The site highlights the following features:

• Display score needed to lower your handicap
• Average score reports (additional fee)
• Scores used in handicap highlighted
• Course Handicap
• 9 hole round support
• What would handicap be if I shoot…
• 1-click ratings lookup for 15,000+ courses
• My Courses for quick entry

As you can see from the screen above, the entry/score review process is pretty straight forward. The process of entering your scores and getting into the application is pretty dead simple. Just log in, select your course, a tee and put in our score. That’s about it. Once you have entered 20 scores, you can also print out a handicap card for yourself. While, this may not get you entered in a USGA event, it’s probably sufficient for your local four-ball. Unfortunately, this is not included in the ‘free’ account. You’ll need to upgrade to the pro account, good news is, this can be had for around $10 a year. Given that most courses will charge you at least $30 a year for handicap service, this is a decent option for the average golfer.

While the simplicity of this site is welcomed, and will probably be a positive for a lot of users, I have really grown attached to my iPhone golf scoring applications that tie in directly to online handicap tracking services. GolfHandicapCalculator seems to be missing that piece. If they could find a way to add that (perhaps open up an API so iPhone developers could publish to their tool) and if they could clean up the interface a little, it could be a compelling service to a wider range of users.

If you’re looking for a simple, straight forward, free way to track your scores and handicap, check it out (it won’t cost you anything!). If you’re looking for in depth statistics, community features and mobile phone integration, you may want to look elsewhere.

This review was sponsored via ReviewMe.com. While the post was sponsored, as always our goal is to review products without bias. We hope you’ve enjoyed this review!

Evan Golf – Last year, Fred Couples created a phenomenon when he wore ECCO’s Street Premier golf shoes during the Masters. Couples’ kicks left many wondering, “Why isn’t there more apparel that is stylish both on and off the course?” Well, now there is. Evan Golf was launched last August and the American-made line has been turning heads ever since. The company debuted its Spring/Summer men’s and women’s lines at the show, featuring fashion-forward designs that blur boundaries of performance wear and style without compromising on function. The clothing infuses new blood into the game, empowering golfers to take their style beyond fairways and greens.

AB Golf Designs – Head covers are a cost effective way to protect clubs and add a little personality to a golf bag. AB Golf Designs’ 2011 collection features a wide range of new products that not only stand out, they also help the environment. AB Golf Designs’ “The Throwback” collection has the look and feel of a traditional knit head cover, but is made with polyester fibers constructed from recycled plastic bottles. The collection is available for woods, hybrids and putters. (MSRP: $28.00) AB Golf Designs also unveiled their expanded range of Patriot Boxing Glove head covers. This year, Canada, Ireland, Italy and Japan join Australia, England and American flag designs. (MSRP: $25.00)

Ansai Heated Clothing – The battle to stay warm on the course is one many “climate-challenged” golfers know all too well. This year, Ansai Heated Clothing debuted jackets and vests featuring “MobileWarming” Technology, ensuring golfers remain comfortable during even the coldest days. Here’s how it works: Three heating panels (back, right chest, left chest) are built into the jackets and vests. The panels are powered by a rechargeable battery pack (about the size of a small cell phone) located in a pouch within one of the pockets. The battery pack lasts as long as nine hours depending upon the setting and can be removed, allowing the pieces to be washed like normal clothes. (MSRP: $190 for jacket, $150 for vests)

Bloom Designs Stationary – It is rare to find a golf-themed gift perfect for everyone. Clubs, clothes and equipment come in different shapes and sizes. One company at this year’s show literally has something for everybody — Bloom Designs stationary. Six years after unveiling their expansive array of golf and tennis stationary, the company is expanding its line to include travel mugs, candles, bag tags, coasters, recipe cards, organizers, cooler totes and note pads. Bloom Designs offers a custom design service where illustrations can be done for a specific event, theme, course hole, etc. and placed on their products. Retail prices range from $8-$30.

Hirzl Gloves – What golfer doesn’t like a soft durable glove? One of our favorite products from this year’s show is a glove that provides the kind of supple feel and secure grip that results in better shots and lower scores. Hirzl, a Swiss company, has developed what they call “GRIPPP technology.” Through an extensive tanning procedure they deliver a golf glove with unparalleled levels of control as well as ultimate breathability, form consistency, sweat absorption and water repellence. All of Hirzl’s gloves are made using a 45 degree pre-curved finger system designed for the natural curves of the hand. The result is glove that won’t bunch and fits perfectly.

UST Mamiya – A golf club shaft is one of the most vital pieces of equipment in the game and UST Mamiya is once again setting itself apart as the industry’s leading shaft company. The Texas-based brand unveiled three new lines of shafts, including the next generation of the popular ATTAS models, the ATTAS-T2, and the new MP5 and MP6 lines. It makes perfect sense the game’s leading shaft maker also makes superior grips. UST Mamiya launched a new line of multi-compound grips available in two different styles.

KENTWOOL – USA, USA U…S…A…! With more than 180 years of American textile heritage, KENTWOOL Performance Golf Socks combine a unique blend of natural and high-tech fibers to create a micro-climate system for superior moisture management and odor control. Bubba Watson and a host of PGA TOUR stars sport KENTWOOL Golf Socks on and off the course. Hewn from fine merino wool for ultimate foot comfort, each sock is designed to boost energy levels and increase on-course golf performance. At this year’s show, KENTWOOL expanded the line of colors to include lime green, blue, and purple. KENTWOOL Golf Socks are 100 percent Made-in-the-USA in Greensville, South Carolina.

Quagmire – Golf is supposed to be fun. Many apparel companies seem to have forgotten that teeing it up is also about having a good time. Not Quagmire. True to its “Not Fit for the Fairway” motto, the company is highlighting 2011 with a slew of polos and t-shirts for men, women and kids featuring its unique ColorFusion technology. A throwback to Hypercolor from the early 90s, these leading-edge shirts feature fabrics or screen prints (depending on the style) that change color from body heat or sunlight. The Canadian brand is also debuting Quagmire Kids – keeping kiddos looking good as they head to the first tee or the first day of school.

Boccieri Golf – With an oversized booth transformed into a boxing ring, visitors of Boccieri Golf at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show were asked to “Take the Heavyweight Challenge.” Maker of the TOUR-proven Heavy Putter, Boccieri has introduced several new offerings including the Heavy Driver, Heavy Fairway Woods, Heavy Hybrid and Heavy Irons, with additions planned for its popular Heavy Putter and Heavy Wedge. Boccieri Golf focuses on its exclusive counter-weight technology in each product. By incorporating a back-weight under the grip to raise the balance point, Boccieri Golf induces a smooth and steady swing. The Heavy Irons are available now and the Heavy Driver, which received stellar reviews during Demo Day, will be available mid-February to early March.

Adams Golf – Fresh off four “Gold Winners” on the “2011 Golf Digest Hot List”, Adams Golf displayed the latest and greatest at this year’s PGA Show including the new “Speedline F11 Driver.” The award-winning club features patent-pending Velocity Slot Technology visible on the crown and sole, keeping the airflow attached throughout the swing. Ultimately, it reduces the amount of drag while increasing the speed of the swing. Recognized as one of the world’s top golf brands, Adams Golf continues to serve as an industry leader for hybrid clubs as the most played on professional tours. Adams Golf develops high-performance and technologically innovative golf products, committed to helping players of all abilities enjoy the game of golf.

As always, let’s start with a little background information about the clubs, then we will get on to the meat of the review.

Background

The technology of the G15 Iron provides the high-launching, maximum forgiveness attributes that bring consistency to your iron play.. The stainless steel iron’s cavity design features a new Custom Tuning Port (CTP) which expands the perimeter weighting and increases the moment of inertia.

Weight savings from a thinner face is re-positioned to the toe for added forgiveness on mis-hits and its wider sole produces a higher launch angle. Stronger lofts combine with a center of gravity located low and farther from the face to produce longer shots without sacrificing the higher trajectory required in a maximum forgiveness iron.

Look and Feel

G15 Pitching Wedge

There is no mistaking the G15 for blades, that is for sure. However, even with the wide sole and thicker top-line of a super game improvement iron, the G15 irons are very reassuring at address. As expected, the club face is slightly larger than that of the i15, especially noticeable in the heel to toe dimension at address. Personally, I like this in the longer irons, however, feel a little less confident when it comes to the shorter irons.

Flip the club over and you’ll notice the wider sole. Part of the theory behind this design decision is to get the center of gravity lower and further back on the club. This helps launch the ball higher. So, if you are one who has a hard time getting some height out of your irons, you should be able to hit a high ball with these sticks!

There is a nice finish to all PING clubs, the G15 irons are no exception. The almost rough finish to these cast irons is very cool in my book. The graphics on the back of the club face are interesting enough, but not overly distracting. Very similar to the i15 graphics, and even the G10 line to some degree. You will not be seeing them while swinging the club, so the design of the backside of the club rarely influences my decision on a club purchase.

Feel is where I have always found the PING G and I series lacking. The PING i15s, in my opinion, have made a nice step forward in the feel department over the i10 irons. The same can be said for the G15 irons. That being said, a well struck 8 iron is not going to feel as buttery smooth as a Mizuno blade. The flip side on that is when you thin a 5 iron in the early spring, you are not going to feel like you just smacked a cold cinder block.

All that being said, in the super game improvement class of clubs, I think the G15 irons do an admirable job of preserving some level of feel. While you may not feel exactly where you may have mis-hit a shot, you will at least know you did. I cannot say this for all super game improvement clubs out in the market.

Performance

Like any club out there, if you try hard enough, you can make these things slice and hook. Now, a gentle draw or fade? That will probably depend on your swing. I have a slight draw tendency, couple that with the offset and draw bias in these clubs, and I was generally hitting these with a few yards of right to left in them. Are they any more or less workable than the G10 irons? Not sure I can say there is a huge difference there.

As I mentioned earlier, these clubs have pretty wide soles. Personally, I always seem to struggle with wide soles, especially when it comes to tight lies. I feel like it is a little more difficult to play these out of a wider variety of lies because of that sole. However, given that these things are so darn forgiving, I found myself in fewer situations that required a club with a little more ‘workability’. If you have trouble getting the ball elevated, the wider sole in this set of irons does help get the ball up quickly.

When it comes to forgiveness, you will be hard pressed to find an iron that is this easy on your poor swings. Thin shots carried distance well, as did shots out on the toe and to some degree the heel as well. Sure, come in there with the face wide open, and this club won’t help you…but none of them will.

Conclusion

I really loved hitting the long irons, especially when the ball was sitting up on a tee. Standing on the tee box of a long par 3 or a tight par 4, the 3 or 4 iron from this set are superb. As I generally find with most sets of irons, a well struck 3 iron is a pretty amazing feeling. With the G15 irons, I found it relatively easy to find the sweet spot off a tee and could get used to launching my golf ball way up into the sky, hurdling down the middle of the fairway.

That being said, I felt like I gave up a little something in the control and accuracy department with the shorter irons. Now, this is just me, and I am looking for shorter irons I can work and flight. If you are just looking for maximum forgiveness, to hit the ball straight, and make the game of golf a heck of a lot easier…these may make more sense for you! Wait a minute, why do I want to be able to work the ball?

But back to those long irons. Today, the longest iron I am playing in my bag is a 5 iron. Anything above that, I am using a hybrid. It is difficult to beat the versatility of a hybrid and the forgiveness. But, a few sweet swings with the G15 3 and 4 irons on the range, and it is hard for me not to want to put them in play. So, we will see, they may make another appearance in my bag soon.

Should you be looking at the G15 irons? If you are currently playing something like the TaylorMade RAC OS2 irons and are looking for a little more feel and distance, this would be a nice step up. If you are coming from a set of blades, looking to make your Sundays more enjoyable, I would suggest stepping into something a little more intermediate, like the i15 irons.

The great news is, PING irons generally seem to retain their value well. So, picking up a set of either of these irons for a month or two would not cost you an arm and a leg if you consider the resale value.

Fast forward a year, the HSBC World Match play moved out of the state and the Shop-Rite became the only game in the Garden State. At this point, The Deep Rough had a year under its belt and a pretty good following. So, I thought I would see about getting some better access to the players/venue/organizers and try to learn a little more about how things ticked on the other side of the ropes. At the time, I really enjoyed watching the LPGA and felt like I could better relate to the lady’s game than what was going on with the men’s game. They used similar clubs, did not hit the ball 350 yards, were not spinning the ball back 20 feet out of the thick stuff, and missed the occasional 10 footer. So, I was all for doing whatever I could have done to help better expose the game to readers of The Deep Rough. I fired up google, dug around for the form to request media credentials, and kicked that process off. Shortly there after, I received a reply letting me know that my request had been denied. D’oh.

Fast forward another couple of years. Carolyn Bivins was given the boot. The LPGA seemed to embrace social media…they have a twitter account, that counts, right? The departure of tournament sponsors has been well documented. The lack of star power has been a problem. So, today, you would think the league would be all over getting whatever positive coverage they could get their hands on, right?

Yeah…not so much. The old HSBC World Match play made its way back to Hamilton Farm as the Sybase Classic. I thought, awesome, it’s down the street, let’s get in there and see how the LPGA has evolved over the past 4 years. So, I sent in my request for media credentials a few months ago. They are more ‘social media’ friendly now, right? They should welcome some local blogger coverage, right?

Dear Sean,

Thank you for your interest in covering the Sybase Match Play Championship. A summary of your organization’s media credential request is listed below:

Sean – Denied

Alrigthy then…seriously, nothing else.

It really just does not make a whole lot of sense to me. On one side, you have a number of LPGA players generating some amazing content through their twitter accounts. And on the other, you have the apparent desire of the league to control its image through traditional media sources. Does the LPGA embrace the opportunity they have to connect with fans through twitter? Or would they rather control what they players say through these new avenues for communication? Feel free to weigh in on this with a comment. (Unless, of course, you are just trying to sell Ugg boots, in which case, please just save your time…my time…and a little bandwidth..)

You do not have to look any further than Christina Kim’s twitter account to see how entertaining some of these ladies can be. I find real content, like she provides, pretty remarkable. A few years ago, you would be lucky to read a half decent interview with a PGA player in Golf Digest. Now, I can get workout advice from Trevor Immelman, get updates from John Daly on his game, and even get recommendations on Hibachi places from Christina Kim. How cool is that? LPGA, you would be wise to embrace this type of access. If I can relate to your product, I will buy your product.

Nike Golf gets it. They have embraced this form of marketing their product. Heck, they have invited me down to The Oven to check it out, meet the guys designing the clubs and then swing on over to Colonial to watch the Crowne Plaza Invitational. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure I will have nothing but positive things to say about that experience!

So, best of luck to the women of the LPGA at the Hamilton Farm this week. Sorry I will not be there to experience it with you!

(Londonderry, New Hampshire) — ECCO USA announces the arrival of its distinctive, hybrid sport-casual Golf Street Premier shoe is available for $140 online at www.eccousa.com and ships to retailers later this week.

Showcased by ECCO Staff Player Fred Couples this past weekend, the Golf Street Premier is designed specifically to be worn both on and off the course. This tremendously versatile shoe features full-grain leather uppers, a sleek PU midsole and pre-molded traction bars which provide players with ideal traction, stability and comfort.

“The Golf Street’s outsole has roughly 100 molded traction bars and over 800 traction angles versus a standard golf shoe’s six to nine cleats,” says C.B. Tuite, General Sales Manager, ECCO USA Golf Division. “It’s no wonder Fred Couples relied on it during one of the most important golf tournaments of the year.”

Taking its cues from modern men’s fashion, Golf Street Premier includes funky color pops and cool metal-rivet accents. The ideal combination of style and function, it comes with synthetic blend wide-flat laces in two different colors for added user customization, including a contrast option for an additional dose of flavor. Like all ECCO golf shoes, Golf Street Premier is made using a proprietary direct-injection process that creates a one-piece construction which won’t break down over time.

In addition to Couples, ECCO golf shoes are worn in competition by scores of international Tour stars, including Aaron Baddeley, Colin Montgomerie, Stuart Appleby, Arjun Atwal, John Bickerton, Bradley Dredge and many others.

Coinciding with the recently introduced 2010 golf collection, ECCO has engaged in a series of major account and customer service initiatives. These include a supporting partnership of the PGA of America Golf Retirement Plus program, a new ECCO Golf Comfort Tech Van, a web-based retailer training module and the brand’s status as an official member of the Association of Golf Merchandisers.

Guaranteeing a level of quality that cannot be matched by any major footwear manufacturer, each ECCO golf shoe is made using a proprietary, direct-injection process. Touched by more than 225 sets of highly-skilled hands during production, each model is a testament to the brand’s unrivalled attention to detail that helps discerning players look, feel and play their best.

All ECCO golf shoes feature a network of built-in technologies to create the ideal platform for the perfect swing. These include a direct-injected, PU-constructed midsole/outsole that:

1. Creates a one-piece shoe construction
2. Ensures unrivaled durability, flexibility, lightness and weather resistance
3. Provides a superior level of cushioning and comfort that does not break down over time, unlike commonly-used materials such as air, rubber and EVA foam

Optimal performance is further guaranteed by:

1. Ultra-soft, high-grade leathers with hydrophobic treatments for superb weather-resistance
2. Internal stabilizer to reduce torque and create ideal swing stability
3. Double-layer insole with cushion that absorbs heel force to reduce stress on the knees, hips and back
4. Internal Air-Circulation System to maintain a fresh, dry and cool foot environment
5. Dynamic Energy Return System that provides a trampoline effect during foot-strike and follow-through to reduce fatigue and restore energy with each step
6. Green-friendly outsole designs featuring molded traction bars combined with Stinger cleats from Champ and the Q-Lok insert system to provide ideal traction and grip

We will see if we can get our hands on some of these for a complete review on and off the course!

While I personally will not be there, we will have a contributing blogger submit some reports over the next week. You may also want to check out our friends at oobgolf who will be live blogging the event. Knowing Andrew @ oob, I am sure that will be a blast to follow.

If there are any products you are specifically interested in, drop us a note in the comments here and we’ll try to get some more details for you. I am getting inundated with emails from manufacturers who will be at the show, so I may have some info for you!

Christmas Golf?

Golf Balls

This is always the ‘old standby’, I am sure most people out there with a golfing dad has bought a dozen golf balls as a gift on numerous occasions. If your dad generally plays ‘whatever golf ball he finds’ you could surprise him with a dozen ProV1 golf balls, at a discount price. How, you say? Check out our review on KnetGolf, a company that resells refinished or recycled golf balls. You can get top quality balls for half the price, and I really could not notice any difference…performance wise or cosmetically. So if you are looking to surprise that golfer in the family with some pricey golf balls…without breaking the bank, that route is a great option.

Epoch Golf Tee

A big bag of wooden golf tees is another traditional gift for a golfer. Rather than boring that golfer in your family with a $5 bag of 100 wooden tees in their stocking, check out our Evolve Golf. They offer a couple varieties of environmentally friendly, reusable golf tees. Not long ago we reviewed the Epoch and Vireo golf tees. Both can be had for about the same price as a large bag of wooden golf tees, but will last a heck of a lot longer, might eek out a few more yards and you won’t be killing any trees in the process.

Sassy Golf Glove

So you have a lady golfer in your life, and have no clue what to get her. Well, Sassy Golf has a real simple option for you, a decked out golf glove designed by a woman for women. Elizabeth, over at Sassy Golf, grew tired of wearing a man’s golf glove sized for a woman. So she put together some cute glove designs and has been selling her Sassy Golf gloves like crazy! There are a number of design options available, so you have another opportunity to be a little creative. The gloves can be had for just under $20 and include a boutique style gift pouch…saves you some wrapping time perhaps? After you order one of these gloves for the golfing woman in your life, be sure to follow Sassy Golf on Twitter.

Practice Golf Balls

Is your golfer looking at a cold winter season, stuck indoors? There are a number of practice golf balls on the market that can help ease the winter golf blues. We have reviewed a few of the options in the past, all of which are great options, let’s have a look at see what might work best for your golfer. Almost Golf makes a soft, foam like golf ball that looks a traditional golf ball and almost feels and flies like one. It could be used indoors for chipping or hit into a net in your garage. Another option, if the golfer has a little less space is The Floppy. The Floppy is more of a bean bag type material that can be used for any number of short game shots around the house. It works great off carpet, and unless you are hitting it toward that antique vase, it should be relatively safe around the house. Now, for the golfer that is in a little warmer weather and can hit some balls outside, your best bet is the Birdie Ball. The Birdie Ball is the most realistic feeling of the practice balls we have tested, but flies a much shorter distance. So for someone with a small back yard, you can still take pretty big swings and not worry about breaking any windows…well…hopefully not! All of these practice balls can be had at stocking stuffer prices, and would be a great gift for the avid golfer.

Pure Ball Striker

How many people out there have spent hundreds of dollars on golf training aids, only to find them collecting dust in the basement? The Pure Ball Striker is a very simple, yet very effective training aid that will help you develop lag pressure in your swing. It’s as simple as a little piece of rubber cut to fit over your golf grip. You place the meat of your lower hand (right hand for right handed golfers) on the PBS and feel the club head lagging against that finger through your swing. It’s something you can use anywhere and anytime you are practicing. Coming in at under $15, it definitely falls into that stocking stuffer category. Here is a nice video review of the product.

Golf Clubs

Now, what about golf clubs? This is a tricky subject. If the golfer in your life is an avid golfer, he or she probably has a very good idea of what type of club fits their game and what they want in a club. Most likely they would want to demo a few sets of irons or try out a variety of drivers before setting on a single club. This makes it difficult to choose a specific golf club for such people. In this case, it may make sense to simply get them a gift certificate at a local pro shop. Maybe make it a little interesting, buy them a custom club fitting at a location with a launch monitor or motion capture technology (TaylorMade Performance Lab or MotionGolf). If you still want to stick with a golf club, check out our used golf club buying guide on oobgolf.

Win some Golf Stocking Stuffers!

Okay, so hopefully you got some good advice there, and have enough time to order some little stocking stuffers for that golfer in your life. Now, if you are really tight on cash, and still want to get that golfer a pretty cool gift, have no fear, The Deep Rough has put together a little stocking stuffer contest for you! We will be awarding four prizes over the next couple of weeks.

• December 11th – Post a Comment – A Selection of a Dozen Golf Balls from KnetGolf
• December 16th – Follow us on Twitter – A Selection of Golf Tees from Evolve Golf
• December 18th – Subscribe to the Newsletter – Three Birdie Balls
• December 24th – Random One of the Above – A new Heavy Putter Mid-Weight CX2

To be entered into the contest, simply do one or all of the following:

Comment on a post on The Deep Rough (be sure to leave a valid email address) – We will select one comment posted after December 7th 2009, on December 11th. There is no limit to the number of entries, but please keep in mind that any that are determined to be spam will be deleted. So please, make your comments meaningful.

Follow us on Twitter and Retweet – Simply tweet the following:

RT @thedeeprough Enter our Stocking Stuffer Contest http://bit.ly/89mhHa

We will select one random person who tweets the message above on December 16th. Again, no limit to the number of entries.

Subscribe to our Newsletter – We will randomly select one new subscriber to The Deep Rough as of December 18th, make sure you have entered a valid email address and confirmed the validation email.

Lastly, for the putter, we will put all of the comments, tweets and new newsletter subscribers into a big pool, and randomly select one entry. The Heavy Putter Mid-Weight CX2 could be a nice little ‘slightly belated’ Christmas gift for someone!

Enter early, and enter often! Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Winners

• December 11th – Dozen Golf Balls from KnetGolf – Jim V
• December 16th – A Selection of Golf Tees from Evolve Golf – @garthspaulding of CA
• December 18th – Three Birdie Balls – Jeremy of MD
• December 24th – A new Heavy Putter Mid-Weight CX2 – George of NV

The Monsoon Jacket is constructed with a windproof and waterproof microfiber shell with taped seams and Teflon® coating for guaranteed waterproof protection and taffeta lining for comfort. Additional features include shoulder gussets for ease of movement, adjustable cuffs, zippered side pockets, an external chest pocket, shock-cord waist, and locking zipper pulls that stay securely out of the way. Monsoon Jacket is in golf shops now with a full-suggested retail price of $85. Monsoon Jacket is available in sizes M – XXL in Black, Red/Black, Sport Navy/Black, White/Black and Port/Black and in size Small in Black, only.

Monsoon Pants are fully lined, coated microfiber offering guaranteed protection from wind and rain. Monsoon Pants come with a zippered fly with snap closure, elastic waist, zippered side pockets and lower legs, and a unique leg snap system that allows the pants to be shortened by 2-½ inches. Monsoon Pants are available now with a full-suggested retail of $65 in sizes M – XXL in Black only.

Sun Mountain President, Ed Kowachek said, “With Sun Mountain’s top-of-the-line stretchable, breathable, waterproof RainFlex® at one end, and our emergency packable Provisional rainsuit at the other – the Monsoon fills a nice spot right in the middle.”

In addition to outerwear, for over 25 years, Sun Mountain has been designing and manufacturing functional, high-quality, lightweight golf bags for the serious golfer. Sun Mountain is responsible for many industry firsts, including being the first to use backpacking technology to produce a lightweight nylon golf bag, and being the first to develop a stand bag with integral legs. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart® and the new ClubGlider® travel bag are leaders in their respective categories.

Sun Mountain is dedicated to finding the most innovative fabrics, the latest manufacturing processes, and the best designs to create a line of performance outerwear that includes rainsuits, windshirts, fleece and the RainFlex® collection. Sun Mountain is an officially licensed supplier of outerwear to the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Duramed Futures Tour, Nationwide Tour and was the official outerwear of the winning 2009 USA Presidents Cup Team.

Starting on February 1, 2010, two versions of Victory Red drivers, The Nike VR STR8-FIT Tour and the VR Tour will be available. Each possesses a new shape and look, born from collaboration with the Nike Golf athletes who have accumulated more driver wins on the PGA Tour for the last three years than any other brand. The new VR drivers were designed for avid golfers who are refining and optimizing distance in their game, desire a more traditional look and demand tailored performance with pin point accuracy. This premium line provides golfers all the benefits, adjustability, looks and performance that the Nike Athletes receive week in and week out on Tour.

The VR STR8-FIT Tour driver expands upon Nike’s award-winning STR8-FIT Face Angle Technology, giving players both the ability to select their shot shape as well as the flexibility to dial in the look of their driver like never before. The VR STR8-FIT Tour Drivers offer 32 face angle positions for the ultimate in workability and confidence at address. For the golfers who prefer a more traditional look, Nike has developed the VR Tour driver that is distinguished by a smaller “pear-shaped” head size and no adjustability trait.

The clubhead of both versions of the VR drivers conveys beauty, refinement and premium sophistication designed to appeal to the avid golfer who is seeking lower spin rates and a more penetrating ball flight. Each driver features the distinctive red Compression Channel that is located on the sole and is lined from the toe to the heel paralleling the face. The Nike Compression Channel increases the overall compression of the body, which produces increased, uniform ball speeds across the entire face.

“The Compression Channel technology takes the rigidity out of the sole and provides more flex in the heel,” said Tom Stites, Director of Club Creation for Nike Golf. “By adding this technology, we have made the VR drivers more forgiving for the better players when they miss it in the lower zone of the heel.”

In the VR STR8-FIT Tour, the combination of Nike’s Compression Channel and the Face Angle Technology deliver longer distance and more shot-shaping control. Differentiating from the VR STR8-FIT Tour, the VR Tour driver has a smaller, more traditional head design for more workability. The VR Tour also has a longer hosel than that of the VR STR8-FIT Tour and has one glued head position without adjustability.

Availability: February, 1, 2010 at golf shops and specialty stores nationwide

VR STR8-FIT Tour Driver
Loft Options: 8.5 (RH); 9.5 (RH/LH); 10.5 (RH/LH); 11.5 (RH/LH); All available in: R,S,X
MSRP: $479.99

VR Tour Driver
Loft Options: 8.5 (RH); 9.5 (RH); 10.5 (RH); All available in R,S,X
MSRP: $479.99