GolfStinks

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The Fashion Runway Leads To The Golf Links

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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!

Where Do You Buy Your Golf Equipment?

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Where do you buy your golf equipment?
Where do you buy your golf equipment? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I admit, despite writing for a blog, I’m very skeptical of the internet in general.  There is simply so much information out there that you never know what and what not to believe.  Combine that with identity theft, viruses and sites looking to rip you off, then suddenly misinformation is the least of your concerns.  Even things as simple as online shopping can be questionable.  For instance, I saw a pair of shoes I like on a “discount” website for $69.95.  I didn’t purchase them, and I’m glad I didn’t – I found the same pair at a local department store for $39.95!  So that leads me to my question about golf equipment.  Where do you purchase yours?  Golf shop?  Pro shop?  Big box sporting goods store?  Online?

Myself, I’m partial to purchasing my golf-related equipment from a store as opposed to on-line.  I’m the type of person who needs to touch, feel and try things before I purchase them.  So for me, the on-line thing doesn’t work for golf stuff.  I can’t buy a club or putter that I haven’t held in my hand, swung or tried out for a while, no matter the price.  And shoes?  Forget it!  How do you buy shoes online without trying them on first?  I can understand doing your research online (like this nicershoes.com golf shoe review), or even purchasing balls online.  But that’s about it.  Now I know some of you will say that you can go to the store, swing a club, play with the putters or try on the shoes, then just go home and buy the same stuff on-line for less money.  But at that point, is it really less money?  Not if you value your own time.

You can go to a golf shop or pro shop and get a fair amount of personal service.  Someone who will spend time with you, maybe give you some advice and help you decide what’s best for your game.  To a lesser extent, you can get that service at the big box stores such as Dick’s or Sports Authority as well.  Granted you pay a little extra for that, but it’s a service the shops and stores can provide that a website can’t.  So is it worth it to take that time then go home and buy online?

Let’s see…I just spent my time driving to the store, using my gas back and forth, spent who knows how long with the pro or salesman and then have the opportunity to buy what I want right then and there.  But instead, I’m going to go back home, try to find the same driver I just settled on (with the assistance of the guy I was working with) from a site like Amazon or something to save what…10-15%?  But then I have to pay a shipping cost – an increased one at that if I don’t want to wait 5-7 days or longer.  If I asked the guy at the store if he could do anything on the price, I could probably have gotten 10% off right then without having to wait for my shipment to arrive!  And not only that, once it’s being shipped, I get to be involved in the adventure of waiting to see if the package shows up undamaged or if the right product is even sent…trust me, that’s happened to me.

But further, coming from a sales background I find it to be a bit disrespectful to the salesman or pro (who may be working partially on commission) to spend time with him/her while they’re taking the time, doing all they can to help someone who has no intention of purchasing from them.  It’s like if you were a car salesman and you answered every question the customer had, took them for a test drive and gave them all of the information they could possibly need, only for them to go and purchase the car from somewhere else because they were saving $5/month.  You’re taking money out of a hard-working persons pocket and giving it to someone who didn’t earn it.  That person could have been dealing with someone else who intended to make a purchase from them.  But, if you think going through that effort to save a few bucks is worth it, then that’s your choice and that’s fine.

My point is, the internet is great for certain purchases.  But think about it before you purchase something blindly, especially your golf equipment.  Avoiding the hassle of returning something because you didn’t take the time to swing it or try it on could be well worth the additional money you spent to begin with.  And the assistance you receive in person rather than online could prove invaluable when your brand new driver can’t place a ball anywhere near the fairway and your feet are killing you by the 7th hole.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Will Dropping A Few Pounds Drop My Golf Score?

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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!

I’m Taking My Golf Ball and Going Home!

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golfstinks, golf stinksSee those tees?  They’re called Cavi-Tees.  And if I’m the marketing guy for whoever is producing or selling those things, I’m on the phone with Rory McIlroy’s agent immediately.  This whole wisdom tooth thing sounds just so silly that the best thing Rory could do right now is make fun of it himself.  I mean, come on.  A tooth?  That’s your excuse for playing poorly then quitting?  And of all sports…playing GOLF poorly?  Wow…it’s no wonder people say golfers are not athletes.

Speaking from experience, this is not something that just starts hurting all of a sudden.  Trust me…I had five wisdom teeth removed.  I know it sounds strange, unbelieveable even.  I thought I was some kind of freak, but my dentist told me he sees it about 10-12 times per year, so it’s not all that uncommon I guess.  But despite having them all removed, I worked up until the day before I had them taken out and missed only one day of work afterward…doctors orders, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.  Even further, I just watched my brother-in-law go through the same thing.  He was in pain but continued to work his physically strenuous job, even delaying his surgery a week at one point because work was just too busy.  But Rory can’t swing a golf club?

It was in 1979 when Jack Youngblood of the Los Angeles Rams famously played two playoff games and the Super Bowl on a broken fibula.  And if he hadn’t set the ultimate tough guy bar high enough, he even played the meaningless Pro Bowl a week after!  A broken leg!  And he was playing football!  But a wisdom tooth for a golfer?

To a lesser extent, it was 1985 when NFL Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott had his left pinky finger crushed between an opposing players helmet and his own chest pads during a game.  Another player described it as his finger having “exploded.”  I read one article which stated he actually had to pick up a piece of his finger off the field.  He went to the sideline, had it taped up and returned to the game.  Then, in the off-season, rather than have surgery that would cause him to miss the start of the the next season, he elected to have part of the finger amputated instead!

My point here?  Get the tooth removed!  It took about an hour from start to finish for me to have five of them removed!  How long could it take?  If that tooth doesn’t get removed this week, or at least by his next tournament, then I’m calling bullcrap on the whole issue.

People who are not golf fans (or are just casual fans), are looking at this story and laughing.  They’re looking at a sport like football and seeing how players play through pain in a sport that is much more physically demanding than golf.  There are players who are out there every week with a strained this or a pulled that.  A twisted something or a sprained other thing.  But a golfer’s tooth hurts and he has to leave early.

I understand that there is some pain involved with a wisdom tooth.  But no matter what way you look at it, the whole story just makes golfers look like a bunch of pansies.  Non-golf fans don’t take into account that there is a level of concentration required in order to successfully play golf, and a level of pain negatively affects that concentration.  But you know what?  They don’t care either because that’s true in every sport…not just golf, as so many would have you believe.

What I’m saying is, this whole tooth thing had better be true and it had better be a significant amount of pain.  If not, and if it comes across like just the poor excuse that it looks like now, then it’s not going to do any favors for the “golfers aren’t athletes” crowd.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Would Sex Sell The LPGA?

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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!

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