The Great Golf Deals Blog

What's In The Winner's Bag - Rory McIIroy Winner 2012 Honda Classic

2012-03-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Palm Beach Garden FL. March 4, 2012

Rory McIlroy waited out a storm delay Sunday morning and weathered an electric outburst wearing a red shirt later in the afternoon to win the Honda Classic at PGA National and supplant Luke Donald as the world's No. 1 player.

WHAT'S IN RORY'S WINNING BAG?
DRIVER: Titleist 910D2 (8.5°) with a a Fujikura Rombax 7V05 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 906F2 (13.5°) (13°, 18°) with Fujikura ZCom Pro 95 shafts
IRONS: Titleist 712 MB (3-9) with Project X 6.5 shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Mill (46°, 54°, 60°) with Project X 6.5 shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Studio SelectNewport GSS prototype
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

What's In The Winner's Bag - Bill Haas Winner Northern Trust Open

2012-02-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles, Calif. February 20, 2012

His competitors had the late theatrics, but Bill Haas just needed one charmed birdie of his own. He took out Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley -- who each made a dramatic putt on the 72nd hole -- with a birdie on the second hole of sudden death at Riviera.

WHAT'S IN BILL'S WINNING BAG?
DRIVER: Titleist 910D2 (8.5°) with a Fujikura Speeder 757 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 910F (13.5°) with a Fujikura Motore VC 8.1 shaft
IRONS: Titleist 712 CB (2); 710 CB (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Mill (54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Studio Select Kombi (belly)
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

What's In The Winner's Bag - Phil Mickelson Winner AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am

2012-02-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. February 12, 2012 —

Phil Mickelson rallied from six shots behind to win for the fourth time at Pebble Beach, a final round made even more memorable by the guy in a red shirt who was among the first to congratulate him Sunday on the 18th green.

Turns out that Tiger Woods was just along for the ride.

Mickelson closed with an 8-under 64, beating Woods by 11 shots in a one-sided showdown at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

WHAT'S IN PHIL'S WINNING BAG?:
DRIVER: Callaway RAZR Fit (9.5°) with a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC7.2 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Big Bertha Diablo (15°) with a Fujikura Rombax 80B shaft
HYBRID: Callaway X prototype (19°) with a Mitsubishi Fubuki 73X shaft
IRONS: Callaway X-Forged (4), RAZR X Forged Muscleback (5-PW) with Rifle Project X 7.0 shafts**
WEDGES: Callaway X Series JAWS (52°, 60°, 64°) with Rifle Project X 7.0 shafts
PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot XG Blade Prototype
BALL: Callaway Hex Black Tour

2012 New Years Resolution Lose Weight and Play More Golf!

2012-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

These used to be thought of as 2 diametrically opposite activities but now you can actually accomplish both quite easily - as long as you are willing to ditch the golf cart and start playing golf the way it was meant to be played - by walking.

Choosing to walk while golfing can help you get in shape. Just check out these stats:

(For a 175 lb person)

Calories burned per hour playing golf - riding cart: 288
Calories burned per hour playing golf - walking: 510
Calories burned per hour running 5 MPH: 710

Additional studies show the health benefits of walking while golfing versus riding a cart: Researchers in Sweden found that walking golf equated to 40-percent to 70-percent of the intensity of a maximum aerobic workout (assuming 18 holes played). In another, cardiologist Dr. Edward A. Palank's study showed that walking golfers reduced their levels of bad cholesterol while keeping their good cholesterol steady; the control group of riding golfers failed to show those good results.

Also, according to Golf Science International, a researcher named Gi Magnusson calculated that four hours of playing golf while walking is comparable to a 45-minute fitness class.

In additional to the health benefits of walking while golfing, there are other advantages that can actually speed up play, preserve the golf course and cut strokes off your score:

Walkers, walk directly to their own ball and save time compared to 2 riders in a cart going to each of their balls.
A secondary effect of walking directly to your own ball is a reduction in the amount of time you spend chatting with your playing partner in a cart before actually hitting the next shot. A walker can use the time spent trodding to his or her ball to think about their next shot and to think about club selection.
Walking a course gets you closer to the golf course. That's not some weepy get-close-to-nature sentiment. It's a way to learn more about the courses you play, to gain an appreciation for the nuances of a golf course that just aren't visible from a golf cart.
Ever wonder why they don't let carts out after it rains or only allow 90 degrees or cart path only?

So like all New Years resolutions, the top questions are, how do you get started and how can you make it easier to keep the resolution throughout the year? Here are some tips that can get you started in the right direction but it is still up to you make the decision to say "no" to the cart and hoof it.

Wear comfortable shoes:
Today's golf shoes are a lot different than the golf shoes of old. Today's new shoes are made to look and perform like an athletic shoe as opposed to a dress shoe. Fred Couples wears the ECCO Sreet Premier golf shoes during his competitive rounds because they are more comfortable and put less stress on his bad back. Adidas now has come out with a similar model called the adicross shoe and Nike and Footjoy have their versions and more will be available in 2012.

Recommended walking shoes:

ECCO Street Premier
AdidasAdicross
Adidas Tour360 ATV
Nike Lunar Control

Get a light carry/stand bag:

If you plan to walk buy a bag designed for walking. Obviously, cart bags are not recommended for walking. Unless you are professional caddy and used to carrying fully-loaded staff bags, cart bags should be left for when you use a cart. Stand bags are much better for walking but some stand bags are better than others. Make sure you check the weight of the stand bag because they can range from a low of 3 pounds to over 8 pounds. Remember, this weight is measured before you add your clubs and other items in the bag. After a few holes of carrying these bags you will definitely notice the difference. Also, the better walking bags now come with dual straps that evenly distribute the weight of the bag across your back as opposed to the bags that only have one strap.

Recommended Walking bags:

Sun Mountain SuperLight 3.5
Sun Mountain Swift X
OGIO PaceStand Bag
OGIO SprintStand Bag
TaylorMadeMicro-Lite 3.0
CallawayHyperlite 4.5

Use a pull/push cart:

If you don't want to or physically cannot carry your bag but still want to get the full benefit of walking the course you can use a pull cart. Pull cart technology has advanced significantly over the past 5 years. There are many models that range from a standard pull cart to ones made out of exotic metals to decrease the weight to electronically controlled carts that are controlled by a remote. Either way, you are still getting the full benefit of walking the course and at the same time taking a load of your back.

Recommended Pull/Push Carts:

Clicgear3.0
BagboyExpress DLX
IntechTri-trac 3 wheel
MotocaddyS3 Digital Electronic Push Cart
Stewart X7Lithium Electronic Push Cart

Nobody is suggesting that carts be banned or that longtime riders should give up the practice completely. There are certainly good reasons to use a golf cart from time to time. But the next time you step on the first tee, try to just keep stepping - all around the golf course. You'll be doing a favor for yourself, your course and your game.

Golf GPS And Rangefinder Devices - Are They Worth It?

2012-01-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

Which advancement in golf equipment has made the biggest impact on the game for the average golfer? Exotic Metal Woods? Graphite shafts? New Golf Ball Technology?

While all of these changes have impacted the game of golf, the one that has had the biggest impact on the game of the average golfer, is the development of the Golf GPS and Rangefinders (Electronic Measuring Devices).

In the last couple of years, the PGA Merchandise Show has begun to look more like the Consumer Electronics Show, with aisles of electronic golf devices designed to help you calculate golf yardages. The first generation of these devices simply gave you the distance to the green. Now these devices can give distances to any point on a touch screen, keep track of your score and stats, calculate a USGA handicap and even recommend what club to hit.

What is better: GPS or Rangefinder? Both provide important information.

Scientifically laser is going to be more accurate (within a yard) while GPS can be affected by a lot of environmental factors (sometimes up to 10 yards). This doesn't mean the GPS will always be 10 yards off, only that it is possible.

The laser can give you a precise distance to any object - like a tree or the pin, but obviously you need line of sight to use it. The GPS can give you distances to known locations (hazards, greens) and display many at one time, but it obviously can't know the pin placement or where every single object is on the course.

The one I use really depends on how well I know the course and where my ball is currently sitting:

Off the tee

I'm using GPS noting where the hazards are.

Planning to lay up, stuck in the woods, or taking a blind shot?

I'm pulling the GPS again.

Approach shot, par 3, or a green where I can't see the bottom of the flag?

I'm using the laser.

Dogleg that doesn't have any landmarks for the GPS to pick up?

I'm looking for something near the turn to hit with the laser.

Strangely shaped, difficult, or never-played-before green I can't see all of?

I'll use GPS to figure out size/shape of the green, and the laser to figure where on the green the flag is.

A course that I know well with pretty reliable markers?

I might not pull either.

Neither device is without weaknesses

If I can't see my target, the laser can't do anything for me. I can shoot bunkers and flags, but the laser can't give me front, middle and back distance for all hazards and greens. The laser also isn't as helpful when planning lay-up shots; I not only need to find a reliable object I can shoot, but I can only shoot them one at a time.

The GPS can't give me exact distances to the pin, nor can it range a rock, bush or tree that I pick out at random.

So instead of buying that shiney new driver to add to your collection of 2 others that you already have, invest in a new electronic measurement device and watch your golf scores go down.

Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas For Golfers 2011

2011-11-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

What Golfers Really Want For The Holidays

Do you have a golfer on your list for the Holidays and you just have no idea what to get him or her? Well, this list will help you with your decision. As a long-time golfer I've received plenty of golf gifts throughout the years - some great and some not so great. I will present my top 10 golf gift ideas for the Holidays which is sure make your gift buying a lot easier.

1. Golf GPS Devices

Golfers are also technogeeks. We deal with numbers in golf whether it be yardages or score or averages or handicaps. There no better way to satisfy our love of golf and electronic gizmos than to have one of these new Golf GPS devices. The devices use GPS satellite signals to give the golfer an accurate yardage to the golf hole or to any of the hazzards on the course such as bunkers or water. No longer does the golfer have to search around the ground to find the yardages on a hidden sprikler head.

The newer models combine GPS yardages with scorekeeping and the tracking of golfing statistics such as greens in regulation and number of putts per round and fairways hit.

Most Popular GPS Units:

2. Golf Rangefinders

Even more accurate than the Golf GPS devices. A rangefinder is a bicocular type device that you look through to obtain accurate distance readings. Rangefinders use a laser to calculate yardages and unlike the GPS devices which give you limited waypoints for yardages, you can pretty much aim at anything within 300 yards and get accurate yardage listings. Most golf professionals use rangefinders in calculating yardages because of their accuracy.

Most Popular Rangefinder Units:

3. Golf Shoes

No longer are golf shoes big, bulky and ugly looking. The latest golf shoes not only have technology to keep the golfer stable during the golf swing but also are comfortable and look cool. Some of the newest shoes are so comfortable that you wish you could wear them off the course too.

Most Popular Golf Shoes:

4. Golf Balls

If anyone tells you that they don't need or want golf balls as a gift they are lying. Golfers always needs golf balls and they are always looking for that special new ball that will add 20 yards to their drives or fly straighter and land softer. Todays golf balls have the biggest impact on shot-making and distance. There isn't one golfer that would be upset if you got them the latest Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade Penta TP, or Biedgestone 330 balls.

Most Popular Golf Balls:

Titleist ProV1

Bridgestone B330

TaylorMade Penta TP

Srixon Z-Star

Callaway Tour-i

5. Drivers

Ask a golfer what their favorite club is in their bag and most would say their driver. Also ask what club would you most like to replace and you would probably get the same answer. Out of any club in the bag, the driver is the most loved and hated. It also is the club that contains the most technology and can effect your golf game the most. Every golfer wants to add distance to their shots and the latest drivers are made to be easier to hit with larger sweetspots and lighter weight which all adds up to more driving distances.

Most Popular Drivers:

TaylorMade R11

Callaway RAZR Hawk

TaylorMade Superfast 2.0

Cobra S3

Titleist 910D2

6. Putters

After the driver, the putter the second most "upgraded" club. Golfers are always looking for that special putter that just feels comfortable and gives them confidence to knock every putt in from within 20 feet. Unlike drivers, putters are usually more affordable so golfers will experiment with several models before choosing one that will make the cut and enter their golf bag. Remember "Drive for show but Putt for dough!"

7. Golf Training Aids

When not playing golf golfers are either thinking about golf or practicing golf. We are always looking for that special training aid that will correct all the swing issues we have. Today there are golf training aids in all shapes and sizes that claim to correct anything from a slice or a hook and add distance and accuracy.

8. Golf Bags

In addition to keeping your clubs safe and secure a new golf bag also make a golfer look good. The latest golf bags have all the storage capacity needed to safely haul 14 clubs in addition to the other accessories like balls, tees, gloves, and rain suits. They pretty much all do this while weighing less than 10 pounds so you don't need to be a weightlifter in order to carry your bag for 18 holes.

9. Golf Carts

"Real" golfers prefer to walk the course rather than ride a powercart. When you walk a course you get the health benefit of walking 5-6 miles while at the same time being able to talk with your golfing buddies and concentrate on your next shot. For golfers that don't want to carry their bag 18 holes there are many bag carts to choose from ranging from ones that you can push or pull to ones that are electronically driven with a remote control.

10. Golf Gifts

Golfer like to fill their house with golf related items. One of the top golf related gifts is a ball display case were the proud golfer can display the golf balls used to make that hole-in-one or other special shot. Another cool gift is a golf flag frame where you can display a golf flag from your favorite course.

5 Best Ways to Save Money On Buying New Golf Gear

2011-10-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

5 Best Ways to Save Money On Buying New Golf Gear

Are you envious of your golfing buddies who trot out the latest golf equipment each new season while you’re still playing with stuff from 5 years ago?

Is the smallest guy in your foursome continually outdriving you?

Is your driver head still made out of a once-living item?

Then maybe it’s time to invest in an upgrade in your golfing gear. Here are the 5 best ways to get that new gear and still have cash leftover for green fees;

1. Don’t Buy the Brand New Releases. Each year around February and March the top golf equipment manufacturers come out with the latest and greatest
equipment and price them at top dollar. They are banking on the fact that all of us golf gear-heads will want the latest stuff in our bags for the new golf season. But if you can wait 6 months, you can pick up the same stuff for about 50% of the original price. For example, last year TaylorMade came out with the TaylorMade R11 Driver that retailed at release date for $499.99. That same new driver can be purchased today for $289.99

2. Look for Open-Box Merchandise. What exactly is Open-Box Merchandise? Open-Box Merchandise is equipment that for some reason has been removed from the original factory packaging and therefore cannot be sold as "new". In some cases it is a set club that was shipped out to a customer and for whatever reason the customer returned it UNUSED. The key word here is UNUSED. It could also have been an item that was on the store floor and again is UNUSED. The key to this is that because it is unused the original manufacturers warranty is still in effect and you can get the new-release equipment at 20-30% off full retail price.

3. Trade-in Your Used Gear. Do you really need 3 drivers or 4 putters? When buying new equipment be sure to bring in your old stuff to use as a trade-in credit towards the new gear. There is a “Blue-Book” for used golf equipment and it's called the PGA Value Guide. Pretty much all golf equipment retailers use this to determine approximate trade-in values. But manage your expectations with trade-ins. Don’t expect to get $350 for that $399 driver after it has been used. In most cases the trade in value will start at 50% of the original price then go down from there based on age and condition of item. If you want to get more for your trade-in you can try to sell it to your buddy or take the time to sell it on an auction site like eBay. You can get started on your trade-in here.

4. “Add to Cart for Price” Ever wonder why online golf retailers make you do this just to see what the price is? Well it’s not done to make it harder for you to purchase something; it is done because the golf equipment manufacturers have what is called MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) pricing policies. MAP pricing is a form of price-fixing where the golf equipment manufactures want all their retailers to sell the equipment at the same price. One way retailers can get around this and sell at a lower price is by not showing the price of the item on the website until it is in the shopping cart. So take that extra step and add the item to the cart to see what the discounted price is. You are never obligated to buy it and can remove it any time. Believe me it is worth
the extra step and you will save a lot of money.

5. Sign Up for Email Specials. The golf equipment retail business is very competitive and every retailer is looking to give their customers the best deals out there. One way to make sure you’re on top of the deals out there is to sign up for the golf retailers email specials. Instead of scouring the web for deals yourself, let the deals come to you via email. Many retailers will send exclusive coupon codes and specials out to their customers only or notify them in advance of any closeout deals coming so you can score the big deal before if gets opened up to the general public.