Deadly accurate..

Friend of mine sent this to me recently..all I can say is wow. As far as Ellen's shot..yeah..it was good..but even a blind squirrel finds a nut sooner or later..and I'd say that shot was going way right if we got to see it out on the course.

Busy..

Geez, can't believe it's been this long since my last post. It's been super busy around the house this last month. My brother in law came in to visit for a couple of weeks with his family and I was being the host/chauffer. We are also finalizing the remodeling of our house and I've been busy buying tile, hardwood flooring, and bunch of other "fun" stuff. On top of all that I recently changed to another unit at work and I am responsible for starting it up which has kept me the busiest these last month.

I did manage to get a round in and I played at Temecula Creek. It's a nice course and actually is comprised of three (3) nine hole courses. We played the Creek course and Oaks course. The Oaks course was difficult and basically was set on side of a mountain with numerous undulating fairways and blind tee shots..two things I hate, for my game, the most for a golf course.

The course was in decent shape but the thing that really stood out was that it was the first time I got to play at a course where all the cups were painted white. It was really nice to be able to see the hole from the far end of the green without someone tending the flagstick. I ended up shooting a 93 which was more than acceptable since the front nine was a total mess.

This was the first time I signed up for a golf discount card but went for it and signed up for the JC Players Card. It cost $349 that includes 5 rounds plus a free round (Temecula Creek incentive) since I was coming from Los Angeles. The cost includes cart, a Ashworth golf shirt, 9 coupons at the JC Players Card rate (between $20-$40 discount off regular fees), 10 buckets, 2 for 1 brunch coupon at any of the JC Golf Clubs and the JC Players Card rate.

I was debating whether to do it or not but for the monthly four-some golfer it is ideal. The courses that are offered are also some of the best in the San Diego and Temecula area. I was excited that Rancho Bernardo Inn was offered. This was the course that was shown in the movie "Traffic" (Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones) a few years ago. I played this course about 10 years ago and it was one of the most immaculate courses I've ever played. The thing that really stood out was how fine and white the sand was in their bunkers.

Anyway, I forgot to pick up a shirt but look forward to picking it up at the next course we play, Arrowood Golf Course, in Oceanside.

Felt Good..looked good..played good..

I played the back nine at my home course this morning. I actually got up late and rushed out the house to meet my friend. I felt so bad because I was late..actually I'm always late..but the fact that I seem to be making a habit out of this. Anyway, I debated to wear my new "golf" pants I picked up at Marshall's. It is absolutely sky light blue (UCLA light blue) but they were cheap and I needed so early morning golf pants that I wouldn't care if they got abused.

I paired this with a long sleeve white shirt and a white Callaway polo with a black belt with white stitiching..lol..I'm sure The Golf Girl would approve. I looked like one of those fancy shmancy euro players. I was somewhat self conscious of wearing these and realized how "bright" they were when I got outside..too late..I was already at the club.

I think I felt that I needed to bring my game on today to be wearing this stuff but I shot the lowest for the back nine in awhile with a 42. I had 3 pars, 4 bogies and 1 double. What I really noticed today was that every shot felt good to me and I just felt that I was really squared away each time I set up. I'm working on keeping my head down sightly longer than usual after contact which seems to be paying off.

The SkyCaddie SG3 is fantastic and I would have to say it has honestly shaved a few strokes off my game as well. The best feature, besides yardage, is how it advises you to hit it to this distance to leave your self with 100 yards in. This alone has really helped me out because I no longer get caught in an awkward yardage. I highly suggest to any avid golfer to invest in one of these..it really gets your head in the game instead of hitting blindly.

The collection is complete..

After a long an exaustive search all over I finally found the last remaining pieces to my puzzle:





The first is a 2nd generation Scotty Cameron Sante Fe TeI3 without the elastomer around the face. The second is a rare TeI3 "sole stamp" as the bottom of the putter is stamped "TeI3" instead of the face. The story on the "sole stamp" versions were these were produced before the line went into full production, thus giving it their rarity.

I had a TeI3 before but sold it for some dumb reason but one thing I still remember was the wonderful weight of the head. If you guys have a chance to grab one I highly suggest it..and they'll hold their value.

Free Safety Eldrick

Not sure if this is legit or not..looks real..think ol' Eldrick could pass for a free safety..wow!

Played at Nick's course..

I played at Shadow Ridge Golf Course in Palm Desert, Nick Faldo Design, last Saturday. A buddy of mine got a suite over there but unfortunately it was well under used since we all got there very late on Friday..around 1:00 a.m. I left the house once all the kids were put to sleep and thus my late arrival into the desert. Getting there that night was an adventure in itself and I had the luxury of stopping at a trucker's gas stop on the way there. When I pulled in I felt extremely out of place..but nature called. First time I've seen public showers in a restroom. I did my duty and left without incident.

It was unbeliveably cold that night and it was 33 deg. and dropping. When I met my buds we basically just watched some Golf Channel and everyone just crashed out.

The next morning was absolutely glorious but extremely COLD. I actually had to wear some layers and felt like I was going skiing. First time this year that I actually wore pants. When we got to Shadow Ridge you could just tell it was a nice place because they had their range balls set up in that PGA tour-esque pyramid.

Here are some photos I took:









It was a well manicured course and was stunning to see the contrast in colors between the fairways and the high brush. There were a few holes where there was water to contend with but the real hazards the whole day, besides the cold weather, were the immense bunkers all around. The whole course was dotted with sand bunkers..I guess Nick must like these. I unfortunately had the pleasure of dealing with his deep bunkers and ended up hitting into them 4 times..on one hole.

and (a first!!) your's truly (looks like the video embed is not working *sigh*)

One thing I appreciate about your better courses is that each hole is fun to play and not your "cookie cutter" layout. The par 3's at Shadow Ridge were monuments to be seen. Each hole left me looking at it for a while to enjoy how it was designed with it's beautful back drop. I look foward to playing Shadow Ridge again..when the weather gets warmer.

So what do you think?

Well, after a little elbow grease and alot of acetone, I took all the previous paintfill out. The finish on the Newport 2 Center Shaft is quite unique. The story is that the previous owner had it "restored" with a Black Oxide finish. Unfortunately, the black oxide treatment doesn't adhere to stainless steel all that well. Black oxide is best suited for your carbon putters (i.e. your Gun Blue or Oil Can Camerons).. one's that will rust, and if done right look fanatastic.

Anyway, the finish that got left behind after the previous black oxide was removed is quite amazing. It has a very burnished and matte looking shine that is very similar to titanium.



The matching Scotty Cameron Prototype headcover on this goes for around $150 by itself. I decided to break out a previous headcover I purchased last year from the Cameron Store. It's the 2006 Las Vegas Jackpot headcover:



You can see the rest of the headcovers that Scotty Cameron has come out with during the years (many which are highly collectible). If you like these..which I think the Golf Girl may be developing a penchant for (see "Camico")..lol..check out the rest of them at the "Cameron Creations" at the Scotty Cameron website.

New addition..

Maybe this is my year but I got REALLY lucky and was able to get my hands on a Newport 2 Center Shaft Prototype, yes..another Scotty Cameron. They only made 2004, the year it was made, of these and it's rare. It is not new but in great condition and thus I don't have any heartache in actually using it as a gamer.






As you can see it is a center shaft putter with a "Newport" head..quite unique looking. It is more face balanced which allows for folks with a straight back and through style..me. The previous owner supposedly tried to put some aftermarket "black oxide" finish on it but you can't put any finishes on a stainless steel putter..just doesn't stick. Anyway it now has a rustic, weathered look to it..but in great shape though.

I also got a new Scotty Cameron headcover today. I'm a member of "Club Cameron" which entitles me to early dibs on new headcover releases. The 2007 "Hula Girl" commemorates the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii and it was released today to the members of "Club Cameron". Scotty Cameron has been putting out these "Hula Girl" covers for about the last 4 years now and they have been quite a collector's item.

It isn't available to the general public yet..just to "Club Cameron" members. The "hula girl" headcover have still been some of the most coveted headcovers produced by Scotty Cameron and I'm sure this one will also be nonetheless in high demand.

Happy New Year..and my SG3 review

I hope you all had a safe and happy NYE. I and Mrs. Nomad stayed home with the young ones and welcomed the New Year by watching one of the many televised New York Times Square parties. I was surprised that L.A. doesn't have their own televised festivity yet seems kinda cheesy watching the taped-delay event at Times Square.

Anyway I finally got to put the Sky Caddie SG3 through it's paces. I was really surprised how well it kept up with it's yardages as I moved along. I was expecting some kind of delay but it was always "LIVE" and roaming with new yardages. The SG3 doesn't come with a holster clip so I had to just keep it in the compartment on my Sun Mountain push cart or my wind breaker pocket. (NOTE: I ran over to BestBuy and bought a generic holder for it)

Some of the neatest features was that it would tell you how far you needed to hit it to lay up with 90-100 yards left. I thought this was a very useful feature and kind of keeps your head screwed on instead of trying to go for it. Depending on how much information you want displayed, it will tell you how far each "target" (bunkers, water, hazards) is also.

It has a neat feature where you can "mark" where you hit a shot and then you can "mark" it again where it will then give you the distance you hit. I was surprised that what I thought were good drives fell short of expected..truth hurts.

The SG3 has a bigger viewable area compared to the SG2 and is water "resistant". The SG3 model uses two (2) regular AA batteries which was the reason I got it in particular. Those that wish a rechargeable unit can get the other models. But I say the SG3 is the best of both worlds since you can always purchase rechargeable AA batteries later. I just keep a few extra spares in the bag and I'll always be ready.

The SG3 performed flawlessly and I had no glitch or problems with it. It will advance to the next hole as you approach it which was neat. A few things I wish it had or maybe they can update the software later would be a little digital clock and maybe a scorekeeper..that would be so cool.

I previously had a Bushnell PinSeeker 1500 w/slope +/- laser range finder (that's a mouthful) and I can already say that for the average golfer the SG3 is by far the most practical yardage measuring device hands down. This debate will go on forever but the reality is the SG3 is ALWAY ON and all you have to do is glance down for a quick yardage. The laser range finder requires you to bring it to your eye, find your target, aim, click..it sounds easy..but try doing this for 2-3 times a hole for 18 holes..it's fatiguing..just this alone should turn you off. Also unless you have a clear view to the target the laser range finder is worthless (i.e. trees, hills, corners, which most courses have).

If you're a tour caddy you need absolute, precise yardage to every leaf, tree, rock, etc. on the course and by all means the laser range finder is it..but for the average Joe Golfer (you and me) the SG3 is it.

Callaway X-20

As a Callaway nut I'm always trying to see what's on the horizon out of Carlsbad, CA. (This is where Callaway is located). Anyway here's a picture of the lastest irons that will be hitting the stores for next year..yummm..sexy. The biggest difference is that there is no longer the bore-thru hosel design which has been so indicative of Callaway. I have a feeling these will sell like hotcakes.



"Callaway's X-Series irons have always featured two models. One is offset, while the Pro-Series has less offset on the face and shafts to enable the ball to be hit on a lower trajectory, but essentially the two have the same design. They have broken that mould though with the X-20 Tour irons. A shorter blade length, narrower sole, thin top-line, square toe and a more traditional hosel top the list of changes to the Pro-Series model. In fact, every improvement the tour guys requested on the forged X-Tour model. Plus, you get the new Project X-Rifle flighted shafts as standard. Golfers looking for something even more traditional from Callaway can look forward to a forged iron, which will be out next year."

It's pretty small..

Here a picture of the Sky Caddie SG3. As you can see it is relatively small compared to my Nextel i530 cell phone. I'm going to use it tomorrow but so you guys can see how small/big it is. It is small enought to easily put away in your bag but I assume that may interfere with it's continuous satellite reception.

So what did you all get..?

This was one of those rare times when something I wanted was close to Christmas so I asked and received. I wanted to try out one of those GPS units and got a Sky Caddie SG3. I previously had a Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 laser rangefinder but always pulling it out and then targeting in got to be a hassle in reality.

The benefit of the SG3 is that the yardage is always available. I don't have to lock in a target everytime. It's just more convenient as I can just glance down and see where I'm at and what I'm dealing with. It does have a neat feature where you can mark your position from where you hit and then it will tell how far you hit it when you get to your next shot. One thing the SG3 can't do is give you "exact" yardages like the laser rangefinder did.

I never really needed this precision anyhow, but I can see how the laser rangefinder would be ideal for tour caddies when they're measuring off distances for the yardage books. The laser range finder was able to tell you how far anything was in your line of view. Just point, shoot, and you got the yardage. It was although inconvienient to do this all the time.

I got my wife a new cell phone, Samsung A900M, which was perfect since she really wanted one and her current one was on it's last leg. I got my son, 3 years old, a bunch of Thomas the Train stuff, Tom and Jerry DVD's, books. I wanted to really surprise him and had a one of those train sets circle the base of the christmas tree. Out of all the toys/gifts we got for him this $5 train set, picked up at CVS Pharmacy, is his favorite toy at the moment. I got my daughter, 18 m/o, a Little Tike electric piano..which is now the "butt" piano since she would rather sit on it and bounce up and down than use her fingers.

New Blogger..

..I haven't changed over yet..have any of you guys? I'm just that way..if it ain't broke..you know..should I? I'm sure it' just a matter of time when everyone will have to be switched..do you guys like the newer Blogger?

Reset..

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Well, I just got back from playing an early morning back 9. I was debating whether to wear shorts today or not but I really don't have any golf "pants". I went with my shorts and when I checked it was 44 degrees according to the thermometer on our Sienna. When I got to the course it didn't feel that cold but the hands felt a little sore from the cold. My buddies thought I was nuts and they were all huddled inside the pro shop. I just got a large coffee and we were off to the 10th tee.

This was the absolute first time I was hitting the new irons, Callaway X-18 Pro Series, and was curious more of how my swing was and if it was back from the last episode. The 10th is a par 3 and it played today to about 185 yds. I went with the 5 iron which I can hit about 180 yards. My new set now comprises of only the 5 iron through PW. I decided to opt out of the 3 and 4 iron since they really never get any use, by me, and I added another hybrid. After much deabte I decided to step down and go with a lighter steel, regular flex, shaft..Dynamic Gold SL R300. It is 20% lighter than the regular DG as well as less stiff.. "Dynamic Gold on a diet."

My first shot felt great and I was just off the green. I really didn't catch all out it since I just wanted to get warmed up on the first hole anyhow. One of my buddies swung it and said how balanced it felt. I agree, this set felt perfect. I believe alot has to do with the also the R flex I chose and the lighter steel shaft. These two together should give me a faster head speed also which I can always use.

I hit every iron in the bag just to try them out and they all felt great. My swing was also back and didn't "S" any of them. I agree that the Callaways don't offer the most "precise" feel compared to some others but they seem to offer a little extra "oomph" when hit right. Not quite a Ferrari-esque sharpness, like Mizunos, but more like a dependable Ford truck..there's nothing wrong with straight right? The irons remind me of a nice domestic V-8. The handling might not be there but it's got plenty of power to get you where you want to go.

I just put a nice swing on them and they just had a nice, penetrating flight on them. I'm the last one to hit at the flag..the center of the green is so much bigger. I'm not one to stop it on a dime either and play my shots to a check and roll..why fight it.

Anyway, it's good to know that my swing is back and I felt very confident playing today..this game is all about confidence anyway. I read a story about Argentinian PGA tour pro Angel Cabrera, aka "El Pato"..The Duck, and he had a great comment regarding confidence:

"When somebody loses confidence in their drive, they're dead. Dead. What can I tell your readers?..When I get to that tee box, I believe in myself so much and I have so much confidence in my drives, and I'll know that I'll hit more fairways with my driver that with my 2-iron or 3-wood. My condfidence is very, very high with my driver."

Now that's my kind of player.

The World's Straightest Driver..

This is quite a statement made by Callaway, at first I thought it read "the World's Strangest driver", but seems like their new driver, FT-i, is turning quite a few heads with tour pro's on both sides. I was looking for some information actually on the FT-5 and ran into these gems on their site.

I was surprised to see Annika using one of those quirky arm-brace training devices (video)..if it's good for her I guess we all have no complaining to do.

About.com also has a nice little article on the FT-i with good pictures of this new driver. Don't adjust your monitor..it really does look that way. It looks like a duck's bill..

You know you love golf when..

..you have four (4) subscriptions to golf magazines. Right now I subscribe to:

1. Golf Digest
2. GOLF
3. GolfWeek
4. GOLF for Women

..and honestly I have to say out of all the four, I enjoy GOLF for Women the most. I'm not sure if girls are smarter but the overall layout of the magazine is easier on the eyes and have enough information without over analyzing every, minute, aspect of the game and/or technique. The biggest difference, obviously, is that most of the stories are on women golfers but I actually enjoy reading on LPGA tour players as well.

Although they do have a good deal of articles on the latest womens golf fashions, skin care, etc they honestly do seem to have better gadget reviews than the mens golf magazines. Although I will never be able to relate, or buy, to the functional "value" of a Hermes cashmere wrap (scarf), $1,975, or a Salvatore Ferragamo gray leather weekend tote with yellow trim, $1,300 (wait the scarf costs more than the bag?!?).

I also like the fact that every month there is a new "golfer" on the cover, and not necesarrily an LPGA tour pro, that is the featured golfer of the month. This month, Jan./Feb., has Sharon Stone on the cover which should be an interesting read..last month was Ivanka Trump (daughter of "The Donald")..and ahem..just check it out if you can find it..wow.

Now you may ask me why am I looking at female golf instruction if I'm a guy..right? Well, I see it this way, if I'm looking at the side-by-side photos of Vijay Singh's swing, who's swing I'll never be even able to replicate, I think there is nothing wrong from looking at Natalie Gulbis' swing (this month's swing profile) who could whoop my butt in golf anytime..and also who I don't mind looking at in the first place..how can you beat that..? and that Stina Sternberg has her own section. Oh..yeah..there's some gal named Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak giving pointers too.

Although I still rely on Golf Digest and GOLF for most of my instructional golf mumbo-jumbo I'd have to say that GOLF for Women is the perfect complement to these "guy" golf magazines.

Trainwreck..

It's sometimes an enigma for me to come up with an appropriate title for my post..but it was easy today..and there were ALOT others that could fit the bill..but a "trainwreck" sends just the right visual imagery to everyone.

It was a glorious morning out in Temecula and I the first one there out of our group. We played at Temeku Hills Golf and C.C. The course seemed to have numerous elevation changes and overall a course that contoured through the hillside. The greens were fast and uber-undulating. It was rather chilly so I went to the snack shop and got large coffee and decided to hit some practice balls before our round. I usually try to hit some to get warmed up..standard operating procedure right..?

So I get to the range and it's a grass range, not mats, which I prefer. I spilled the bucket onto the grass. I took a few warm-up swings and then took out my 7 iron and hit the first practice ball. It was absolutely perfect. Good contact, good compression..not much more I can say really. It was a laser straight at the 150 yard marker and landed perfect. I replicated this swing for the next 10 balls then all of a sudden..shank..then another shank..then another SHANK..SHANK!..SSHANK!!

If it wasn't a shank, and the man upstairs know how much I hate saying this word, it was a low slice..I felt like my legs were cut from underneath me. I decided to try another club, my sandwedge, same thing. I felt everyone at the range grimacing with me on every fatal shot.

I went back to the pro shop to get another bucket token and loaded up another bucket. Threw the balls down on the grass and shank..followed by more shanks. By now my buddies showed up and we were off to the 1st tee. I told a friend of mine what just transpired at the range. He too was having major problems and sympthasized with my naseous disgust.

The first hole is rather short and narrow and best to hit a long iron or a fairway wood to layup for the next shot. My buddy went first and hit the ugliest and truest shank I've ever seen. He wasn't perplexed..he knew this was coming. I went next and prefaced my shot, to everyone, by saying I was in trouble too. I went with my hybrid, 21 deg., and hit a perfect shot down the middle..what the ?!?

Everyone was saying "Sure..yeah..problems..what problems?!?"

I knew I was in trouble..I tried to stay positive..it didn't work. On numerous holes I was trying to just chip and started to shank those. I basically ended up punch chipping all my shots just trying to get through the round. To make a long story short I shot a 60..on the front..but a 46 on the back. Here's to a long and hopefully forgettable day.

Latest acquisitions..

I just picked up a couple of Scotty Camerons recently. I got a Santa Fe in a Gun Blue
and then another Santa Fe in the Oil Can finish. I currently play with a Newport Beach 1.5 and it too has the classic "Santa Fe" flowing neck. Now if you're asking me if I need all these Scotty Camerons..no..but that's like asking a baseball card collector the same thing..no?

Santa Fe Gun Blue


Santa Fe Oil Can



I'm looking to get a couple more soon to finish the set. I'm looking at the Santa Fe TeI3 and then the Studio Style Newport 1.5 and that is REALLY going to be it! Here's one that I'm selling..

Laguna Oil Can


..I know..they look like a bunch of old putters..

I feel so bad for not wishing you guys a happy Thanksgiving..so Happy "belated" Thanksgiving. I played last weekend, just the back 9, and nothing worth writing about..so I won't.

I also got some new headcovers..yes, plural..for my driver. They're made by Daphne's Headcovers. I first got a Rabbit..but then wanted the Pig..my Chinese Zodiac symbol..although I'm not Chinese. I then saw the Shark and then a cool looking Pelican..something drew me to these also. I was actually surprised I was able to stand them up in this way to take a photo..almost seem lifelike..no..?




What also really drew me to them was the high quality design of them. I believe there are a few PGA Tour pro's that also use them. ..somebody uses one that looks like a Tiger. I've always wanted to get one when I saw them at my local Sport Chalet but always said "next time"..we'll now I have 4 of them. They're about $25 but guaranteed for life by Daphne's Headcovers. They have a tag inside them with even the number you can call if you have any problems with it..now that's service.

I'm being traded..

I was running my blog through Google and saw a link to BlogShares. I have no idea what they do or how it works but looks they're some kind of fantasy blog stock trading game site. I noticed that my blog has been indexed as a "blogshare". Wow..I feel honored. I'm being traded currently at $5.93 Neat. Check me out.

Redhawk...

As the title suggests I played at Redhawk G.C. last week. We were actually planning on playing at Temeku Hills and then that was cancelled. Then we decided to play at Oceanside G.C...and that too was cancelled. I was then going to play with some other people at Los Verdes and low and behold my buddies come up a pitch to play Redhawk.

I was all ears since I always heard about it and wanted to play there someday. Well it was sooner than later and we got a morning tee time which made it more enticing. Needless to say I scratched Los Verdes, and I've played there numerous times anyhow, I was off to Temecula to play The 'Hawk.

It was an absolute gorgeous day and the clubhouse was quite unique. All the buildings looked like small spanish style villas. It had a real cozy feel about it and everyone was real friendly. It was my buddies birthday a week ago and Redhawk let's you play for free if it's a week before or after your birthday. We ended splitting 2 full green fees 3 ways, it was the three of us..always, which even made it better.

I didn't have time to practice so it was my typical show up and off to the 1st tee. The first hole was a narrow, blind dogleg right to an elevated green. Not the most fun way to start the day. I managed to hit my drive pretty well and had about 140 yards left to the green. I was telling my friend, that I was carting in, that I always get amazed when we are able to hit the very 1st tee shot down the middle. I used to say it was all luck but now I'd have to say there's also a fair amount of skill involved also to pull this off too now. I'd say hitting a 1st shot, straight down the middle, without any practice, in the early morning, is one of the toughest shots.

My 2nd shot ended up with me pulling it left and I was just off the green. I chipped back on and fortunately didn't roll off since it was a multiple-tiered green. All the greens at Redhawk were like this. I ended up 2-putting for a bogey..but happy.

I won't go into details but it was a nice course but i really did expect a little more from my expectations about it. The greens were in nice shape and there were some rough spots on the fairway at times. I'm not sure if it rained there but some of the fairways were a little soggy. The course also runs through a housing tract which took away from my intial impression of it as well.



All in all the course didn't play as tough as people said it played and the famous "island" green (it's surrounded all around by sand..so you can still get up and down) was not menacing one bit. There was one particular hole, a par 4, that had the St. Andrews style "pothole" bunkers guarding the front of the green. I was fortunate not to have experienced it..it was VERY deep. I did lose 3 balls but not because of the difficulty of the course but rather of my really errant tee shots and a bad approach.



One thing I hated about Redhawk, and others that don't have it, was the lack of yardage markers. The only thing that was a visual marker was the black and white candy striped 150 yard marker. Maybe that's why they sell the yardage books for a buck at the pro-shop. They did have "hidden" markers on the fairway but I gave up trying to find them. For a course of this "magnitude" you'd expect them to have a standard GPS unit installed on their carts.

I would suggest to anyone to play here once just because of the hoopla/reputation it has, but that's about it.

Guy Don LaFontaine

Who knew..I love that guy.

The X Factor..

I just got an email today from Callaway Golf, I'm on their mailing list..sorry..not a staff member, and it was introducing the new X Hybrid. It looks great and much better looking than the Heavenwoods. I don't know too much about them yet and still checking up on it.

As we set about designing the X-Hybrid we worked to incorporate and build on what we learned from our first two hybrid designs, the Heavenwood Hybrid and the FT-3 Hybrid. This hybrid has a slightly different loft progression, with each hybrid having one degree more loft than previous offerings. This new loft progression, combined with the Center of Gravity (CG) location, makes it easy to get the ball in the airand stop it on the green. The relieved area on the back of the sole was designed to reduce turf drag and the rails were added to help stabilize the head through the turf. -Callaway Golf R&D

It's quite a coincidence that I'm looking to trade up my current hybrids and would love to try these out. I have to start making my calls..lol

Solus Save-us..!

I played the Solus wedge last Saturday..yeah, I know, it's been awhile since but I just haven't had time to post..we're currently in the process of adding a room addition to our house and I've been talking with all sorts of people hunting down the best rate..blah..blah..blah..

Anyway, the Solus is a good wedge..period. I can't say great because I think I need to put it through some more various shots from the fairway. I did notice that it was a hair lighter than my previous Cleveland 588 Gunmetal, but I'd say this is due to the shaft. The Solus wedge comes with a proprietary True Temper shaft which is specifically designed for the wedge. It feels more like a regular flex than anything, but it's fine. I've heard some people, with faster tempos, have upgraded the shaft to a DG S300. I'm fine with it..and I think the smoky color of the shaft looks cool.

The play and touch around the green was as great if not better than the Cleveland. There is alot of feel and feedback from the wedge. I really can't say if it checked anymore than the Cleveland though but the feel was very good. I friend of mine who also has the same wedge says that they WILL rust but all you need to do is just give it a shot of WD-40 or some silicone spray and it'll be fine.

The wedge has a square toe which was took a bit to get adjusted too since I was familar with the more rounded toe on the Cleveland's. All you Titleist Vokey users will be more familiar with this style and I guess it's the more "desired" type of toe by the PGA Tour pro's.

I did like how the leading edge was flush when I addressed the ball. It was confidence inspiring and I felt that I was going to have good, clean contact. I can see why these play great from tight lies. This is due to the "crescent cut" system they use where it enables no bounce on regualr shots and then if you open it up you get bounce. Anyway, it's a keeper for now.

New Wedge..

After much research I've decided to leave the major wedge manufacturers behind and try out the Solus wedge. I've seen the infomercial..numerous times..but really didn't fall for it. What really pushed me toward this wedge was the fact that the grooves on my 51 deg. Cleveland 588 Gunmetal, that's a mouthful, have worn down and the fact that I was a fan of Frank Nobilo in his days.

I really can't say if it has really made an impact on how the ball checks on the green but I figure this would be the best opportunity for me to try this wedge out. I'm also interested to try out their "crescent cut" system. It allows for bounce when you need it..like in the bunker when you open the face up..but then no bounce when you're off a fairway or really when you're in a tight lie.

You may be asking why not just replace it with another 588 Gunmetal..which would be the smart thing to do..since I'm so familiar with the Cleveland wedges. I've played with the 588 series my whole golf career..I know it's good..so I figure if the Solus doesn't pan out for me I'll just pick up a new Gunmetal 588. A co-worker of mine plays with the whole Solus wedge set (51,56,61 deg.) and said they REALLY check up so he had to make some adjustments but could attack the pin..which has got my mouth watering..

You vs. PGA Tour Pro...

I was comparing stats today on Yahoo! Golf and ran across some neat tidbits. For your viewing pleasure compare your stats to the "worst" (yeah..right) PGA player stats :

Driving Accuracy: Jimmie Walker 49.8% (fairways hit)
(Joe Durant (1) 79.2% / Tiger Woods (146) 60.7%)

Birdie Average: Hidemichi Tanaka 2.6/round
(Tiger Woods (1) 4.4/round)

Par 5 Birdie: Mark Brooks 28.5%
(Tiger Woods (1) 57.1%)

GIR: Todd Hamiliton 56.7%
(Tiger Woods (1) 74.2%)

Eagles: Ian Poulter (five-way tie) 1
(J.B. Holmes (1) 19 / Tiger Woods (10) 12)

Par 3 Birdie: Ryan Hietala 5.4%
(Kirk Triplett (1) 21.2% / Tiger Woods (26) 14.9%)

Scoring Average (actual): Hidemichi Tanaka 73.2
(Tiger Woods (1) 68.7)

Driving Distance (avg.yds): Corey Pavin 265.9
(Bubba Watson (1) 318.4 / Tiger Woods (6) 306.4)

Putts Per Round: Bill Glasson 30.2 putts/round
(Aaron Baddeley (1) 28 / Tiger Woods (140) 29.4)

Par 4 Birdie: Hidemichi Tanaka 10.0%
(Tiger Woods (1) 21.8%)

I was surprised with the par 3 and par 4 birdies stats which seemed much lower than I expected. I was also surprised to see how low Tiger was ranked in the putts per round category..wow.

Golf Contract

Current Golf Contract: (I can play all the golf I want as long as..)

1. It is Saturday.
2. get home, meaning in the house, by 12:00 P.M.

These rules may seem harsh/rigid but I have been able to abide by them for the longest time. Sure, there have been times when I've been in breach of contract but have gotten off with a verbal warning or the dreaded "stink eye".

Well, I had a heart to heart and was able to renegotiate the current terms of the contract to be ammended as thus:

New Golf Contract:

1. I can practice/play golf THREE (3) times per month.
2. A MINIMUM of TWO (2) of the practice/play rounds MUST be completed with me at the house by 10:00 A.M.
3. I can play ONE (1) FULL, uninterrupted, non-threatening, non -worrysome, non-"stink eye" 18 hole round ONE (1) time per month.
4. FULL 18 hole rounds CANNOT be played back-to-back, consecutively.
5. I am ALLOWED to play back-to-back 9-hole rounds. (as long as I'm home by 10:00 A.M.)
6. Practice/play rounds (9 or 18 holes) not played WILL NOT carry over into the new/next month. USE OR LOSE.
7. This contract can be renegotiated/terminated AT ANY TIME by wife.

Now at first this may seem rigid but I guess I'm counting on playing that ONE time in the month with out any worry of impending/imminent penality. That's about it..So what do you guys think?

What did they put in my coffee?!?

I just came back from playing golf with a couple close buddies of mine in San Diego. We played at The Vineyard in Escondido. I've played there before and I remember the greens being fast and ultra-undulating..ugh Anyway, I'm working on 4 hours of sleep from yesterday night to today so forgive me if this post is a little hard to follow.

Anyway, I showed up about 30 minutes before out tee time to warm up. Today was the first time I got to hit the "new" irons and driver (Callaway X-16 Pro Series and X460 Tour). I hit the irons well and noticed a slightly higher trajectory too which was SOOO nice. The shafts, Dynamic Gold SL, did feel a touch lighter but perfect. They felt just like my previous set, X-14 Pro Series, but had a higher launch which I was expecting.

As expected I had no problems with the Callaway driver. Only thing I noticed was the peculiar sound the X460 made at impact. A lower, duller, "PING" sound compared to what I'm used to from Callaway drivers. The shaft was perfect (Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3, regular flex). I haven't been this happy with a driver since my Great Big Bertha II 415.

I was the first to tee off and decided to start the day with a #7 Pro V1. I pulled two balls of my bag one was a #1 and #7. I decided the #7 would bring me good luck for the day..which it did..I ended up carding an 86. I hit almost every fairway except two of them and had multiple GIR's. I was only 4 over on the fron BUT then went 12 over on the back.

The reason for this was I had two back-to-back holes (both par 4's) where I got triples on..which started with bad tee shots. My driving can be my best friend or worst enemy. I managed to pull in the reins and recover with a par on the very next hole which absolutely boosted my confidence...which this game is all about.

I usually fall apart, especially with these guys, when I start playing bad. I just have the worst time recovering when I play with them. On the other hand when I'm hitting frozen ropes down the fairway they don't even appear on my radar.

As expected we played skins for a buck and I ended up being the big winner and won $14...it's been AWHILE since I've been in the black. I can't say whether I can attribute my play to my equipment or ability. I'd say it was a concoction of both.

Iron Men..

I was perusing through one of my favorite golf blogs, EatGolf, today and was reading up on some local guys that qualified for Q-School. I actually didn't know there was a "pre-qualifying" event to get into Q-School. I know already that Luke Swilor has his own blog. Actually it was dead for a while but looks like he's back updating it which is great.

We also have Joe Larson (Newbury Park) and Steve Harsha (Simi Valley) that are also professional golfers playing on the Hooters Tour. Joe made it to Q-School also but Steve appears to have fallen on harder times with an ankle injury. It's interesting to read from their perspective, trials and tribulations of trying to reach their ultimate goal of playing in "The Show".

Got the other one..

The last of my Scotty Cameron's that I sent to get restored came in yesterday from the Custom Shop. It was the Pro Platinum Laguna Two. I also did a full restore on it and it came out great but noticed that a few of my requests weren't done. I requested that the "SC" stamp be done on the toe and to also replace ALL the white paintfill with the "Merlot Red".





It was basically restored back to original but the stamp was placed on the rear in "Merlot Red". All the other paintfills were back to original..nice..but boring. I'd highly suggest though if anyone is considering bringing their old Scotty back to speed to send it to the shop. I got both my orders in UNDER the 40 days they state on their site.

Back Home..

Well, if you guys have been following my blog lately you know that I've gone through a few sets of irons in the last month. I had the Titleist 775, Titleist 690.CB and right now the Titleist 704CB. As you can tell I was trying to be a "Titleist guy" but it just hasn't happened..my game that is.

I've decided to go back to the Callaway's but have upgraded to the X-16 Pro Series. The 704CB's are great but I can honestly say I've lost 10 yards. Previously, I was able to hit my 7 iron (Callaway X-14 PS) 160 and the 8 iron 150. I had to club up with the 704CB, respectively.

I can honestly say that I've hit the best with the Callaway's than any other iron to date (except my original Mizuno T-Zoid PRO that I shot a 76 with about 2 years ago). I know new irons take time to get adjusted to but knowing that I was shooting low to mid 80's rounds with the X-14's, well, and I'm not getting any younger..like the L.L. Cool J song goes.. "I'm going back to Cal(ly)..Cal(ly)..Cal(ly)" ..sorry that was bad..but quick..no? I just don't have time to "re-build" my game right now.

In lieu of all this I did decide to get a up'd set of shafts and got the True Temper Dynamic Gold SL. I'm very familiar and played with the DGS300 shafts before but these are 20% lighter with the same stiffness as the S300. This weight reduction also allows for an increase in swing speed as well. Perfect. I looked all over and decided to get them at Callaway Preowned since I know they're legit and they ship fast..unlike Jiangbo Han.

Right now I'm still driver-less (thanks to our good ol'friend Jiangbo) and still looking. I played the back 9 yesterday morning with the Titlest 503H and also decided that these will go up for sale shortly. They look great and feel confident but I just couldn't get comfortable with the iron-hybrid head and the I just didn't like the feedback off the face. It had a "click" sound which I'm not a fan of..very reminiscent of when I played with the Mizuno Fli-Hi hybrid..which that too was similar in design to the 503H.

I should have everything settled and back to normal by this week and then crawl back into my hole.

Brand Spanking New..

I was surprised to find out that the Scotty Cameron Coronado Classic putter that I had sent in earlier to get restored was finished way ahead of schedule. I received it from start to finish in 22 days! The Scotty's Custom Shop site said it would take 40 or more days, which was much more than a pleasant surprise.





Yes, it is the same putter..I kid you not. Unfortunately, I really don't have a place for this putter and it would get as much attention as the IBBF I had earlier. You may ask why even bother in the first place but I guess that's my enjoyment in it. I like the hunt of a finding that unique putter..it's all about catch and release.

Anyway, I still do have a few "trophy-pieces" that I plan on keeping for a while though so all is not lost.

Golf Cart KO..

You've all seen videos where you see a group of people doing donuts on the course or just flat out abusing a golf cart. Well here's one where the golf cart fights back.



No need to go to the cards..straight out..K-O!

Alriiiiighttttt...

I didn't realize until when I was going to right about a new golf club purchase when I noticed that this will be my 100th post..HOO-RAY!! *pop! goes the champagne* Anyway I really didn't think I'd make it this far and figured my g-blog would lose my attention and wither away..but on the contrary I'm enjoying doing this more than ever.

Ok, back to work, I decided to replace my hybrids with the Titleist 503H utility (hybrid) irons. I'm only going to test out one at the moment (22 deg.) and see how it fits into my game. I went with the same shaft as my current irons, Dynamic Gold S300, which should keep the feel consistent.

Right now I'm driver-less since I planned on receiving a TaylorMade R7 460, in lieu of my 905T that I sold, but unfortunately Jiangbo Han put an end to that and should be enjoying a nice, hot heaping bowl of won ton soup, at my expense, somewhere in mainland China.

I'm still going to play this weekend and maybe just using my current hybrids off the tee. I figure I hit my 17 deg. hybrid about 220 off the tee, so I should be able to move around the course fine. Who knows..this may do wonders for my game too.

Also to commemorate my blogosphere acheivement I have decided to come out of my nomadic cave and register for my own MySpace account. I'm still trying to figure out how it works. It just seems like you accumilate MySpace friends to the "N"th degree and then..but as a true nomad I can always have friends.

Wi Seong-Mi Can Dance..

Koreans love golf ..and they love Michelle Wie (Wi Seong-Mi, her korean name) Too bad there aren't variety shows like these in the U.S. A friend of mine gave me a link to a korean variety show called Ha-Ha. It showed the big Wiesy in a contest where a man (korean celebrity) tried to jokingly flirt with her and get her attention. She then verbally fires back at him in a funny remark.



Anyway, I thought what would be even more surprising or entertaining is to see Michelle dance which I'm sure none of you have seen on network t.v. here in the U.S. I think she's a good sport.



Here's another of her in what looks to be a driving contest. It also looks like there was a previous The Masters Open champion there sporting the "green jacket". Good slow-mo camera.

Jiangbo Han..

You may ask or might have already done a Google on Jiangbo Han. No, he/she is not an up and coming star on either the PGA or LPGA tour and not a dominant player overseas or a top-notch collegiate level player. I got scammed/ripped off by Jiangbo Han (Ebay seller name was date0) yesterday on a purchase I made for a TaylorMade R7 460 driver.

This criminal scammer put the fraudulent Ebay BIN (Buy It Now) auction up and I bit..hook..line..and sinker. I consider myself pretty savvy, well..not anymore, in spotting bogus auctions. Everything looked pretty good and I don't buy from overseas at all. The seller was actually based out of Pocatello, ID (Mary Kay Sherburne) and it all looked good.

I made all the proper notifications through Ebay/PayPal (they're the same). I actually did find the email for Jiangbo Han when I went into my PayPal account. His email and PayPal account was based in China..wonderful..to this hour, date I have not received any replies..go figure that.

Hindsight being 20/20, there were a few "red herrings" that I should've picked up on but didn't look deep enough. Look out for these eyebrow raisers:

No Feedback from "Buyers": My scammer had decent positive feedback (98%) but all the feedback were from Sellers..odd.

Cheap Shipping: The scammer listed it as worldwide low-cost shipping BUT the same price as domestic.

Same Item Picture/Different Ebay ID seller: This is usually a dead giveaway but this scammer used the same photo in another BIN auction.

I'm sure there are other dead giveaways but this guy had his ducks lined up. I'll still buy from Ebay but less likely from individual seller's..live and learn..and Jiangbo Han..if you're reading this..I want my money back..or at least $190 worth of broccoli and beef.

Goooo...Team!

Not the best start..waking up LATE and almost missing the sign-in for my first club tournament..but I made it. After check-in I got a bunch of goodies which included a GREAT fitting (I have a "Hal Sutton" head..hats just fit me bad) Adidas golf hat, Adidas golf towel and a pack of Noodles..which I'm sure I'll give away too.

I was surprised how many players were there. It was a shotgun start and with two four-somes at each hole..equalling 144 players..never seen so many golfers amassed in one location. I found my name on the team roster sheet, for lack of a better word, and I was in on team 17A.

The biggest buzz going on that morning was the $100 buy-in per team or $3600 purse. I thought there would be a few, that were like us, that were not going to buy-in..nope. It was a little humilating when the pro-shop was announcing (loudly, I thought, over the P.A. system) that "The teams that we have NOT received buy-in's yet..team 17A..17A..this is your last chance..Team 17A". I heard various snickers and guffaws..but heck this was my first club event so..oh well

We all got in our carts and then the starter announced over the P.A. system..GO! It looked like a wild golf cart race..kinda' funny I thought..but well directed traffic.

Our "first" hole was the 17th hole, par 3. I was amazed how well trimmed the tee boxes were for today and ALL the tee boxes were officically marked using the SCGA markers. We have four sets of official SCGA tees at our club (red, gold, blue, black). It turned out with my current index, 16.5, I was the "C" player. The "captain" of our team told me that I should tee off from the gold tees today..fine with me. I usually play from the blue tees anyway and with the new irons it just took a little pressure off from the start..or so I thought.

Our "D" player, who said he was a 25 index'er, played from the red tees..he said he plays from the blues..I'm glad he played from the reds. I hit second(our batting order was from the red tee to the tips) and pushed it BADLY right..ugh..not a good start. Everyone else got on and with the 4-man scramble format I was fortunate to pick my "errant" shot and take it back onto the green.

Our "D" player missed the putt for birdie but gave me a great view of the break. It was a quick downhill left to right breaker. I set up..took a nice stroke..good contact..birdie! Everyone was hootin' and hollerin'..wow. We also birdied the 2nd hole also, not me, but we were onto a GREAT start.

I'm not going to break down each hole..that would take forever..like this post already has..but we ended up going (-5) under for the round. We just about had a birdie opportunity on every hole but just a little out of our "index" reach and just made numerous pars.

I didn't have time to eat lunch with the team because something came up, wife called, so I high tailed it out of there. I was surpirsed for a scramble format how long the round took (5 hours) but we all were really taking time reading the putts.

Anyway, overall, I had a GREAT time and enjoyed the cameraderie throughout the round. We had great guys and our "A" and "B" players were fanatastic. No attitude and very endearing to the team..good bunch of guys..kudos to all.

Jitters..

A very late night post but I'm playing in my first tournament tomorrow at our club. It's actually a 4-man scramble so I won't have to worry about hitting good shots all the time..as if I did right? They are going to place four people (A,B,C,D player) in each group based on their index. Right now I'm at a 16.5 so I think I'll be somewhere between the C and D player. I was going to not play but figure if I'm going to do this it has to be now or never.

This may be crazy but I'm also going to test out the new irons (Titleist 704 CB) tomorrow. They want us to check in at 6:00 a.m. so I figure I'll check in and then get a bucket in. This may be not the smartest move but with this 4-man scramble format I figure I'll either hit a few bad and the others will carry me..or I'll just play so bad that I won't be playing in another tournament for awhile.

Hold your breath..

Hot..then ice cold..barren..wasteland

I played Meadow Lake Golf Club in Escondido last Sunday. I decided to leave the 775's back home, more on this later. I was playing with a couple close buddies that I haven't played with since last February. Since they both live and work in San Diego it's been difficult to get together with all our different schedules. Anyway, the course was beautiful and unbelievably not too many people playing for a Sunday. It felt more like a country club than a muni. I shouldn't give away any secrets but this place has to be one of the easiest places to get a tee time.

It's not a long course, measuring at 6580 from the tips, but all the fairways are undulating and there are many OB's and blind shots throughout. There are numerous elevation changes too. I usually walk but looking at this place I decided that wasn't going to be the plan this day. The course call for accurate shots but a friendly course overall.

I believe I have a mental problem when playing with these guys. I tend to play very bad for some reason. To make a long story short I shot a 101. I was smoking hot in the beginning and won 8 skins on the front. I even had a birdie and a couple pars back to back. What really killed me were the OB's all over the place. There was an easy par 3 starting the back 9. I pushed my shot slightly to the right..behind a staked fence. Then on the next hole, a par 5 dogleg right, I drove the ball to the right which landed OB. I tee'd the ball again and same thing.

My driving started to leave me for some reason. I felt that I was tensing up and felt I was in a choking big time. We were playing for a few skins but harmless. I'm not sure what to do when this happens though. For some reason I just can't scramble when I'm with these guys..it was awful. I know I'm a better player than I was last Sunday. Anyway, I was bummed out playing so bad and still recovering. I lost all confidence in my driving toward the end of the round. I'm most likely going to play this Saturday to try to get my game back.

I played the back 9 the day before with the 775's. I really liked the scoring irons but then after that I noticed a couple things which really didn't work for me. First, there was much more offset than I expected. I tended to draw too much or I had to compensate by opening my stance even more. Second, the shaft (NS Pro Regular) was not firm enough for me and I had some timing/tempo problems. Overall, I'd highly suggest this set to the up and comer aspiring player. Perfect first set of irons for the serious golfer.

I've decided that I will be a Titleist man and find the perfect Titleist set for me, it's just going to be a matter of time. I am waiting on delivery of the 690.CB but after doing some more research I found that the 704 CB may be more up my alley..the quest continues.

New Irons..

I recently acquired a new/used set of the Titleist 775 CB. I was contemplating to get them or not but I really wanted to try some new technology and also I've never tried Titleist for irons. I know they have a great reputation and their craftsmanship is nothing less than perfect.

I was comparing them side by side to my Callaway X-14 Pro Series the other night and as far as overall size goes they're the same. The only difference I saw was the 775 has a slimmer topline and less rounded toe than the X-14 PS. My current shaft is the Rifle FCM 6.0 which I think they're a tad to stiff/firm for me..but I've been getting by with them fine. The 775 has the stock NS Pro in (R) which I hope will elevate my ball height compared to the FCM 6.0's which definitely has a lower trajectory.

I'm going to play on Saturday to test the 775's out, but the main event is on Sunday morning. I'm playing with 2 of my old time friends and I always seem to play bad when I'm with these guys. Depending on how I play with the 775's on Saturday will dictate if they will be in play on Sunday's match or back to the time tested X-14 PS. Even just by my statements alone I should just play with what I know works but I'm always a victim of new technology on any given day.

I also got my dream putter a few days ago. It's a Scotty Cameron Newport Beach 1.5. It is sweet and has a neat "thud" sound at impact.




I also love the 1.5 necks. The crazy thing is I'm going to buy another Newport Beach 1.5 because it's a good deal..I'm sick I tell 'ya. Depending how things go I may switch to all Titleist. I've been hitting my 905T a ton and in control. The only thing I'm missing now is a Vokey sand wedge..mmmm..I'm liking those Spin Milled ones too. Maybe also replace my hybrids for the 503h but I've heard they're not that great from the rough..where I tend to frequent alot.

Color of money..

I had an interesting experience while I played last Saturday. I woke up and really wasn't planning on playing but I know I usually regret it during the work week if I don't. I made it to the course and asked if they had room in the morning for a single. The starter put me down on the waiting list and off I went to to putting green.

As soon as I missed my 2nd putt, on the putting green, my name was called to check in..sweet..that didn't take long. It turns out a foursome was missing their fourth and I got lucky enough to be grouped into them. The starter gave me a warning though: These guys bet heavy..just play your own game and try to stay out of their way.

When I reached the 1st tee, actually the 10th..we were playing the back then the front, I was greeted warmly but not openly. I shook hands with all of them and told them I know the routine. I told them I'd keep my trap to a minimum and try to stay out of their way. They all laughed..a good ice breaker..of sorts.

I'm not sure what "games" they were playing but after 9 holes the guy I was riding with was down $640 to one guy and $360 to the other guy..geez! Yes..I was riding with the big loser. He was an older guy, Cuban, warm hearted, but with a mouth of a sailor. He had, I assume, a very important chip shot on one hole. He hit a great shot but the ball released heavily and went about 20 feet past the hole..and his sand wedge 40 feet. Afterwards he apologized and tried to justify that it was the "world's easiest chip"..is there such a thing?..and his was actually fairly difficult coming out of thick rough to a downward slope..

I was introduced, but didn't partake for obvious reasons, to a new "game" I've never seen. They called it "Bing-Bing". Basically, you have to putt and hit each colored tee marker (blue, white, red) on the tee box and then back. You can use whatever club you want. The winner is the one who does it in the least amount of strokes. Although they only played it when the hole ahead was backed up, it came out to be around 8 holes..at $40 a hole..so..you do the math.

The coupe de grace for my friend, The Cuban, was on the last hole. It's a par 4, 440 yard, dogleg left. We all, yes..me too, hit 4 of the most gorgeous drives on that hole. I actually hit it the 2nd longest so I had the luxury of watching the drama unfold. The Cuban wanted to press the money he owed to one of the guys on this hole. I believe it was about $810. The other guy agreed and it was on. The other guys hits his shot to the right in the rough..very difficult up and down. The Cuban sets up and HOOKS it into the water on the right..think my stomach turned..too.

The other guy ends up bogeying the hole and the Cuban takes a drop. He's only 20 yards away for a possible up and down bogey tie. He sets up..and skulls it over the green into the parking lot. I looked at the Cuban and actually he was very restrained and showed no emotion..but was down a cool $1620..geeeeeez.

After we finished I shook all their hands and humbly thanked them for a true lesson that day. They all laughed..and so did I..and said anytime..yeah right. I thought they were done too but they were going to play 9 more holes. I was merely a mortal amongst gods.

Stingers..

I was able to get an early tee time last Saturday and played 18 holes. I was determined and focused to play well that day and really felt I was ready to play good. I actually played the back 9 first then played the front 9. What surprised me was that the back 9 plays easier than the front 9 but I scored better on the front which I've never done. I only hit 5 fairways, but the rest were just off so not that bad either. I hit 6 GIR's and made 1 birdie and 5 pars. The rest were bogies and I got a double. I was hitting some of the best cuts in a long time. I'm really getting to appreciate the quality of the 905T. I did notice that it does have a boring trajectory and doesn't "baloon" into the sky like the Callaway GBB2. I was really able to feel the head coming through that day.

To make a long story short I carded an 83 which is the lowest I've shot at Rio Hondo. I was able to scramble really well that day. A first for me was when I drove one into the water and took the penalty and was still able to make par. I was about 165 out, side uphill lie in rough, and manged to hit it about 2 feet from the hole with a one-putt..nothing less than unbelievable for me.

I have to say that I learned a couple things that round. One, bad players will not get me down. Two, I can also play well if I ride a cart. I would say I was grouped with 3 of the worst players I've played with together in a long time. Usually this has a tendancy for me to bring my game down also but I managed to keep my head in the game. I was also surprised that the riding in cart didn't effect me either. Usually it seemes like walking allows me to get into my overall swing tempo sooner than later. One of my swing thoughts that day was to pause at the top which did wonders.

I also got a chance to try out these tees called Stinger. They look like normal tees but are about half as thin in diameter compared to your standard tees..felt like the ball was on a toothpick.



They felt great and I did notice less resistance on my drives. I'm planning on buying a big bag of them soon. I've tried Zero Friction but have to say that these Stingers seemed to perform better. One con was that they tended to break in half quite easily compared to your standard tees, but for the performance you get it's worth it.

Nice fade..

I always wanted to try this to..



..he should've gone for a draw I say.."where'd it go?"..

Going to the "Chop Shop"..

Actually these two putter heads will be destined to the Scotty Cameron Custom Shop. I figure they are going to cost me about $250 for both for a full restore, but I got the putters fairly cheap so..



I don't have any reshafting equipment at the house but I read some tips at The Cameron Collector. There's a DIY section and it said I could also use a gas stove..which I do have. I basically placed the head right on top of the flame for a few minutes. Then I gently stepped on top of the head and pulled the shaft right off. If anyone plans to do this just REMEMBER THAT THE HEAD IS EXTREMELY HOT. I placed mine on top of a towel on the floor and was wearing my running shoes..remember it's VERY HOT..think of a branding iron..yes..HOT.

My only problem is to determine to just restore them back to original specs or "customize" it with various paintfills and the custom stampings and colorful grips.

They arrived..

I ordered a couple of funky looking grips on Ebay last week. I wanted some color and my sand wedges (Cleveland 588 Gun Metal 51 and 56 deg.) needed to be regripped. I was going to get them regripped with the red/black Winn G8 (like I did with all my irons recently..oops sorry forgot to post about that) but decided to do something different.

I was looking for a funkier color and ran across these grips from IOMIC. They are reported to have some kind of beneficial "ion" properties and that they emit a low level amount of "healthy" radiation, but beneficial to overall health, that improves my metabolism. I'm sure radiation will "improve" alot of things.





No wonder my short game is out of whack..I've mismanagaged my ions..RADIATION?!?!. They look like big ol' carrots to me..

What a Day..

I'm still here and I know it's been awhile. I also didn't play any golf for about a month until this weekend. My normal playing buds were busy and out of town and I just didn't feel like going to the course so early just playing alone. That was topped with the luxury of sleeping in a little more.

On Saturday I played at Los Verdes Golf Course. It's one of the highest rated muni-golf courses in Los Angeles since its proximity to the ocean and panoramic views. I've played their only once about 8 years ago so I actually forgot how to get there but with the invention of Google map I found it. I ended up shooting a 90 which was I was surprised with (for the lack of golf I had played recently).

I personally think the course is much too over-rated and would say it is "similar" to Torrey Pines (south or north), as many have said it was like, but not quite. I did get to see the ocean on a few holes and there was one where it looked like you were literally teeing off into the ocean. It is nice course overall with all the greens breaking toward the ocean. Not really a difficult course but the greens are fairly tricky I thought.

The highlight, for me, was a drivable par 4 downhill. It was about 320 yards but into the ocean wind. I hit one of the purest drives, for me, on this hole and landed 5 feet from the green. I hit a great chip and had 2 feet for a birdie..I managed to par..ugh. What really surprised me was that I had four birdie opportunities that day..the most I've ever had in a LONG time..I par'ed all 4 though.

Yesterday I played in my friend's son fundraising golf tourney at Scholl Canyon Golf Course. I've played at Scholl Canyon a couple times before but just not a fan of "executive" courses but it is a wonderful "executive" course that is nestled away in the Scholl Canyon Mountains..sorry..I made that up..not sure what the mountain range is called..but sounded nice.



It was a 4-man scramble and I finally found out he difference between a scramble and a best ball. We ended up with a final score a -3..not bad..but not low enought to win. The winners were -8. The highlight for me was when I won one of the "closest-to-pin" contest and ended up winning $80 on the hole..but I ended up donating that to the fundraising proceeds..which all the other "closest-to-pin" winners followed suit.



It was the first time I ever won a "closest-to-pin" hole though. It was a very short par 3, 90 yards, and I hit an easy wedge. It ended up about 1 foot from the hole. I knew that I had a great chance of winning that one..which I did.



I was also busy the last few week because I was looking for a car for myself..a daily commuter. I was thinking of getting a used Toyota Camry (couple years old) but ended up getting a brand new Toyota Matrix.



I was actually going to get a Toyota Corolla but then found out the Matrix is the same car/engine/frame but a little bigger interior. I wanted something I could easily carry my golf clubs in and this was the charm. The rear seats fold all the way down to actually go straight flush flat for mucho cargo room. Mine looks exactly like the one pictured above but in "Cosmic Blue Metallic".

I sold a majority of my Scotty Cameron's this past week also, but I did buy a mint condition "Inspired By Brad Faxon" Laguna 2.5



It is sweeeeeet. I only have four Cameron's left..they're beaters and I am planning on sending a couple of them to the Custom Shop to get restored..can't wait!

Been busy..

I know I haven't posted in a while. We just celebrated our daughters 1st birthday and just didn't have time to put anything up golf worthy. I got to play last week at the Montebello Country Club. A nice course, for a muni, with a healthy dose of fairway bunkers. The course has numerous doglegs (lefts) which didn't set up to my drives. I either went fairly straight running past the dogleg into the trees or a bad cut that REALLY didn't help. The greens, I thought, were in very peculiar condition though. It seemed they were just damp the whole day and felt like you were putting a a damp sponge. I really hated the way the ball rolled. You really had to give it a good tap and thus it was hard to manage my distance/speed control.

I've also been "collecting" various Scotty Cameron putters lately. It's been truly an addiction, to say the least, and I can see why people collect baseball cards or comic books. I've bought and sold 5 Camerons already and will be in possession of 5 more. It's going to be harder to decide whether I want to sell these or keep them this time since they're a little more rare than the first batch. I get most of my information and knowledge in the world of Scotty Cameron at The Cameron Collector.

I have a Coronado Classic in a rustic raw state, but oiled, which I think looks flat out beautiful..and I know I'm going to keep for awhile. I just got a Laguna TeI3 which is also a beauty. Then I have a couple of Pro Platinum's in the Laguna 2 and 2.5. I then got a Newport Mil-Spec which is fairly rare.

I've been forgetting to take the digital camera out to the course to shoot some pictures with it but will DEFINITELY take it out this weekend.

Celebrity golfers..

I'm still waiting for my name to get registered with the SCGA (Southern California Golf Association) so I can pop my name in and see my handicap index. I was interested at seeing at what some of my fellow office workers shoot so I popped their name into the SCGA Handicap Index Lookup and "Voila!", their full playing history for me to view.

My mind then got curious, or nosy - you choose, and I knew there were numerous celebrity golfers in southern California. I also realized many of them are VERY serious about their golf game. I put two and two together and started punching in names of some of my favorite actors and wow!..as the PGA Tour slogan says.."These Guys Are Good."

Here are a few "players" in Tinseltown (as of July 1, 2006):

Jack Wagner (1.4)
Samuel Jackson (4.9)
Mark Wahlberg (6.2)
Andy Garcia (9.6)
Bill Gates (20.7)
Ray Romano (14.1)
Kevin James (17.9)
Jack Wagner (1.4)
Craig T. Nelson (6.0)
Clint Eastwood (13.7)
Sean Connery (15.3)
Mel Gibson (23.6)
Kevin Costner (11.2)
Dennis Hopper (17.1)
Joe Pesci (17.2)

I'm proud to say that I'm in the same golf association and I can hang with Raymond and Mr. Bond and can whoop Mel Gibson..give me a call guys.

Played hooky..

I played hooky from work this week and played 18 holes. I really wanted to break 90, which would've made it the 2nd time at Rio Hondo, but failed to do so and shot a 94. I was rolling the ball real good but my driving was atrocious. I think I only hit four fairways. What really hurt me was the mess I got into in the bunkers. My bunker play is actually pretty good and I have no worries when I get in one.

I was in three fairway bunkers that I was going for the green in. I not only needed to get out but needed to carry. I hit decent shots, clean, but too strong and I ended up over shooting the green on all occasions. I would say I lost about 3 to 4 strokes because of these errant shots.

I'm still getting use to the 905T and was cutting the ball pretty good but the drives don't seem to be that high for the loft of the driver, 10.5. I wanted to try the new Callaway HX 56 TOUR so I bought a sleeve. It is a very nice ball and plays like the Pro V1..maybe a hair softer..and much softer than the HX TOUR. Hopefully if my digital camera arrives by Friday I'll be able to take some pictures on Saturday.

Got A Camera..

I finally decided to take the plunge into the 21st century and got a digital camera..WA-HOO!! I've always been partial to the Canon family and enjoyed how well their pictures came out and very durable. I wanted to get something that was easy but still had some cool options and within a budget. I decided to go with the Canon PowerShot A620.

It's not as small as I prefer but since it'll be serving double duty for family as well as golf photos it will do. It can also take up to a continuous 1GB of video, approximately 8 minutes, which should be plenty to make some homegrown golf videos which I haven't done in awhile. I also am getting tied of constantly scanning photos to send to friends and family. I can't wait to take it onto the gourse and try it out. I ordered it online at Adorama Photo because I've bought from them before without a problem.

I played my customary back 9 at my home course. As always it's just not enough when you get on a roll. I'm calling in sick tomorrow to play a full round. I'll post some pictures up as soon as I get the camera and take it out.

On a sidenote: The Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 1.5 sold on Ebay for a nice price. I told my wife I'm giving her the profits which made her happy..and me too.

Perfection..

Just got this on one of the golf forums I frequent. I can't believe how still Tiger's head is on the backswing. You can see different profiles of the same swing by clicking to the icons below..simply perfect..wow.

Tiger's swing in super slow-mo!

Where are you Brad?

I finally played 18 holes last Sunday. I did pretty good on the front, got a birdie and played bogey golf, but just blew it on the back and ended up with a 95. I usually play 5 strokes less than the front and thought I was going to be sub-90..NOT!! I'm still getting used to the 905T and it's shallower face, but I can't believe how many times I topped the ball. Fortunately, with the softness of the HX Blue no lasting impressions were left behind on the crown of the driver.

I turned in my scorecards so I should have an index with the men's club soon. I'm excited to play in some upcoming events soon.

I wass thinking about all the Scotty Cameron putters I acquired recently. I laid them on my bed and it was quite a sight. I should've taken a picture of the "family". I debated whether to keep them all or sell them. I decided to sell the Studio Style Newport 1.5 and the Studio Stainless Newport 2.5. I really do love the neck design of the Newport 1.5 and 2.5's but it's just not a Laguna or Santa Fe. I'll keep the Studio Design 2.5 because I dig the Pearl Black finish.

I sold the Newport 2.5 in a matter of hours. I actually went to change the auction from a "Buy It Now" to a "No Reserve". For some reason my changes weren't taking effect. The putter had sold during the time I was tinkering around with my Ebay ad..crazy. The Newport 1.5 is a true "NO RESERVE" auction. Let the market bear it's price.




I'm looking to get an IBBF. "What's That?!?!" It's short for "Inspired by Brad Faxon" A collectible Scotty Cameron..aren't they all ?!? but I just figured I could kill two birds with one stone and get a Laguna style, which the IBBF is, with a little touch. On the back "bumper" area it is written Brad Faxon..cool huh. They're not cheap and are running from $300 and up, including the original headcover, depending on condition.

I'm debating whether to get just the putter itself, which would be cheaper, or get it with the headcover. I didn't realize the "IBBF" headcover alone can fetch up to $100 or more..gadzooks! (you should see what the cost on some other very highly collectible Scotty Cameron headcovers are going for!! OMG.)

Caddychicks..

What a novel idea..I wish I had thought of this. How cool would that be to show up and have your personal caddy. I haven't really had a time to go through their site but looks good. They actually have courses that I play at too. Maybe I should ask if they would like a reviewer..lol

Do what the pro's do..

I was messing around at the PGA Tour site and ran across this little Titleist multimedia player for the pre-shot routine for numerous PGA tour pros. It's pretty cool.

And you think I'm sick..

I was checking out The Cameron Collector, again, and couldn't believe this collection..speechless. I'm not sure if he's a collector or seller or both but none the less..amazing.



I just bought two more Scotty's today, a Newport Studio Stainless 1.5 and Studio Design 2.5. I originally was only interested in the SD 2.5 but then for some reason didn't want to split them up so I got both. I'm pretty sure this is it..

A sickness..

I promised not to look at anymore putters and that I am happy with the Scotty Camerons, (yes, plural, I have 2), I have now. Well, with some of the time I've had at work lately, I was browsing through various Scotty Camerons and for some reason the Sante Fe and Laguna models really caught my attention. I really liked the flowing neck of both putter styles.

Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my Red X. Actually, it is my FAVORITE putter and it feels unbelievably awesome with a good weight..but just one more.

Anyway, I couldn't find too many Santa Fe's or Laguna's on Ebay that really caught my eye. I was then checking out The Cameron Collector site, the name says it all right?, and found an absolute gem on their Buy/Sell/Trade section. The Studio Style Newport 1.5 was absolutely gorgeous and it looked very similar to the Sante Fe.

I got a great deal and with the unique lime green paintfill made it a stand out. The putter also has the lime green Scotty Cameron Custom Shop grip and comes with the matching lime green headcover (as pictured above).

I've heard people that buy a Scotty can't only stay happy with one. I absolutely, whole heartedly disagreed and said that I would be more than happy if I just even had one Cameron..well..I was wrong.

Three reasons for getting a Scotty Cameron:

1. They are incredibly well made and very solid putter.
2. They are weighted perfect and don't feel light nor heavy..just perfect.
3. They hold their value.

The putter is one of the most frequently replaced clubs in bag. Instead of buying a Never Compromise to a Yes! to a PING to a ?? I'd highly suggest to anyone getting serious about the game to invest in a Scotty Cameron, period. They can be found for a good bargain these days on Ebay and places like The Cameron Collector. Your putter is going to be the most used club in your bag so you might as well get the best.

Putting is Good..

I played my typical 9 holes last Saturday and played pretty good. I shot a 5 over for the back which I'd say is pretty good for me. I knew I was going to have a decent round when I chipped in for birdie on the first hole..which I've never done there. One thing that might've been "cheating", if it is, is that I played from the white tees. This wasn't by choice but rather the group that I played with were playing from them. I could've played from the blue tees but didn't want to seem pretentious..lol

But this leads to another question. Am I supposed to play from the white tees or blue tees? I have to honestly say that my driving was really bad that day but I really made it up with my short game so it was hard to say whether it was the shorter distance or that I just able to pull off more up and downs. I was putting really good with the Red X. I really love the weighting of it and have noticed I have less putts left short.

I'm still getting used to the 905T and noticed that the Aldila NV(S) shaft plays a tad softer than the ProLaunch(R) shaft. It seems that for my swing the NV(S) is suited for me. I'm playing tomorrow morning again..have a Happy 4th of July everyone.