Dear Santa: My Christmas Wish List

I love Christmas and my wonderful wife and I have been trying to find a few nice things for our children while still reminding them that giving, like Christ gave his life for us, is the real reason for the season. 

If I could take a moment and  just indulge myself with a wish list of things I wouldn't mind finding under the tree. 

One of the following Drivers:

The Ping Anser

The Taylor Made R11S 

The Callaway Razr Fit

Any of these Iron sets:

Ping G20s

Taylor Made Rocketballz

Callaway Razr Xs

I would like to try out the Cleveland RTX CB Black Pearl Wedges (52, 56 & 60).

Maybe I need to get a belly putter before they are illegal.

Remember the real reason for the season...

25 Traditions/Bucket List

25 Cool Things of Golf are like a Bucket list of things to see and Do

Check out this list at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1434798-ranking-the-25-coolest-traditions-in-golf

Putting around the house. Any suggestions?

What I wish I had in my back yard.

Although I don't get to go out and golf as much as I want and don't shoot as low as I would like I do try to practice when I can. I see my golf game using three swings. One for driving, one for irons and one "swing" for putting. Putting is the one thing I can practice in any weather. 

I think putting is maybe the most important, yet overlooked stroke. I don't know where I heard it first but someone said, "You drive for show, and put for dough." I must admit they it isn't always the 4 or 5 strokes it may take me to get on the green sometimes on a 5 par hole, but it is the 3 or 4 puts when I get there that kills me! Usually it is a distance issue. You know, trying to get that first put close to the hole. 

I have found that taking a few balls and hitting them around the house can help me get a basic feel for distance. I like to go back and forth from  one side to the other and then take shorter lengths to get the feel for different distances. Then I least have a bit of confidence in my stroke. Always important.

What I would really like is to hear your practice tips that are doable and helpful. Please leave them in the comment section.

Thanks!

Club Review: Diamond Tour Golf's Ping G20 Clone Z Force Z-18 3 Wood

I like the Z on the top for alignment when addressing the ball.

The Z Force Z-18 Fairway I reviewed was a 3 Wood with a 15 degree loft. I evaluated it's look, fee, actual play-ability and value. Since I am not a scratch golfer I am of course looking for a club that can help my game. The Z Force came through with flying colors. Not only am I a scratch golfer, I am a golfer on a budget. The Z Force Z-18 is a clone of the Ping20 Fairway club. This is more than a cheap clone, it's a great club in it's own right. 

The white markings help you position your hands.

First, the look. From the grip to the club head it is a beautiful club. I chose the DTG Mid Size Pro grip because it feels right in my hand, like the Ping White grip and it has finger placement guides. They prove helpful to me when I am getting a grip and addressing the ball. The head has a Z on the top directly above the optimal hit zone on the face of the club and that helps when you address the ball also.

The club feels light but solid. After using an old Callaway Steel Hawkeye 3 wood I had to get used to the size and weight of the Z Force Z-18. But, once I got used to it, good things happened. The only thing I had to focus on was my rhythm and pace. The feel is good, even off the tee. I used it on the first tee and it could not have gone any better, right where I aimed it. 

The clubs actual playability is also very good. I used it off the tee and got great distance and off the fairway and it lifted the ball right off the grass. For me, I just had to relax a bit because the graphite shaft is much lighter than the steel I was used to. But, even the miss hits were at least in play. I did whiff one, but that was all me. I tried to fade and draw it (as much as a not scratch golfer can) and it responded fairly well. What I mean by that is that when I tried to fade it it did not turn into a nasty slice. 

As for value, at under $35.00 including shipping, it is nearly impossible to beat. Frankly, I think Diamond Tour Golf puts out great clubs but the only way to get some people to try them is to call them clones. 

Overall, I would give the Z Force Z-18, Ping G20 Clone, a 5 star rating for excellent looks, awesome feel, real actual playability and value. 

You can check them them out at the following link: 

http://www.diamondtour.com/golf-clubs/fairway-woods/z-force-z-18-fairway-wood.html

Old Shoes, New Shoes

I don't even remember how long ago it was I bought those Footjoys  It might of been fifteen or maybe even twenty years. Those shoes were older than my two youngest children. I bought them at Roger Dunn's Golf Store and I believe they were on sale. I have replaced the spikes and repolished those things more times than I can count.  But, what really counts is not just the games I played but the people I have been blessed to spend a few hours walking around trying to hit a little white ball into a hole with. 

Those old shoes and I played several rounds with my biological father until he passed away. I hadn't seen him for about twenty two years and golf was an old passion of his and a growing one of mine. Golf was a good way to get reacquainted. 

Those shoes were with me while one of my best friends and the best man at my wedding, spent many a day hacking our way around 18 holes. Los Verdes Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes can be crazy busy and the wait woeful. One Mother's Day (before I got married, of course) we went to see if we could maybe get in nine before dark. When we asked how long the wait was the tee-master said, "You're up next." Now that I've been married for a while I know why. Great day with a great friend. 

Those old shoes have hung in and waited patiently when the I didn't play very often because my family always comes first. So, many times it was months or even a year before those old shoes were once again allowed to roam the green grass. But, the Footjoys welcomed anyone who would share a day of golf. We made a lot of new friends sometimes just the Footjoys, myself and a twosome willing to let us tag along. 

This last year we were invited to join a new foursome that plays about once a month. A new pair of spikes and off we went. I got to tell you. I couldn't believe those old shoes stayed together so well. A few months ago we enjoyed a round at the Chester Washington Golf Course in LA. Great company, good game of golf. On the 17th hole my right shoe felt funny. I look down and the the bottom of the right shoe, near the heel was starting to come loose. I tried to walk gently and all seemed well. Well, on the 18th hole, right after my last putt went into the hole, I took a step and the bottom of the shoe stayed on the grass while the rest went with my foot. 

So, thanks to those old Footjoys. We made a lot of friends and have some great memories together. Time to get some new shoes.

Thanks to Big 5 Sporting Goods I picked up some very nice Nike golf shoes. They feel great and look pretty good too. I took them out a few weeks ago with with friend and we had a great day on the links. And so the journey begins anew. I am not a scratch golfer and I like my new shoes. 

How to Enjoy A Game of Golf

I am not a scratch golfer. I may never be a scratch golfer, but, I do want to enjoy every game of golf I play. I have three keys to enjoying each and every game I play. You need to pick good partners, celebrate good shots, and embrace the challenges your not- so- good shots give you. 

Let's start with the choice you make for partners. I have a few groups of guys with whom I can really enjoy a round of golf. I have people from work, church and people I meet and like from the community I live in. I also prefer to golf with people who are a bit laid back and possibly have a good sense of humor. A few weeks ago a friend of mine from work and I spent a day of golf at a local course. We were paired up with a couple guys who were nice but whose vocabulary was pretty much four letter words mixed in with a couple of verbs and maybe a noun thrown in for good measure. We won't be asking for phone numbers to play again. 

Because I am not a scratch golfer I will have some bad shots. But, you know when I watch the pros, they make bad shots too. So I try to focus on, and celebrate the good shots. Maybe write notes on your scorecard like maybe a "D" for drive and "S" for sand wedge. I also like the idea of a Best Shot of the Day (BSOTD). I even have a Better Than Work Score (see previous post). The main idea is that you celebrate and enjoy the day on the course. 

Based on the fact that I will have some bad shots that will leave me in some not so favorable lies, I will need to embrace those challenges. Breathe and play from where the ball landed, not from where I think it should've been. If I remember to play smart and play the best from that point on, I tend to take a better shot. I also like to concentrate on improving  how I use a particular club. During my last game I focused on my new sand wedge. I made one shot out of the sand trap and it went into the cup and bounced out. I also used it to make a short approach shot. Embracing the challenge helped me focus. 

I am not a scratch golfer and you may not be either. Since scoring par may not be the goal, enjoying each game is what really matters. I find when I enjoy the partners I play with, celebrate the good shots I make and embrace the challenges each shot gives. And you know, I find that if I enjoy the game, I score better. 

Club Review: Diamond Tour Golf 56 Sand Wedge, Soft Cast

Diamond Tour Golf 56^o Sand Wedge, Soft Cast

I bought this wedge to replace a Ping Beryllium sand wedge I had for about 10 years. I was on a limited budget so value was played a big part in my selection. I noticed that this particular wedge was actually the same as one a few bucks more save for the imprint for "670 The Score" on the back. I thought the look, feel, actual playability and value of the club was outstanding.

First of all, the look is pretty nice. The grip makes it easy to position my hands and the face looks big and addresses the ball well. 

Next, the feel of the cub is outstanding. The weight is enough to feel it yet not so heavy that I felt like I had to swing it like an ax. When I shot out of the sand the club worked through the sand just like I wanted it to. I played one out that actually went into the hole and bounced out! I also tried it from some light rough and it performed great. What I loved about my old Ping was that it felt soft on the ball. This Diamond Tour Soft Cast Sand Wedge felt just as soft. I was pleasantly surprised.

Finally, the value of the club is virtually unbeatable. The base price was $12.99. With the upgrade to midsized pro grip and launch lite shaft plus shipping my grand total ran less than $25.00!

I give a 5 star recommendation for the Diamond Tour Golf 56^o Soft Cast Sand Wedge. If you are looking for a good looking, great feeling and playing club at an amazing value this is a great buy!

The link below will take you to the site.

http://www.diamondtour.com/

Better Than Work score

Thank God for Yom Kippur! I got to golf. It was a beautiful day. Now, I remind you that I am not a scratch golfer. I played true to form. The Los Verdes Golf Club Course is on a peninsula so putting can be a nightmare or challenge which ever makes you feel better.

I think I want to invent an additional score to rate the general golfing experience, or what I call the Better than Work score (BTW).  The BTW factors: partner(s), the course, the total numbers of good hits, and the weather. 3 points max for each section except for the total number of good hits. So for today I would rate the day:
Partner: 3
The Course: 2
Total number of good hits: 20
The weather: 3
Total score: 28

How do you rate your day of golf?

MacGregors and the Police

My first slice of golfing came when I was a pre-teen-age lad eyeing my dads set of MacGregors gathering dust in the garage. My younger brother and I ended up at the local 3 par, the Arroyo Seco Golf Course,  hacking away at that little white ball. I was pretty competitive and my left handed brother hit those right handed sticks straight as an arrow almost every time, while I was as seeing how many trees and unsuspecting golfers I could hit as was possible during 18 holes of so-called golf. I can't believe believe they ever let us play again.

It was about twenty years later when I again picked up a set of clubs and tried to play again at that same   3 par course. This time I went out and bought Ben Hogans "Five Lessons: The Fundamentals of golf: and read it from front to back. I spent a number of sessions on the driving range doing everything Ben told me to. I could actually hit it in the fairway! I enjoyed playing that course and was shocked one day to find a police car near the middle of the course. I was told there was an "altercation" between a couple of hackers. I thought, well, at least they didn't call the police on my brother and I. 

I ventured out into the land of real full length golf courses. I discovered I had a bit of trouble hitting my longer irons and woods, a great deal of trouble. So, I went to the local pro for some lessons. He told me Ben didn't real know much and soon, thanks to his help, I couldn't even hit my irons straight. Thanks teach.

I ended up moving to the South Bay and took a lesson from the local pro there at Los Verdes Golf Club. He watched me for about 2 minutes and told me to please stop. He said, "Wow, you're thinking about way too much! All I want you to think about is your snapping your wrists." It helped. He also suggested I widened my stance for the woods and taught me how to go inside out. Now, the trouble is doing it on the course during an actual game.