Why I'm Happy Tiger Didn't Win The Masters

Before anyone gets the wrong idea about the title of this post, I'll explain. It has nothing to do with Tiger as a person. Tiger as a person will forever be viewed as, lets say, not the nicest guy you've ever heard of. But that has no bearing on this particular post.

It also has nothing to do with Tiger's ego. You know, that ego that never just comes out and says, "He played better than me." Rather, the ego just makes excuses for why he lost. That also has no bearing on this post. Nope, it's none of those things.

What makes me happy about it is the fact that, for a few days anyway, the younger and/or lesser known players on the tour got a good amount of attention at a major! Whether the PGA knows it or not, this is just what they needed! Tiger made his charge, but Charl Schwartzel played out of his mind down the stretch! Despite his Sunday meltdown, Rory Mcilroy was the biggest news for the first three days of the tournament. Some nice performances by Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald and a good Sunday from Justin Rose may have helped the PGA out by helping to improve its deficiency in the player recognition department.

As we here at Golfstinks have said previously, too many golf fans have no idea who some of these great players on the tour are. So to see some of them withstand the Tiger Woods charge, and play right along side him, if not better, the PGA couldn't ask for anything more! Some of these players are the tour's future. These players are the guys people need to know about when a tour stop comes along that Tiger doesn't think he can win (i.e. he's not participating).

We all know viewership drops when Tiger isn't there. And turnout at the tour stop itself is considerably lower. But it would probably be different if these other players were promoted properly, or even half as much as Tiger. So maybe the PGA will take this opportunity and use these performance that are fresh in the minds of golf fans.

At some point, the PGA is going to have to realize that Tiger is not going to be around forever. Better yet they should realize, for one or two reasons, the landscape of golf is changing. Either Tiger is not the player he once was, or the other players have simply caught up and no longer fear him. Either way, it's time for the PGA to take advantage.

I'm tired of having to see where Tiger finished in every update. I see that Charl Schwartzel won, but immediately after that - Tiger Woods finishes fourth (-10). What about 2nd and 3rd? What about the two guys who tied for fourth with Tiger? This is exactly what I'm talking about above. It's time for the PGA, and the media, to jump on the bandwagon of some players other than Tiger.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Screw Full Price, I Want A Deal!

That's right, who the heck pays full price anymore? It seems this little invention called the internet has slowly put retailers in a rat race they never thought they would be in. Especially when it comes to golf gear.

We all know how expensive golf equipment can be. Is it because of the R & D that went into it? Maybe the materials used? Who cares! With new sites popping up that find deals for consumers/golfers it doesn't matter. Now the sellers have to battle it out to get the sale.

Companies like Groupon and LivingSocial have been gaining popularity featuring deals available in your area. Now, let's say we had something dedicated to finding deals for golf related stuff - like our friend Ed Abrams at Deal Tracker Golf does.

Ed offers daily deals to golfers and that's it. You don't have to worry about weeding through deals for a super discounted 7 day cruise to Libya or a mani and pedi. Who wants to golf after a french manicure?

Deal Tracker Golf offers consumers not only deals on gear, accessories and destinations, but it also focuses on making it a community with interaction from its users. Here's a little something from Ed:

"So here�s the plan: I�m happy to do the legwork for you and share my expertise. It�s all about value, whether it's the latest and greatest or a time-tested model that�s in good used condition. You, in turn, can make this your �go-to� site for good golf gear deals. Let�s have some fun with it and develop a community where we help each other with leads on good solid deals and the occasional blockbuster bargain."

Sounds like a plan to me! Deal Tracker Golf may not be the prettiest site in the world (sorry Ed), but it does appear to have some awesome deals. Keep up the good work, Mr. Abrams!

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!!

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Don't Dress Like a Fool on the Golf Course

The following is a guest post from our buddy Joe Sponcia over at Pillars of Golf. While Joe's blog is geared more toward helping golf courses succeed, he penned this post in the hopes that these fashion offenders would take the hint.

We all have a few items in our closet that have run their course, hoping if a few years pass by, the item will come back into vogue. This guide isn't for the hopeful hoarders that hold onto clothing for decades (but know not to break them out), its for the oblivious among us that still have �members only� jackets...and wear them when the mood is right.

Look, twenty years is often too long to wait for the fashion boomerang to return, not to mention kids, divorces, job failures, all-you-can-eat wing night...etc., etc. You get the picture? Here's the list:

1. Cargo shorts - Its a round of golf, not a hike up the Appalachians. Coming from the biggest gadget guy on the planet, you don't need a pocket for your brush T's, a pouch for your sky caddie, a clip for your watch, a pocket for your divot tool, another pocket for extra balls, and still another pocket for your rules book. Your belt and/or your shorts aren't �Bat belts�. Two pockets in the front and two pockets on your rump are plenty.

2. Silver-tipped belts with obligatory golf club oval thingies - Seen circa 1994-2000 and should not be seen again except at the local muni's by people who �golf� frequently and also love to violate rule number six.



3. Black shorts/black socks - Up until a year ago, I violated this one on a regular basis. I thought because I was slightly below average height, the ?look' would intimidate? Looking back, I don't know that ?Daddy Earnhardt' is the best look for the golf course. Retire it, its played.

4. Tabasco-type shirts - It happens; it shouldn't.








5. Short sleeved mock shirts - I don't care if Tiger ?slum-ho' Woods pimps this look. Adding a 1/2 inch to a Hanes T-shirt made out of ?moisture-wicking' material still doesn't look good with a pressed pair of khakis...it makes you look very douchey...like these guys.




6. Knee socks - I don't know if it's the NBA that is bringing this back or what, but too many guys are wearing socks that are too long when wearing shorts. Long socks are for keeping your ankles extra warm in the winter, not for actually covering the top of your calves. You see, people won't say to your face, �Nice socks, I think there's a putt-putt course calling your name" ...they'll just think it. You can violate the other 5 items listed before, but this one is unforgivable.

7. Bluetooth devices worn on ears - Seriously?








8. Golf Sandals - Yeah on your honeymoon maybe but not �golfing� Hackstein. No one wants to see your toe ring or ankle bracelet Martha.










9. White belts/Big guts - If you can't see your pecker when you pee...no white belt for you.










10. Giant belt buckles/belt buckles with your initials or worse, someone else's - Unless you designed the piece of metal yourself and your name rhyme's with Hory Lambargini...nope.




11. Velcro 'laces' - My son still has these at five years old; you shouldn't.
I don't want to hear about your arthritis either. If you can grip a golf club, you can tie your shoes like a man. If anything on your body makes that velcro noise, except your glove when you are removing it, please, take up lawn darts.

12. Untucked, no belt with combo elastic pants - Remember Rodney Dangerfield in the movie Back to School doing the Triple Lindy? This is golf's version. It should be called "back porch grilling casual" and should only be seen with your "World's Best Dad" apron and tongs in hand...not on the golf course.

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Variations on the Game of Golf - Project Flogton

I think we are all in agreeance by now that the game of golf needs help. We all know that fewer and fewer people play the game every year, and even less take up the game. Private courses are going public and public courses are closing their clubhouse doors. TV ratings aren't all that great and even worse if Tiger isn't playing.

So what can be done? How do we get more people out on the golf course? How can we get more people interested in the game? In my search to find the answers to the above questions, I've stumbled across an organization who is looking to get more people out on the course by using one simple idea...make the game of golf easier.

The Alternative Golf Association, or Project Flogton (Flogton being "not golf" backward) has come up with several ideas aimed at making the game easier, and therefore attracting more players. Now I'm all for getting more people out on the course and more people learning the game, but I have a few issues with some of the ideas here. Let's take a look at a few:

1. In flogton, a player can put some type of lubricant or shield on the face of their driver, therefore allowing the ball to spin less and fly straighter. I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like the golf equivalent to either corking your bat or a pitcher rubbing something on the ball. That's not making the game easier...that's cheating.

2. Mulligans are legal. OK, I really don't care all that much about this one. Every once in a while, everyone takes a mulligan. But in flogton, it's one per hole. One per hole?! Again, in comparison to other sports, that's like a do-over on strike three! Or a do-over after throwing an interception! That doesn't make the game easier, it just helps lower your score!

3. How about the "bump" rule? That's where you can move your ball to anywhere else on the course as long as it's not closer to the hole. Talk about not playing the ball as it lies! Let's do the comparison thing again. So a ball is hit to left field for a single. But you think it would be better if the ball landed in the gap so you have a better chance at scoring on the next hit. OK, just move the ball to the gap and take second. What??!!

4. Bump rule not enough? How about the hazard bump rule? Yup. It's exactly what it sounds like. Ball in a trap? No problem! Just move it out!

5. "Tee up the ball on any shot except on the green." That's literally what it says in the "guidelines." Not rules...guidelines. Does that mean you can tee it up in a trap? Can you tee it up if you're in the woods? How about if you're out of bounds? Oh wait...

6. There is no out of bounds! Look, I can appreciate what they're trying to do here. Is this going to get more people to play golf? Maybe. But if they're not actually playing golf, but altering the rules instead, then what are they really learning?

For me, I'm not sure this is helping popularize the game of golf. While some of the ideas they have in their guidlelines are things that are somewhat done anyway in a casual game (mulligans, gimmes, etc...) or temporarliy while someone is learning the game, I wouldn't base an alternate game's existence on them.

Look, either you're going to play the game or you're not. You don't change the rules of the game because it's too tough for you. Is that the right thing to do? Do you want your kid to cheat on his tests at school because it's too hard or do you want your kid to work harder? Do you want your kid to play little league baseball where they allow four strikes? Or a do-over if you drop the ball? What's next, bigger holes? Moving up the tee-boxes?

Now, all that being said, I think something like this sounds like a lot of fun! I think it would be fun for outings and tournaments! Hell, if I had the chance to play in one of these, count me in! As much as I don't like the idea of, what one could consider to be, pansying the game down...it sure does sound like it would be fun to try out. I read on the website that they had one tournament where the players were "not allowed, required" to throw the ball rather than swing at it at least once per hole. Now that's funny stuff! Myself, I feel like the game of golf could benefit by relaxing the rules.

However, I don't necessarily believe that has to be done on the professional level. I think more along the lines of just you and your golf buddies bending, not breaking, the rules a bit. I play by the rules for the most part, but I bend them once in a while also. We all do. I believe part of the issue with the declining participation in the sport has to do with the rules and the people who are sticklers for them.

Too many golfers are so fixated on the rules of the game that they forget it's just a game. All they are doing is justifying the stereotype. Put fun first. Play the game for the fun of it. If you don't take the game so seriously, you'll have a hell of a lot more fun playing it! It seems that the people at Project Flogton and Golfstinks do in fact have the same idea in mind.

Swing 'til you're happy!

Related Posts:
Variations on the Game of Golf - Disk Golf
Variations on the Game of Golf - Mini Golf
Variations on the Game of Golf - Adirondack Golf
Variations on the Game of Golf - Speed Golf
Variations on the Game of Golf - Ladder Golf

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Golf Genie iPhone App Giveaway!

A couple of months ago, we reviewed the Golf Genie Practice Drills Pocket Guide. At the time, the good folks over at Golf Genie provided a bunch of Practice Guides to give away to our readers, and boy did we give them away - to 25 lucky Golfstinks fans!

Well, now Golf Genie has released its Practice Guide app for the iPhone and our buddies over at Golf Genie have come through once again - providing us 10 free codes to give away! If you've got an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, don't miss out on this opportunity to win an invaluable on-course resource: The Golf Genie Practice Drills PRO app!

All you have to do to enter is send an email to info@golfstinks.com with "Golf Genie" in the subject. That's it! The first 10 emails we receive will win the app!

Good Luck Golfstinks fans!

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Golf Stinks Exclusive With Charlie Sheen

A few weeks ago I sent a crap load of emails to Charlie Sheen and his reps asking if he could answer a few questions that we had for him. Not thinking anything of it and not expecting to receive any response, I went about my business as usual...that was until last night when in my inbox sat a reply from Mr. Winning himself! He was kind enough to answer a few of my questions and I've taken the liberty of pasting them below:

-----Original message-----

From: "Pete Girotto"<pete@golfstinks.com>
To: ###############
Sent: March 31, 2011 9:23:17 PM EDT
Subject: Golfstinks is winning too!

Mr. Sheen,

We were referred to you by (name deleted for legal matters) and he had mentioned that you enjoyed some of our posts. I cannot thank you enough for reading our blog. We are huge fans of yours and support you in your current situations.

If you could be so kind to answer these questions below we would love to feature them on our blog.

1. How do you think golf could help children stay away from substance abuse?
2. Would pornstars make good cart girls?
3. What is your favorite thing about golf?

Thank you,

Pete Girotto
Golfstinks, LLC
pete@golfstinks.com
www.golfstinks.com
http://golfstinks.blogspot.com

Here's his reply:

Hey Pete, thanks for reaching out...I really enjoyed your blog posts. Here are some answers to your questions:

1. How do you think golf could help children stay away from substance abuse?

Golf is expensive and requires a lot of time. So, yes it would help children steer clear of substance abuse.

2. Would pornstars make good cart girls?

Well, that depends...what are the cart girls offering?

3. What is your favorite thing about golf?

Besides winning and the 19th hole, I would say hanging out with some friends and having a "good time" on the course.

BR,
CS

Thanks again to Mr. Sheen for taking the time to answer these questions.

Next week we have a special interview with the Bronx Zoo Cobra and Tiger Woods.

Hit'em long...yell FORE (immediately followed by APRIL FOOLS')!

How Golf Gimmicks Really Work

A little over a week ago, Stinky Golfer Chris posted about purchasing his first golf gimmick. Chris joked in the headline; "I bought my first golf gimmick...or did I?" - suggesting he wasn't really sure if he had just bought a gimmick or not.

That's the thing with gimmicks - you're never really sure if they will work. Did you just shave strokes off your game or were you just the next sucker? After all, they say there's one born every minute.

In any event, we posted Chris' story on all of our social media sites with the caption; "Can this golf gimmick actually work?" That elicited a decent amount of responses, including those who were certain Chris got screwed; and those who were equally certain the product worked. But perhaps the most intriguing answer was: "It will work if you want it to."

Think about that for a second. "It will work if you want it to." I don't know about you, but this provided me one of those "ah-ha!" moments. For me, reading that statement put the whole golf gimmick thing in perspective. Sure, the person who left that comment was probably suggesting mind-over-matter (e.g. if you truly believe something will work, it will).

But beyond convincing yourself that it will work, all the gimmick needs to do is focus you on the task at hand - in this case, improving your golf game. The rest comes down to how much time you want to spend practicing. Let me give you an example: Let's say you buy a golf gadget that trains you to move the club along the correct swing path. Regardless of what feature the gadget uses to get you on the right path, it inevitably forces you to focus on your swing. And the more you focus, logic dictates the better you will become.

So in this sense, weeks of practicing with any golf gimmick will probably help you be more consistent - but it's not the gimmick that's doing the trick, rather it's the practicing. It makes sense: The more you believe in a product, the more you will practice to get the desired results. But if you suspect you've bought a gimmick, you will cease practicing fairly quickly and proclaim the product a bunch of BS.

We can apply this theory to most golf gimmicks: Wanting to believe it works leads to more practice, which ultimately leads to better results. But what about in the case of Stinky Golfer Chris' gimmick? He purchased one of those hologram balance bracelets...how do you "practice" with that? I guess he would just have to wear it and see if it works. And here again, it may be mind-over-matter: If you believe it works, it will.

So Chris will be wearing his bracelet out on the course in a few weeks to see if he was one of the 525,600 suckers born in 1974. And seeing as I was also born in that year; and seeing as I also purchased one of those bracelets...there may very well be two suckers on the tee that day.

Here's to impulse decisions and mind-over-matter!

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Prepping For The New Season

It's late March and for the first time in 2011 I was invited to play 9. I politely declined. Why? Well, it's still just too cold. While the sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky, the temps barely rose above 40 degrees. And as I've mentioned before, I don't play if the temps are below 50 degrees.

But being asked to play today has made me realize how close golf season actually is. Additionally, it had made me realize how unprepared I was! Practicing over the winter, equipment, apparel...I see now that I had better get on the stick! So I got started right away.

I'm all set with the basics - clubs and a bag. Although my bag, well one of the legs anyway, is in rough shape, it will hold up fine for this season. The clubs have only a half-season on them, so those are fine also. But I'm sure going to need something to hit, right? So balls are the first thing on my list. Turns out, this is a nice time to buy golf balls! I found myself a couple of boxes of Callaway Diablos, normally $25 to $30 for a box of 12 that must have been left over from last season, for only $13! Hopefully I'll have the same luck with some of the other accessories I still need.

Next on the list for me are new shoes. I've been kicking myself since attending the Connecticut Golf Show last weekend and not taking advantage of the deals some of the retailers were touting. I've been pushing the same pair of Foot-Joy's for a while now and it's certainly time to let them go - No more just changing the spikes.

Last, but certainly not least, is practice. I simply haven't practiced enough this winter. I've only been to the indoor facility twice, and one of those times was just to play the simulator with my kids! So I haven't worked on my swing, drives, short game, putting...nothing! Now, as you may or may not know by now, I don't particularly care how well I play. But, I do want to at least give myself a chance and somewhat appear to know what I'm doing. Will that happen without any off-season work? I'd rather not find out. So it looks like I'll be planning a last-second trip or two to the range.

So, for us golfers here in the Northeast, the season is right around the corner. Hopefully, you're better prepared for it than I am. And for those of you living where there is no off-season, aren't you glad you don't have to go through this every year?

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Find Golfers And Play Now

How cool would it be if there was an app to link up with other golfers that are available to play right now? I find myself looking for golf buddies because sometimes playing solo just doesn't cut it. I mean, who else will witness that 9-iron in for eagle when playing by yourself? In my case, who will witness that uncanny boomerang action spin (known to all as a bad slice) that sends the ball two fairways over?

The developers over at needagolfer.com have put together an app for the Android system that can connect golfers based on certain criteria like location, skill level and handicap. Here's what they say:

"Find A Golfer is a free, simple to use Android application that gives you options when you think you've run out. This social golfing experiment connects anonymous golfers and matches them based on location and skill level. It's incredibly easy to find a nearby or local golfer with your handicap, and even easier to contact them using our private, secure, app to app messaging service.

Find A Golfer has features galore. In addition to a social network-style feed of golfer status updates, Find A Golfer features a simple golf course finder. Tweak your search radius and you'll instantly be able to call up dozens of nearby courses, or get driving directions. Don't like the golfer you just found and played with? Leave a rating and some feedback on his profile, so other golfers know the guy lied about his handicap."

After firing up the app, the main screen appears with a simple and easy to use layout. This cut and dry approach is key, for me at least, I can search courses or golfers in my area using the gps function on my phone. And with the ability to change my search radius I can open myself up to a whole new slew of courses and golfers ready to hack up the track.

Good job with the app fellas! Download it here or on the Android market.

Hit'em long...yell FORE!

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Inside Cond� Nast Traveler's Golf Resort Ratings

Cond� Nast Traveler has released its Top 125 Golf Resorts issue and I'm wondering how many of us should actually take this list seriously? The list was compiled from the publication's 2010 Readers' Choice survey, which was conducted online and had nearly 26,000 respondents.

That's allot of respondents, but can these results really be that accurate? Firstly, how many resorts have these respondents vacationed at? My guess is not many (and certainly not all 125). So if they've stayed at only one or two, there really isn't much basis for comparison. When people choose a resort, they typically select one they've heard of (perhaps through lists such as in Cond� Nast Traveler).

After visiting a resort, some people will then take the online survey (which could be years removed from when they were actually there), thus providing more (possibly outdated) feedback on a resort that is already on the list. With data being collected on the same resorts over and over, I surmise it would be an uphill battle for new resorts (or those who have undergone vast renovations) to make the cut, despite offering a similar experience to those listed (especially considering resorts had to receive a certain number of responses to make the list to begin with). All this leads to a somewhat flawed rating system in my opinion.

But what's even more interesting is Cond� Nast Traveler hasn't actually produced a top 125 list at all. Instead, it has taken golf resorts that received the most responses and ranked them by region. First they hone in on the typical U.S. golf vacation states like Arizona, California, Florida and Hawaii. Then the publication provides top lists for the Northern, Western and Southern U.S. (aforementioned states excluded). Finally, it compiles a measly top 25 list for golf resorts from the rest of the world. The lists combined total 125 resorts.

Cond� Nast Traveler buckets resorts in this manner because they have no data to legitimately rank 125 golf resorts in order from best to worst. After all, they are only going off a volunteer survey, which typically draws from the same old pool of resorts, rated by people who really have no basis for comparing such establishments in the first place.

But what about the fact that this info exists at all? Sure, these lists can be fun to look at, but are they realistic? Seriously, how many of you plan on actually vacationing at one of these golf resorts this year? For starters, these places aren't cheap. According to the publication, rates are listed in three categories and represented by dollar signs: "$"; "$$"; and "$$$" - where prices encompass "the least expensive double during peak golf season." Well, the "least expensive" turns out to be $350 or less ($); $350-$499 ($$); and $500+ ($$$) - it doesn't specify, but I assume this is per night; golf not included - ready to pack the old clubs yet?

All this makes me wonder who's really benefitting from this list being published?

So with that said, I'd like to see how many of our readers are planning an excursion this year to one of these top golf resorts. Take the poll* below and let us know.

Will you play a Top Golf Resort in 2011?

*It should be noted that respondents to this poll are on a volunteer basis and are drawn from the same old pool of this blog's readership.

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I Bought My First Golf Gimmick! Or...Did I?

Have you ever seen those commercials for the bracelet that supposedly gives you super-human strength, x-ray vision and allows you to access areas of your brain giving you Stephen Hawking-like intellectual abilities? No? OK...how about the one that improves your balance? Sure, we've all seen that one. And most of us have probably thought the same thing..."Yeah right, another gimmick."

Well up until Saturday I was among the many who would be doubting the supposed abilities of something as simple as a wristband. But my mind was changed after attending the Connecticut Golf Show on March 19th. That's when I tried out the EFX Performance wristband* for the first time.

Lori Baker of EFX Performance, after explaining how and why the wristband works, demonstrated the product on Stinky Golfer Greg first with a simple balance test. After seeing Greg's surprised reaction, I had to try it our for myself. The same balance test was performed on me, both with and without the wristband, and sure enough it did exactly what she said it would. My balance was almost instantly improved. I took the wristband off, and my balance was right back to where it was before. I was pretty impressed.

But I still had questions. So we spoke for a bit longer, asking about the differences between EFX's holograph technology and its effects on the bio-electric field of the human body, in comparison to magnet technology, which another buddy of ours attending the show with us, swears by. We learned that holograph technology, besides increasing balance, may also help to increase strength, flexibility and endurance while also reducing pain, stress and tension. All of this sounds like something that could be beneficial on a golf course, no? So, pretty satisfied with what we had heard, as well as the demonstration, both Stinky Golfer Greg and I were willing to fork over a few bucks to give it a shot.

Now, I realize this may all be in my head and only time will tell for sure, but I really started to notice something when, after wearing the bracelet for an hour or so, that my sore lower back began to feel a little better while still walking the show floor. Again, was this all in my head? I don't know. But I'm sure willing to give this thing a chance for a while. And I certainly can't wait to try it out on the course.

The possibility of increased balance, strength, flexibility and endurance are all factors that can lead to a better all-around game. And if I feel less pain and soreness after walking 18? Even better!

Golf season here in the Northeast is just around the corner. So I'll keep this wristband on when I first get a chance to hit the links this season. Stay tuned, and I'll follow-up with a post about the differences I may or may not see and feel. Did I purchase a golf gimmick? Maybe; maybe not. But I've got to say, so far anyway, I am pleasantly surprised.

Swing 'til you're happy!


*You can learn more about EFX Performance by visiting http://www.efxusa.com/.

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