A review of “Just Hit It” by Frank Thomas with Jeff Neuman
To a reviewer, the mark of a good golf book is a mark. Lots of them. By that I mean, if after reading a book you page back through it and realized you’ve marked it up to note key passages...
View ArticleThe Best Highlights of 2010
With my clubs now stored in the basement, it’s the time of year when I reflect on some of the highlights and personal favorites of the past golf year. Best bounce back: You know about “bounce back.”...
View ArticleCraftsmanship and Beauty: Miura C-Grind Wedge, Series 1957
One of my weekend golf buddies, a former college player, shared one of his short game secrets with me last year. And it didn’t have anything to do with technique, like ball position or the “hinge and...
View ArticleThree cheers for “Tee it Forward”
Admittedly there are hurdles for “growing the game.” It’s too slow, too expensive and too difficult to master. But let’s take a closer look at these hurdles one by one. Barney Adams is urging to "Tee...
View ArticleProduct review: Sunice’s Typhoon waterproof pullover
Sunice’s Typhoon-model waterproof pullover is a winner and let me add I’m a tough soft goods critic. When it comes to rain gear, I’m very picky because in competition it’s more than just clothing it’s...
View ArticleCallaway’s RAZR X Tour irons: Fit to be tried
Callaway's RAZR X Tour irons One of the best innovations in golf in recent years has been the rise of club fitting centers. Regardless of their handicap index (or any index at all), smart golf...
View ArticleWhen being two-faced is a good idea
The Flip Face putter is available in three models and lengths In terms of innovation, Odyssey’s new Flip Face putter is a breakthrough product. It’s a putter with interchangeable faces built into the...
View ArticleQ & A with Andrew Chapman, 2013 Michigan Amateur Champion
Andrew Chapman With a 20-foot birdie on the 18th green at Muskegon Country Club, Andrew Chapman beat Mike Ignasiak 1-up in the final match of the 102nd Michigan Amateur Championship conducted by the...
View ArticlePutter grips: Supersize me!
Who would have ever figured that one of golf’s hottest products this year would be a putting grip? And a fat one at that! But that’s the case of jumbo and oversized putter grips once Tour players...
View ArticleProduct review: Bettinardi’s Kuchar Model 2
“There’s golf and then there’s tournament golf.” —Bobby Jones Competitive players have always identified with Jones’s truism. One’s typical weekend round with its casual atmosphere and generous gimme...
View ArticleMasters merchandise shop: a logo paradise
Whew! I just made my escape from the main merchandise building at the Masters. It was a close call but I made my way safely to the more quiet realms of the “Patron Corridor.” Man, was it a crowded and...
View ArticleBushnell’s Tour v3 Rangefinder
Bushnell Tour V3 Normally when I examine the contents of top college players’ bags, the only items I may have in common with them may be a towel or an umbrella. OK, so maybe my driver or wedge is of...
View ArticleA fitting gift for any occasion
Even if my golf cronies aren’t listening—and really I can’t blame them for wearing ear plugs—I often repeat one of my trusted sayings: don’t obsess over not having the latest equipment and technology....
View ArticleAn Oscar-winning take on the West Mich. Golf Show
The 27th West Michigan Golf Show in Grand Rapids opens this weekend, a week prior to another notable entertainment event, the Oscars telecast on February 22. Hey, golfers love movies so why not throw...
View ArticleMasters pro shop and merchandise
100% handcrafted and ideal for a Masters man cave The clubhouse pro shop at Augusta National is open during the Masters but its access is restricted to certain classifications of badges including my...
View ArticleMasters notebook, 2016
A big congratulations to Michigan’s four “champions” in the Drive Chip & Putt National Finals on Sunday: Traverse City’s Anika Dy (Girls 14-15); Traverse City’s Kyla Layman (Girls 7-9); Jackson’s...
View ArticlePostscripts to the Maurice G. Flitcroft Story
Ping one-iron: rarely used but never forgotten Thanks to Blythefield CC member Brent Rector for writing the Maurice Flitcroft Spring Stag story. (See previous post.) For those who didn’t read it, the...
View ArticleGolf’s ongoing distance debate
Preserving the game’s dimensions Unlike other major sports, golf hasn’t done a good job in regulating the effects of technology on the traditional dimensions of the game. In contrast, Major League...
View ArticleTitleist’s new Players 4 Plus StaDry Carry Bag
Players 4 Plus StaDry “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Charles Dudley Warner Pardon me, Mr. Warner, but you haven’t heard of the Titleist company. It’s...
View ArticleMichigan’s Galway Bay is riding a wave, rain or shine
Galway Bay’s waterproof jacket My buying decisions about golf equipment and accessories are largely influenced by personal recommendations. The same goes for apparel like a rainsuit. More than 25 years...
View ArticleLocking in on the Shot Scope L1 Rangefinder
Shot Scope L1 Laser Rangefinder Remember the days when measuring distance to the flag usually came down to pacing off from the 150-yard bush? Thankfully, most of those pesky bushes are gone and in...
View ArticleChecking out the RZN Golf Ball
Speaking of Father’s Day, golf balls are always a smart choice for a present. For those who are looking for a new brand (of sorts) beyond the usual marquee names, one should consider RZN golf balls....
View ArticleAfter four years, it’s time for a new driver
The design of Titleist’s TSR3 reduces drag Unless Michiganders spend their winters somewhere warm and continue their play, fall is the best time to get fitted for a new driver. The reason is simple:...
View ArticleProduct review: TRUE footwear
True to its word in style and function A golf buddy of mine says the one aspect of belonging to a private club he misses the most is the shoe service. Now a denizen of public courses, he says his shoes...
View ArticleFor Elite Players, USGA and R&A Roll Back the Ball
Quoting singer Etta James in her iconic love song, “At last!” That’s my initial reaction to this week’s long awaited announcement by the USGA and the R&A on new rules concerning the golf ball,...
View ArticleMore thoughts on the proposed golf ball rule
Rory Mcllroy In all the hubbub over the proposed new local rule stipulating an elite golf ball for competition, there’s been a host of doomsday-like scenarios. One writer a few weeks even imagined the...
View ArticleSuperstroke Golf: A Firm Grip on the Game
Superstroke’s Zenergy grips Call me an unabashed ‘homer’ when talking about Michigan-based golf companies. Especially, low-key yet highly successful ones like SuperStroke Golf located in Wixom. “What’s...
View ArticleSenior Golfers Should Embrace Change
John Allen (Editor’s note: This is a guest column by John Allen) Maybe it’s after an injury, or a surgery, or just M.B.S (Multiple Birthday Syndrome)—but things are just not the same anymore in my, or...
View ArticleMichigan’s Bill Zylstra can relate to Lucas Glover and his long putter
Lucas Glover “I had no control of my faculties. Admitting and being upfront about it (the yips) has been as freeing as anything.” —Lucas Glover, talking about his ten-year struggle with putting Lucas...
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