you have to resist. It leads to too many errant shots that cost precious strokes.

Be humble and patient and take what the game gives, asking no more. If Tiger figures this out his swing will change but only as a result of having first learned Jack’s strategy. His days of pure dominance are over and time is clearly running out for him to surpass Jack.

Atlantic Canada Review – Part 1

John — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:26:14 +0000

Crowbush Golf Course, PEI

It’s taken me about a week to catch up with everything after being gone about 10 days on a 1600 mile trek to play courses in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island or PEI. First, I must thank our hosts; Amanda Steward and Barry MacLeod of Golf PEI (Prince Edward Island) and Chris Stacey of Golf NB (New Brunswick). It may sound like an easy job, taking writers around to golf courses, hotels and restaurants, but you have to be always on your game while catering to a diverse set of needs. They not only put up with us but showed us why golfing in Atlantic Canada is worth the trouble of getting there. If you need help with anything to do with golf in PEI or NB, please contact these folks, they’re a pleasure to work with.

First, an overview and general impressions of golf up north, then in follow-up blogs I’ll go into some of the details of where we played, stayed and ate. Compared to the U.S., everyone in Atlantic Canada is laid back and calm, which means you can come here and recharge your batteries. Forget traffic, crowds and rude service personnel, they don’t exist. In this way, our trip up north was very much like going to Scotland. Sum it up and golf is not only challenging in Atlantic Canada, it’s also fun.

Golf is not only plentiful but of a very high quality. The courses we played would be comparable to many of the best courses in the major golf destinations in the U.S. But…. the cost is much lower and you won’t find the crowds. I was amazed at what they were charging for rounds and even more amazed by what season passes cost – enough so that my wife and I hope to go back next year for an extended period. The weather is much like New England, but cooler – which isn’t bad after the scorcher we’ve had this year. I’d say lodging cost is about the same with food being a bit higher.

If you can afford to stay for awhile, you’re going to get all the golf you want. PEI has 22 good courses within about 45 minutes of each other and there’s lots of variety and lots of different layouts. In NB the courses are more spread out, but again you can find lots of good ones if you’re willing to drive an hour and a half to three different locations. Most of the courses we played and saw had really nice practice facilities, which is a pleasant change from many of the courses here where condos are more attractive to developers.

My wife and I took our time driving up because we wanted to travel the coast of Maine and New Brunswick, places we hadn’t been. If you’ve got the time there is lots of ocean scenery and interesting destinations like the Hopewell Rocks where you can see 50 foot tidal changes and sample rhubarb wine! Straight through from Portland, Maine to Charlottetown, PEI looks to be about 700 miles. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of flight options from the U.S. which makes the cost of air travel high. I know the various tourist bureaus are working to change that. New Yorkers are lucky in that there are direct flights from Newark.

There are plenty of cultural events in both PEI and NB during the summer – such as music festivals - and this could be an extra bonus if you plan accordingly. Both Golf PEI and Golf NB offer attractive ‘stay and play’ deals as well as discount play cards. All in all it was a great way to spend 10 days in August!

Golf Trip to PEI and New Brunswick

John — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:57:39 +0000

This is a really quick note about a golf trip to Atlantic Canada that my wife and I are beginning tomorrow. We are going to be traveling Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick sampling some of their best courses, restaurants and lodging.

The plan is to come back with lots of photos and maybe even some video and a full report on what a golf holiday in the Maritimes is like. One thing for sure, it’s going to be cooler than it is around here. We can’t wait to leave the 90′s and head for low 70′s high 60′s. Just for fun I’ve laid out the trip on a new website at Tripline. Click HERE for the link.

I haven’t had time to post a lot, but you can see our basic itinerary. When you get to the site, click on the link for the Atlantic Canada Golf Trip. You can navigate the map by clicking the destinations or look at the tripline below. Check it out and let us know if it has potential.

Predictions Based On British Open Interviews

John — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:02:16 +0000

I watched Open interviews last night at length, and while that certaily isn’t enough to predict a winner, I think it does give some insight into who might just be ready. Here’s what I saw:

Tiger is probably the most motivated. He needs a win to announce he’s back. A win in a major and at St. Andrews would add 10 exclamation points to that. However…you can tell Tiger is not happy and has a lot on his mind. It certaily feels like his marriage is weighing heavily. He still is uncomfortable with some questions. Phil Mickelson isn’t in his shoes, but Phil has learned he’s only a golfer, not a political candidate, and doesn’t have to answer everything – and you can do it with some humor. I don’t think Tiger knows who he is yet and that will handicap him. It makes me nervous that he’s changed putters for the first time in over a decade. In his favor, he’s Tiger, he’s won at St. Andrews twice, the course favors long hitters off the tee and he’s a terrific iron player. Bottom line, he can do it, but he’s going to have to find a zone that takes him away from his personal life for the next 4 days.

I like Phil’s chances. His length is a great advantage at St. Andrews and he knows it. He’s confident and relaxed. It would be a great win for him, but it’s not a ‘need to have’ win like it is for Tiger, so he’s under less pressure. If the good Phil shows up and he doesn’t get thrown off course by the weather, he could be holding the Claret Jug on Sunday.

Ernie could win, but he just doesn’t project that he’s in the right place mentally. He’s playing pretty well, but something happened to him since his great start early in the year. At the US Open he was in contention at the last, but his putting showed no conviction. It’s almost as if he has second thoughts about the price he has to pay at his age to be on the road away from home. You never know what can happen to a player once they strike the first shot, but Ernie needs an attitude uplift if he’s going to win this Major.

Where is Padraig Harrington’s game? He’s played some good golf of late, but we keep waiting for the great golf that you expect from a 3-time major winner. One of the analysts said that Harrington needs to be playing against the odds to win, to be in a place where no one thinks he has a chance. Then he rises up to prove they are wrong. That would certainly explain a lot. Maybe if he gets the idea that the golf writers think he’s lost it, he’ll get motivated. I like that he’s relaxed and talks about the game as if he was a little kid having a ball, enjoying every tough shot as a fun challenge. That’s the kind of attitude you need on a testy links course so you don’t get intimidated. I say he’s certainly in the hunt.

Earlier in the year I felt almost certain that Lee Westwood would win the British Open. So many things came together in his game and with his confidence. What I saw during his press conference was a low affect, sad and almost beaten down guy. He’s got a problem with a ruptured muscle in his ankle. Supposedly it only hurts after he’s made contact. My question, is it really that bad that it will take him out of it, or is this the wiley Lee Westwood’s way of trying to psyche-out the competition. If yesterday was mainly an act, then I like his chances, but if it accurately reflected his mindset then this isn’t going to be his first major.

I did see a little bit of Tom Watson this morning and he still has to be considered a serious contender. He says his ball-striking isn’t where it was a year ago, but feels it could come around by Thursday. He was very relaxed and seemed to be enjoying everything about being in Scotland and playing in another major at 60. If he has a good round on Thursday the adrenaline is going to flow and the rest of the field better not forget about him. The great thing is he knows that we know he has a chance and it really adds excitement to the event.

Those are the players I’ve heard speak so far and here’s the order I’d rank them in:

Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Tom Watson, Ernie Els and Lee Westwood.

Now there are a whole slew of excellent players this year who could win, but they haven’t been interviewed yet. I think that no tournaments test a player’s mental stamina more than the US and British Opens. And, when the whether is wet and windy as it’s supposed to be in St. Andrews this year, this may be the toughest mental test in all of golf. I’m really hoping for some high drama and great golf over the next 4 days!

What Is A Peak Performance Golf Swing?

John — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:03:28 +0000

Don and DJ Trahan

Have you heard of the Peak Performance Golf Swing? I’ll bet not many of you have, but I think that will change this year. I found out about it by clicking on a link in an email – I’m not even sure which one. I do this a lot to check out ‘new’ golf instruction, but most are dead-ends. However, the more I check out Peak Performance Golf, the more I’m intrigued.

Peak Performance Golf is a swing theory and in instruction methodology developed by DJ Trahan’s dad Don. One of the things that got me to explore the site was DJ’s recent success on the Tour this year. His dad is his instructor and who am I to argue with success.

His teaching videos are down to earth, entertaining and for the most part seem on the money. I’ve just signed up to look at his video series and will be reviewing what I find out in the coming weeks. I already see a lot of things I like in his putting instruction. Regardless of your style or type of putter there are some really great drills here from which any golfer, even Tour pro, can benefit. Stay tuned!

Notes on the First 2 Days at Turnberry

John — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:31:50 +0000

The difference between play on Thursday and Friday at Turnberry pretty much sums up links golf. When there’s no weather, you saw golfers take advantage of the course and go low. Once the wind starts to blow and the rain moves in it’s a different game altogether. Mishit a drive just a little and more than likely you’ll stare in disbelief as the wind moves it 50 yards from where you want it to be. When it’s not windy, good ball strikers can avoid most of the bunkers, but when it blows it becomes a game of chance.

I’ve been trying to sell golfers on Scottish links courses ever since my wife and I took our trip in April. Watching the British Open should help drive that point home. If you love the game, a trip to Scotland will be life changing. Go a little out of season and don’t be afraid to drive yourself to some of the most beautiful and challenging golf courses in the world. The Scots are fabulous people and will treat you royally. Click here for pictures of my trip and some visual motivation.

I tend to root for the underdog, except in golf where Tiger is my favorite when he’s playing. I think I may have figured out why. When he’s on it offers hope that the game can actually be tamed. Of course it can’t, but it’s motivation that with a little more time on the range and putting green we’ll actually be in control of what we’re doing – for once.

Tiger’s swing has always looked like it lives on the edge, like trying to drive a 600 horsepower Chevy Nova in a straight line. When it works you’re unbeatable, but when you’re off even a fraction look out! Right now Tiger is still coming back from a 9 month layoff and battling a swing that has a tendency to wobble. Who of us doesn’t feel his pain when he loses those shots to the right. It’s like nails on a chalkboard!

I’m wondering what Tiger’s next step will be. Will he spend most of his waking life at the range trying to control his out of synch downswing or will this push him to once again go for a swing change. Tiger still wants a major this year so I suspect he will battle on in hopes he can win the PGA in a month. If that doesn’t work, he may well use the offseason to retool.

Thank God for Tom Watson. At least that must be what the Royal & Ancient is thinking. If a 5 time Open winner who is also 59 was not leading the Open, how far would the TV ratings fall this weekend with Tiger’s departure? There are a lot of guys who could win this year, but the fear is that someone will back into it, rather than snatch it from the field. Watson, Marino, Singh, Goosen, Johnson or maybe even Sergio could have the Claret jug by tomorrow. Let’s just hope whoever it is leaves us with a compelling story that we can relive again and again at 19th holes around the world!

Big Fat Putter Grips – Do They Work?

John — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:09:24 +0000

Since we got the big screen hi-def TV, I watch a lot more pro tournaments. It’s hard not to when the technology makes you feel like you’re right there on the course. This year I’ve noticed more pros using ‘larger than normal’ grips on their putters.

Always looking for something new and eager to know what works and what doesn’t, I had to try one out for myself. On Sunday I went to the local Golfers Warehouse and found a Winn Excel Giant Putter Grip.

I went there to find it just because I was in a rush to use it but you could look online at various places, you never know what people are giving away. Anyway I took it home and installed it on my old Ping Craz-E that I used until I got a new Rife Two-Bar last year.

Trying it out in the living room, I could immediately tell that it definitely stabilizes the wrists. It would take a lot of effort to bring them into the swing, something that can happen under pressure with a more normal size putter grip. By the way, I use a traditional overlap grip when I put.

I’ve tried a few belly putters, like the L2 Putter, and this regular length putter with the giant grip gave me the same feeling. Grip it and then rotate your shoulders. That’s about all you have to do.

You can see right away that it’s very easy to get the putter head to travel back and then through on the same path. If you’re like me, you struggle to achieve this with your traditionally gripped putter.

One round does not prove anything, but, for what it’s worth, I used the new setup on Monday for my entire round. My wife agrees that it’s the best putting I’ve done all year. Will it last? I’ll let you know as I’ll continue to use it as long as it works.

I’ve noticed over the years that almost anything new you try in putting works for a short period, but very few hold up over the long term. Maybe it takes a little time with something before we over think it and figure out how easy it is to mess up. So far, I’m a believer in the ‘Giant Pistol’ grip.

Also, check out the: Iomic Midsized Putter Grip

Also the: Lamkin Jumbo Putter Grip

And the: Tiger Shark UltraTac SJ-67 Red Putter Grip

Villegas, Photoshop and Spiderman

doug — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:14:21 +0000

Hey, let’s have a little fun on this Friday before this Memorial Day weekend!

So, what do these three have in common? Well you have to see it to believe it!

Actually Fark.com has this feature called Photoshop this and it is pretty funny when you give the audience a picture and let then go at it with Adobe Photoshop and their imaginations.

Today Camillo Villegas was chosen is his famous “green reading” putting pose. The results are below.

As for the Spiderman reference . . . you’ll see what I mean in a second.

Camillo Villegas Photoshoped

Royal Birkdale Taking Center Stage