Have you ever wanted to increase your swagger on the golf course? In addition to sunglasses, a popped collar, and yellow soled Nike golf kicks, you will need to talk with a certain slang that shows everyone else you're up on the latest golf vernacular. That's why The Green Blazer is here to bring you: Speak of the Week . . .
Last week, we told you your clubs are not clubs, they're wrenches. But after another week hanging with some members of golf's brodier generation, we found that clubs can also be called hooks or bats.
Golf cars are also no longer golf cars or even golf carts ... They're buggies. Europe was well ahead of the U.S. on this one, but buggy is here now to stay. "Hey bud, will you throw my hooks on a buggy and bring it up front?"
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Mizuno tries to play public for fools
Well browsing the latest Golf World magazine (somehow G-Blaze has have a free indefinite subscription to seemingly every golf related magazine) The Green Blazer stumbled across the "Mizuno Challenge" where they claim that golfers hit their new JPX 800 iron 12.48 yards farther than whatever current iron they're playing. They say it's due to the new "Hot Metal design" and "Ultra thin clubface" but The Blazer won't be fooled so easily.
Mizuno is right; numbers don't lie, just look at the lofts of their clubs, the real culprit for golfers' added distance.
Blaze doesn't need to poll 100 golfers to tell you that on average they hit their 5 iron farther than their 6 iron. Lofts have been continuously decreasing over the last ten years, mainly in the game improvement sector. If Mizuno really wanted to give a true picture of how much farther their clubs go, they should have compared them to clubs of similar loft (Callaway RazorHawk, Taylormade R9 would have worked). It's safe to say most golfers are getting new irons closer to every 10 years than every year. Below are the 6 iron lofts of some of the irons that their polled golfers were possibly using:
Ping i3 OS - 30.5 degrees
Cleveland TA5 - 30 degrees
Callaway X-14 - 33 degrees (2000)
Callaway x-20 - 30 degrees (2007)
Mizuno JPX 800 - 28 degrees
Mizuno is right about one thing, Numbers don't lie.
Mizuno is right; numbers don't lie, just look at the lofts of their clubs, the real culprit for golfers' added distance.
Blaze doesn't need to poll 100 golfers to tell you that on average they hit their 5 iron farther than their 6 iron. Lofts have been continuously decreasing over the last ten years, mainly in the game improvement sector. If Mizuno really wanted to give a true picture of how much farther their clubs go, they should have compared them to clubs of similar loft (Callaway RazorHawk, Taylormade R9 would have worked). It's safe to say most golfers are getting new irons closer to every 10 years than every year. Below are the 6 iron lofts of some of the irons that their polled golfers were possibly using:
Ping i3 OS - 30.5 degrees
Cleveland TA5 - 30 degrees
Callaway X-14 - 33 degrees (2000)
Callaway x-20 - 30 degrees (2007)
Mizuno JPX 800 - 28 degrees
Mizuno is right about one thing, Numbers don't lie.
Lobster balls not delicacy
Golf's latest push toward greener pastures might be in the ball
Do you like Lobster balls? Do you find them to be an Easter delicacy? Do you like hitting the golf ball 60-70 percent of the distance you normally do? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then the University of Maine may have a product for you.
From http://technabob.com:
The researchers found a way to use those lobster shells to make golf balls; more specifically, golf balls that are biodegradable. The shells are held together with a biodegradable binder and coating. Presumably they will just melt away to lobster dust over time in the environment. The balls sell for a bit under $1 each and cost 19 cents to make.
These lobster balls are the latest in a push toward green golf balls (no we're not referring to a new Srixon Tour Green). Research teams at the Danish Golf Union have discovered it takes between 100 to 1,000 years for a golf ball to decompose naturally. It is also estimated 300 million balls are lost or discarded in the United States alone, every year.
The Danish Golf Association found that during decomposition, golf balls dissolved to release dangerous levels of zinc and other heavy metals. When submerged in water, the zinc attaches itself to the ground sediment and poisoned the surrounding flora and fauna.
With all this said, we hope this isn't self defeating and that the Lobster shells they are using to make golf balls aren't already contaminated by golf balls.
Do you like Lobster balls? Do you find them to be an Easter delicacy? Do you like hitting the golf ball 60-70 percent of the distance you normally do? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then the University of Maine may have a product for you.
From http://technabob.com:
The researchers found a way to use those lobster shells to make golf balls; more specifically, golf balls that are biodegradable. The shells are held together with a biodegradable binder and coating. Presumably they will just melt away to lobster dust over time in the environment. The balls sell for a bit under $1 each and cost 19 cents to make.
These lobster balls are the latest in a push toward green golf balls (no we're not referring to a new Srixon Tour Green). Research teams at the Danish Golf Union have discovered it takes between 100 to 1,000 years for a golf ball to decompose naturally. It is also estimated 300 million balls are lost or discarded in the United States alone, every year.The Danish Golf Association found that during decomposition, golf balls dissolved to release dangerous levels of zinc and other heavy metals. When submerged in water, the zinc attaches itself to the ground sediment and poisoned the surrounding flora and fauna.
With all this said, we hope this isn't self defeating and that the Lobster shells they are using to make golf balls aren't already contaminated by golf balls.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Green Blazer's Sunday Smorgasbord is back!
Was that a 15 Kevin? Na, it was 16
With the highest score on a single hole since John Daly made an 18 on the sixth hole at Bay Hill, Kevin Na made a twelve over par, sixteen, on the ninth hole in the first round of the Valero Texas Open.
Although hackers across the country stare back at the hole and point as they count their strokes out loud, it's unheard of to see a professional do it. Na actually ran out of beads at 15, but after reviewing the video discovered one more whack.
The Golf Channel struck gold by choosing Na to be miked up on that specific day and the scene was entertaining for all viewers. His caddy recommended Na go back to the tee, but instead of agreeing, Kevin said na-nah-na-nah and BOOM, he paid the price on what was otherwise a solid round.
Check out the video of the circus below and make sure to pay particular attention at 4:07 where the gallery applauded his 12th shot and 4:47 where Na hilariously twirls his club following his 13th shot.
----------
Speak of the Week
Have you ever wanted to increase your swagger on the golf course? In addition to sunglasses, a popped collar, and tennis shoe style Adidas golf kicks, you will need to talk with a certain slang that shows everyone else you're up on the latest golf vernacular. That's why G Blaze is bringing back: Speak of the Week . . .
Your clubs are not clubs and your grips are not grips. If you're confused the following sentence should clear things up: "Hey Pro ... Is it possible you could have the guys clean up my wrenches and put some new handles on them before my round Sunday?
----------
Golf course supervillain strikes up north
A horse is a horse but in Wisconsin, a course is no longer a course
Nike's new commercial caught G-Blaze's eye (an eye with a built in rangefinder, one of Blaze's many superpowers) when a horse is seen tearing through a finely manicured golf course causing significant damage to the grounds, but a stampede of horses couldn't have created as much damage in a year as one vandal did in a night to Whispering Springs Golf Club in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.
Chris Wood, the pro who found the 15th club that created a mini media frenzy last year, sent G-Blaze a message asking for a quick piece showing the damage this vandal did to a great golf course. Below are pictures from Whispering Springs website showing the damage.
From Whispering Springs website:
On the night of April 8th Whispering Springs Golf Club was the victim of a malicious act of vandalism. Trespasser(s) came onto our property during the night hours with a shovel and intentions to harm the course and our business’s well-being. The assailants dug over 200 holes throughout the green of significant size and depth. Not only did they dig out chucks of turf, the vandals proceeded to carry the pieces of sod 30 yards away near a creek. Anyone associated with, or has knowledge of the game of golf knows how much work goes into maintaining a golf course. This act was a direct assault on the hard work that the Whispering Springs staff puts into our establishment. We view this act to be one of someone who was not looking for sick fun, but rather, someone looking to destroy our business. For these reasons, Whispering Springs will not take this act lightly. We will do everything in our power to pursue these criminals and take full action to prosecute them.
Thanks Chris for bringing this to our attention. Rest assured we will put the full power of the Green Blazer Corps behind bringing this supervillian to justice.
Until next week, this has been The Green Blazer's Sunday Smorgasbord. Green Blazer Golf ... You no longer have to hit the greens to experience golf euphoria.
With the highest score on a single hole since John Daly made an 18 on the sixth hole at Bay Hill, Kevin Na made a twelve over par, sixteen, on the ninth hole in the first round of the Valero Texas Open.
Although hackers across the country stare back at the hole and point as they count their strokes out loud, it's unheard of to see a professional do it. Na actually ran out of beads at 15, but after reviewing the video discovered one more whack.
The Golf Channel struck gold by choosing Na to be miked up on that specific day and the scene was entertaining for all viewers. His caddy recommended Na go back to the tee, but instead of agreeing, Kevin said na-nah-na-nah and BOOM, he paid the price on what was otherwise a solid round.
Check out the video of the circus below and make sure to pay particular attention at 4:07 where the gallery applauded his 12th shot and 4:47 where Na hilariously twirls his club following his 13th shot.
----------
Speak of the Week
Have you ever wanted to increase your swagger on the golf course? In addition to sunglasses, a popped collar, and tennis shoe style Adidas golf kicks, you will need to talk with a certain slang that shows everyone else you're up on the latest golf vernacular. That's why G Blaze is bringing back: Speak of the Week . . .
Your clubs are not clubs and your grips are not grips. If you're confused the following sentence should clear things up: "Hey Pro ... Is it possible you could have the guys clean up my wrenches and put some new handles on them before my round Sunday?
----------
Golf course supervillain strikes up north
A horse is a horse but in Wisconsin, a course is no longer a course
Nike's new commercial caught G-Blaze's eye (an eye with a built in rangefinder, one of Blaze's many superpowers) when a horse is seen tearing through a finely manicured golf course causing significant damage to the grounds, but a stampede of horses couldn't have created as much damage in a year as one vandal did in a night to Whispering Springs Golf Club in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.
Chris Wood, the pro who found the 15th club that created a mini media frenzy last year, sent G-Blaze a message asking for a quick piece showing the damage this vandal did to a great golf course. Below are pictures from Whispering Springs website showing the damage.
From Whispering Springs website:
On the night of April 8th Whispering Springs Golf Club was the victim of a malicious act of vandalism. Trespasser(s) came onto our property during the night hours with a shovel and intentions to harm the course and our business’s well-being. The assailants dug over 200 holes throughout the green of significant size and depth. Not only did they dig out chucks of turf, the vandals proceeded to carry the pieces of sod 30 yards away near a creek. Anyone associated with, or has knowledge of the game of golf knows how much work goes into maintaining a golf course. This act was a direct assault on the hard work that the Whispering Springs staff puts into our establishment. We view this act to be one of someone who was not looking for sick fun, but rather, someone looking to destroy our business. For these reasons, Whispering Springs will not take this act lightly. We will do everything in our power to pursue these criminals and take full action to prosecute them.
Thanks Chris for bringing this to our attention. Rest assured we will put the full power of the Green Blazer Corps behind bringing this supervillian to justice.
Until next week, this has been The Green Blazer's Sunday Smorgasbord. Green Blazer Golf ... You no longer have to hit the greens to experience golf euphoria.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Woods debuts new bracelet
New age Buddhism bracelet or a gimmicky sports bracelet?
Tiger Woods debuted a new bracelet on his left wrist during the first round of the Bay Hill Invitational Thursday. Woods went back to wearing a bracelet after his affairs went public. He told the pubic it represented a religious rebirth as he had strayed from his Buddhist faith, but was likely more of a PR stunt.
G-Blaze believes this is likely a new Buddhism bracelet representing the same thing, although it does resemble the magnetic or hologram sports performance bracelets worn by many professional athletes.
The boards are bustling with discussion on the merits of the manufacturers' claims of higher performance, but G-Blaze tends to agree with one poster who took a dirty dig at Hunter Mahan in the process:
Golfwrx.com member MS22:
It was the same one Hunter Mahan was wearing when he flubbed that chip. Good thing he had it on, with all the extra balance and extended ROM you get from wearing those magical holograms "tuned to the frequencies of the human body" he probably would have whiffed at the ball . . .
Buy a CD, take the "SONY BMG" homogram off and stick it to a rubber band, same thing.
That company had claims on their website of people putting one on and jumping onto a surfboard for the first time ever in their life and riding 10-12 footers instantly because of the balance it promotes. Total BS.
Tiger Woods debuted a new bracelet on his left wrist during the first round of the Bay Hill Invitational Thursday. Woods went back to wearing a bracelet after his affairs went public. He told the pubic it represented a religious rebirth as he had strayed from his Buddhist faith, but was likely more of a PR stunt.
G-Blaze believes this is likely a new Buddhism bracelet representing the same thing, although it does resemble the magnetic or hologram sports performance bracelets worn by many professional athletes.The boards are bustling with discussion on the merits of the manufacturers' claims of higher performance, but G-Blaze tends to agree with one poster who took a dirty dig at Hunter Mahan in the process:
Golfwrx.com member MS22:
It was the same one Hunter Mahan was wearing when he flubbed that chip. Good thing he had it on, with all the extra balance and extended ROM you get from wearing those magical holograms "tuned to the frequencies of the human body" he probably would have whiffed at the ball . . .
Buy a CD, take the "SONY BMG" homogram off and stick it to a rubber band, same thing.
That company had claims on their website of people putting one on and jumping onto a surfboard for the first time ever in their life and riding 10-12 footers instantly because of the balance it promotes. Total BS.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tiger Woods' secret
Examining the only stat the matters
Any ol' wannabee golf historian would be troubled to research Ben Hogan without finding something about his "secret." Hogan wouldn't go on record of what his secret was until a Time magazine feature in August 1955 where he said it was a pronation of his wrists in the backswing, which resulted in turning his pronounced hook he had been struggling with into a baby fade. But, many believe Hogan's real "secret," a mixture of skill, focus and drive, is what enabled him to score better or even with the world's top players.
Tiger Woods also has a perfect cocktail, and it's more perfect than anyone in the history of the game. It's what has enabled him to score lower than his peers, which is the biggest key to winning golf tournaments. Few people have actually examined the scores Tiger shoots compared to the rest of the field, and used that to consider what would actually have to happen for the long term expectations of him to change.
Tiger has won the Vardon trophy eight of the last twelve years and would have won nine only he didn't meet the required 60 rounds to be eligible in 2006. Commentators and golf writers often refer to intangibles like performing when it counts and the so called intimidation factor, but he is the best because he scores the lowest. How he does it doesn't really matter.
Jack Nicklaus too had the lowest scoring average eight times in his career and finished second six times, but too few events made those averages "unofficial" and Nicklaus was never eligible for the Vardon Trophy, which is likely the reason they introduced the Byron Nelson Award in 1980.
Taken from Wikipedia:
Thirteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937-2010).
* 8 wins
o Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
* 5 wins
o Billy Casper: 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968
o Lee Trevino: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980
* 4 wins
o Arnold Palmer: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967
o Sam Snead: 1938, 1949, 1950, 1955
* 3 wins
o Ben Hogan: 1940, 1941, 1948
o Greg Norman: 1989, 1990, 1994
o Tom Watson: 1977, 1978, 1979
* 2 wins
o Fred Couples: 1991, 1992
o Bruce Crampton: 1973, 1975
o Tom Kite: 1981, 1982
o Lloyd Mangrum: 1951, 1953
o Nick Price: 1993, 1997
As far as G-Blaze is concerned, Tiger looked almost as good as he ever has in late 2009, just over one golf season ago. He finished the season 1, 1, 2, 1, T2, T11, 1, 2 with a scoring average of 68.07.
Changes in his personal life disrupted one element of his winning cocktail during the 2009 postseason, but that disruption will not last forever. The swing changes are giving him something to occupy his mind, but changes or no changes, G-Blaze believes he will at some point reign well above that game's other top players for one simple reason: He understands how to score slightly better than everyone else.
In 2010, Matt Kuchar won the Vardon trophy with the highest scoring average (69.61) since Tom Lehman won it in 1996. For Tiger to not regain his position easily on top of the golf world, someone in the field will have to permanently start scoring lower or Woods will have to fail to bring his scores back to a level that he has maintained for over a decade. The latter is quite unlikely given his age, health, work ethic.
Today, it's hard for some not to get emotional when discussing Tiger Woods. There's the camp that has never liked him and are not shy about voicing their enjoyment in watching him struggle. There's the camp that started playing the game because of him, idolize him, and will defend him no matter what. Then there's a third camp that just enjoy seeing any dynasty fall, whether it's the Yankees, Patriots or Tiger Woods.*
Emotions aside, it's more likely than not that he dominates for at least another five year stretch and remaining competitive for another ten or more.
*There's also a smaller fourth camp of dirt dogs that like him even more after discovering his off course activities.
Any ol' wannabee golf historian would be troubled to research Ben Hogan without finding something about his "secret." Hogan wouldn't go on record of what his secret was until a Time magazine feature in August 1955 where he said it was a pronation of his wrists in the backswing, which resulted in turning his pronounced hook he had been struggling with into a baby fade. But, many believe Hogan's real "secret," a mixture of skill, focus and drive, is what enabled him to score better or even with the world's top players.
Tiger Woods also has a perfect cocktail, and it's more perfect than anyone in the history of the game. It's what has enabled him to score lower than his peers, which is the biggest key to winning golf tournaments. Few people have actually examined the scores Tiger shoots compared to the rest of the field, and used that to consider what would actually have to happen for the long term expectations of him to change.
Tiger has won the Vardon trophy eight of the last twelve years and would have won nine only he didn't meet the required 60 rounds to be eligible in 2006. Commentators and golf writers often refer to intangibles like performing when it counts and the so called intimidation factor, but he is the best because he scores the lowest. How he does it doesn't really matter.
Jack Nicklaus too had the lowest scoring average eight times in his career and finished second six times, but too few events made those averages "unofficial" and Nicklaus was never eligible for the Vardon Trophy, which is likely the reason they introduced the Byron Nelson Award in 1980.
Taken from Wikipedia:
Thirteen men have won the Vardon Trophy more than once (1937-2010).
* 8 wins
o Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
* 5 wins
o Billy Casper: 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968
o Lee Trevino: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1980
* 4 wins
o Arnold Palmer: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967
o Sam Snead: 1938, 1949, 1950, 1955
* 3 wins
o Ben Hogan: 1940, 1941, 1948
o Greg Norman: 1989, 1990, 1994
o Tom Watson: 1977, 1978, 1979
* 2 wins
o Fred Couples: 1991, 1992
o Bruce Crampton: 1973, 1975
o Tom Kite: 1981, 1982
o Lloyd Mangrum: 1951, 1953
o Nick Price: 1993, 1997
As far as G-Blaze is concerned, Tiger looked almost as good as he ever has in late 2009, just over one golf season ago. He finished the season 1, 1, 2, 1, T2, T11, 1, 2 with a scoring average of 68.07.
Changes in his personal life disrupted one element of his winning cocktail during the 2009 postseason, but that disruption will not last forever. The swing changes are giving him something to occupy his mind, but changes or no changes, G-Blaze believes he will at some point reign well above that game's other top players for one simple reason: He understands how to score slightly better than everyone else.
In 2010, Matt Kuchar won the Vardon trophy with the highest scoring average (69.61) since Tom Lehman won it in 1996. For Tiger to not regain his position easily on top of the golf world, someone in the field will have to permanently start scoring lower or Woods will have to fail to bring his scores back to a level that he has maintained for over a decade. The latter is quite unlikely given his age, health, work ethic.
Today, it's hard for some not to get emotional when discussing Tiger Woods. There's the camp that has never liked him and are not shy about voicing their enjoyment in watching him struggle. There's the camp that started playing the game because of him, idolize him, and will defend him no matter what. Then there's a third camp that just enjoy seeing any dynasty fall, whether it's the Yankees, Patriots or Tiger Woods.*
Emotions aside, it's more likely than not that he dominates for at least another five year stretch and remaining competitive for another ten or more.
*There's also a smaller fourth camp of dirt dogs that like him even more after discovering his off course activities.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
On this day in 1962 ...
Jack Nicklaus made his first appearance as a professional at the LA Open. 23-year-old Phil Rogers would go onto win the tournament with a 62 in the final round. Nicklaus would take 50th and pick up $33.33. for his efforts whereas Rogers took home the big prize ... $7500.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Golf Channel gives up
It's 9:00 on a Friday evening. The Green Blazer is staying in as the first Saturday morning tee time at the club is worth sacrificing a night out for. Hey, why not throw on The Golf Channel and hop onto the blogosphere for some catching up? What's this? Did the cable company flip the script on the channel lineup again? It's the same old story; just when we get a hold on the channels, they decide it's time for a change. But wait ... They didn't change the lineup, so why is Analyze This airing on The Golf Channel?
The Golf Channel roasted their nuts over an open fire last Friday when after seemingly running out of golf movies and Big Break reruns, they stepped over a distinct line and aired a movie starring Robert Deniro and Billy Crystal that doesn't even have a golf scene.
The move either slipped under the radar or went over well from their perspective, so the programming geniuses threw the towel in deeper with Point Break on Saturday (even a disgusted Blazer had a hard time turning the channel when Swayze is pimping the big screen).
By crossing this boundary, The Golf Channel is basically telling its viewers they've given up. They are no longer capable of providing enough interesting material, so they have been reduced to luring viewers with 90s movies.
TGC needs to stick to golf related programming. With dozens of other movie channels, On-Demand, and a cabinet full of DVDs, people need golf when they flip to The Golf Channel. They would be better off looping Tin Cup, giving The Hammer some free air time, or gaining permission to air a golf-centric episode Everybody Loves Raymond.
The Golf Channel ... "Golf's home" (but it you come knocking and golf isn't home to answer, whatever old movie they find lying around will).
The Golf Channel roasted their nuts over an open fire last Friday when after seemingly running out of golf movies and Big Break reruns, they stepped over a distinct line and aired a movie starring Robert Deniro and Billy Crystal that doesn't even have a golf scene.
The move either slipped under the radar or went over well from their perspective, so the programming geniuses threw the towel in deeper with Point Break on Saturday (even a disgusted Blazer had a hard time turning the channel when Swayze is pimping the big screen).
By crossing this boundary, The Golf Channel is basically telling its viewers they've given up. They are no longer capable of providing enough interesting material, so they have been reduced to luring viewers with 90s movies.
TGC needs to stick to golf related programming. With dozens of other movie channels, On-Demand, and a cabinet full of DVDs, people need golf when they flip to The Golf Channel. They would be better off looping Tin Cup, giving The Hammer some free air time, or gaining permission to air a golf-centric episode Everybody Loves Raymond.
The Golf Channel ... "Golf's home" (but it you come knocking and golf isn't home to answer, whatever old movie they find lying around will).
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
On this day in 1973 ...
Walt Disney's The Golf Resort opened.
Originally featuring 125 rooms, it was located near the Palm and Magnolia golf courses between the Polynesian and piece of land that would eventually become the Grand Floridian.
To appeal to more than just golfers, The Golf Resort became the Disney Inn in February of 1986. It was remodeled to include another 150 rooms and feature a Snow White theme.
In February of 1994, the Disney Inn was leased by the U.S. Government for military personnel and the name changed to Shades of Green (The Green Blazer had an impact on the name change, but we'll save that story for a different Green Blazer thread).
The government purchased the resort outright in 1996. Shades of Green was not staffed by Disney Cast Members and civilians could no longer stay there. Recently the complex was closed and torn down for remodeling (and by the look of that sign, which resembles one that would be found at a trailer park entrance, it may have needed it).
Originally featuring 125 rooms, it was located near the Palm and Magnolia golf courses between the Polynesian and piece of land that would eventually become the Grand Floridian.
To appeal to more than just golfers, The Golf Resort became the Disney Inn in February of 1986. It was remodeled to include another 150 rooms and feature a Snow White theme.
In February of 1994, the Disney Inn was leased by the U.S. Government for military personnel and the name changed to Shades of Green (The Green Blazer had an impact on the name change, but we'll save that story for a different Green Blazer thread).
The government purchased the resort outright in 1996. Shades of Green was not staffed by Disney Cast Members and civilians could no longer stay there. Recently the complex was closed and torn down for remodeling (and by the look of that sign, which resembles one that would be found at a trailer park entrance, it may have needed it).
Monday, December 13, 2010
Who says comics and golf don't mix?
Not The Green Blazer, and now not Golf Digest either.
For the first time ever, Golf Digest/Golf World released their 2010 Newsmakers in hand drawn pictures. Among the featured stories was "Tiger Tribulations" and a few paragraphs likening Dustin Johnson to Forest Gump, as Johnson seemed to be part of every big non-Tiger story in 2010. After you're done filing your next TPS report at your corporate job, peep the link and check it out.
For the first time ever, Golf Digest/Golf World released their 2010 Newsmakers in hand drawn pictures. Among the featured stories was "Tiger Tribulations" and a few paragraphs likening Dustin Johnson to Forest Gump, as Johnson seemed to be part of every big non-Tiger story in 2010. After you're done filing your next TPS report at your corporate job, peep the link and check it out.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
On this day in 1899 ...
George F Bryant of Boston patented the wooden golf tee, so naturally we must power out a scroll show showing the tee's progression over the years. Note -- all pics were taken from Google images and are being used with absolutely no permission ... Enjoy.
A golfer in 1921 gets poopy fingers as she reaches into a "tee box" to retrieve a handful of wet sand, which would then be shaped into a tee for the golf ball. The 1744 rules of golf said that the golfer must tee up within one club length of the previous hole; Ol' Blaze is sure this move is still used today a couple times a year at munis across America.
111 years ago today, American dentist, Harvard Grad, Dr George F Grant was the first American to patent a tee that he had invented in 1898. It was a peg with a rubber top and was pushed into the ground, and is very close to the modern tee, but but it did not have a concave head. He did not market it and neither this nor any other previous tee inventions caught on.
That was until another denti, who obviously idolized Grant and wanted to follow his footsteps, became responsible for sending tees commercial as he, with the help of Maplewood Golf Club, released the Reddy Tee.
This is the point where tee evolution stalled for decades, but over the last ten years numerous options have become available:
The Zero Friction tripod top tee has a tour presence, guarantees higher ball speed and rarely breaks, although it bends to the point it's rendered virtually useless*
*yet you fail to trash the deformed plastic tee for some reason, so it just takes up space in your bag and eventually you're just swimming through a school of bent tees looking for a straight one. This display of disorganization probably costs you a couple strokes a year.
Stinger brand tees clearly display the numerous options of small top tees, although good luck finding a small top tee at Golf Galaxy. For some reason, the retailer no longer stocks a single one. Also, their generic Zero Friction are more expensive than the real thing only disguised with larger packaging.
Most people have likely heard of Brush T, and all people should feel foolish using one.
And although many other variations have come and gone without really catching on, there is one more worth mentioning. The name of the next tee is also what you get by only playing nine holes (and also what we call around the club, Dipping the tip e.g. "You playing 18 today Blaze?" "No ... Just getting a golf tease and dipping the tip for nine).
A golfer in 1921 gets poopy fingers as she reaches into a "tee box" to retrieve a handful of wet sand, which would then be shaped into a tee for the golf ball. The 1744 rules of golf said that the golfer must tee up within one club length of the previous hole; Ol' Blaze is sure this move is still used today a couple times a year at munis across America.
111 years ago today, American dentist, Harvard Grad, Dr George F Grant was the first American to patent a tee that he had invented in 1898. It was a peg with a rubber top and was pushed into the ground, and is very close to the modern tee, but but it did not have a concave head. He did not market it and neither this nor any other previous tee inventions caught on.
That was until another denti, who obviously idolized Grant and wanted to follow his footsteps, became responsible for sending tees commercial as he, with the help of Maplewood Golf Club, released the Reddy Tee.
This is the point where tee evolution stalled for decades, but over the last ten years numerous options have become available:
The Zero Friction tripod top tee has a tour presence, guarantees higher ball speed and rarely breaks, although it bends to the point it's rendered virtually useless*
*yet you fail to trash the deformed plastic tee for some reason, so it just takes up space in your bag and eventually you're just swimming through a school of bent tees looking for a straight one. This display of disorganization probably costs you a couple strokes a year.
Stinger brand tees clearly display the numerous options of small top tees, although good luck finding a small top tee at Golf Galaxy. For some reason, the retailer no longer stocks a single one. Also, their generic Zero Friction are more expensive than the real thing only disguised with larger packaging.
Most people have likely heard of Brush T, and all people should feel foolish using one.
And although many other variations have come and gone without really catching on, there is one more worth mentioning. The name of the next tee is also what you get by only playing nine holes (and also what we call around the club, Dipping the tip e.g. "You playing 18 today Blaze?" "No ... Just getting a golf tease and dipping the tip for nine).
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Golfers getting gay
Are Notah Begay and Brian Gay the only gays in men's pro golf?
While digging through old pics of Ben Hogan on AP Images, The Green Blazer stumbled across a couple of gay images of the action from Monday's Thailand Skins Game where Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas, Paul Casey and Thongchai Jaidee tee'd it up for charity.
By gay we of course mean happy. Just look at how relaxed and happy Tiger and Paul Casey look taking that effeminate pose in their matching pink Nike shirts, hands nearly touching and they lean on Paul's bag.
Francesco Molinari (also in pink) and Lee Westwood's caddy also look very happy in this picture taken at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai:
While digging through old pics of Ben Hogan on AP Images, The Green Blazer stumbled across a couple of gay images of the action from Monday's Thailand Skins Game where Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas, Paul Casey and Thongchai Jaidee tee'd it up for charity.
By gay we of course mean happy. Just look at how relaxed and happy Tiger and Paul Casey look taking that effeminate pose in their matching pink Nike shirts, hands nearly touching and they lean on Paul's bag.
Francesco Molinari (also in pink) and Lee Westwood's caddy also look very happy in this picture taken at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai:
Monday, November 8, 2010
HSBC war zone has got nothing on 1940 England
The Green Blazer may be peering too far through the haze on this one, but did anyone notice the considerable amount of war jargon that was tossed around in reference to last week's HSBC Champions tournament?
The headline "Shanghai is a war zone as golf’s battle for No.1 begins" was the first to jump out at us, but there have been others. Not to mention this photo from The Associated Press, which playfully illustrates Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer going to battle in classic swordsman fighter's stances.
But for some, the media-embraced war clichés are doing more than symbolizing the intensity of the fight for the top spot. They are hearkening back to a time when a golf-war analogy couldn’t be thrown around without many taking it literally.
This circa-1940 "temporary rules card" from England’s Richmond Golf Club was recently forwarded to the Blazer as part of a chain of Internet meme (its cyberspace momentum perpetuated, no doubt, by members of the e-mail-chain-loving baby boomer generation). It’s an artifact from the WWII era, when golf and war did not have enough distance between them to allow for metaphors that combined the two. The sender, who refers to his or herself only as "Nice Ash," says it’s 100 percent real.Normally, The Green Blazer Corps deletes messages from the e-mail forwarding baby boomer generation as nonchalantly as hack bumping his lie, but this one obviously grabbed our attention.
And speaking of nonchalance, how bout those Brits?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sun Mountain prez ducks rainsuit accountability
Did players get what they deserved by choosing second tier gear?
When you don't admit your golf product is second-rate after it is slammed by nearly every top American golfer, it's safe to assume nothing will change your mind.
Sun Mountain founder and president Rick Reimers finally spoke on the phone about the criticism that his rain gear received by the American team at the Ryder Cup.
But, Reimers didn't take the approach many good CEOs would take -- He defended the faulty suit.
Shane Bacon, writer for the Yahoo! Sports Devil Ball golf blog, reported that Reimers admitted that he was as confused (and depressed) as anyone, going as far as putting an employee in a shower for two hours with the team's rain suit with no leakage.
"We think nobody got wet with rain coming through the garment," Reimers said. "Did the outside material hold more moisture than you’d like? Probably. When something gets soaked, it feels cold on the skin. People might interpret that as being wet."
Reimers' point that uncomfortable, cold rain gear can still be waterproof is trivial. The quality debate was over as soon as the players turned them in, but it's hard not to sympathize with Reimers. He makes a good point that had the rain gear received 100 percent satisfaction, no one would have ever heard about it. Bacon certainly goes on to side with Reimers, encouraging the readers to go buy a Sun Mountain rain gear. G-Blaze couldn't disagree more.
First, if any person with a taste for quality golf products went to their local shop to purchase a best-of-the-best rain suit, they would skip right over a Sun Mountain product. It's not that the product is bad, it is just not what a golf product connoisseur would consider premier and not the choice of top professionals (note: save your Sun Mountain testimonials, please). If Sun Mountain wasn't planning to do a complete redesign of their materials, the U.S. Ryder Cup Team should have expected to get a second-rate rain suit. Or, was it the redesign that affected the quality? Had Sun Mountain given the players their stock gear would it have sufficed? This was primarily a materials issue. The gear was too bulky and retained the moisture, even if it didn't soak all the way through. It is more likely that if the Ryder Cup gear was inferior their materials across the line are inferior.
Second, Sun Mountain's president took a completely wrong approach of dealing with the situation. He first took a page of of Tiger's book of bad pr moves by failing to speak in a timely manner. He waited until the situation cooled down (much like a golfer cooling down in his Sun Mountain rain gear).
Then, Reimers doesn't admit fault. He doesn't say he was sorry that the players were forced to buy new suits from the merch tents. He doesn't mention caption Corey Pavin explicitly stating they were not doing what we wanted them to do. He basically questions the best players in the world's intelligence by defending his product's waterproofing.
It would have been nice to hear Reimers at least say that Sun Mountain was going to take a long, hard look at their product design, so the game's top players can have trust in Sun Mountain products. The only mention of improving the product was said in the context that Sun Mountain has been continuously striving to improve their products since their inception 40 years ago. If that's the case, they've had 40 years and still haven't figured out rain gear.
If Sun Mountain does get a second shot with the U.S. players at the Presidents Cup, the Reimers interview indicated they may get a product of similar quality. Of course, it'is doubtful that Sun Mountain will win the bid. If there is one thing G-Blaze has learned from buying an Odyssey Backstryke, it's that when it comes to golf products ... Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me ... can't get fooled again.
When you don't admit your golf product is second-rate after it is slammed by nearly every top American golfer, it's safe to assume nothing will change your mind.
Sun Mountain founder and president Rick Reimers finally spoke on the phone about the criticism that his rain gear received by the American team at the Ryder Cup.
But, Reimers didn't take the approach many good CEOs would take -- He defended the faulty suit.
Shane Bacon, writer for the Yahoo! Sports Devil Ball golf blog, reported that Reimers admitted that he was as confused (and depressed) as anyone, going as far as putting an employee in a shower for two hours with the team's rain suit with no leakage.
"We think nobody got wet with rain coming through the garment," Reimers said. "Did the outside material hold more moisture than you’d like? Probably. When something gets soaked, it feels cold on the skin. People might interpret that as being wet."
Reimers' point that uncomfortable, cold rain gear can still be waterproof is trivial. The quality debate was over as soon as the players turned them in, but it's hard not to sympathize with Reimers. He makes a good point that had the rain gear received 100 percent satisfaction, no one would have ever heard about it. Bacon certainly goes on to side with Reimers, encouraging the readers to go buy a Sun Mountain rain gear. G-Blaze couldn't disagree more.
First, if any person with a taste for quality golf products went to their local shop to purchase a best-of-the-best rain suit, they would skip right over a Sun Mountain product. It's not that the product is bad, it is just not what a golf product connoisseur would consider premier and not the choice of top professionals (note: save your Sun Mountain testimonials, please). If Sun Mountain wasn't planning to do a complete redesign of their materials, the U.S. Ryder Cup Team should have expected to get a second-rate rain suit. Or, was it the redesign that affected the quality? Had Sun Mountain given the players their stock gear would it have sufficed? This was primarily a materials issue. The gear was too bulky and retained the moisture, even if it didn't soak all the way through. It is more likely that if the Ryder Cup gear was inferior their materials across the line are inferior.
Second, Sun Mountain's president took a completely wrong approach of dealing with the situation. He first took a page of of Tiger's book of bad pr moves by failing to speak in a timely manner. He waited until the situation cooled down (much like a golfer cooling down in his Sun Mountain rain gear).
Then, Reimers doesn't admit fault. He doesn't say he was sorry that the players were forced to buy new suits from the merch tents. He doesn't mention caption Corey Pavin explicitly stating they were not doing what we wanted them to do. He basically questions the best players in the world's intelligence by defending his product's waterproofing.
It would have been nice to hear Reimers at least say that Sun Mountain was going to take a long, hard look at their product design, so the game's top players can have trust in Sun Mountain products. The only mention of improving the product was said in the context that Sun Mountain has been continuously striving to improve their products since their inception 40 years ago. If that's the case, they've had 40 years and still haven't figured out rain gear.
If Sun Mountain does get a second shot with the U.S. players at the Presidents Cup, the Reimers interview indicated they may get a product of similar quality. Of course, it'is doubtful that Sun Mountain will win the bid. If there is one thing G-Blaze has learned from buying an Odyssey Backstryke, it's that when it comes to golf products ... Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me ... can't get fooled again.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Grand Slam of golf ... Give it up already
The 2010 Grand Slam of golf recently finished up and most people didn't have a clue. That's because it is clear that the event that is supposed to bring together each year's major champions has lost its clout.
This year's Grand Slam of golf featured 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer. Since British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and Masters champion Phil Mickelson were too busy, Ernie Els and David Toms were brought in.
The tourney organizers were likely thrilled when Els said he'd play, but Toms inclusion makes many wonder how far down the list they had to go to complete the foursome. It is nearly certain that Jim Furyk turned down the chance as he played in 2006, 2007 and 2008 even though his lone major win came back at the 2003 U.S. Open. And you know after a couple near misses, ol' Dusty J-Bone received an invite.
Last year was the first year since 2004 that all four major champions participated when Cabrera, Glover, Cink and Yang tee'd it up. Had a bigger name won a major, '09 would have likely been void of a major winner as well.
It won't be long before none of the year's major winners will want to participate, which will put a fast end to an event that has been fizzling out for years.
In case anyone cares, Ernie Els ran off three straight birdies on the back nine Wednesday and turned a three-shot deficit into a one-shot victory over Toms.
This year's Grand Slam of golf featured 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer. Since British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and Masters champion Phil Mickelson were too busy, Ernie Els and David Toms were brought in.
The tourney organizers were likely thrilled when Els said he'd play, but Toms inclusion makes many wonder how far down the list they had to go to complete the foursome. It is nearly certain that Jim Furyk turned down the chance as he played in 2006, 2007 and 2008 even though his lone major win came back at the 2003 U.S. Open. And you know after a couple near misses, ol' Dusty J-Bone received an invite.
Last year was the first year since 2004 that all four major champions participated when Cabrera, Glover, Cink and Yang tee'd it up. Had a bigger name won a major, '09 would have likely been void of a major winner as well.
It won't be long before none of the year's major winners will want to participate, which will put a fast end to an event that has been fizzling out for years.
In case anyone cares, Ernie Els ran off three straight birdies on the back nine Wednesday and turned a three-shot deficit into a one-shot victory over Toms.
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