Golf Gear News

Look for Golf Gear News 2.0 in a New Place

2008-04-15T20:09:00.003-05:00

I am extremely excited to announce that this will be the last post on this blog platform because we have moved to a new WordPress platform. After 120 posts and 43 podcasts that began with the first blog entry 9/12/05, Golf Gear News has grown up.

The new site has all the old posts, but it also has a better layout, golf news streams, videos and as always, the blog and podcast. Join us over at the new site for more commentary on the world of golf.

I appreciate all my readers and listeners for visiting me here, but make sure you stay involved by bookmarking the new site at www.golfgearnews.net.

Bruce Stasch
Host
Golf Gear News

Tiger's Done Before He Even Starts

2008-04-12T14:12:00.001-05:00

It is amazing the spectacle of rabid celebrity worship. I just read a headline from Yahoo at the start of the second round of the Masters that said “Anyone’s Jacket” in big headlines. The subtext then said: “Tiger Woods is now six shots off the lead with second-round play under way at the Masters on Friday.” This makes it sound likes he’s dying out there.

Let’s put this in context. For the last few weeks everyone was talking about Tiger as if he’d already won this year’s Master. It was a done deal. He was a shoe-in. The oddmasters had him at 2 to 1. A lock.

Yet this headline makes it sound like he done for. There’s no hope. He’s already six strokes behind. Too bad, maybe he’ll win the next one.

Whoa rabid Tiger worshippers. How quickly the media jumps off the bandwagon just so they can write a compelling headline.

Context my friends. CONTEXT.

Let’s not forgot that when this was written at about 10AM in the morning, Tiger hadn’t even teed off for the second round. His tee time was at 1:52 pm. Almost four hours later. Let me repeat that TIGER HADN’T EVEN TEED OFF YET!

A case of burying the body before the person has even died.

Mr. Media and Rapid Celebrity Worshippers, let the man actually play the course before you write him off.

Golf Gear News #44 - Odds of Tiger Winning US Open, Get a Tax Deduction, Black Ops Golf Psychology and Clubmaxx Golf Bags Interview

2008-04-10T02:43:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

Interview with the Guru: Clubmaxxgolfbags.com .

The Newstand: Odds of Woods Winning the US Open, and Get a Tax Deduction for Playing Golf .

Golf of the Weird: Black Ops Golf Psychology .

Our new Golf Gear News Blog 2.0 is HERE!

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com .

Check out our new Media Kit .

Golf Gear News #43 - Masters & Tiger, Masters Food, Masters History, San Diego Golf Academy Interview

2008-04-09T23:17:00.011-05:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

Interview with the Guru: San Diego Golf Academy.

The Newstand: Odds of Woods Wining the Masters, How Did Amen Corner Get It’s Name, and Last Remaining Living Player from 1934 Masters.

Look for our new Golf Gear News Blog 2.0 coming soon!

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com.

Check out our new Media Kit.

Golf Gear News #42 - Wie Drops Out, Feherty Breaks Ribs, StopClubAbuse.org, Old Works Golf Course, FST Interview

2008-03-23T20:44:00.012-05:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

Interview with the Guru: Femco Steel Technology (FST).

The Newstand: Wie Drops Out of Safeway Event, Adam Scott Hates Slow Play, and Feherty Gets Hit By Truck.

Golf of the Weird: Stopclubabuse.org.

Golf Around the World: Old Works Golf Course.

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com.

Check out our new Media Kit.

Golf Gear News #41 - Ernie Els on Autism, Golfer Kills Hawk, Adjustable Shafts, Scratch Golf, Where willTiger Play

2008-03-08T15:06:00.012-06:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

The Newstand: Ernie Els Supports Autism.

Golf of the Weird: Golfer Kills Protected Hawk.

State of the Game: Women Can Compete with Men.

The Perfect Fit: Shaft Makers in the World of Adjustability.

She Golfs Too: Golf’s Venus and Serena Williams.
View the video. HERE.

Component Corner: Scratch Golf Wedges is Growing.

Component Corner: When Tiger Moves, Where Will His Home Course Be?

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com.

Check out our new Media Kit.

Tiger Gives Away Four, Yes Four Buicks

2008-03-04T21:21:00.002-06:00

I don't know when this first appeared, but a customer of mine from New York sent me this YouTube video of Tiger pulling a fast one on a bunch of unsuspecting golfers. The reason Tiger is so cool is that he appears to really have a great time giving these cars away. Thanks Richard for the link.

Video of Plane Trying to Land - Wow!

2008-03-03T16:25:00.005-06:00

For those of us that travel by plane, a recent video of an A320 trying to land at the Hamburg, Germany airport in a crosswind, should give us pause when we complain how much airline pilots get paid. Pilots are known to say that flying is long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

The plane you see did land safely in a later attempt.

I'm sure after you check out this video, you’d be the first person to offer that pilot a raise.

The Fallacy of Club Adjustability

2008-02-26T17:34:00.004-06:00

I commend the big brands in finding new ways to pick the pockets of the average golfer.

In 2007, the USGA, decided to establish a new rule on club adjustability It allows for woods and irons to be developed with interchangeable heads, variable shafts and even customizable lengths, lofts and weights. If you read the trade ads you’d think just by buying one of these fancy new adjustable clubs, your score will drop by 10 strokes. Nonsense.

Yet that is basically what the TaylorMades, Nikes and Nickent Golfs are saying: buy this over-priced, over-hyped, adjustable golf club with a patented new connector that lets you pull out one shaft and replace it with another and presto, you’re on your way to becoming a scratch golfer.

On the surface this might seem like a great idea until you check out the price tag for this new fangled technology. It wasn’t enough to make us buy the latest TaylorMade r7 or Callaway FT-i driver for $599. No sir, now, to get this latest technological leap forward into our bags we must cough up $1000 for TaylorMade’s “Tour Van in a Box” that contains a driver head and three graphite shafts.

Yet it doesn’t end there.

To make sure that we’d never put a non-TaylorMade shaft into their fancy head, a proprietary connector is needed. This will assure that you only buy the expensive shafts from the company even though you could buy the same shaft, without the connector, for less. Even if we did end up buying one of these fancy drivers, we still couldn’t swap out the shaft in the middle of a round. No no that would be illegal. That can only occur between rounds.

Every year the equipment manufacturers look for new ways to separate golfers from their money and we oblige them by purchasing billions of dollars of new equipment annually. This year’s technological leap du jour is adjustable shafts. If you remember last year’s flavor it was adjustable weights. Next year maybe they will let us use those laser-guided putters.

Frank Thomas, the inventor of the graphite shaft and the GOLF CHANNEL's Chief Technical Advisor weighed in a few weeks ago “I don't think the USGA has thought this out to the extent it should have and instead jumped on something, which in the short term is going to please the manufacturers who are looking for something to stimulate their lagging sales.”

I’ll say this again like I’ve said it so many times in the past: take that $1000 and buy yourself some lessons or get your clubs custom fit. These options are much more likely to lower your score than a fancy adjustable-shafted driver.

Golf Gear News #40 - Tiger Kicks Butt, Wie Sucks, Female Golfer Sues, Are Your a Lethal Weapon & Strategic Shaft Technologies

2008-02-25T19:45:00.016-06:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

Interview with the Guru: Strategic Shaft Technologies.

The Newstand: Tiger Woods Kicks Butt and Michelle Wie Sucks.

She Golfs Too: Female Golfer Banned from Tournament.

Component Corner: TaylorMade Sells Maxfli.

State of the Game: Nine Hole Courses Could be the Answer.

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com.

Check out our new Media Kit.

Golf Gear News #39 - Norwegian Golf Bribes, Marriot Must Allow ADA Golf Carts, Golfer's Dog Eaten

2008-02-10T21:09:00.000-06:00

CLICK HERE to listen.

Interview with the Guru: Sweetwood Golf Company.

The Newstand: Siemens Embroiled in Norwegian Golf Bribe Controversy, and Mickelson Shoots an Eleven and Misses Cut.

Golf of the Weird: Golfer's Dog is Eaten.

State of the Game: Marriot must allow accessible golf carts.

Our show sponsor is Golfknockoff.com.

Check out our new Media Kit.

Look for the Return of the Golf Gear News Podcast

2008-01-29T20:12:00.000-06:00

Back in August, 2007 I announced that my podcast Golf Gear News was going on hiatus. At the time I didn't know how long I would be off the airwaves (or is that podwaves), but I always intended to find my way back behind the microphone. It has been just over six months and I've missed it.

Well, I just wanted to updated everyone that I'm in the process of putting Golf Gear News back on sometimes in February with a new format, new advertisers, and a much larger listenership. Once the deal is signed you will see our name all over and hopefully you will tune in again.

Stay tuned!

Bruce Stasch
Host
Golf Gear News

Snipe All You Want but Tiger Runs the PGA

2008-01-05T13:30:00.000-06:00

The start of every PGA Tour season finds Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson missing from the ranks. Even V.J. Singh thinks they should have moved the tournament back at least a week to give the top dogs more time off. Some players like Jeff Ogilvie and Stephen Ames are complaining that the commissioner of the PGA, Tim Finchem is missing in action too. These players are complaining that it shows the lack of commitment to the Tour by the commissioner. Jeff & Stephen, nobody cares.

I’d love to see the top players at every tournament. The sponsors like it, the crowds thrive on it and the television networks count on it, but it will rarely happen to start the season. Top players like Tiger and Phil are brands in and of themselves. They aren’t beholden to the Tour. They will show up when the want to.

Tiger and Phil run the PGA and give the marching orders. The PGA and tour players need to understand that. Tiger, Incorporated and Phil & Company are the draws that bring in the dollars. They are the moneymakers for the PGA. They are multi-million dollars corporations and the PGA benefits from their largess. If Tiger said that he wanted to start The Tiger Tour and would commit to playing every tournament; goodbye PGA.

Let’s use tennis as an example. When Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were playing, tennis was hot. Everyone wanted to see a Connors-McEnroe match-up. Even ladies tennis was interesting to watch when Martina, Chissy and Billy Jean King were playing.

Although Phil Sampras is considered one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the game, nobody seems to care other than hardcore tennis fans. He doesn’t capture the imagination of fans and sponsors like Tiger does. An interview with Sampras is like getting your wisdom teeth pulled and just as painful. He doesn’t make for good media fodder.

No so with Phil or Tiger. They are the game of golf today. Think Oprah and her book club. She makes best sellers out of books just by talking about them. Tiger sells cars, watches and golf clubs just by lending his name to the brand. The PGA needs to understand that they don’t make the rules anymore, the star players do.

Tim Finchem gets overpaid and has nothing to do with the Tour’s popularity. His no-show at the Mercedes-Benz Championships to start the year is a non-event. The Tour needs to realize where its bread is butter and it ain’t by Commissioner Finchem.

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Sue

2007-12-22T19:14:00.000-06:00

When everyone is making money there isn’t time to try to take down the competition. With shrinking margins, stagnate revenues and tougher competition, if you can’t innovate your way to profitability, the only choice is to sue.

Take the recent court cases brought by Callaway against Titleist, Bridgestone against Titleist and DogLeg Right against TaylorMade. All are suing each other because of supposed patent infringements.

In the case of DogLeg Right, they accuse TaylorMade of violating two patents that “...cover technology that allows the user to adjust the center of gravity of the clubhead in up to three dimensions in order to produce golf ball trajectories varying from high to low fades, high to low draws, and high to low straight shots.” The supposed clubs that violate these patents are TaylorMade’s r7 Quad driver, TaylorMade r7 425 Quad driver, and TaylorMade r7 CGB Max driver and fairway woods.

A recent court victory was awarded to Callaway over Acushnet, makers of the top-selling golf ball the Titleist Pro V1. The jury awarded Callaway a victory on “….the construction of a multilayer ball with a solid core and a polyurethane cover that are used in the Titleist Pro V1 ball.” Callaway acquired the patents in 2003 when it purchased Top-Flite Golf following the bankruptcy of parent Spalding Sports Worldwide.

Acushnet was recently involved in another golf ball case that has been settled out-of-court with Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., resolving a 2 1/2-year ball patent infringement suit. Acushnet will be required to pay Bridgestone on-going royalties for use of an undisclosed number of Bridgestone patents.

Lawsuits are part of the business landscape and suing your competition is generally the chosen path, but for the major golf businesses, if they spent more time on innovation and growing the game and less on legal court fights, maybe their businesses would perform better.

Course Review: Hidden Creek Golf Club

2007-10-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

Hidden Creek Golf Club
Owatonna, MN
9/30/07

NOTE: From time to time, I visit courses in my area and give my impressions. I am not compensated to give these reviews.
HACKER RATING: 6.0
View bottom of posting for rating categories.

In the midst of Minnesota corn fields is a little bit of Scotland. Hidden Creek Golf Club, a links style golf course, boasts four sets of tee boxes and a very lengthy 7,000 yards from the tips. The course is located just south of Owatonna, and the city is only 35 miles south of the Twin Cities and home to Wenger, Owatonna Tool Company (SPX) and Federated Mutual. Hidden Creek is the only bent grass course in the area. No bermuda grass for these guys.

Started twelve years ago by former Minnesota politico Dean Hardle and 36 private investors, the course is one of only a handful of links style courses in Minnesota and plays a lot harder than it looks. To the uninitiated, a links courses looks like it has no more challenge in it than a cow pasture. Not so. Hidden Creek requires that you know which club to pull out of your bag at the right time. Do you lay up or cut the dogleg and drive the green? Decisions.

A links course is atypical in a state like Minnesota. Often created from former farm fields, a links course takes advantage of land contours and tries to trick you into pulling out the wrong club or think your skills are better than they are. These types of courses don’t have an attitude problem or a big ego. They accept their limitations and try to compensate with well-placed swales, native grasses and deep bunkers. Water only plays a small part of a links course’s thinking because if there were a lot of water it would have been turned into a resort course.

During its lifetime, Hidden Creek has had a checkered past. Poorly managed until recently, the course had less than seventy paying members and was badly floundering. In 2006 management was taken over by John Jensen, an original investor and Carol Kuntz. Under their tutelage they have lowered prices, increased membership to 130 members and started to turn around the course. If you get the chance to meet him, John looks surprisingly similar to Nick Faldo; a convenient advantage when running a golf course.

Annual memberships are only $595 (yes, less than $600), and local players have started taking to the course in a big way. Hidden Creek has tried to add value by offering reciprocal agreements with area courses. For those wanting to work on their game, it is the only course in the area with driving, chipping and putting practice areas.

When you visit Hidden Creek, you will find a large clubhouse that has a full bar and kitchen. Current cuisine is pretty weak, but they have the potential for more. Sidling up to the long wood paneled bar is like hanging out at the local watering hole. The staff is friendly, the bar is full and the costs are quite reasonable.

The course's event area can accommodate up to 150 people and has become popular for weddings and charity tournaments. Four tee boxes await your first drive. Most golfers will choose the 6220 length challenge of the blue tees, but if you are ready to play from the tips, you'll have to stop in one spot to wash your ball and a second spot to tee off; a bit inconvenient if you are persnickety about your golf ball’s cleanliness.

Another area that needs work are the out-of-bounds and hazards. A golfer unfamiliar with the course might get confused as to which direction to hit because the greens are set close together. Course maintenance needs some work. Not the fairways and greens, which were in fine shape, but the carts paths, signage and bridges. The course sometimes crosses narrow water hazards, thus the name Hidden Creek, but in spots the rickety old bridges are hazards themselves. I'm sure as the course strengthens itself financially, these will be updated.

Rates are a very big draw. You can find a round with cart for only $30 and often a $25 round can be snagged. If you asked nicely, managers John and Carol will be happy to let you play so they can show off their course and talk about their future plans. For beginners, seniors, juniors and ladies, Hidden Creek is a fine challenge for those just taking to golf. For those who like lots of trouble spots like deep rough, large bodies of water or highly manicure fairways, then Hidden Creek isn't the right course for you.

HACKER RATING: 6.0
Location: 6
Friendliness: 6
Value: 6
Layout: 5
Playability: 8

The Hacker Rating of this course is based on the golfing experience for the average golfer. The course was rated on the following categories: Location -- easy access, easy to find, what’s nearby; Friendliness -- good service, cart girl, clubhouse, food choices; Value -- cost, what you get for your money; Layout -- length, bunkers, traps, difficulty, course style; Playability -- good for beginners, seniors, etc. The rating is based on scale of 1 to 10 in each category with a total possible rating score of 10.0 .

Hidden Creek Golf Club
Owatonna, MN
1-888-667-4653
www.hiddencreekmn.com

Phil and Tiger Compete on the Charity Front Too

2007-09-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

Without the great fanfare that came with the world’s number one golfer announcing his Tiger Woods Learning Center, the world’s number two golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy have partnered with ExxonMobil to support a teacher training program called the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, which wrapped up the last of it's 2007 sessions in July.

Although modest in comparison to the Tiger Woods effort, the academy has grown to include three sessions this year -- two regional academies in Texas and Louisiana, and the national academy in Fairfax, Va. -- up from one in 2005, its first year. A total of 600 teachers attended the three academies. Each academy had the same goal: to train third- through fifth-grade teachers with new strategies and philosophies to keep kids interested in the sciences.

Even off the course in the charitable world, Tiger and Phil compete with each other. In this competition, Tiger is directing his efforts to students and Phil toward teachers. Still, both are concentrating on the precipitous drop in math and science scores occuring in the United States. It’s nice to see Phil supporting such a good cause.

Who Wants to Own a Golf Equipment Company?

2007-09-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't.

Golf equipment isn't a very good investment these days. Look at Callaway. It's stock has dropped 20% since July ($15.71 vs. $19.49), Golfsmith has faired even worse crash-diving 47% ($5.77 vs $10.95).

Two articles came to my attention on the golf equipment business recently: Cleveland Sale Appears Imminent and Huffy Corporation Sells Tommy Armour. Both appeared in GolfWeek Business. For leveraged buyout groups like the one that is selling Cleveland and the sporting goods conglomerate that is unloading Tommy Armour, golf isn't fitting into their idea of making a profit.

Quicksilver, the current owner of Cleveland because of its acquisition of Rossignol skis in 2005, wants to dump it because the parent took its first annual loss in 15 years. Huffy, which acquired Tommy Armour, TearDrop, Ram, and Zebra when it purchased extreme sports manufacturer Gen X in 2002, later emerged from bankruptcy in 2005 and no longer thought golf fit into its future plans. Rumors are that Cleveland could be a TaylorMadeAdidas target, but nothing is official.

Last year it was sporting good retailers consolidating. Is 2007 the year for golf equipment manufacturers?

Sorenstam Gets Hitched. What Does This Mean for the LPGA?

2007-08-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Oh boy! Annika just got hitched and you know what that means: limited schedule, retirement, clothing line, course building, babies. I mean, the girl is 36 and has been the best female golfer on the planet for the last ten years. What do you think it means for the LPGA?

Oddly, nothing.

Annika is no Tiger. She's great, don't get me wrong, but "Annika, Incorporated" ain't "Tiger, Inc." Annika is everything a good golfer should be: intelligent, understated, polite, well-spoken and a great golfer. But she is not a great interview nor does she look hot in a swimsuit.

Tiger draws. And draws and draws and draws. He single-handedly made golf the big money sport that it is today. Annika, although dominant on a golf course, isn't anything close to that off it. She has been pushed off the front pages of golf magazines to show Natalie Gulbis in a swimsuit and the continued meltdown of Michelle Wie.

Just look at Lorena Ochoa to see how little attention the top female golfers get in the mainstream golf media. I mean that girl has won three golf tournaments in a row this year, but she doesn't speak English that well so we don't really care. She's won eight tournaments, including a major. I bet you didn't know that. That fact alone makes my point in spades.

Once the happy couple decides on a wedding date, Annika will start to plan her retirement date.

The great golf seer has spoken.

Golf Gear News Writes 100th Blog Post

2007-08-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

Wow! How time flies. I didn't realize this but just last week I wrote my 100th blog post on Hardwoods Golf Course in Garrison, MN. Way back on 9/12/05, when I did the first one, I never expected to still be talking golf. Yet, here I am.

Course Review: Hardwoods Golf Club

2007-08-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

Mille Lacs Golf Resort & Marina
Garrison, MN
8/19/07

NOTE: From time to time, I visit courses in my area and give my impressions. I am not compensated to give these reviews.
HACKER RATING: 6.8
View bottom of posting for rating categories.

Things are happening at the Mille Lacs Golf Resort & Marina. The sleepy 6300 yard, par 71 course is slowly being transformed into a leading resort and entertainment center in central Minnesota. Just minutes from the Native American casino Grand Casino, which attracts 3.2 million visitors annually, the Hardwoods Golf Club is part of a 270 acre resort complex that is planning to have a 120-room hotel, an indoor water park, and a day spa surrounding the course.

The developers of this ambitious project are Todd & Mary Christenson, owners of Christenson Development, a family-run construction and development company. They purchased the golf course in 2003 from R.J. Smiley, a well-known senior golfer in Minnesota and have been busy with improvements ever since.

The course is cut through stands of mature trees, thus the Hardwoods name. It’s longest hole is only 510 yards, but the course also has two dogleg left par 4s, and a 205 par three. On most holes, if you can keep your drive on the fairway, you can reach the green with a well-placed utility wood. Another feature is Pinehurst-like elevated greens. If you are just off the fringe, rolling your putts up to the hole often isn’t your best option complicating getting your ball on the green and potentially adding strokes to your score. You will find this course a great test for high-handicap players and is the perfect length for women.

The course itself is short by modern standards, but the new owners plan to add 200-300 yards, many more sand traps (the course only has three) and another par 5 hole. At 6500+ yards, the course will become a better test for golfers and with the construction of a new modern clubhouse, slated to break ground in 2008, the Hardwoods Golf Club hopes to become the leading resort in the Mille Lacs Lake area alongside competitors Izady’s and Ruttger’s.

A big advantage is its proximity to the Twin Citis – only 90 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul and one of the first major resorts on the Highway 169 corridor. The Mille Lacs Golf & Marina is also well situated to take advantage of its proximity to Grand Casino, less than ten minutes away. Many Native American-owned casinos also own a golf course, but this one has no plans to be a golf course developer, so with only a short drive to Hardwood Golf Club, gamblers can take some of their winnings and play 18 holes or make it part of a weekend package of golf and gambling.

On a recent tour of the course, one thing that is very apparent are the many new log cabin-style housing that is spring up all over the back nine. Freestanding units and four- and eight-plexes are sprouting up along the fairway and surrounding the greens on the back nine. Unlike more modern courses, the setback of these units is quite close to the course and if you are interested in taking the plunge, are available for sale.

Although the existing clubhouse is a bit dated, it still boasts a full bar and a pretty extensive grill menu, something that you rarely find at smaller outstate Minnesota courses. Even the cart girl will mix you a drink right there on-course.

Rates are very reasonable, especially for off-peak tee times. They top out at $45.00 with cart for weekends in the summer months, but a twilight round with cart can be had for as little as $25.00. Also, the Christenson’s are aggressive marketers and deals should be easy to find through out the summer.

Hardwood Golf Club
Garrison, MN
1-800-435-8720
www.millelacsgolf.com

HACKER RATING: 6.8
Location: 7
Friendliness: 6
Value: 7
Layout: 6
Playability: 8

The Hacker Rating of this course is based on the golfing experience for the average golfer. The course was rated on the following categories: Location -- easy access, easy to find, what’s nearby; Friendliness -- good service, cart girl, clubhouse, food choices; Value -- cost, what you get for your money; Layout -- length, bunkers, traps, difficulty, course style; Playability -- good for beginners, seniors, etc. The rating is based on scale of 1 to 10 in each category with a total possible rating score of 10.0 .

Viagra and Golf – Is Sex Worth the Sacrifice?

2007-08-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

I was driving to a client’s office this morning and I heard a radio ad for Viagra and its claim that an estimated 17 million men have erectile dysfunction (ED). Yes, ED. I was shocked to hear that so many men can’t bring themselves to attention. I also didn’t know that we have an epidemic on our hands. According to Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary, an epidemic is defined as “the occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community or region during a given time period.” How did our society reproduce with so many men that couldn’t get it up? Is there something in our water? I digress.

What struck me as quite interesting was that the ad closed with “…and see our ad in Golf Magazine.” That made me rise up in my seat. Why did the advertiser mention Golf Magazine as the only place where the print ad was running? Is there some sort of connection between ED and golf? Why didn’t they mention Forbes, Fortune or Maxim? What about Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated or Science? Don’t any of these publications’ readers have ED? Is it only those who read Golf Magazine that have this dreaded disease?

Perhaps we should thrust ourselves into a deeper understanding of the connection between golf and ED? Yes, I think we should.

A quick check of Golf Magazine’s 2006 media kit is very telling:

95% of the readership is male – VERY MALE
They have an average net worth of over $1 million -- RICH
They have an average household income of $148,000 -- RICH
They have played golf an average of 25 years -- OLD
They play an average of 58 rounds per year – PLAY LOTS OF GOLF
83% are professional or managerial – IN MANAGEMENT

What do we have: rich old male managers that play too much golf and according to Viagra, they have an ED problem. Clearly a target rich market.

So, I think the conclusion we can draw from this is that playing too much golf (58 rounds/year mind you) leads to ED and so your choices are:

A) Stop playing golf -- NOT
B) Stop playing golf, take Viagra and still have sex - NOT
C) Keep playing golf, take Viagra and still have sex -- POSSIBLE
D) Keep playing golf and stop having sex - ???

Hmmmm…. don’t rush me, I’m still thinking about it.

Is It Too Early to Canonize Saint Tiger Woods?

2007-08-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

In the 100-degree heat of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the greatest golfer of my lifetime ceaselessly toiled to his 13^th major victory. At 31, he showed no ill effects from the heat, no sign of being off his game nor of backing down.

In the span of two weeks he wins the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by eight strokes, then he marches on to a convincing victory in the PGA Championship for his 59^th tournament win. Saying that the greatest golfer in history was someone like Nicklaus, Hogan or Palmer will always be defended, but the strength of these arguments are rapidly weakening.

It is impossible to make straight-up comparisons between golfers of different generations if they’ve never played against each other. In the case of Tiger Woods, he is clearly the best golfer of this generation and will likely become the best golfer of any generation. Why?

Tiger Woods, has won at every level; from the juniors to the professional ranks. He has won in every condition, on every course, won from behind, with a lead, against the best in the world and against one-hit wonders. He doesn’t make mistakes, is relentless, has a higher gear when it is needed, makes the shots he should and makes the shots he shouldn’t. He has the aura and mystic that he is invincible (note the 13-0 when he has the lead in a major). He is photogenic, well-spoken and doesn’t get into personal trouble Tiger has had public personal tragedies and personal triumphs. He doesn’t have bad habits, doesn’t gamble away, doesn’t get caught in compromising situations.

He’s a saint and a marketing wunderkind. He is the unofficial spokeperson for golf. Unlike Michael Jordan, who arguably is the greatest basketball player in history, Tiger has to win all of these tournaments on his own. Jordan had a team around him.

Tiger plays a schedule that is probably half as active as most of his closest competitors and has now won his 13^th major. Jack Nicklaus, considered the greatest golfer to date, won 18 majors with his last coming when he was 46. If Tiger just wins one major a year from now on, he will be 36 (ten years younger than Jack when he won his last). What does one do when you’ve won everything there is to win in golf?

It is obvious that Woods has crushed the spirit of his closest competitors. Ernie Els, once considered one of the best golfers in the world tells it this way: "The statistics will tell you, yes, it is over. But as a competitor, I can't sit there and tell you it's over. I can't ever do that" (Remember, this was at the conclusion of the 3^rd round).

Tiger will be the greatest golfer in history and competitors like Els, Mickelson, Singh, and Garcia will have to be content to say they were there to witness it firsthand.

How many majors does Tiger need to win before we can anoint him a saint?

Golf Gear News Podcast Goes on Hiatus

2007-08-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

I would like to announce that effective today, the Golf Gear News Podcast is going on hiatus for a while. All the episodes will still be available on the website, but because of time commitments, a new fulltime job and other things that have been taking up more and more of my time, I need to take a break from recording the show.

When I started this podcast back in October, 2005, I really had no idea what the show could be, how much work it required, nor how my audience would respond to what I have to say. Listeners have been very attentive, but I don’t get very much feedback from them. On the otherhand, the blog does get a lot of feedback and I’m grateful for that.

I am stopping the clock at 38 episodes with the intent of changing the format of the show and bringing it back sometime in the future. Podcasting is a great audio medium, but behind each broadcast, is 4-6 hours of preparation and recording. I truly admire the professional stations like National Public Radio. They make it look so easy.

Putting the audio podcast in mothballs for a while doesn’t mean that I won’t continue to update the blog or send out the monthly e-Newsletter. Those will still be out there. All it means is that on a bi-weekly basis you won’t get to hear my melodious voice in your ear.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to improve the podcast in the future, I’m all ears. Until then, hit ‘em straight.

Bruce Stasch
Host
Golf Gear News

New Zealander Plays 419 Courses in One Year

2007-08-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

I always knew that New Zealanders were crazy. In the Golf Observer I find a write-up on 40 year old New Zealander Ricky Bartlett who recently finished a year long journey in which he played every golf course and golf hole in New Zealand for charity.

If you count every course (even the 9 hole ones) there are 419 golf course, which is the highest number of courses per capita in the world. Bartlett played 419 rounds in 362 days which amounts to 7,542 holes in 31,594 shots.

All the courses, except for one gave Bartlett free golf in his quest, the one standout was a course on Chatham Islands that was in terrible shape with sheep droppings and worm casts on the greens. The course charged Bartlett $3 for that round. That course sounds like it could deserve some charity.

Bartlett's quest was to raise money for three different charities: the Cancer Society, Amnesty International and the Ronald McDonald House. He raised over $75,000 for his troubles.

Sure nice not to have to work for a living.

Course Review: Pezhekee National Golf Course

2007-07-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

Peters Sunset Beach
Glenwood, MN
6/16/07

NOTE: From time to time, I visit courses in my area and give my impressions. I am not compensated to give these reviews.

HACKER RATING: 5.8
View bottom of posting for rating categories.

Newer Minnesota resort courses are always trumpeting who their course designer is. Hale Irwin, Tom Lehman and Jack Nicklaus have all designed course in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Yet, Minnesota’s longest public golf course sits only 30 miles from Alexandria, Minnesota in the heart of The Range and it wasn’t built by a celebrity designer.

Pezhekee National is part of Peters Sunset Beach Resort, a quaint name for a quiet and tranquil track without the pretenses or crowds of more popular resorts. The grounds are everything you think of in a small family-owned resort: a 20s’s era main house, intimate dining room with a huge stone fireplace, family members holding various jobs, a small unpretentious golf clubhouse, and ultra-reasonable green’s fees (only $49 with cart).

When my playing partner and I drove in, we were greeted by the grandson of the original founder. He explained that the course’s development didn’t follow a normal route. It was built over a number of years and the holes reflect the changing tastes of the Peters family and the period of time each hole was created. From relatively straight original par 4s that were cut from the Northern Pine forest, to the new floating green on the 11th that was just completed in 2006, the Pezhekee National course adds up to a long, but forgiving round of eighteen.

The strength of the course is its layout, not its service. Minnesota’s largest public golf course plays 7263 yards from the tips but if you are looking for the cart girl to roll on by with mid-round libations, you’ll have a hard time finding her. There was no on-course beverage service when we stopped by on a Saturday. As you make the turn after number nine, which is probably as far from the clubhouse you’ll ever be, you’ll find pop machines and bathrooms but no food. If pangs of hunger tend to hit you two hours into your round, you better pack your own lunch, otherwise you’re out of luck

A weakness of the course is its signage. It’s very spotty, especially on the newer holes on the backside. It appears they ran out of time during construction or didn’t think they are necessary because knowing which way to go sometimes can be a challenge if you are a first-timer. Not to worry if you’ve got a good sense of direction.

If you are hoping to bring a group, one unique offering of Peters Sunset Beach Resort are large houses called Reunion Units. There are four of them and they are roomy seven and eight bedroom lodges that sleep 16-25 people. Rentals are by the ½ week (M-F or F-M) and cost about $40/person/day and are very popular with families, reunions, graduations or retirements. Each rental comes with 8-10 rounds of golf.

Pezhekee National doesn’t have long waits so making a reservation is as easy as showing up. Each hole has been given a Native American name like: Waube Mokwa (#1) and Mewissa (#5) and a quick tour of the dining room shows how closely linked the former owners are to the history of the resort. It is rumored that there are burial grounds on property, but management isn’t saying where.

If you are expecting four star resort treatment with spa amenities, you’ll need to go somewhere else, but if you are looking for a low-key, low-cost golf experience without the pretense of more flashy courses in the area, you should consider Pezhekee National, Minnesota’s longest public golf course and one of the State’s best golf deals.

Pezhekee National Golf Course
Glenwood, MN
1-800-356-8654
www.petersresort.com

HACKER RATING: 5.8
Location: 5
Friendliness: 5
Value: 7
Layout: 5
Playability: 7

The Hacker Rating of this course isbased on the golfing experience for the average golfer. The course was rated on the following categories: Location -- easy access, easy to find, what’s nearby; Friendliness -- good service, cart girl, clubhouse, food choices; Value -- cost, what you get for your money; Layout -- length, bunkers, traps, difficulty, course style; Playability -- good for beginners, seniors, etc. The rating is based on scale of 1 to 10 in each category with a total possible rating score of 10.0 .