Papa's Got a Brand New..Camera Bag?

I finally took the plunge and got a Nikon D90 DSLR. I've always been a photo-geek and love taking pictures as much as I can. I've always admired great photos and the feelings they invoke. Another reason I upped my "game" was that my point-and-shoot got destroyed while I saved my son as he was flying down a hill on his Razor Scooter..imagine trying to stop a sidewinder missile coming right at you..not pretty. I saved him but my little digi-camera didn't fare so well.

Anyway, here are some photos I took, with the Nikon D90, of my putters which are in fact up for auction on Ebay, if you're interested:

TeI3 Newport Long Neck (sorry, I'm keeping this one..need at least one to play right?) - Similar to the regular TeI3 Newport but this one has an extended neck thus creating a swing for folks that are straight back and through..interesting huh. It's more faced balanced for a blade style putter.


Newport Beach "Asian" 34/340g - It's called an "Asian" because this particular model was only produced for the overseas/asian market. Not sure why Scotty Cameron didn't think us Americans wouldn't enjoy a 340g headweight as EVERYONE seems to like them. But either way, you can't buy them retail in the states.


Studio Select Newport 34/360g, Circle-H shaft - This one has the dual 20g weights on the bottom of sole thus creating a 360g headweight. They designed a "beefier" shaft called the "Circle H" to accomodate this headweight. The Studio Select's are probably one of the softest feeling OTR (Off The Rack) putters that Scotty Cameron has designed yet.


Circa 62 #3 "Asian" 34/350g (actually more rare than the regular Asian of 34/340g) - This one is sweet. The 34/340g version is what makes these the "Asian" variety, BUT this one comes in at a hefty 350g headweight. I've personally seen only one other around. The feel is superb and soft. (I may actually keep this one)


But going back to the Nikon D90, I've noticed that the pictures are great and very detailed. Even in the photo above you can still make out the mill marks. I love also being able to control the DOF, Depth of Field, with the DSLR and the creativity it allows. Kind of the same reasons I like golf..there are so many things that can go wrong to produce a wonderful shot.

Anyway, there's a great Flickr Group, Nikon D90 Club, that caters toward D90 users. I also placed their site badge on the sidebar..chek them out! Good people..very knowledgeable. If you are still on the fence on deciding to go DSLR..it's the way to go man..you won't look back.

Why Doesn't MapStat Update..?

As you may have noticed, or not, I finally switched over to the "NEW" Blogger look but it has come some at a "functionality" price. It seems the "Latest Nomads" visitors box, on the front page, is not updating.

They have been the SAME "Latest Nomads" before I switched over to the "NEW" look. One thing is that if you click on them it does take you to the BlogFlux Map page with the correct and current stats and map.

Visually, it used to have the "Last Nomads" visitors updated live on the home page before. If any of you guys use this service AND it is working correctly for you please give me a holler..as the team at BlogFlux doesn't seem to want to respond.

Malwarebytes' takes a bite out of spyware.

Although a good anti-virus program is effective it will not block out or "catch" the numerous "malware" programs out there lurking around the corner at every page you visit.

I currently have McAfee AND Windows Defender running simultaneously and both those programs have failed in catching spyware/ad-ware (malware) that can significantly slow down or harm your computer overall.

I've been using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for a few months and it has detected and instantly removed various malwares below (actual log):

Files Infected:C:\Windows\System32\wextract.exe (Adware.Buzus) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Values Infected:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\windowswelcomecenter (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Keys Infected:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{1d4db7d2-6ec9-47a3-bd87-1e41684e07bb} (Adware.MyWebSearch) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Data Items Infected:HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\scrfile\shell\open\command\ (Broken.OpenCommand) -> Bad: ("%1" %*) Good: ("%1" /S) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

The best part is is that this highly rated anti-malware program is FREE. It is also very "light", meaning it uses very little system resources to run and doesn't inundate you with numerous doo-dads, bells, whistles, blah..blah..blah. It's simple and to the point. You download it and do a quick scan and you'll see for yourself what kind of stuff maybe "crawling around" inside your computer. I use it religiously (daily) and the Malwarebytes' database updates numerous times a day..these guys at Malwarebytes' MEAN BUSINESS! Check 'em out.

Russell Houston

Russell Houston creates by far some of the coolest and funniest golf paintings/drawings I've seen. I love the Norman Rockwell-esque story each picture conveys of the famous cowboy golfers. The stoic nature of the cowboy trying to maintain composure in a "oh-so" humbling a game. I'm not going to describe each one..check them out for yourself. (Click on the picture to get a much better image!)




This one below is my favorite..I love how the swing is broken down..the "Ben Hogan" swing for the cowboys.

Here's their site, The Art of Russell Houston, if you're interested in checking out the other pictures. I've placed an order for the calendar and a print of the cowboy swing.

World Golf Tour..the video game!

I used to play video golf with the "Links" series on my old Xbox. It was actually quite awesome with the ability to manipulate so many things as far as the actual play was concerned. You could alter the way your player looked and as far as how much spin you were going to put on the golf ball. The images were also pretty awesome to boot. Well, I just had the opportunity to play a similar game but online at World Golf Tour.

I'm not a fan of downloading complex game files and never go beyond this when it asks me to..so no worries here..NO DOWNLOADING NEEDED..you play it straight from their site. They must have some kick-ass servers/connections as everytime I've played it's been perfect and without a hitch.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty. The presentation of the site is awesome and extremely fast. The pictures of the game below are exactly the way they look when you play..as I have played it numerous times today.



You can create a player profile and also compete with others around the world. I have only played the "closest to pin" skills challenge and it is uber-fun. The controls are very easy. You basically click-drag your mouse up to load your player's power and then click when the power marker gets to the middle..or at least try to..obviously the closer you get to the center the more "perfect" your shot will be.

It seems the game is in the "beta" stage, but a few things I'd like to see them incorporate in the future would be:

-Ability to manipulate spin on all facets of the ball, not just vertically as it is right now.
-Ability to manipulate swing path.
-Closer zoom angles on the green surface, with possible grid lines.

Either way, World Golf Tour is extremely enjoyable and keeps you coming back for more. I can't wait to see what courses and functions they'll add later. Hit 'em straight and out of the thick stuff!

"Don't 'unda estimate 'da fat man.."

It's been like 6 months since I posted here. Works been getting busy and I just got this posting bug in me after I saw this hillarious video on YouTube of JD playing golf barefoot and shirtless.



You gotta love those lines, "Where'd you get those shoes..New York city?","Take two weeks off and quit." It's amazing to realize this guy has a couple majors under his belt, waistline, also.

Swing Academy

I was posting on one of my favorite golf forums and saw that a member said there was a site where you can upload a video of your swing and have it analyzed by others. I took the plunge and did just that. I don't think it offers a video url yet, but here is the regular url to see my swing in action:

My Swing at Swing Academy (www.swingacademy.com)

The site is one of the best places to see your own swing online. The BEST thing is that it's way it's much faster, actually incrediblyfaster, to upload at the Swing Academy site than onto YouTube or etc.

The online uploading function will tell you if your video is too large. Once it's uploaded then you will need to edit it, super easy, into a 4 second video display loop. This 4 second loop will be your final uploaded swing video. The Swing Academy site has this "slow - fast" feature (marekd by a turtle and rabbit..lol) where you can slow down your swing to really see what's going on. It is uber-cool! It's similar to the CBS "hub-vision" swing video they show of the PGA players during a tournament.

I used Windows Movie Maker (it should come pre-installed as part of your OS) to initially edit my video footage which I took on my digital camera's SD card.

Swing Academy does appear to be a new site and still trying to get up and running. I was trying to post on their forum message board but I kept getting an error message. You can also view numerous videos of other players and can comment and analyze them. If you're serious about getting better, you definitely need to check out your swing and see what's going on.

Getting serious..

Lately, I've had this new and re-invigorated feeling toward my outlook on golf. I got fitted for irons for the first time as well. I have been extensively researching what kind of clubs would best suit me and etc. My mental game has also become more focused and I feel I'm just grinding it out a little more lately instead of just giving in if things aren't going right.

I've decided to take it up a notch and started taking videos of my swing. After extensive research I decided to go with JOBY Gorillapod SLR model. It's perfect for the golfer who wants to prop up his camera and it can be used just about anywhere. The hardest thing was to have it positioned so it takes full size swing videos. I think I need to move the camera a little further back.

Call me A.K.

Just one of thousands of blog posts today regarding Anthony Kim's debut PGA Tour victory at Wachovia yesterday. At 22 he is the youngest player to win a PGA event in the last 6 years (the last being Sergio Garcia at the 2002 Mercedes Chamionship). Anthony also broke the tournament record with three shots (-16 under, 272 total) better than the previous tournament record..by Tiger Woods.

They say that the Wachovia is one of the best barometers to forecast future winners on the PGA Tour with such PGA studs like Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh as past champions.

I could explain all the personal stuff about him but all I would be doing would be copying from other places..so check out this really good article about him and his rocky beginnings.

There was a little story that went that he and Tiger were out on the range and Tiger kinda' snickered at his "AK" flashy belt buckle. Anthony countered that Nike doesn't make it..yet.

I think we're in to see something special in these years coming up with Anthony Kim and his bravado, panache or whatever you want to call it. The kid has game and is a closer. I predict he will be in the top 10 at next weeks TPC at Sawgrass.

Porsche..there is no substitute.

I occasionally like to frequent and see what Porsche Design has up their sleeves when they put out golf related equipment. They're known quite well for their design element and produce very high end and sleek items all together. Although I could never afford this stuff, they're more like modern art pieces to me.

This device you're looking at right now is their Porsche Golf Trolley or better known to us mortals as a golf cart.

Porsche golf trolley

"Magnesium wheels in intelligent design with Porsche Crest. Compatible with Porsche golf-bag, which is mounted easily and securely on the golf trolley using a special adapter set. Comes with standard adapter for all other golf-bag types. Can also be used in conjunction with scorecard holder and umbrella holder. Two trolleys can be stowed in front luggage compartment of Boxster, Cayman S and 911 models."

The retail price is $2050..yes two thousand and fifty dollars..U.S. Oh, and if you want a score card keeper it's an additional $236..yes..two hundred thirty six dollars..U.S. Thank god I can put two of these babies in front of my Carrera..not.

My Sun Mountain was only $189..and that came with a score card holder..delivered. I'm not sure if the Porsche Golf Trolley is any better than your Bag Boys or Sun Mountains out there on the course but I bet online you'll be the fastest (if not the coolest). Who knows maybe you'll play quicker rounds.

TAG Heuer Golf Watch

"The first watch for golf professionals, developed and worn by Tiger Woods. It has been specially designed to meet golfers’ special requirements. Its high-tech materials and carefully studied ergonomic design means that the TAG Heuer professional golf watch will never bother a golfer during the swing."

I, for one, do not wear a watch because I just don't like anything on my wrists when I play. Supposedly the TAG Heuer "professional" golf watch will never bother me during my swing. The site is quite beautiful and has numerous "exploded" views of the watch and how it functions.

I'm a fan of TAG Heuer watches and consider them one of the highest quality time pieces available. This watch has a classy look yet very sporty. It'd be interesting to see if Tiger does wear it while he plays. I think it looks alot better than his other golf watch by TAG Heuer.

Titleist AP1

Well, after a slump in wanting to play golf these past few months I decided to go to a local golf store to demo some new sets.

I had my eye on the Mizuno MP 57 but after a few swings with it, I just became honest with myself and said these just demand too much of a perfect swing everytime and just a little too much iron for me..heartbroken.

I told the golf fitter what I was looking for. I wanted my ball to go straight and high..I'm not picky. He told me to try the Titleist AP1. At first I was hesitant as I had my heart set on the MP 57's but that got no where quick (see above) so why not give the AP1's a go.

I'm not a fan of irons that have alot of offset and the AP1's do not. They have a little, but no where near that of a Callaway. He gave me a 6 iron that had the Dynamic Golf HL (High Launch) shaft in R300 flex. My first hit was straight and just took off with a high penetrating flight..not balloon. It was truly effortless and I didn't have to get perfect with it. The 6 iron went as high as my old 7 iron..it was honestly beautiful to look at.





As I got more courageous I started to increase some juice on the swings and the only thing it did was that they tended to push a tad..but WELL within an acceptable range. The balls honestly felt like I was hitting marshmellows. The elastomer insert probably adds to this feeling, but if you hit it on the toe you will know.

I have always been a skeptic when it comes to golf equipment and have NEVER bought a new set. These Titlest AP1's were just perfect and I am so excited to get fitted..tomorrow!

I like Carlos Franco..

I ask many of my friends who they would like to play with..but preface that inquiry that this person cannot be related to you or Tiger Woods. I've kept a mental rolodex of players I'd like to play with over the years and at anytime has never included Tiger Woods. One person I would like to play with or even just pick the brain of is Carlos Franco..*chime cricket sounds*

Yes, I know he's not the most well known player and I don't even think most people know where he's from. I ask around and most of the golfers I know say he's from Spain. (He's from Asuncion, Paraguay). What really makes me like this guy is how he grew up, his lifestyle and approach to professional golf.

There a good video of him that shows how simple he lives during a tournament and not necessarily in a lap of luxury. Being one of six brothers from a one bedroom "home" and learning how to play from his father, who was a caddy, on a three hole course is nothing short of amazing. I also admire his non-chalant approach to the demands of the PGA Tour. It is well know that his practice "regime" consists of a few balls before the tournament round begins. There have been times where he has gone straight from his car to the first hole tee box which I am, and I'm sure the rest of us, all too familiar with as well.

GPS devices galore..uPro

I just got my the latest TGW (The Golf Warehouse) catalog yesterday. I usually thumb through it immediately to see if there's anything new and or exciting. Most of the time it's the same stuff throughout but what caught my attention were how many different GPS devices (not laser rangefinder) are out there now.

It used to be that SkyCaddie was the only GPS device available but as I browsed the TGW catalog there were devices from uPro, GolfBuddy and GolfLogix. I'm sure there will be more before the year is over.

Although all of these do the saem function of providing yardage to various places on the hole the device that really peaked my interest was the uPro device. Where as the screens on all GPS units are one dimensional, the uPro is a fully color, 3-D, unit that actually provides true, vibrant, color images of the hole..like what you would see on your t.v. The kicker is it has "highly developed GPS and Laser Range capabilities.." I visited their site and it is very interactive and informative. I'm not going into detail on everything the uPro does, their awesome site and do that, but in a nutshell it does everthing else a "regular" GPS device can't do. It even has voice recognition software..crazy. One quick thing that caught my attention was that it DOES NOT REQUIRE SOFTWARE, like my SkyCaddie (SG3), so you can use from any computer, anytime. Also it should be noted there is no annual membership fee but you do need to buy the courses to download. There are 2 types of course modes. "Basic Mode" which is just like all the other GPS devices and then the "Pro Mode" which provides full color aerial satellite shots of the hole and video flyovers and includes the "Basic Mode" capabilities.

The retail price on it is $399.95 (looking at my TGW catalog.). I'm not "bells and whistles" type of player and just happy with basic functions. I have to admit I haven't had any problems with my SC SG3 but wouldn't mind trying the uPro..I love gadgets.

SkyCaddie fixed!

I bought a SkyCaddie SG3 about 2 years ago and have been fortunate enough where it has worked flawlessly on the course. The only problem I had was that the SkyCaddie desktop software, used to download SkyCaddie courses, was kind of glitchy with my computer..or maybe vice versa. I'll have to admit that most likely it was my computer since it is rather old. The problem I had was that it just plain didn't recognize my USB device, SG3, when I had it connected to the USB port.

I had this rather backward way of "tricking" my computer, or SG3, by attaching the USB cord during mid-process of logging onto my SkyCaddie desktop download site..I don't want to go into details but it worked about 30% of the time at best any how..and this obviously limited my overall enjoyment of adding new courses that I couldn't do because of this problem. I gave up and just brought out the SG3 when I was playing on one of the courses that was ALREADY stored on there from months ago..ho hum.

Anyway, I'm playing tomorrow at El Rancho Verde Golf Course for a fundraiser and decided to give the the SkyCaddie desktop a try and see if I could get it to work. I used the above technique of "tricking" my computer and SG3 in regards to the USB port problem. BUT ALAS!! COULD THIS BE?!? There was an update or new version to the SkyCaddie desktop software!! I couldn't believe it! but the upgrade to the new version (4.3.4) was working and it upgraded the current software on my computer too as well as upgraded the software on the SG3.

While I was logged on, which I was holding my breath while I was logged on, I basically updated all my courses stored on my SG3 and basically put in all the courses I regularly play. PRESTO!! everything worked flawlessly and all my favorite courses got downloaded onto my SG3.

After I logged off the SkyCaddie desktop website I tried to see if possibly the USB problem, I had before, was fixed and OH MY GOD..it was!! HALLELUJAH!! I was able to log onto the SkyCaddie desktop site WITHOUT having to pull that "trick" move as listed above. If anyone has had similar problems with their SG3 let me know and I'll try to help you out. I've read on numerous golf forums where people have had problems with the SG3 so hopefully the guys at SkyCaddie heard all this and this upgraded version will solve these problems.

I've also owned the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 laser rangefinder and to be honest the SG3, for the average golfer, is much better suited. I'm not saying it is as "accurate" as the rangefinder but for the normal golfer you really do not need +/- 1 yard measurements. We're just not that good and it just slows down the round. The novelty of the rangefinder wears off problem mid-round when you start getting tired always turning it on, bringing it up to your eye, and then clicking the button for your measurement. Yes, it is absolutely accurate to what you are pointing at but after 9 holes of doing this I guarantee you will get sick of it as well as the people you are playing with. The great thing about the SG3 is the yardage from where you are at to where you want to go is ALWAYS on..no need to turn it on and click it and blah..blah..blah.. Trust me, get the SG3 (or one of the other SkyCaddie models..they even have a color monitor one now the SG5) you won't be disappointed.

Funk..

I know I haven't posted here lately..gosh this sounds familiar. I was overseas on a family trip for a couple months and then prior to that I got in a major argument with a golf buddy..over a bet. In the grand scheme of things I think all the events that led up to the final last words, over a stupid golf bet during Thanksgiving, led to my waning desire to play like I did before.

I still love watching it on t.v. and reading all my various golf magazines and golf catalogs I get from TGW, but the physical part of it just hasn't set in like it did before. I also think alot has to do with changing my current equipment and going in another direction. When I think about getting a different set of irons I do feel the urge to play again so I think I'm headed in the right direction.

I'm scheduled to play in a fundraiser golf tournament this weekend. To be honest I haven't played for almost two months now. I don't even care how I will play but just to get the gears going is all I expect. I don't know but sometimes I tend to play much better than expected after I hung the clubs up.

What a lesson..

I'm sure I could teach the basic golf fundamentals also..

It's been a....while hasn't it..?

I haven't forgotten about this blog but have been extremely busy the last few months with my new work unit and getting everything squared away. My son started soccer this year so that has limited my golf on Saturdays, which has meant a cease to full 18 hole rounds of golf..period..until the season is over. They have 4 more games left..but it's been a real treat seeing my oldest one (4 years old..lol) playing on a team sport.


Do you know what "AYSO" really stands for? "All Your Saturdays Occupied." I was absolutely surprised how big this AYSO thing is and can see why it's an ALL DAY event if you have more than one child playing. Gameday, or Saturday, is nothing but back-to-back soccer games from 08:00 am to about 3:00 pm. If you have "kids", multiple, you can see parents just juggling their kid's games from one field to another..hectic to say the least.


Anyway, my wife and kids are going on a 3 month vacation overseas so I'll be playing golf to my hearts content in a few weeks anyhow. I sold all of my Scotty Cameron putters in the last few weeks. It's not that I didn't like them but how many putters do I really need and they were all gathering dust anyhow. I still admire Scotty Cameron putters and will probably get just one shortly. I'm trying to figure out which one though.


As with all Scotty Cameron fans I also own a few of his putter headcovers. I just found out that one of them that I have is worth around $400, which I bought for $80 originally. It turns out it's a 1/100 collector's edition. I really awesome site if you want to know everything and anything about Scotty Cameron putter can be found at The Cameron Collector.


As many of you may know, Southern California has been inundated with fires..a "Fire Storm" as many reporters have called it. Here are some photos:

I have also been affected by this as my parents had to evacuate their home in San Diego and are still not allowed to come back in. They still don't know if their house is still standing but my brother told me the answering machine is still picking up..so either the house is safe or that's one hell of an answering machine.

Mr.77

I recently changed to another division at work and it's been extremely busy thus the lack luster quantity of posts. Things are getting more settled in now with the addition of staff and has allowed me to return, somewhat, to a more routine schedule. It also turns out that my "new" boss, actually..I've known him for over 10 years, had started playing golf last year and has the golf bug..bad.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, we played yesterday. He knew I've been playing for some time and he just wanted to play with an experienced player. We played at this place called Willowick Golf Club in Santa Ana. If you wanted to call a course a "muni" this place fit the description. All the holes except two of them looked the same..straight with very wide fairways with no water hazards..a park-land golf course..to say the least. I knew from the bat that I wasn't going to lose a golf ball this round..and I didn't. It's very easy to find since it's right door to a local radio station and it's humongous radio antenna tower.

We got to the first tee, easy to get on, and he hit a decent drive right down the middle. I countered with a similar shot. He hit a "Rosie" and it went about 10 feet. I countered with a wedge shot that landed about 1 foot from the hole. I ended up getting a birdie and he ended up with a snowman.

Anyway, I wasn't really worried about me outplaying him and vice versa because he knew that I was a decent player. I came to just have a good time and solidify our working relationship. I got there a little early and picked him up at his car, in the parking lot, with the golf cart. I got a deal where you get a hot dog and soda included in the green fee..which also really made him extremely happy.

What amazed me was how perfectly I was playing that day..given the course was not that long, it was a par 71 just north of 6000 yards, but every shot was dead on. They just aerated the greens and there was sand all over the place. I can only remember 2 distinct shots that went awry. The first being a thin wedge that landed and stopped off the rear slope of the green and the second being an attempted draw with my hybrid that was more of a cooked duck hook. The beauty was that I was able to get up and down all day long, including these shots, and save par on multiple occasions.

I ended up going 1 over on the front and 5 over on the back (we were playing against the wind). I wasn't even thinking of keeping track of score, but the boss did, and I realized I was playing extremely well. All I can say is that it felt the same way when I broke 80 the first time. It has been over two years ago but you just don't realize what you're doing. I felt that my mind was relaxed and that you're in..for a lack of a better cliched word..zen. I felt good over every shot and knew that I was going to get close to the hole on every shot coming in. My tempo felt so good that day and I felt that I was able to feel the head of club on every swing. Ball contact was clean and I just had that "effortless swing" all day long.

Needless to say, I'm still giddy about it and just put me in a good mood over the weekend..and still feel good. Golfers are a strange breed, we can get in trouble by our wives, girlfriends, bad day at work, etc. but as long as we know we played a good round it seems to bring things back to normal.

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.