GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

To Hell with the Rulebook: We Test Polara Golf Equipment

| By | 4 Comments

polara golf
Stinky Golfer Greg playing the Polara Advantage driver and XDS ball (photo by Pete Girotto)

You’re a weekend golfer. Of course you want to play better, but you don’t have the time or money to invest in all the lessons and practice necessary. After all, you have a life; commitments; and family that take precedence over your “hobby.”

You’re not looking to be a pro, but wouldn’t hitting a few more fairways and greens in regulation boost your enjoyment out on the course? Well, we kind of agree. And on that note, GolfStinks decided to test some equipment that can do just that: Let you spend more time in the fairway and less time being frustrated.

Of course said equipment doesn’t conform to the USGA rulebook, but you have to ask yourself: Does that really matter? If you were a pro golfer it would, but that’s like 1% of the golf population. As for the rest of us, it shouldn’t matter…not even in local tournaments (more on that in a moment).

In the meantime let’s look at the equipment: Polara Golf (in full disclosure, GolfStinks received several dozen Polara golf balls and three different Polara drivers free to test-out over the past several months).

First, let me say that aesthetically, Polara equipment looks no different than what you’ve got in your bag currently – there’s nothing strange or wacky about the way they look or feel (in fact, they may look and feel better than what you’re using now).

As for performance: Separately, the balls and driver can limit slices to help keep you in (or at least closer to) the fairway. But use ball and club together and weekend golfers are in for a treat. I average 93 strokes for 18 holes. When I play the with the Polara ball/driver combo, my average drops to 87. My short game hasn’t improved, but I’m shaving strokes by staying in-play off the tee, which is what Polara equipment has been created for.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to always know when the Polara gear is working (on occasion, you’ll have a sense the shot ended up better than expected). For the most part, the performance enhancing abilities are subtle. But after a few rounds, you’ll notice your scores have improved. And you’ll realize you’re not only in (or near) the fairway more often, but you’re also having more fun because of it.

Elaine with the Polara Ladies Advantage driver
Elaine with the Polara Ladies Advantage driver

To offer another perspective: One of the Polara clubs we received was a woman’s senior flex. As such, I was able (through a mutual friend) have “Elaine” test the club/ball combo out. Elaine reported that “using the club and ball resulted in straighter shots” and “increased my distance off the tee by about 20 yards.” Elaine also stated she will continue to use her Polara club and purchase Polara balls, despite the equipment not conforming to USGA rules.

Let’s get back to the USGA rule thing for a second. Unless you’re playing on a pro tour or in amateur competition, using non-conforming equipment really shouldn’t matter. I realize that not following the rules doesn’t sit well with most people, but remember – the USGA rulebook was really written to identify the best golfers in the world. If you’re not one of (or trying to be one of) the best in the world, then what you need is a basic set of guidelines and etiquette to follow instead (see the USRGA.org rulebook). Trust me, it will make your golf life so much easier than trying to remember crazy rulings.

Now, if you’re playing for money, that’s a bit different. You should be upfront – let your opponents know about your equipment. Give them the opportunity to use it too or simply adjust the amount of strokes being given based on how you score with Polara gear.

And if you’re playing in a local tournament, tell the officials what you’ve got in your bag. Give them an option – your handicap using the Polara equipment or your higher handicap without using it. The CEO of Polara says he uses this approach at every tournament he plays…and most of the time they take his lower handicap and let him use the Polara stuff!

Like Elaine, I’ll continue to use the driver I received because it really works. And the balls work too, but once my supply runs out, we’ll have to see – I’m partial to using refurbished balls and I don’t think I will find refurbished Polara balls anywhere.

But the truth is, I am having fun spending more time in the fairway – it really does make my round that much more enjoyable (less time in the woods or in the adjacent fairway, etc.). And for me (as well as so many other weekend golfers), having fun is really what golf comes down to, isn’t it?

Check out the Polara Golf site HERE.

Golf in the Future: What will it be Like?

| By | Leave a Comment

The Future of golf
What will the future of golf look like? (photo by Buck via Flickr)

The game of golf is in a period of transition – that much we are sure of. Reports show participation is down, courses are struggling (if not closing their doors altogether) and retail sales are lagging.

While some golf authorities are remaining calm, attributing the current climate to market correction after years of industry overgrowth, many others believe it will take significant change to right the ship.

Those worried over what they see as obvious signs of golf’s forthcoming demise are scrambling to find fixes. But what are we fixing? Well, that’s a rather broad topic – golf is too hard; too slow; too expensive. While solutions have been proposed for all of these issues, many of these fixes change the game somewhat.

The reality is, if some of these ideas catch on, golf as we know it today might be totally different in just a quarter century from now. Imagine you’ve been transported 25 years into the future…to the year 2040. Here’s what your round of golf might be like…

You step-out onto the first tee at 9 o’clock…at night. It seems the idea behind TopGolf spills-out to the actual course. Behind you is a fully-stocked bar teaming with patrons. You place your beer in a cup-holder next to the ball-washer and approach the glow-in-the-dark tee markers. You tee-up (both ball and tee are also glowing) and drive the ball towards a giant illuminated target in the middle of the fairway – the bulls-eye being the 150-yard marker.

It’s easy to follow the flightpath of your approach shot as it careens through the air like a shooting star towards the green, the flagstick and flag lit-up like a tree on Christmas. You pull-out your putter and promptly drain a 40-foot putt for birdie. Of course, the hole is 20 inches in diameter (HackGolf’s original 15-inch cup idea is adapted for nighttime).

Hole #2 is a par 3 with a pond and trap flanking the green and a portable bar flanking the tee-box. There’s also the closest-to-the-pin contest going on, where the winner from your foursome gets a free shot from the bar and the overall winner for the evening gets three free rounds of golf (it’s not uncommon for the ball closest-to-the pin to actually be in the hole, and thus have several overall winners for the evening).

Hole #3, a par 5, features the obvious long-drive contest, where prizes range from free drinks to free golf depending on how far you can hit it. Each level is conveniently marked in the fairway: 300-325 yards has grass glowing red; 325-350 the grass glows blue; and 350-375 glows yellow (both free rounds and drinks beyond that). If you think these distances seem a bit far for average golfers, it’s only because no one abides by the USGA rulebook anymore…so using non-conforming equipment (balls, clubs, etc.) is the norm.

Walking off the 3rd green takes you back to the bar/clubhouse area, where you’re free to join the merriment on the dance floor or make the turn to play the back 3 holes. Yes, most new golf courses by 2040 are only 6 holes long. With less to maintain, courses can lower prices while still raking-in boatloads of cash from the main bar, plus the three additional portable bars out on the course.

Those golfers still wishing to play during the day can do so, albeit without the cool glow-in-the-dark effect. Plus, plenty of kids are being introduced to the game as it’s not uncommon for parents to rent-out a course for birthday parties, etc. And daytime is also when the course is used by FootGolf enthusiasts – a game that has gotten extremely popular by 2040.

In addition to the lower greens fees, the time it takes to play has been drastically reduced as well. No more wife or hubby ranting about you being gone all day. Instead, a 6-hole round takes 90 minutes (give or take your time at the bars). And rarely are there backups on the tee – with the holes being so big and the equipment being so forgiving, most average golfers have single-digit handicaps in the future.

OK, let’s time machine back to the year 2015 and think about what we just read. Sure, I took some liberties in illustrating golf’s future, but am I really that far off? Regardless if the current economic woes of the game dissipate on their own, we’re going to see some changes. TopGolf, HackGolf and even a rulebook for recreational golfers already exist in the here and now. Not to mention non-conforming equipment that corrects your slice and allows you to hit it farther are also already on the market. Plus, the idea of creating golf courses with less than 18 holes isn’t a new idea either.

This all being said, I don’t think I would mind a future that looked similar to what I imagined above. I may opt for less night rounds and expand the courses to 12 holes instead of 6, but I think a new rulebook for average golfers, bigger holes and non-conforming equipment can make the game more fun for recreational players (not-to-mention more profitable for courses and the industry as a whole).

Whether this comes from glow-in-the-dark night rounds; incorporating a bar/club atmosphere; making the game easier for average hacks; or something else entirely, the bottom line is golf has to change with the times. I think one thing is clear – there is a vast gap between serious golfers (and that small percentage of players who are talented enough to be pros) and the rest of us. It’s high time we start playing a different game of golf.

Why I Can’t Wait to Start “Cheating” at Golf!

| By | 1 Comment

polara golf

I was reluctant. Even if you offered to pay me, I wouldn’t test out Polara Golf’s driver or golf balls. I had my standards and what I felt was outright cheating crossed the line.

Polara Golf doesn’t just sell illegal equipment (nonconforming drivers and balls that take away your hook or slice), but the company (at least in my mind at the time) was also sending the wrong message: That you have to cheat to enjoy golf. After all, the GolfStinks ethos is to enjoy golf in spite of your score. It doesn’t matter if you stink; what matters is you’re outdoors with good friends, playing the game you love.

So how is it that as I type this, I can’t wait to receive my box of Polara Golf balls in the mail? How is it that I am really excited to get out on the course and play a round with them?

Simply put:

“Because golf is more fun from the fairway.” – Dave Felker (CEO, Polara Golf)

I spoke with Mr. Felker for nearly an hour last week. Though my stance toward Polara had softened a bit leading up to our chat, I was still reluctant to actually use the equipment myself. But, I was willing to hear him out.

Mr. Felker, (who by the way has a PhD in engineering and was formerly the vice president of research and development for the company who makes Top Flite golf balls), argued some good points in favor of the average golfer using nonconforming equipment:

1. It’s not cheating if everyone knows.
I questioned Mr. Felker on that fine line between bending the rules and breaking them. For example, taking a Mulligan or awarding a gimme putt might be acceptable for most recreational golfers, but playing with illegal clubs and balls crosses the line for many. His response kicked it up a notch: He countered that the real cheater is the golfer who drops a ball to pretend he found his errant drive, or knowingly puts down 4 instead of 5 on his scorecard. However, playing with non-sanctioned equipment is only cheating if you don’t inform your playing partners ahead of time.

In fact, when Mr. Felker shows up at a tournament, he will tell them he has two handicaps: the first is when he plays with USGA-sanctioned equipment and the second is when he plays with Polara equipment. He then asks tournament organizers to decide which handicap they would like him to use – and they will most often choose the lower one (thus allowing him to use his nonconforming equipment).

2. The USGA rulebook isn’t for recreational golfers.
I mentioned in a post recently that there needed to be a simplified rulebook for casual golfers. Mr. Felker agrees and suggests that one of the rules in that simplified book allows for use of nonconforming equipment. He points to the USRGA rulebook (the United States Recreational Golf Association). The rulebook, co-written by Mr. Felker, is specifically for recreation play.

What Mr. Felker has done by creating the USRGA rulebook is provide justification for average golfers to use nonconforming equipment. Whereas the USGA rules are fine for specific tournament play (including the pro tours) and also from the standpoint of helping to identify the best golfers in the world, the USRGA rules are instead geared for the rest of us.

He told me a story where he was speaking about his products to several golfers at a trade show. Everyone was eager to try the Polara balls until one member of the audience asked if they conformed to the USGA rules. When he answered “no” the crowd’s anticipation turned to disappointment…Until, that is, Mr. Felker said: “But they do conform to the United States Recreational Golf Associations’ guidelines.” At which point the audience’s excitement returned. “People are looking for permission to use this equipment,” he told me.

3. It’s like training wheels for kids.
One thing that didn’t sit well with me was what type of message Polara sends to kids? Are we willing to teach golf newbies that the game is so hard, we have to cheat to enjoy it? But Mr. Felker provided a familiar analogy to address this issue: He likened someone learning golf using a Polara ball to someone learning how to ride a bike with training wheels – it highlights how much fun it could be instead of how difficult it can be.

In this regard, more children exposed to the activity will keep at it. And once they appreciate golf (while learning the proper grip, swing, etc.), you can take the “training wheels” off so that these kids can get a sense of where they stand in terms of competition (and then as they get older, let them decide on their own if they want to go back to nonconforming equipment).

4. Golf is more fun from the fairway.
Perhaps the most influential comment Mr. Felker made to me was that golf is simply more fun from the fairway. When I thought about that, this whole nonconforming equipment thing started to make sense – after all, how much more fun would it be if we average hacks weren’t always hitting out of the rough or out of the trees? How much more energy would we have over the last few holes? How much more time would there be to converse with our buddies (because we wouldn’t all be off in the woods somewhere looking for our drives)? It seems playing from the fairway (or at least much closer to it) can benefit more than just your handicap.

So now I wait with great anticipation for my nonconforming golf balls to arrive at my doorstep. It’s funny that I’ve made a complete one-eighty. As I mentioned, I was already softening a bit to Polara in regards to others using their equipment. But now Mr. Felker has not only convinced me, but has me excited to try it for myself.

Will I switch completely to the Polara ball? I have to admit that notion has crossed my mind. I guess it depends on how effective the ball is at keeping me in the fairway (and ultimately, if I’m having more fun on the course because of it). Only time will tell. Meanwhile, I plan on playing a few rounds with the Polara golf ball and sharing my experience on this blog.

Stay tuned…

Crime On The Golf Course: The Use Of Illegal Equipment

| By | 3 Comments

The Polara Golf Ball is among the more [in]famous non-conforming equipment
Polara Golf is among the more well-known non-conforming equipment companies
OK, that title is totally tongue-in-cheek.  Sarcastic even.  It’s amazing what an uproar is caused when a golfer finds out that another golfer is using “illegal” golf equipment.  You know, for a sport who’s players claim they are “playing against themselves,” they sure are awfully worried about what everyone else is doing.

Let’s start with that word…”Illegal.”  That’s a funny way to put it.  Illegal…not “non-regulation,” but illegal…like the golf course S.W.A.T. Team is going to come repelling out of the trees and surround you right there on the fairway for using the old Condor golf ball.  No other commonly played sport (by non-pro athletes) refers to non-regulation equipment as illegal…only golf.  People don’t call a basketball with better grip an illegal ball.  It’s simply a non-regulation ball.  When I played softball in a league, we didn’t care if someone wore specifically softball cleats or not.  Some players didn’t even wear cleats!  The softball justice squad didn’t bust through the gates to take us down.  No arrests, no charges.

Secondly, why does it matter so much?  If you’re out playing a pickup basketball game, do you care what type of ball you have?  Do you call someone on it when they show up without a Spalding Official NBA ball?  I sure don’t, and at $90+ each, who can blame them for not showing up with one?  If you’re playing a game of touch football, do you care if you’re not playing with an official Wilson regulation NFL ball?  Of course not.  So why do you care if someone plays with a Polara golf ball?  Or an “illegally” weighted putter?  Or pretty much anything made by a company like NGC Golf?  I’ll tell you why.  Because as much as you claim to be, you’re not really “playing against yourself,” are you?

In the grand scheme of things, in relation to playing at the pro level, you and I playing on our local public (or private) course is no different than a few guys playing pickup hoops or beer league softball.  So what do you care what kind of ball someone else uses?  Why do you care if some other guy is using an “illegally” weighted putter?  What does it matter to you if the face of somebody’s driver has “illegal” grooves?  You’re supposed to be playing against yourself, right?  So worry about what you do, not what some other guy does.  I played an entire round with a guy who used the Polara balls.  I even tried it out once!  So what do I care?

However, if there’s money on the line…well now…that’s a different story.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Golf Rules: Who Really Cares?

| By | 2 Comments 

caddyshack putt

I read an interesting press release yesterday from Polara golf. You might recognize Polara as the manufacturer of drivers and golf balls that are banned on the tour. You know, those golf balls that can “correct” a slice and what-not. It’s funny because usually I never read stuff like this from any company but it had some interesting info.

In their response to the USGA/R&A’s ruling on “anchoring” clubs, Polara included some research results that I found quite amusing. A couple polls were taken and the results were just what I expected…the majority doesn’t give a crap. Let’s take a look:

In April 2013, Polara Golf commissioned a Google Consumer
Survey of 18,000 internet respondents; 1,000 of which were
golfers with a USGA handicap that were asked what
they thought of the anchoring ban. Here are the results:

35.4% – I don’t care.

25% – I agree with the proposed ban.

23% – I didn’t know there was a proposed ban.

17% – I disagree with the proposed ban.

You would think the USGA should take action and make an effort to improve these numbers. In reality, it probably wouldn’t even make a difference. Just as I had mentioned earlier, most could care less. Actually, another poll (below) shows more than 75% of golfers are out there for fun and have never even laid eyes on a rule book.

In December 2012 a Google Consumer Survey of 6,800 internet
respondents found:

* 78% of golfers play for fun and 22% play according to the USGA
rules
* 61% of respondents said they sometimes take mulligans, gimme
putts and other popular infractions such as using a “foot wedge.”
* 63% of golfers said they would consider using golf equipment
that was banned from professional play.
* 72% of golfers said they have never read the USGA Rules

There’s a trend happening here when it comes to rules. Somehow we know them but we never really read them. Take a look at how many U.S. citizens have read the constitution and laws governing our country. I’d bet the majority hasn’t. It’s just one of those things we pick up along the way from the generation before us…just like golf.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Questions / Advertise

info@golfstinks.com

Disclaimers

See here

Privacy Policy

See here