Golf Equipment

My first round of 2007 was played today at Lakeshore Country Club, in Madisonville (KY), with 3 friends of mine. Diamond Bill, Chad and Dave.

The most significant thing about the day was that I finally got to play with my new, steel shafted set of Eidolon Golf wedges.

I had a set for over a year, but these were brought back from the PCS Show in March.

The Wedge Guy, Terry Koehler, had a new set made up for me, with my personal specs in mind and I threw the ball at the pins all day. From 125 and in, I’m ready for hunting pins.

Prime example of the kind of spin you get from these finely crafted gems:

105 out after a monster drive. Downhill and downwind, to a pin on the back of the green.

There’s no way to spin that or stop it from going into the fringe or over the green. Right ?

Wrong. I took my 52 degree Eidolon wedge, gripped down 1 inch, took a full swing and smoothed it in there. One hop and stop. It moved about 28 inches from it’s pitchmark. Downhill and downwind. No wedge, other than one made by Eidolon could have done that.

My old set is bound in cloth and ready to be placed in a sarcophagus, like King Tut. They’re too precious to be thrown in a corner, like common wedges and left to rust or die a suffocating death under dust bunnies.

Or maybe I should have a contest and give them away to the winner.

What do you think ?

Maybe a Trackback or linking contest ?

That’s what I’ll do. I’ll take every blog or site that links to TravellingGolfer.com, in April ‘07, and draw a winner out of that list.

Links or Trackbacks, not comments.

Is that fair ?

I checked my server logs and see 1957 hits last month from Canada, so I thought I’d pay tribute by showing off the Stealth Putter, from Daito Golf, which was named Canadian Product Of The Year for 2006.

” The Stealth putter combines a new unique design along with exceptional alignment to inspire confidence, consistency and stability for today’s golfer. 100% CNC Machined from lightweight aluminum alloy, the Stealth putter features a proprietary cavity back design aa copper-nickel precision fit face insert to establish exquisite feel and outstanding at impact. ”

Click thru and check out all the offerings from Daito Golf, or click thru and check out how to get Masters tickets by clicking on the image below.

Just in case you want your pitching wedge to has the maximum amount of spin allowable.

Just in case you want your pitching wedge to stop your golf ball nearer the hole that it does now.

Just in case you want your pitching wedge to be a high-powered golf ball spinning machine … like my 52, 56 and 60 degree wedges are now.

The newest addition the the Eidolon line is here and ready to spin !

Also, if you haven’t made your way over yet, drop by The Wedge Guy and say hello to Terry Koehler, the President of Eidolon Golf, on his new blog.

If Terry doesn’t answer you comment immediately, give him some time to get back on the ground. You know how busy a golf equipment company president must be.

OMG ! Look at this headcover that all of us Tiger Tamers will have to have in 2007 !

Butthead Covers has upside down covers of all kinds.

They even have ones to fit your hybrids.

At the 2007 PGA Merchandise show that just concluded, they introduced their new “Bootyful People” line of headcovers to go along with all their animals and exotics of previous years.

After turning the PGA Merchandise Show upside down three years ago and walking away with the Best New Product Award for accessories, Butthead Covers was back in Orlando Jan. 25-27 debuting their line of “Bootyful People.”

The new head cover line follows their successful launch in June of the “Tiny Hiny Line” and helps personify Butthead Covers mission statement, “To bring more humor to the game of golf while contributing to charity and the economy.”

These whimsical head covers are patterned by request after a fireman, plumber, military member, prisoner, baby, mermaid, Santa and snowman that all look like they just dove into your bag. Several e-mails have come directly from soldiers in Iraq asking for the military hero they have produced with honor.

Click thru and check out all the must have headcovers for 2007 !

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !

Many of the new iron sets now are built with their pitching wedges having as little as 43-44 degrees of loft, which was an 8-iron not that long ago.

This leaves a big “gap” for the golfer to deal with. So the good folks at Eidolon Golf have answered the call for a new 48-degree wedge for 2007.

This addition to their V-SOLE wedge line-up promises to offer another valuable scoring tool to golfers dealing with those strong lofts, but also gives Eidolon’s V-SOLE performance to those who are playing an “ordinary” pitching wedge in their sets.

Like their other wedges, the new 48-degree model features the patented V-SOLE technology and milled face and grooves. They chose a V-groove profile to optimize launch angle and spin for a pitching wedge.

Watch for it on their website in January.

I just read a repot that said that Greg Norman is about to become the controlling interest in MacGregor Golf. What’s that mean for us golfers ? I wish I knew, but I’ll bet on several things.

1) They be a player in the golfosphere in 3 years.

3) It’ll be a helluva ride in between.

Here’s some of the highlights of the news article I saw :

” Greg Norman’s business empire continues to expand with the news that he has acquired a controlling interest in a famous golf equipment company.

Australia’s richest sportsman will hold a press conference on Friday at which he will discuss his deal with MacGregor Golf, and sources say that he has gained control of 51 per cent of the company.

In return, MacGregor will acquire the Greg Norman Collection clothing line, which comprises a significant chunk of Norman’s company, Great White Shark Enterprises, generating sales of nearly $US200 million ($A263.35 million) annually, according to BusinessWeek magazine. “

Do they think they can get a foothold in the apparel market with his name recognition ? I’d say so. And he’s a helluva businessman and a smart marketer.

” MacGregor, based Georgia, is not a major player in the modern professional game, with just a handful of touring pros using its clubs, most notably Norman, fellow Australians Steve Elkington and Aaron Baddeley and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal. “

Will we be seeing more pros playing their clubs ? I’d say their irons are about to take off, sales wise. Their irons have always been at the tops of the blade market.

” This is not Norman’s first big deal with an equipment company. In the early 1990s he made a lucrative investment in Cobra Golf that eventually returned more than $US40 million. “

And when he sold out, they dropped out of sight. Will the same thing happen to MacGregor ?

I certainly don’t know, but I do know this : If they’re looking for a place to advertise, we’re here for them. And I’d love a new set of irons to try and am always glad to wear new golf shirts that promote my favorite golf eqipment and clothing company !

Good luck to macGregor and Greg Norman. I’m looking forward to seeing how they market themselves. I’ll bet the stock takes off, too.

I just read that IZZO Golf, the well-known designer and manufacturer of the original Dual Strap golf bags has recently released two new training aids.

About the Backyard Driving Range™, they say it’s the perfect training aid to improve your accuracy and distance control. A great gift idea and perfect for golfers who want more challenge than hitting into a net, the Backyard Driving Range comes with three targets and three flags that can be placed at varying yardages and is meant to replicate the look and feel of a driving range.

The Transfer Wedge™ is the perfect tool for adding power to the golf swing. By improving weight transfer and eliminating sway, the Transfer Wedge can improve all golfers ability to make a full rotation towards the target. By improving these aspects the results are a more powerful, repeatable golf swing.

Drop by their website for a look at their golf bags, golf training aids and golf clubs.

When Mizuno introduced the MX-900™ irons, the designers at Mizuno had challenged themselves to create the most effective game improvement irons in the industry.

The results were a special set of irons. Not only is this Mizuno’s most Hi-Tech iron, but it also delivers unbelievable performance for mid and high handicappers.

The Mizuno Product Development Team takes forgiveness and ease of launch to a new level with the MX-900. They were able to accomplish this in the 3-7 irons through a forged face and neck utilizing Hollow Technology, as well as Mizuno’s breakthrough Hybrid H.E.M.I. (High Energy Mass Impact) COG technology.

The new Hybrid H.E.M.I. COG technology in these irons (3-7) utilizes a 12 gram Tungsten weight that positions the COG low and deep for maximum energy transfer resulting in increased distance and forgiveness. Also, two piece hollow technology head construction (3-7) utilizing a CNC milled face with plasma welding ensures precise COG placement in each iron, and a CORTECH™ face design utilizes three distinct face thickness areas to deliver consistent distance control and feel.

When players get down to the scoring irons (8-PW) they experience a one piece Grain Flow Forging which utilizes a solid power bar design delivering solid feel with maximum control and accuracy.

In addition to the multiple technologies, the MX-900™ features a super forgiving, ultra wide sole to increase ease of launch and deliver consistent ball striking ability from all types of lies.

The MX-900s are double nickel chrome plated for an elegant appearance and increased durability, and deep U-grooves produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions.

The MX-900 are offered with True Temper® Dynalite Gold® Super Lite shafts (R300,S300) standard in steel and Mizuno’s Exsar IS2 shafts (regular, stiff) standard in graphite. Also standard on the MX-900 will be the Golf Pride® Tour Velvet 58 Round grip.

The MX-900™ irons are available in right-handed models only and custom options are available through Mizuno’s Custom Club department.

Try a set today and you’ll see why Mizuno irons are thought of as special.

I recently became aware of a new golf game played with cards. Having grown up with Strat-O-Matic baseball, Electric Football games and hockey games that you played with spinning rods, I couldn’t pass up the chance to become a proud owner of Card Golf.

Now that I’m a proud owner and can play golf even when it’s raining or snowing, I wanted to pass along the news to y’all and couldn’t think of a better way than to interview Adam McWethy, one of the creators of Card Golf.

1) How did this idea come about ?

My family and I were visiting North Carolina’s golf country a few years back. We had the itch to hit the links, but a freak snowstorm prevented that from happening. One morning while we were confined indoors I literally said, “Let’s come up with a golf game you can play inside.” No one really took me seriously, but being an entrepreneur at heart I set out to create an indoor golf game. I must have spent a solid 10 hours that first day writing notes and concepts on a yellow legal pad. We didn’t get to play the game that day or on that trip to North Carolina, however I knew the idea had merit and a future.

2) What were the first problems you found when you were trying to make this as close to a round of golf as possible ?

At first we were stuck on the idea that it had to be a board game. This was the only format we could think of to incorporate sand traps, out of bounds and all of golf’s other little gems. We created a foldout board with peg ridden golf holes where monopoly like miniature figurines could move up and down the fairways. We tried 8-sided dice, cards and everything else we could think of. It was all very involved and complicated and never really made complete sense. We began to realize that in order for this game to be successful, the product not only had to be easy to play and learn, but it also had to be small, lightweight and inexpensive. That’s when the current format of Card Golf really began to take shape.

3) So how did you go from a board game format to just cards ?

The major breakthrough came while thumbing through a standard poker deck of 52 cards. I was holding all thirteen club suited cards along with the joker, so I had 14 cards in my hand. That number 14 clicked in my head as being the same number of golf clubs allowed in a golfers bag. It immediately became clear to me that each card needed to represent a golf club and the yardage that club could hit the ball. After that revelation the game of Card Golf as we know it today came together fairly quickly.

4) How did you go from idea to actual product ?

We market tested the game for a full year. Each time we played we tweaked the rules a little here and a little there to make the game more authentic, more enjoyable and more compelling. We must have gone to Kinko’s thirty times to print sample decks. Throughout that first year we shared the game with all our family and friends and the response was overwhelmingly positive. When we felt the rules of Card Golf were as solid as they were going to get we took the leap into production.

5) How long does it take to play an average round ?

In general, we’ve found that golfers and non-golfers typically understand and begin enjoying the game after the first or second hole. On average it takes just under 2 minutes to play a hole. So a 9-hole game would take about 15 minutes and it would take around half-an-hour to play 18. It also depends whether you’re playing as a single, or as a twosome, threesome or foursome.

6) Why does the Card Golf website have a fundraising section ?

The idea for a Card Golf fundraising program was initially conceived for high school golf programs. I played high school golf at Fallbrook High in San Diego, California. If anyone out there remembers the ‘McWethy Rule’ where you have to pick your ball up after 9 strokes on a hole in order to save time, well, my fantastic golf coach was kind enough to name that after me. Anyway, we used to have to go out at the start of each season and sell muffins and other junk to try and raise money for new golf bags, balls and other equipment each year. So when we invented Card Golf one of our first ideas to raise brand awareness and give back to the game was to offer Card Golf at just over cost to youth golf programs. They could then sell the golf decks at retail price and use the profits for golf related expense.

7) But fundraising through Card Golf can also benefit charities, right ?

It never occurred to us to offer Card Golf assistance to non-profit charities until my brother/business partner Todd was playing Card Golf with Jeremy McGhee, the founder of The Fight To Walk Foundation. Once an avid golfer, Jeremy was paralyzed from the waste down in a motorcycle accident, so needless to say he was stoked to be playing golf again, even if it was with cards. Jeremy loved Card Golf so much that during their heated 18 hole match they came up with the idea to organize a Card Golf tournament whereby 100 participants would each pay $50 or $100 to enter. This idea is a total win-win for all involved. The non-profit gets to keep all the entry fees, the participants get to have a ton of fun and win prizes, and Card Golf gets to help out some great causes while generating some positive brand awareness.

Have you heard of any large tournaments being held as of yet ?

The big Fight to Walk Card Golf Tournament is in the planning stages now and is set to take place in San Diego the week before Thanksgiving. Next year we plan to set-up Card Golf tournaments in major cities throughout the country. However, you don’t need us to get a Card Golf tournament started. All you need to do is print out a stroke play or match play bracket tournament sheet off our website and play with your friends, family and or colleagues. It’s something totally new and fun to do at parties and social events.

9) What does Card Golf offer someone who travels a lot to play golf ?

For one thing it gives travelers something fun to do on those long airplane rides. Card Golf can be played by individuals just like Solitaire. Try this; before boarding your next flight, print out a couple scorecards from Pebble Beach or St. Andrews. Then, instead of watching a lame airplane movie, you can play golf at 40,000 feet. We also advise golfers to keep a deck of Card Golf in their golf bags. This way you can play a round while you’re waiting for the 1st tee to open up, or after your round in the clubhouse to try and win your money back.

10) Is there any chance that a golfer might actually learn a little course management while playing a round of card golf ?

That’s another great aspect about Card Golf. Let’s say you’ve got a big match coming up at a course you’ve never played before. All you need to do is locate the scorecard from that course and you can play it in advance with Card Golf. This is a new game-management technique that allows golfers to mentally and psychologically prepare for the challenges of a course they’re about to play.

11) Who’s the #1 golfer in the Card Golf World Rankings ?

While it pains me to admit this – my brother Todd McWethy - is probably the best Card Golfer in the world. I can beat him pretty handily on the course, but he normally takes me down during our 19th hole Card Golf rematch. No official Card Golf World Rankings yet, but I like that idea - stay tuned for that one.

12) Got any planned additions to the card golf family ?

Right now we’re just trying to get the word out about this new game. In Southern California where we’re based, Card Golf is starting to spread like wildfire and we hope that will continue. Neither golf nor card games are restrained by borders, so the ultimate success of this game is limitless. After the stocking stuffer shopping spree is over this year, we will begin to develop some other aspects of the game, including different versions of the decks and online gaming. It’s all very exciting to think about.

I want to thank Adam for taking time to answer those questions for me. I’m a Card Golf owner and I will be buying several sets for stocking stuffers this year. That’s about the time of year that we quit playing here in Kentucky and all my friends will be itching for something golfy by Christmas.

We all know I’m a Titleist guy by nature, but …

in honor of my golf hero Corey Pavin’s victory…

and the fact that I lived in Wichita for 3 years…

and the fact that Loren Roberts is almost as good a putter as I am…

I have to give it up to an equipment company lucky enough to win on 3 tours on the same weekend AND send me an email touting the fact.

Without the email, I wouldn’t have thought about this.

Maybe if Taylor Made had a blog to send this out thru RSS, hmmm….

Gimme a shout Taylor Made and maybe I can be persuaded to jump ship. The big boys do it all the time and I’m a big boy at 6′2″ and 250 !