Patriot Golf Day Driver

TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, the world’s leading maker of metalwoods, today announced it will produce a limited number of special-edition Patriot Golf Day drivers in hopes of helping the Folds of Honor Foundation raise more than $1 million during its Patriot Golf Day fundraising event. The foundation, which provides educational scholarships to families of those who have become disabled or lost their lives in the line of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, is the sole beneficiary of Patriot Golf Day.

Patriot Golf Day is supported by The PGA of America and is the vision of Captain Dan Rooney, who is both a PGA Teaching Professional and an F-16 fighter pilot in the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. It was held for the first time on September 1, 2007; more than 3,200 golf courses participated and helped raise more than $1.1 million by donating one dollar for every player who played that day. This year, Patriot Golf Day will span all four days of Labor Day weekend (Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1).

TaylorMade-adidas Golf has vowed to help the Foundation double the first year’s fundraising efforts by creating specially-designed, limited edition drivers inspired by the F-16 “Viper” fighter jet that Captain Rooney piloted during two tours in Iraq. The driver features the Patriot Golf Day Logo on the toe, a laser-etched F-16 jet on the sole, a deep “intimidation” black crown and a specially-designed Patriot Golf Day head cover in red, white and blue.

Beginning in August, participating golf facilities will receive a single driver in a commemorative box to put on display for silent auction prior to Patriot Golf Day. Net proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Folds of Honor Foundation to support college and vocational scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen and wounded soldiers.

“More than 37,000 service members have been killed or wounded, and Patriot Golf Day is a way for patriotic Americans to assist families of those military personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” said Rooney, who will return to Iraq for a third tour of duty this summer. “TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s support of Patriot Golf Day has helped us add a critical fundraising component that will allow us to reach more families with scholarships and other forms of support.”

“When we learned of Dan Rooney’s fundraising mission with Patriot Golf Day, it wasn’t a question of whether or not we would, but how much could we do to help,” said Mark King, president and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf. “We hope the money raised from the auction of the TaylorMade limited edition drivers will positively impact families of servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.”

Last year this event was a great success. It’s nice to see the tradition continue and grow.

When I read posts from some of the more uppety bloggers, I always picture some middle-aged 16-handicapper with a paunch who’s eating a frozen dinner in his boxer shorts in front of his computer as he bashes the idiot who proclaimed the Titleist Z Muscle Forged irons inferior to the Z Blend Forged (both of which, by the way, are clubs designed for the very top layer of players in the world and not for amateurs). I’m endlessly curious to find out who these dudes might really be.

I am really not sure which ‘uppety’ bloggers she is referring to, but I would have to assume she is referring to the enormous throng of equipment geeks on several of the large forums out there. I really do not know of any golf blogs out there that start ‘fanboy’ arguments regarding new equipment.

Sure, you can find plenty plenty of heated debates regarding the latest technology on big name forums like BombSquadGolf and GolfWRX. And sure, sometimes these debates get taken to nasty levels, but this is true of any forum covering just about any topic on the net. Some people, while perfectly civil under normal circumstances become quite insane when presented with a large audience and anonymity. This was pointed out quite nicely in graphical format on ProBlogger not too long ago.

Personally, I browse both of those forums quite regularly. Both of these sites have plenty of members who often post insightful commentary. Sure you have to wade through some of the I hit the ball 350 yards with my new XYZ driver posts, but you are often rewarded with some great golf discussion. To call these people out as ‘frozen tv dinner’ eaters…seems uncalled for to me. It almost seems like jealousy on her part? Like, wait, how are these losers getting pictures of equipment I haven’t seen yet? I don’t understand it.

If she was just looking to stir the pot it seems to have worked, just check out her comment list…well…do it quick, before they get deleted…I grabbed a couple of them here…

Wow you got some big ones Ms.Sternberg…you just opened up a huge can of “im gonna get in your grill”…i hope this blog or whatever gets notice by the boys of BSG and GolfWRX…they will definitely let you know how they feel and how they have come to know so much…..SuperFonzie….GOLF GEEK !!!

If you spent some time on some of these boards, you’ll find that it’s similar to walking down a busy city street: some wackos, some in need of help, some idiots, but mostly a bunch of reasonably intelligent people with some very qualified, professional people there. In other words, stop generalizing – how offensive would you find it if someone blogged about all women ruining pace of play on the golf course? That’s not true…

What do you think?

30-50mph winds here today. 30 Degrees. Low of 15 overnight. When is this going to end?  Well the weekend is looking up…sort of…

Umm…44..partly cloudy?  Yeah, back in November, I would have said heck no, and stayed inside.  But after several months of this kind of weather, I take any chance I can to get out.  44 is the new 70 I say!

So nearly 3 fewer putts a round, and the handicap is down 4.4. Driving accuracy pretty much the same, GIR % actually down some. Just goes to show you…if you want your handicap to drop, work on your short game/putting.

I think I can attribute my drop in GIR to playing several different sets of irons this year. I started the season with a set of Mizuno MP-33s. Then played with some Adams Idea A1 Pro irons for a month or so. I shot a 74 with that set of irons, my low to this point. Then, I started reviewing more clubs. Went through some Callaway X-20s, X-Tours, Adams Idea Pro Forged, Nike Sumo Irons, TM Burner XD, TM R7 RGB Max…did I leave anything out? I really enjoyed reviewing/testing all of that equipment, but so much of this game is about confidence in your ability to make a shot happen at any given moment. In changing equipment constantly, having confidence really became a problem. I started mucking with my swing, and for a little while there, I really thought I had completely lost it. Right now I have a set of Mizuno MP-57s in my bag, and I have a feeling those will be in the bag for quite some time. If I can stick to that, the GIR% should climb in 2008. Couple that with my better short game, and I should see another little drop in the handicap.

So while I have been working at improving my game, the boys over at oobgolf have been hard at working improving their application. One big feature added recently was a new charting system. I think this is a huge improvement over the previous charting tool. They added the ability to filter by golf course. So if you would like to see your putting stats on a particular course, just add that course to the filter, and you will only see your rounds played on that course. Great stuff.

Be sure to sign up soon! You can read all about it on Hooked On Golf.

Huntington Beach, California, October 30, 2007–Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell 100% of the stock of its Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. subsidiary to SRI Sports Limited (owner of Srixon Golf), based in Japan.

The transaction value is $132.5 million and the transaction is expected to close during the fiscal quarter ending January 31, 2008. Net proceeds from the sale will be used to repay existing indebtedness.

Quiksilver originally acquired a portion of the interest in Cleveland in its July 2005 acquisition of the Rossignol Group. The remaining interest was acquired in a separate transaction in September 2007.

This transaction resulted from Quiksilver’s initiative, first announced in June 2007, to explore strategic alternatives to reduce its exposure to the hardgoods manufacturing businesses. Robert B. McKnight, Jr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, “We are very pleased to have reached a compelling transaction with SRI Sports. While we believe that Cleveland is the best up-and-coming brand in the golf market with significant growth opportunities, it is not a strategic asset for us as we strive to maximize our core businesses and brands.”

Bernard Mariette, President of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, “We believe this transaction is a key strategic action for our company that will drive immediate value and enable us to reduce both our exposure to the hardgoods space and our degree of leverage. We are pleased to turn over the leadership of Cleveland to such a capable and well-respected company and believe that this transaction is a clear win for everyone involved.”

Ryochi Sawada, Chairman of the Board of SRI Sports Limited, commented, “We are very excited to add the Cleveland brand and business to our operations. Cleveland has a clear position of dominance in the important wedge market and a fast-growing presence in drivers and irons. We believe that this business will prove highly complementary to our own. We are looking forward to demonstrating Cleveland’s full potential to the market and believe that the business can benefit greatly from our stewardship.”

Greg Hopkins, President of Cleveland Golf Company, Inc, commented, “We are excited by the many positive aspects of this deal, including the combination of a great brand in golf with a new organization that is completely and solely devoted to the sport. Significantly, their operating model is set up to anticipate and respond to the seasonality and other specific requirements of the golf market. We believe that this singular focus will benefit the entire Cleveland organization in a number of ways. Each of the three companies involved – Cleveland Golf, Quiksilver, and our new parent SRI Sports benefit in significant ways as this transaction will positively affect the futures of all three companies.”

Commenting on Quiksilver’s remaining hardgoods brands, Mr. Mariette continued, “We remain fully committed to our vision to transform Rossignol to a global lifestyle brand and therefore to the continued ownership of the related hardgoods assets”. Mr. McKnight added, “We are continuing to evaluate ways to reduce our exposure to risk in some of our non-core winter equipment businesses, including Dynastar, Lange, Look, Kerma and Risport which, like Cleveland Golf, were acquired in 2005 as part of the Rossignol Group.”

Quiksilver, Inc. was advised by JPMorgan.

Tiger Woods will have his own brand of sports drink next year under an endorsement deal announced Tuesday with Gatorade that marks a couple of firsts for the world’s No. 1 golfer — his first U.S. deal with a beverage company and his first licensing agreement.

Gatorade said it will introduce “Gatorade Tiger” in March, with more products to follow. Woods even picked out the flavors himself, with the drink available in a cherry blend, citrus blend and grape.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although Golfweek magazine reported last month it was for five years and could pay Woods as much as $100 million, moving him closer to the $1 billion mark in career endorsements.

Complete Story

I wonder when Michelle Wie will be marketing her ‘Why Won’t My Parents Leave Me Alone‘-Ade?

Here’s a great list of abused golf rules, found at the Northern Nevada Women’s Golf Association:

1. Giving advice on the course:

You cannot ask what club a fellow-competitor or opponent used, or tell anyone how to execute a swing. You can ask your partner what club she used.

You cannot ask how far it is from your ball (but you can ask what the yardage is from a permanent marker that is public knowledge).

You cannot ask if your ball is playable if someone finds a lost ball for you (but you can ask for Rules of Golf information on what your options are for an unplayable lie).

2. Grounding a club in a hazard:

Before hitting a ball out of a bunker or water hazard, you are prohibited from touching the ground in the hazard with your club or hand, even when setting up to the ball. You may not touch or move any loose impediments (such as rocks or leaves), nor test the condition of the sand before hitting.

3. Where to play a ball which is in a water hazard:

You cannot drop a ball along the imaginary line known as the “line of flight.”

For a regular water hazard, marked with yellow stakes or lines, there are three options: 1)play the ball as it lies; or, under penalty of one stroke, 2)play another ball from where the original ball was struck into the hazard; or 3)drop behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. SEE ILLUSTRATION.

For a lateral water hazard, marked with red stakes or lines, there are five options, the first three are the same as for a regular hazard. The other two options are also under penalty of one stroke, 4)drop 2 club lengths from the point of entry into the hazard; or 5)drop 2 club lengths from point on the opposite margin, equidistant from the hole. SEE ILLUSTRATION.

4. Improving your lie or position by moving growing things:

You cannot improve the position or lie of your ball, the area of your intended swing, or your line of play by moving or bending anything growing or fixed, or moving or pressing anything down with your club or foot, unless you are taking your stance or actually making a stroke.

5. Procedure for a lost ball:

If a ball is lost or out-of-bounds, the player MUST go back and hit again from the point where the last shot was played (one stroke penalty). If you lose your ball on your drive, you must return to the tee (and may re-tee the ball) to play your third shot, etc.

Golfers commonly look for a lost ball longer than the 5 minutes allowed. The time begins when the golfer or partner start looking for the ball.

6. Playing a provisional ball:

When a golfer hits a ball from the teeing ground and feels the ball may be lost or out-of-bounds, she should wait for all other players in the group to tee off, then hit her “provisional” ball. If the first ball is lost or out-of-bounds, the provisional ball will become the ball in play with one penalty stroke. In other words, the player lies three. If the first ball is found on the golf course, it remains the ball in play and the provisional ball MUST be picked up without any penalty. (Remember to always announce that the second ball you’re hitting is a provisional and use the word “provisional,” or the original ball is out of play and you are lying three.)

Any other time you hit a ball that may be lost or out-of-bounds, you MUST announce and play the “provisional” ball before going forward to search for the first ball. NEVER say “I am going back to hit a provisional ball.”

Be sure to clearly identify the two balls with different brands, numbers or marks to be sure which ball is first and which is second.

7. Taking relief from immovable obstructions:

If a player’s ball comes to rest on or close to an immovable obstruction such as a sprinkler head, road or cartpath, and the lie, stance or area of intended swing is interfered with by this obstruction, the player is allowed to drop a ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, providing it’s no closer to the hole than where the ball originally had come to rest.

The player should determine the nearest point of relief using the club she expects to play her next stoke. Then she may use any club to measure the one club length area in which to drop the ball.

The nearest point of relief is the point where the ball will be played which is nearest to where the original ball lies, which is no closer to the hole and which, if the ball were so positioned, no interference would exist for the lie of the ball, the stance or the intended area of the swing. SEE ILLUSTRATION.

8. What to do if your ball is unplayable:

When a ball comes to rest under a large bush, some golfers think they can measure the 2 club lengths from the edge of the bush. This is WRONG — the 2 club lengths MUST be measured from the ball’s position.

There are actually three options for a ball declared unplayable by a player: under penalty of one stroke, 1)play a ball from where the ball was originally played; 2)play a ball within 2 club lengths from where it lies in the unplayable position; or 3)keep the position where the ball lay unplayable between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. SEE ILLUSTRATION

9. Touching the line of putt:

On the putting green, a player may not touch the line of putt other than to: 1)move loose impediments by picking them up or brushing them aside with a hand or club; 2)address the ball; or 3)to mark and lift the ball or remove movable obstructions. The player can repair old hole plugs or ball marks, but not spike marks.

Play Ready Golf!

How often have you stood on the tee of a par 3, watching the group in front for what seems to be an eternity? Three of the guys are on the green. One is in the bunker. The guy in the bunker was the last to hit…so he’s also the last to get to the bunker. The other 3 guys are standing around chatting as bunker guy gets his sand wedge…heads over to the bunker…and thinks about not screwing up his sand shot. He hits his sand shot, which flies over the green, into a bunker on the other side of the green. The other 3 guys chuckle, and continue to chat. Bunker guy rakes his bunker (nice job!), walks to the other side of the green…and hits an ok shot that ends up on the green, but he’s still ‘away’. Bunker guy rakes…oops…he forgot his putter in the cart…3 other guys continue to chit chat..and laugh at bunker guy…you really screwed this hole up Charlie! Bunker guy finally putts, makes a great one…saves his 4. And now the other 3, one by one, take their time reading their putts, lining up the putts, hitting their putts…missing..marking their ball…and begin the routine once again. This is absolutely insane.

This is an ‘extreme’ example, but I see it happening in so many different circumstances. People do it on the fairway…one by one, completely serially, people select a club, think about their shot, take some practice swings and then hit the ball…waiting for their playing partner on the complete opposite side of the fairway to hit their ball…watch it fly through the air, and land wherever it went.

You do NOT have to wait for your playing partners. While the guy is hitting his bunker shot, read your putt…heck, use a golf ball with an alignment mark, and line up your putt. While your playing partner is thinking about his shot out of the rough, you should be selecting your club for your approach shot out of the fairway…you can pick your intermediate target, get a clear image of what you are going to do. Just be READY to step right into your pre-shot routine as soon as the other guy hits.

The Ball is Lost…Forget About It

This doesn’t bother me nearly as much as #1, but if you hook your tee shot into some deep woods, with lots of underbrush…you’re not going to find it. Yes, I understand the rules give you 5 minutes to look…but the vast majority of people take more than that…and for the most part it’s a fruitless effort. Look for a minute or two…if you seriously think you have a reasonable chance of finding it, sure use your 5 minutes. But, come on…if it looks like a Costa Rican jungle…you aren’t going to find the ball, don’t waste any more time looking for it.

Gimme Putts

Unless you’re playing for $100 a hole, please don’t spend 5 minutes lining up your 18″ putt. Tell your playing partner it’s good, and have him pick up. How many times have you watched another 2-5 minutes wasted while the group in front of you is standing in a 5 foot circle surrounding the pin?

Develop a Pre-Shot Routine

If you don’t already have one, work on developing a consistent pre-shot routine. Just don’t make it a 5 minute one that involves 35 waggles, and constant regripping of the club. Mine involves lining up behind the ball, envisioning my shot, walking up to the ball, grip, look up, check alignment, look up…hit. It probably doesn’t take more than 20 seconds. And it’s consistent. I don’t spend minutes hemming and hawing over what to do. Not only does it help speed up play, but it will clear your mind, and help you stay focused.

Leave Your Bags in the Direction of the Next Tee

I don’t see it as often as other slow down mistakes, but it definitely happens. Leave your bags to the side of the green, and in the direction of the next tee, never in front of the green. Nothing worse than watching a slow group take forever to putt out, then all walk back toward me…to get their bags and put away their clubs…then walk BACK over the green toward the next tee.

Play Level Appropriate Tees

I don’t worry about this as much as some people do, but you’re only doing yourself a disservice if you’re a 20 handicap playing off the back tees. But, I’m not going to say that everyone that does it slows down play. If you’re a high handicapper who plays quickly, by all means, torture yourself from the back tees.

Cart Riders…

Two very simple things. First: drop your cart partner off at their ball…then drive to your ball and get ready for your shot. Second: take at least 2 or 3 clubs with you to your ball.

Beginners

Last thing I’ll mention….I’m all for people learning the game…but do it on an executive course or at the driving range. You’ll have a lot more fun on a shorter course, and will have more time to work on your short game, which is the quickest way to start shooting lower scores. However, if you MUST play that 135 slope course, play off the front tees, and pick up your ball if you haven’t reached the green in 5 shots

That’s the end of my little slow play rant. If you have any tips or suggestions, please feel free to add them…I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch!