Cleveland Golf's Boo Weekely at 2010 Puerto Rico Open
The 2010 Puerto Rico Open is set to begin, and we got a chance to talk to Cleveland Golf’s Boo Weekely about his goals for 2010, what type of conditioning he’s been doing in the off season, his shoulder injury, charities, and more!
Special thanks to Cleveland Golf and Boo Weekley.
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Fred Couples Win at Toshiba Classic-Image Courtesy Bridgestone Golf
In his first Champions Tour event since his inaugural win in February, Fred Couples soared to his second title on the 50-and-over circuit, this past weekend at the Toshiba Classic. The victory netted Couples $255,000 for a total of $691,000 earned through three events – stretching his Charles Schwab Cup points lead to almost 300 over his nearest competitor. Couples relied on the new Bridgestone Golf J38 Dual Pocket Cavity irons (3-PW) and his trusted Tour B330 Golf Ball to scorch the field with a final round 65, making the margin of victory an impressive four shots.
For the tournament, Couples was 18-under par and finished at or near the top of several statistical categories for the week including Driving Distance(1), Greens-in-Regulation(T6), Birdies(1), Eagles(T2) and Putts Per GIR(3). “Fred’s play on the Champions Tour in the early going has been nothing short of spectacular,” said Dan Murphy, Bridgestone Golf – Vice President of Marketing. “His combination of power and precision iron play has made him the dominant force out there. We expect that Fred is really going to continue this dominance – and that what you’re seeing right now is only the beginning.”
For more information on what the entire Bridgestone Golf TOUR Team has in their bags, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com.
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The first week of March is almost over, here are some stories you might have missed. From John Daly tweeting out phone numbers, Tiger Woods and Ryan Longwell sightings at Isleworth Country Club, learning to play golf using your Nintendo Wii, and learning how to regrip your golf clubs.
John Daly Urges Calls to Florida Times-Union Writer Garry Smits After Embarrassing Article-Be forewarned, if you piss off John Daly, he might tweet out your phone number. [Waggle Room]
John Daly Twitter Status-via Waggleroom.com
Tiger Woods was spotted practicing at Isleworth Country Club practice range, this week by Charles Howell III-Also spotted at Ilseworth was Ryan Longwell, kicker for the Minnesota Vikings. Who knew Charles Howell III, was a big Vikings fan! [Golf.com]
Minnesota Vikings Ryan Longwell-Flickr:Vinkingfrenzy
Learn to play golf using your Nintendo Wii with David Leadbetter’s My Personal Golf Trainer-You could save a ton of money on golf lessons or not? [Orlando Golf Blogger]
David Leadbetter's My Personal Trainer for Nintendo Wii-via Orlando Golf Blogger
How To Regrip A Golf Club In Under 4 Minutes-Watch John Duval at Intothegrain.com show you how to regrip your golf clubs.-He makes it look so easy! Might have to try it out. [Intothegrain.com]
How to regrip your golf club-via Intothegrain.com
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It’s almost Spring and there is no better way to kick off the month of March, but with a Caption Contest! At the PGA Merchandise Show you see all sorts of things and I stumbled upon this guy talking to this girl.
All you have to do is come up with the best caption and leave it the comments section below.
Caption Contest: What's This Guy Asking?
The winner will get a copy of Jim McLean’s, The Slot Swing!
Here’s my attempt: “Got any gum?”
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Golf is one of those sports that can bring sheer enjoyment one moment and in another instance so much frustration, that you question why you’re playing in the first place. One of things that we often overlook or are not aware of is the life lessons we can takeaway from playing this game and how it applies to our everyday lives.
Jeff Ritter, the author of Your Kid Ate a Divot! 2010 PGA Merchandise Show
When I was visiting the Sligo Wear booth at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show, I ran into this guy holding a book with a funny book title, Your Kid Ate A Divot! Eighteen Life Lessons from the Links. I was automatically intrigued by the funny title of this book and I had to learn more. This is how I met Jeff Ritter one of the world’s most prominent golf instructors known for his unique coaching style that incorporates creative concepts from all walks of life to help teach that crazy game of golf to his students.
About Your Kid Ate a Divot!
In his book Jeff tells a humorous collection of tales sure to add inspiration to your game and your life! These true stories deliver the valuable life lessons within the game in a manner never seen in the world of golf. You’ll find yourself thinking about how these lessons not only apply to the game of golf, but in your personal life or career for that matter. I was really amazed by the level of insight and how simple some of the lessons were.
The book is broken up into 19 Chapters or holes on a golf course and each hole starts out with a story related to the chapter, followed by Jeff’s insight called Ritter’s Tip. For example, in chapter 3 (referenced as 3rd Hole in the book) Whistle While You Work. The story is about a student who wanted to become a good golfer and was taking lessons from Jeff.
When we are learning something new, it takes time for it sink-in and repeat consistently. So when the golfer would struggle with hitting his shots, he would simply begin to whistle his favorite tune to loosen up. After doing this, the golfer would begin hitting his golf shots consistently again. Ritter’s Tip for this is called Letting Go.
Learning to Let Go
We’ve all been there when we become frustrated and get all in our head, because we can’t hit a shot, etc. Letting Go, is the key to mentally freeing up your mind and relaxing your body so you can execute. And Whistling is a great way of doing it, because it distracts you, but also puts you in a different frame of mind. This is something I plan on trying out and doing more often, when things don’t go the way you expect them too.
As you read the other chapters titled, “The Duck of Death,” “Squirrel Boy,” and yes…..a kid who really ate a divot, you will experience a new found enthusiasm for the game and the uplifting messages a life on the links brings! What you’ll also get from reading this book is a genuine sense of who Jeff Ritter is as an instructor and a person. Which in my opinion is not easy to do.
At only 176 pages, Your Kid Ate A Divot is quick and enjoyable read, that will leave you wanting more great stories and life lessons. I know that’s how I felt after finishing the book. Hopefully, Jeff will write a sequel, because I’m sure there are more than 18 lessons we can learn from golf.
Overall, Your Kid Ate A Divot! Eighteen Life Lessons from the Links is in my opinion one of the best golf books I’ve read in quite sometime. The book will resonate with golfers of all abilities and you’ll come away looking at the game differently and more aware of yourself.
Your Kid Ate A Divot! Eighteen Life Lessons from the Links $14.95
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I was reading this very entertaining and thought-provoking article on GameSpy by Mike Drucker titled, Dear Videogame Industry, Please Stop Making Games . In Mike’s letter he pleas with the video game industry to stop releasing so many new titles every week, because he unable to keep up and complete them.
2010 PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day
So this got me thinking about the golf industry and how the release cycle for golf clubs has shortened and how almost every 3 months a new golf equipment is being released.
I’m not complaining about the number of golf clubs being released, but like Mike, I can find it to be a little hard to keep up and test all the new models that come out. This short life cycle, forces me to be selective about what I can review and test, before a new model is released.
I’d like to know from you, if the frequent release of golf clubs annoys you? Does it make it harder to decide on what to buy and when? Do you think the golf industry needs to go back to a longer life cycle and release new clubs once or twice a year? Or are things fine the way they are?
I’m curious to know your thoughts.
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Do you have a slow swing speed <100 MPH? Produce a low ball flight? Need all the help you can get from your irons? If you answered “Yes,” to any of these three questions, then you need to check out the TaylorMade Burner SuperLaunch Irons.
TaylorMade Burner SuperLaunch Iron
Enter the Burner SuperLaunch, an iron specifically designed to be spectacularly forgiving and easy to get in the air, allowing a certain segment of players – mainly slower swingers and low-ball hitters — to get more distance. In addition, Burner SuperLaunch iron’s generous offset helps straighten a slice and promote a draw.
Burner SuperLaunch irons are also engineered to deliver tremendous forgiveness from end-to-end (heel to the toe) and top to bottom (topline to leading edge). In fact, it’s the most forgiving iron ever from TaylorMade. That makes it a great iron for high-handicappers with patterns of inconsistent ball-striking. In fact, Burner SuperLaunch irons boast the highest MOI of any TaylorMade iron, ever.
Multifunctional, Beveled Sole Promotes High Launch
The first thing you notice about Burner SuperLaunch irons is that each features a wide, multifunctional sole, which is key to establishing the low and deep CG location that makes every one of these irons so easy to get high in the air. However, each sole is strategically beveled to reduce the degree of interaction with the turf. That means you get the low-deep CG-positioning benefits of a large sole, yet it plays like a much smaller, narrower sole.
When you rest a Burner SuperLaunch iron behind the ball, you’ll notice the substantial topline, which contributes to the exceptional stability and forgiveness. TaylorMade engineers cambered the topline’s rearward edge to give it a downward slant, resulting in a more dynamic appearance.
Individually-designed Long-irons, Mid-irons and Short-irons
Like the Burner irons, the Burner SuperLaunch long-irons, mid-irons and short-irons were designed separately, which is clear when you see the long-irons, which boast a decidedly low-profile shape compared to the rest of the set. This shape, when combined with the wide sole and deep cavity, help make Burner SuperLaunch long-irons so much easier to launch at lower swing speeds. The low-profile shape also makes the long-irons look easy to hit, too. On the opposite end of the set, Burner SuperLaunch short-irons have a traditional face-height and profile, while the middle-irons are of medium-profile, about halfway between the traditional profile of the short-irons and low-profile of the long-irons.
Progressive Face Thickness throughout the Set
Progressive face thickness throughout the set has the thinnest faces in the long-irons for higher COR, faster ball speed and better weight distribution and thicker faces in the short-irons for better feel. Inverted Cone Technology in every Burner SuperLaunch iron helps expand the area of the clubface that delivers fast ball speed to promote more distance on off-center hits.
Of course, the most critical performance benefit of Burner SuperLaunch is how easily they launch the ball and how high they launch the ball. Slower swingers will find it a breeze to launch these irons on an extremely high flight and with the spin necessary to keep the ball in the air long enough to achieve significant added carry, and when the ball comes down it will land steeply and softly.
New Grooves Design
Burner SuperLaunch irons incorporate a new TaylorMade groove design that conforms to the USGA’s new ruling on grooves, which will be enforced in high-level competition starting in 2010 and in recreational golf starting in 2024.
Availability and Pricing for Burner SuperLaunch
The standard set of Burner SuperLaunch irons includes 4-iron through attack wedge, and will be offered at a street price of $599 with steel shafts and $799 with graphite. A 3-iron and sand wedge are also offered separately. Burner SuperLaunch irons are offered in four shaft flexes – S, R, M, L.
The Burner SuperLaunch ladies’ set features its own unique purple color palette. Burner SuperLaunch irons will become available starting on April 1, 2010.
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Imagine if you will, being among the very first to walk onto a new golf course that one of the nation’s top golf magazines has already deemed “the next frontier in golfing” and taking a very deeply satisfying divot as you watch your golf ball cut through a crisp, blue sky as big and as wide as the eye can see. Well, look no further than The Prairie Club , a new, world-class, semi-private golf destination that will make its debut on May 31, 2010.
The Prairie Club
In anticipation of its May opening, The Prairie Club has begun to take reservations for the coming golf season at 888-402-1101. As The Prairie Club is a semi-private destination club, reservations for golf and lodging are now available for the first 60 days of the 2010 season. The Prairie Club was recently noted by GolfWeek magazine as “the next frontier in golfing” and by Links magazine as among the top new courses in the world for 2010.
Located near Valentine, Neb., in the heart of the Sandhills, a region about the size of Scotland that is known for its distinctive sand dunes topography, The Prairie Club will offer two, championship 18-hole golf courses and a 10-hole, par 3 golf course. The Prairie Club is situated on 1,260 acres, along the Snake River Canyon and is located within a day’s drive from Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and Chicago.
Each day throughout the 2010 season, The Prairie Club will designate one of its 18-hole courses for avid golfers from the general public. Founding members will have priority access to all three courses, including a members-only course that will be designated each day during the season. In addition, founding members will receive priority reservations and discounts for lodging accommodations; discounted guest golf fees; and reduced membership fees in future clubs developed by the club’s parent company, Destination Golf Ventures.
The Prairie Club Lodge
The Prairie Club Lodge
The Prairie Club’s golf courses are anchored by The Prairie Club Lodge, which will offer authentic and relaxed dining and lodging accommodations. The Lodge is a 40,000-square-foot facility available to both members and avid golfers. It will feature 31 rooms, a gourmet restaurant, two bars, a library, a 20-person conference room, covered and outdoor patios, merchandise store and golf shop. In addition to the Lodge, The Prairie also will offer a four-room cabin located on the rim of the Snake River Canyon. Complementing the Lodge is an expansive practice facility, which will allow members and avid golfers to hone every aspect of their game.
The seed for the semi-private golf club was planted seven years ago when Paul Schock, an avid golfer and businessman from Sioux Falls, S.D., met Cleve Trimble, a Cherry County landowner, who had a vision of bringing world-class golf, accessible to the public, to north central Nebraska. Development began in earnest when Schock purchased land from Trimble three years later with the intent of developing a golf destination to take advantage of the breathtaking terrain of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, an area the size of Scotland, which is known for its striking sand dunes landscape and as well as the world-famous annual migration route of the sandhill crane.
The Dunes Course
The Dunes Course 7th Green-Prairie Club
The Dunes Course is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by former Ryder Cup captain and golf course architect Tom Lehman, and golf course architect Chris Brands. Its’ six sets of tees stretch from 5,842 to 8,073 yards, and its wide sweeping fairways (150 yards wide in many areas) are specifically designed to increase the playability of the course. Marked by dramatic elevation changes, endless views of the Sandhills in all directions, and immense blow-out bunkers, a player will face this wind-torn land and massive rolling seascape of prairie grass, searching for a bright, calm slick of green fairway. With a tip of the hat to natural, minimalistic links-style golf courses of Scotland and Ireland, the Dunes Course is a purely American prairie-links style experience that golfers of all stripes will find challenging.
The Pines Course
The Pines Course 10th Hole
The Pines Course, the other 18-hole championship golf course, takes advantage of the remnants of a nearby, ancient ponderosa forest situated along the banks of the Snake River Canyon. The course was designed by Graham Marsh, an internationally renowned touring golf professional, who also is recognized for his 25 years of worldwide golf course design experience. The Pines Course features five sets of tees ranging from 5,329 to 7,528 yards. The prevailing prairie winds are somewhat blocked by the western wall of the canyon and the trees, making the warming sun and the canyon views stunningly beautiful, creating a silent reverie for the golfer.
The Horse Course
The Horse Course 4th Hole
Uniquely set apart from the two championship 18 hole golf courses is the wickedly fun Horse Course. This 10 hole par 3 course takes the game of basketball’s “h-o-r-s-e” to a new level. With no tee boxes, the player with the honors calls the spot from which you tee up your next shot. Set right on the rim of the Snake River Canyon, this golf course plays from 485 to 1,125 yards, depending upon where a player decides to call the tee shot, as the traditional game of “h-o-r-s-e” dictates. Designed by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse, along with his partners Geoff Shackelford and Jim Wagner, the Horse Course is the perfect complement to the putting green complex named The Himalayas.
It’s hard to believe this is Nebraska. If I ever have a reason to drive out that way, I’ll need to check out these amazing looking golf courses.
For more information or book a tee time www.theprairieclub.com
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Rickie Fowler’s outfit was a fan favorite to make entertaining comments about at the Phoenix Open on Saturday. But Rickie didn’t let them bother him (can’t take what a bunch of drunks too seriously, anyway!). He fired a two-under 69 and T3 going into the final round.
“I feel good about the game, and when the wind picked up I felt comfortable,” he said. “I like playing in the wind. Right where we want to be going into tomorrow.”
Guess what Rickie is wearing tomorrow? Yep, his signature orange pants for Oklahoma.
Rickie Fowler's scripting for the final two rounds of the Phoenix Open
Want to add some blue or range to your golf wardrobe? Here are the looks…
*Saturday: Golf Plain Performance Polo, Golf Check Pants, Cat Belt, Cell Fusion
*Sunday: Golf Plain Performance Polo, Golf Style Pants, Golf Enamel Belt, Cell Fusion
Visit PUMA.com for other cool styles!
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Diehard Chicago Bear fans and golfers, if your in Celebration, Florida the week of April 16th-18th, 2010 you won’t want to miss the second annual Mike Ditka Resorts Celebrity Golf Outing.
Mike Ditka autographing a football-GridironGreats.org
Mike Ditka Resorts will be hosting their 2nd Annual Mike Ditka Resorts Celebrity Golf Outing on April 16th–18th, 2010 with all proceeds benefiting the Gridiron Greats Foundation. The fun-filled event kicks off Friday night with a welcome reception from 7-10 p.m. featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for guests to enjoy and mingle with Coach Ditka himself!
Mystic Dunes Golf Club Hole 1-Mystic Dunes
The celebrity golf outing will begin Saturday morning with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. at the top rated Mystic Dunes Golf Club in Celebration, Florida. Those choosing not to participate in the celebrity golf outing will have the option to partake in one of the luxury in-house spa services that will be provided or just relax at one of the two spacious pools at the beautiful Mike Ditka Resorts- Runaway Beach Club in Orlando, Florida.
Following the celebrity golf outing and luxury spa services, guests will be invited to join their favorite celebrities for a night of fun which includes cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres, live entertainment, as well as a silent and live auction. Mike Ditka will also be hosting an awards ceremony honoring the day’s best golfers as well as the event’s top contributors and sponsors to the Gridiron Greats Foundation.
The amazing weekend will wrap up Sunday morning with a farewell brunch from 8 – 11 a.m.
For more information call 888-512-2200 or visit www.MikeDitkaResorts.com for golf and room packages, sponsorship information, and to bid on items featured in the online auction.
Who wouldn’t want to play golf with the DA Coach and help a great foundation like Gridirons Greats!
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