To be or not to be: Belly Putters

Well, it seems as though all this winning-with-belly-putters-in-their-bags is causing a stir and greater demand for belly putters. Mickelson won the Deutsche Bank Championship with his. Bradley won the first major championship with his. Scott and Simpson have won a combined three events with theirs. And don't forget Podz here! Yes, I switched to the belly putter halfway through the season this year and am having some success with mine as well. I even modified my Uncle Billy's this year (he switched to a belly putter after he saw how I had converted mine into one;)). For me it was about having a little bit more control which would hopefully turn into more accuracy on the green. So far so good! And look how it's helped the guys on the PGA tour.
I predict we will see more belly putters on tour next season which will in turn have golfers everywhere making the switch. Manufacturer's are already trying to keep up with the craze--look for Odyssey's release of the White Ice D.A.R.T in 43", 48", and 50" on October 14th. And if you can't swing the $189 price tag, but are dying to get your hands on one, come on down to Nevada Bob's in Jackson, MS and I'll convert your putter for you! See you at the shop!

A new match for Tiger

Love him or hate him (and I really like the guy), Tiger is making headlines again. This time it’s for hiring a new caddie, Joe LeCava. He's a veteran on the caddy scene and just may be the aid to Tiger's game that's been missing these past couple of years. I won't deny that Tiger and Steve had a great working dynamic going, however, the stress of that little scandal a few years ago put a strain on their relationship that could never be repaired. Onto the next......
I personally am excited to see what this duo will be able to accomplish together. LeCava comes from not only a good background as a caddy (former caddy of Couples and Johnson), but also a good Northeastern upbringing and education. I think he may be the necessary backbone that this new version of Tiger needs. We've watched his fall from grace and struggles throughout the past two years, now I look forward to seeing Tiger back to greatness again. And you cannot try to tell me that the guy's not great. Golf is still exciting, but I miss watching what Tiger is going to do next and being in awe of his amazing golf shots. I think Joe and Tiger will bring back a little magic to golf in their new, but familiar ways.
Yes, I am looking forward to this new partnership this season and wait, what's that? I'm pretty sure I hear the distant sounds of a Tiger's roar......

Great players or Great Clubs?

As the owner of a retail golf shop, I take pride in my inventory; pride in golf.  I have enjoyed watching clubs evolve into titanium, bigger heads and shafts with more torque.  However, with all of this technology being put into golf clubs it leads one to wonder:  are golfers today really this good or is it the clubs? 

Golf clubs today are designed to give more distance and club-head speed.  You’re not going to find that technology in an old hickory shaft club that Ben Hogan was playing.  The original players of the game actually had to learn how to hit the golf club.  I mean really hit the club.  They could put spin on the ball and made their clubs work for them.  They didn’t have the luxury of clubs designed with game enhancers, i.e. groove technology to create more spin on the ball.  They weren’t hitting 300+ yard drives off the tee box.  They actually had to develop a short-game; learn how to get the ball to the green.  These guys could hit their irons with more finesse than any guy you see out there today.  When’s the last time you heard someone say “so-&-so can play his irons”?  I bet you can’t remember.  Today, we all watch for the great tee-off shot, a mediocre short-game, finished off with decent putting.  The game before technology was compromised of spectacular shots from tee to green.  And that’s the bottom line. 

That being said, it’s because of the early players, Hagan, Sneed and Hogan, that golf has advanced, becoming what it is today.  I admire golfers of today’s game.  I am grateful for the technology in place today—almost everyone benefits from it. But I would take Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Walter Hagan over Tiger, Phil and Vijay.  Now THAT would be a match-up for the ages…….

Surprise at 2011 PGA Championship

After years of experience in the golf industry, there are many things that do not faze me.  I wasn’t even surprised by that little scandal a couple of years ago, what was it again…..?  But this one that happened at this year’s PGA Championship (held at the Atlanta Athletic Club) that none of us heard anything about, has caught my attention.

Apparently there was some damage to the 14^th & 17^th greens that was repaired and play went under way as scheduled.  No one knows exactly how or why it happened, but it did.  The greens were tore up during normal maintenance and it was suspected, by the director of grounds, that it was due to humidity levels changing and the brush of the mower grabbing which caused it to dig into the ground, damaging the two greens.  Sounds like a legitimate excuse.  Perfectly harmless.  Not so says the manufacturer of the brush!  The company is now suing the PGA of America, Atlantic Athletic Club, and the director of grounds—Ken Mangrum, for unspecified actual and punitive damages AND a trial by jury. Wow!

I’m not sure how I feel about this case.  While I don’t support discrediting a person or company (the director does say it was not a mechanical error), I’m not sure the extent to which the claimant has gone is right either.  It will be interesting to see how this one plays out in the Mississippi court system.  And in years to go from now, will I remember this story or the winner of the PGA Championship?  Perhaps this is why this story has gone so nicely unmentioned and untelevised:  so that I will remember Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship. 

By the way, does anyone remember who won last year?  I’ve still got that previously mentioned scandal that reigned supreme in golf clouding my memory…..

Follow the link to read the AAC article: 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/sep/04/brushmaker-sues-pga-and-atlanta-athletic-club/