GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

The Fashion Runway Leads To The Golf Links

| By | 1 Comment

I remember when I first started playing golf – I’d just throw on any pair of pants or shorts, pull the first polo I saw out of the closet and off I went.  No real regard for anything other than to at least not look like I got dressed in the dark.  But sometime between then and now, things have changed in the golf world.  Technology seemed to become incorporated into golf apparel rather than just the equipment.  This was soon followed by new looks and colors.  Before you knew it, something fresh came to the world of the everyday golfer…updated style.

Gone are the days of the silly outfits of Al Czervik (unless you’re John Daly of course) and mono-tone look of Judge Smails.  Replacing these looks are vibrant, bold colors, oversized logos, graphic fronts and mesh backs.  And remember wearing your cotton polo on a hot day?  By the end of the round it looked like you spilled your drink on your chest, back and armpits.  So replacing the standard cottons are moisture-wicking and dry technology.  No more sweat marks like you just lost a water-balloon fight.  Heck, we’ve come so far that some of these shirts and outerwear make it feel like you’re not even wearing anything!

But outside of seeing the pros on TV, especially the younger ones, many of us can only see a small sampling of these new styles and advancements in the golf apparel industry by visiting our local shops and sporting goods stores.  Enter Onlygolfapparel.com.

Now I’ve said before that I’m not a big fan of purchasing golf equipment on-line, but golf apparel is a different story.  And for those of us who are either limited to big box stores or don’t necessarily have a close-by choice with good variety, www.onlygolfapparel.com is a fantastic option!  The variety they have for all things golf apparel is quite impressive.  From big names in the industry to some smaller up-and-comers, they leave little to be desired.

But you’re not just looking at pictures and purchasing based on the look.  There’s plenty to learn about the brand as well as each individual style.  You can find information on the cut, the material, the blend and, on several items, even the weight!  But this information isn’t available only on the shirts and pants.  You can find it on everything – shoes, hats, bags…even socks!  It’s a treasure trove of info!

So the good people over at Only Golf Apparel sent us a sample of their inventory to try out – a new Nike Tour Performance Dri-Fit polo.  But being that the temps here have yet to crack the 50 degree mark so far this year, I haven’t had a chance to give it a try out on the course.  However I did make it to the range, and I have to say…this is the best golf shirt I have tried so far.  It’s light, easy to move in and fits well.  All around, it barely feels as if I’m even wearing a shirt at all.

Now these same generous folks were kind enough to offer a second shirt for us to give away to one lucky person.  After all, we shouldn’t be the only ones to get the good stuff.  So as always, all you have to do is head over to our Facebook page and like this post.  We’ll choose one random winner next week.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Will Dropping A Few Pounds Drop My Golf Score?

| By | 3 Comments

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of many sports (or many activities for that matter) where being out-of-shape can be beneficial.  OK, there’s Sumo Wrestling.  And there are belly-flop contests.  But outside of those, I’m at a loss.  So one would think that being in good physical condition could help with any sport.  But what about golf?  In a game that really demands more of a good technique and good mechanics than it does top physical condition, does being in good shape really matter?  Well, even though the sport does require more of a mechanical skill, I just can’t see how being in good shape can’t help.

With that being said, I’m planning to find out for myself.  See, I’ve begun to realize that I’m not getting any younger.  As a matter of fact, there have even been some times where, physically, I feel older than I should.  That’s not a good feeling.  So I’ve begun to do something about it.  Recently, I’ve started exercising a bit more and eating a bit less.  It’s amazing – by simply getting a bit more active and cutting out some of the foods and drinks I’ve had, or reducing the amount of them anyway, I was able to drop thirteen pounds relatively easily.  So I’m going to keep it up and see where this takes me.

But besides the obvious health benefits, one of my hopes is that there is some parallel between my weight and my handicap – both of them dropping.  And I don’t see any reason this wouldn’t happen.  By losing weight I would think this would help to sharpen the technique for a golf swing.  If the body mass is cut down (and by that, I mean the gut shrinks) naturally you would have to figure the swing would simply become more smooth.  It doesn’t stop there though.   By dropping weight and improving my condition, I should have more energy for the round.  So that feeling of fatigue that hits at some point on the back nine should be minimized, if not eliminated altogether.

I shouldn’t be looking at this from only a golf standpoint, and I’m not.  It’s important to take care of oneself, and I’ve neglected to do it as well as I should.  But it’s never bothered me much before.  However, recently I’ve started noticing that I get tired a little faster and some formerly easy task become more of a chore.  So if this works, and I can improve my health and golf game at the same time, then why not keep up the effort?  For the time being, overall health improving – golf game is yet to be seen.  Stay tuned.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Would Sex Sell The LPGA?

| By | Leave a Comment

As a lifelong sports fan, I can understand what it is about women’s sports that most fans don’t particulary enjoy.  Let’s face it, the speed, power and physicality of women’s sports are simply no match for the men’s games.  I’m not in any way trying to disrespect what these women do.  They are fantastic athletes; are great at the sports they play; and deserve all the credit and any attention they get because if it.  But in comparison to their male counterparts, outside of tennis, it just doesn’t match up.  That being said…I don’t understand why the LPGA doesn’t get the same recognition as the PGA.

A perfect example is probably the WNBA.  Have you ever watched a WNBA game?  These women are great basketball players and great athletes.  But when compared to the speed and physicality of an NBA game, the women’s game seems to look just a bit dull.  But it’s not just basketball.  The same can be said about women’s softball vs. baseball, women’s hockey, boxing and what seems to be the newest fad…women in UFC or MMA fighting.  Again, outside of tennis, no matter the sport, the women’s version just doesn’t seem to match up.

But lets look at golf for a second.  The game is slow.  It doesn’t much require the player to be a superior athlete.  And the only time any real power is demonstrated is off the tee, and that really only matters if you’re a spectator live at the event witnessing it first-hand.  On TV, you can’t tell.  You can’t judge the power of a golf swing via your flat-screen.  The only reason you know how far a ball went on TV is because the announcer told you.  The women of the LPGA are just as skilled as the men.  They are just as accurate.  They have as firm a grasp on the game as the men do.  They just don’t have the power that the men do.  But if that isn’t translated through TV, then what’s the problem?  What does the PGA have that the LPGA doesn’t?  Just the longer drives as far as I can tell.  So what would make the LPGA more attractive?  Or…did I just give away the answer?  Attractiveness.

It seems to me that, especially in recent years, when you want to promote anything related to female athletes, you sell the women…not the athletes.  Is it shallow?  Absolutely.  Do I like the idea of it?  Not even a little bit.  Does it work?  Well…that can be argued, but lets just say it doesn’t not work.  Look at the previously mentioned tennis.  It’s quite possibly the only sport where fans care just as much about the men as the women.  There are some examples to learn from here.  It started long ago with the battle of the sexes between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King.  It continued when, forgive me as I’m not a tennis fan and don’t remember the year, Wimbledon somehow allowed “commoners” into the stands and the men began hootin’ and hollerin’ for, I believe it was Gabriela Sabitini.  Fast forward to an average player on the tour becoming the most popular player in the world (albeit for the wrong reason)…Anna Kournikova.  And next thing you know, every tennis player promoted is either named Williams or is a blonde-haired beauty.  Convenient, right?

So does the LPGA need to take that route?  Should the powers-that-be in the LPGA come to Natalie Gulbis and say “A little less MasterCard, a little more Maxim.”  Now I know that some female golfers are no strangers to a swimsuit, but maybe that’s just not enough.  Sponsor exemptions are there for what reason?  To get their “hot” property out in front of a few cameras.  Again, I don’t like the idea.  I want to see good athletes compete for their athletic ability, not for their looks.  But if it’s their looks that bring attention to the game, then who am I to say what’s right and what’s wrong?

All I’m saying is that it has worked to bring some attention to other sports.  It most definitely is a shallow way to do so.  But in the end, it could possibly bring the viewership for which the sports are looking.  If it brings in new fans, great!  But if it doesn’t, or if those new fans don’t stick around, does it leave a black eye on the sport?  Well, it sure didn’t seem to for tennis…quite the opposite actually.  But that doesn’t automatically equal success for the LPGA.  Maybe they just wait on another phenom.  Maybe a new star will rise and not decide to take on the men of the PGA before she even has any success on the LPGA Tour.  Or, maybe they just start a lingerie golf league.  Want to talk about shallow?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

A Quick Round of Golf – The Ultimate Oxymoron

| By | 5 Comments

When you ask golfers what is their biggest pet peeve about the game, there’s a good chance the most common response is going to be the pace of play.  It seems everyone is in a hurry to get their round over with, like they don’t have the time to be playing the game right from the start.  What’s that all about?  If you don’t have the time to play the game, maybe you should consider something else…or playing only nine holes instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I get frustrated when a group in front of mine is intentionally slow and has no golf etiquette whatsoever.  But it’s certainly not enough to ruin my day.  After all, I’m exactly where I want to be…on a golf course.  I’m doing what I want to do…playing golf.  I’ve waited through a long week at work to have the chance to be out here on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  I’m in no hurry to leave.  But I must be in the minority.

Think about how long it takes to play a round of golf.  We’re looking at 4 1/2 hours, give or take, right off the bat.  Compare that to some of the other sports you watch on TV.  That’s almost two full basketball games and easily a game-and-a-half of football or baseball…including commercials!  So we’re talking about a slow moving, time consuming game to begin with.  Knowing that going in…what gives you the right to complain?  It seems like you should have planned your time better.  Then consider that the skill level of most golfers out on the public links is…well…sub-par.  So naturally, that’s going to slow the game down even further for everyone.

Being that I am one of those sub-par golfers, I do want to say that while my lazy approach to the game does slow my round down, I do certainly know the difference between poor play and slow play.  If I’m moving too slowly, I’m more than happy to let the group behind me play through.  As I said, I’m in no hurry.  But sadly, in this rush-rush society in which we live, few people take the time to slow down and enjoy the good things for a while.  There’s always some place else they have to be.  Always time constraints.  Never enough time to dedicate to something they enjoy.  And they get stressed out over an additional 20-30 minutes for their round.  They’re taking part of the enjoyment out of the game.

Not me.  See, I don’t get to play golf as often as I would like.  So when I have the chance, I do the best I can to dedicate that time to golf and the activities surrounding a day of golf.  I’m not trying to get out there and rush through my round so I can jump back in my car and hurry off somewhere else.  Instead, I want to enjoy my time outdoors, relax, sit down after the round with a beer and burger and just enjoy hanging out with my friends.  I think too many people take the time for granted and just try to squeeze too much onto their plates.  Consequently, they get stressed out during their round because someone else is not moving as quickly as they would like them to move.  These are the same people that leave their house in order to be somewhere at a certain time and don’t account for traffic and red lights.

Why not try this – The next time you plan to go out and play 18, don’t make any other plans for that day.  Go into the round relaxed, knowing you don’t have anything else to do and nowhere else to be.  Your only post-round commitment is to hit the 19th hole for a bite to eat and a couple of brews with your pals.  See how much more enjoyable your round is.  See how much less stressful the game becomes.  See how much more fun and relaxing the entire day will be.  Trust me, just give yourself less to do and you’ll thank yourself at the end of the day.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

The Beauty Of Parity In Golf

| By | Leave a Comment

It’s funny, in any sport when a team or player is said to “dominate” their opponent, we all picture a blowout. Whether it be a 20-point win in basketball, a three touchdown victory in football or a double-figure pounding in baseball – when you hear the word “dominate” or something related to it, you think of a blowout. So why is golf different?

For instance, two weeks ago at the Phoenix Open we heard about Phil Mickelson dominating the tournament, from his first round 60 to his -28 final score. But when you stop to look at the final scores of the other players, “domination” is not exactly the word I would use. A four stroke victory over Brandt Snedeker somehow doesn’t quite qualify as a blowout win in my book. Beating your opponent by what works out to be an average of one stroke per day seems more like a pretty tight match to me.

But it wasn’t just that tournament. There are many that go by deemed a dominating win, or a player runs away with it. But more often than not, that’s just not the case. So is it the media that overuses the terms? Do they want to make it seem like a player is more dominant than actually is the case? If so, why? Wouldn’t the parity of the PGA Tour make for more exciting tournaments and possibly better viewership?

Parity, to me, makes for a better overall sport. In football, there’s something about knowing that any team can win at any time – the god awful Jacksonville Jaguars can be a playoff team in two years. Same in the NBA – a perennial loser like the LA Clippers has become one of the most exciting teams in the league. Even baseball is on the right track with some smaller market teams making yearly runs at the playoffs. A little more balance to the playing field and they’ll have it just right. But there’s parity in golf, right? Of course there is.

When you see the final scores of a golf tournament, you see that there isn’t much difference in the final scores between first place and tenth, especially when you take into account the scores are over a four day period. So when tenth place finishes twelve strokes back of first, that works out to only three strokes per round on average. So how much better was the winner?

Now I think that’s great! I love the idea that anyone can win any tournament because not a whole lot of strokes separate the best from the mid-level players. Sure, there’s a favorite…there’s always a favorite. But at the level these guys play, anyone can get hot at the right time. And that’s the beauty of parity, which the PGA already has. Any player can win any tournament at any time. The field is open week in and week out. How can that be a bad thing?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Questions / Advertise

info@golfstinks.com

Disclaimers

See here

Privacy Policy

See here