November 2006

I just read a great post about warming your golf balls and a few other juicy golf gifts over at Office Freaks. The fact that someone I know wrote the post made it much easier to find out about the juicy stuff.

Click thru and see what I’m talkin’ about.

I just read Robert Thompson’s Best of 2006 post and it gave me an idea.

I know what the best I experienced was in 2006, but it ain’t all about me.

Let’s do this :

If you have a blog, write a post and link back here.

If you don’t have a blog, leave a comment here with your best of 2006.

It can be a golf club, a golf course, service at a golf course, golf resort, golf partner, golf vacation, etc. Anything golf related.

The comments are open, so get after it !

I’ll go first and say the best golf course I played in 2006 was Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park in the Kentucky State Parks system. I wasn’t able to travel as much this year, as compared to past years, due to the booming blog network we started.

I did several reviews about it and it can be easily found thru my search box.

My favorite clubs for the year are my Eidolon wedges and my Ray Cook putter. Again, you can easily find them thru the search box.

I’ve been gathering trivia, tidgits, gossip and plain old news for a couple of days and just need to unload it before I bust !

Down at The Australian Open, the reports are that Greg Norman and Chris Evert are a pair. They’re both recently divorced and have been spotted together several places.

As for hybrid clubs, Adams Golf is hot, hot, hot ! Their hybrids won the tournament count 15 out of the last 16 tournaments on the Nationwide Tour.

Taylor Made has introduced a new line of r7 clubs that are draw biased. There’s a hybrid and a 3 wood that I want to try.

Vaughn Taylor used a SeeMore putter to rank first in putting at The Players Championship in Florida, Wachovia Championship in North Carolina, Buick Open in Michigan and the Chrysler Classic in North Carolina. He and Zach Johnson may have it going and know a little something right about now.

Golf industry veterans, market leaders and nearly 400 companies new to “The Show” create the ultimate merchandising mix at the 2007 PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 25-27, 2007, in Orlando, FL. Watch for Adam Barr, from The Golf Channel to be there reporting, as always.

Did anybody else notice that Zach Johnson used the SeeMore putter during the Ryder Cup ?

I happpen to be heading to Nashville, TN this week and the SeeMore putters are manufactured in Franklin, TN, just outside of town.

Zach climbed 15 spots on the Money List in ‘06, up to 24th from 39th in 2005. This was his third consecutive year in the Top 40 money leaders, and included four top 10 finishes.

Zach was one of two rookies who qualified for the Ryder Cup team. He was a highlight for the Americans, making nine birdie putts over 19 holes during team play. He used a SeeMore putter, which was tied for the number one brand played by the US Ryder Cup team.

That was a surprise to me, though I don’t know why.

SeeMore putters feature the patented RifleScope™ alignment technology that allows a golfer to set up the putter perfectly each and every time in relation to the intended target line. This is accomplished by lining up the black bottom portion of the shaft between two white lines and covering a signature red dot on the heel of the top line. The process resembles locking radar onto a target.

SeeMore became recognized when Payne Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open playing a SeeMore putter. Stewart one-putted the last three holes to win the championship by one stroke. He sank what’s considered to be the longest putt in Open history on the 18th hole to win the tournament.

That’s the only time I remember a pro using the putter, but I see I’m just out of the putter loop, ’cause it’s apparently popular on the PGA Tour.

Don’t forget the Australian Open is now underway. This is always one of my favorite golf tournaments to watch. The course is beautiful, the sounds are diffeerent, the players are a bit new and the commentary is always top-notch.

The Royal Sydney Golf Club is a great venue and one I’d love to play some day.

Dr. David Wright, a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher has released a new book, CONCENTRATION. It’s the second installment in the Focus for Success series.

The book sells for around $19.95 and is available for online purchase behind this link.

” It’s my belief that golf, not just competitive golf as Bobby Jones said, is played ‘mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears. ” Wright said. ” Many golfers just don’t know how to concentrate. The goal of this book is to share not only what concentration is, but also show how golfers can consistently achieve it while playing. This will improve not only their scores, but their enjoyment of the game as well. ”

As a PGA teaching professional for over 20 years, Dr. Wright holds doctorate degrees in the psychology of learning and another in psychophysiology. This unique combination gives him
an unparalleled level of expertise into the mental and physical sides of the game of golf.

CONCENTRATION weaves stories from Wright’s personal teaching experiences and his clinical background.

Most golfers will gain a new appreciation for basic golf accessories such as tees and sunscreen, which he innovatively incorporates into exercises and drills for improved focus.

These drills are laid out in a very simple and concise manner, shedding new light on this often overlooked, yet crucial aspect of the game.

Golfers of all skill levels will improve by unlocking the mysteries of concentration and focus, and learning how to manage and eliminate the natural frustrations and distractions that occur on the golf course.

CONCENTRATION also includes a bonus audio CD which guides the golfer through the application of five key drills discussed in the book.

These guided audio drills provide valuable assistance in expediting the golfer’s mastery of their focus.

The Daily Concentration drill guides you through getting into the “here and now” and freeing the mind from outside thoughts.

The Sleep Focus drill is highly effective in quieting the mind to allow for a good night’s sleep, a critical factor for improving focus.

The Pre-Round drill helps get you relaxed and focused before teeing off.

Also included is Dr. Wright’s signature Tee Drill that can be used during a round to help calm the mind, lower anxiety and increase focus, and his Sunscreen Drill that takes the mundane task of applying sunscreen and turns it into a tool for improving your Focus for Success.

With Dr. Wright’s CONCENTRATION book, golfers no longer have to dream about breaking 100, 90 or 80 they now have the tools to focus their thoughts resulting in better golf and better balance.

Click thru and enjoy !

From their website:

” The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera features access to six championship golf courses, designed by several of the greatest names in golf – Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tom Fazio, Dave Pelz, and Greg Norman. Combining challenging courses, breathtaking scenery, and topnotch facilities, The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is an ideal golf getaway. Play in the Vail Valley and experience a golf adventure you’ll never forget. “

Listed this year as #22 of The 75 Best Golf Resorts, the Vail Valley, Colorado golf resort is one of the most visually appealing places on planet earth.

With golf courses designed by:

Jack Nicklaus - The Summit Course

Hale Irwin - The Mountain Course

Tom Fazio - The Valley Course

Dave Pelz - The Short Course

Over at The Red Sky golf Club, about 15 minutes away, there’s also 2 more courses:

The Greg Norman Course

The Tom Fazio Course

Click thru and explore these western beauties. First-class Colorado golf resorts are waiting for you at the end of the click. What are you waiting for ?

As of now, saxophonist Kenny G has more to brag about than his world-class horn-tootin’. He’s now the best golfer among musicmakers, or best musicmaker among golfers, according to Golf Digest’s ranking of the ” Top 100 in Music. “

The Grammy winner beat out one of my favorite country stars Vince Gill, Marty Roe and Steve Azar, and No Doubt drummer Adrian Young, who rounded out the top 5.

The list also included Bob Dylan (No. 63), Snoop Dogg (tied for No. 64) and fellow sax player Branford Marsalis (No. 29).

The list will be published in the magazine’s December issue, already on newsstands.

The highest ranked woman on the list is singer Anne Murray (she tied for No. 39), the first Canadian female solo singer to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts. An 11-handicap, Murray reportedly shoots in the low to mid-80s. I’d like to see this one.

The ranking is based on handicaps, some official, some not so official. Kenny G’s handicap is a plus-0.6, meaning his average score is better than par. I’m having trouble with believing this, as I’ve seen him play in the old Bing Crosby Clambake, now known as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Though he does admit he still needs improvement in the article.

” With the sax, I learned technique well enough so that it feels like part of my body and I just express myself, ” he said. ” That’s where I want to get in golf. ”

Good luck.

My man Vince Gill, a scratch golfer (0 handicap), said, ” musicians and golfers understand each other. ”

” We know what it takes to have to perform, ” he said. ” We know there is a lot of alone time. ”

Rocker Alice Cooper, one of three musicians who ranked 11th on the list with a 5.3 handicap, said playing golf helped him kick his drug habit.

” Golf is the crack of sports, ” he told the magazine. ” Once I took it seriously, I loved it. It absolutely saved my life. ”

Thanks golf, we all owe you one for that.

Other stars on the Golf Digest rankings include Justin Timberlake (in a group ranked at No. 15), Michael Bolton (36), Celine Dion (62), Andre 3000 (in a group of occasional players ranked 92) and Pink (eeewwww !) , a newcomer to the game, at 100.

The Professional CLUBMAKERS’ Society, an international, independent association headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky whose mission is to foster, promote, and elevate the art of professional golf club making, fitting and repair, is proud to announce that certificates of achievement were awarded to several individuals who successfully completed the PCS Advanced Fitting School held October 16-18 at the association’s international headquarters in Louisville.

Those clubmakers receiving certificates were Bob Williams, Pasadena, CA, Ercole Soncini, Milan, Italy, Jim Breece, Fuquay-Varina, NC, Larry Horton, Florence, KY, Les Branum, Martinez, GA, Norm Geible, Avon, IN, Rich Hurley, Corvallis, OR, Richard Dizon, Honolulu, HI, Roy Nix, Columbus, GA, Tom Collins, Hamilton, OH, and Tom Foley, Madison, WI.

The three-day Advanced Fitting School included discussions on golf club equipment specifications and also covered equipment comparisons using the PCS swing analysis, launch monitor and club fitting data to assist golf clubmakers with recommendations to build finished clubs.

” The Advanced Fitting School is integral to the enjoyment of the art of golf clubmaking and ultimately playing better golf, ” said Bob Dodds, PCS Executive Technical Director, and an Advanced Professional “Class A” Clubmaker. ” We are pleased that our attendees found the school to be a valuable experience that will enhance their professional clubmaking abilities. ”

For more information on PCS educational classes and enrichment programs, call 800-548-6094 or visit their website.

If you’re a woman and you need some golf apparel, you might want to check out LIJA.

” We are constantly seeking ways to enhance customer experiences and working to cater to the uniqueness in every woman, ” says Linda Hipp. ” The revised website portrays the fun, fashion-forward look of the line in a way that is easy and natural to navigate. It’s a valuable tool for interacting with consumers around the world and we’ll continue to add new features in the coming months. ”

LIJA recently premiered its Spring 2007 collections, which will be available to purchase both online and in stores throughout North America in January.

The latest styles - showcasing innovative textures, superior styling, unique prints and functional fabrics across 296 pieces - are inspired by fun, flirty and vivacious colors, and feature tasteful, yet animated prints from plaids to mini rosebuds that are further enhanced with unique buttons, snaps and stitching.

LIJA is a staple in finer golf and non-golf retailers across North America, including world-renowned resorts like Pebble Beach, Doral, Kiawah Island and Kapalua.