Where can I find golf equipment made in the USA?
I am looking for golf equipment made in the USA. This post starts a continuing series of what clubs, balls and other golf products are made in the United States. I like to buy products made in the US whenever practical. Here is what I have found so far. Titleist golf balls: The Titleist web site lists Ball Plant 2 and 3 in Massachusetts on their contact page. Bridgestone: Bridgestone has a great commercial all about being made in the USA. David Feherty in the video, the balls are engineered in Georgia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQxXD1L2Fno It features David Feherty, Freddie Couples, Paula Creamer, Davis Love III, Matt Kuchar, Lee Travino. Don’t miss the outtakes here: http://youtu.be/-c9A5DildVo Ping: According to MadeInUSAStuff, “PING has more club components produced in America than any other brand.” http://madeinusastuff.blogspot.com/2013/12/golf-clubs-made-in-USA.html They also go on to state that some of the offshore manufacturing has been caused by EPA laws. SKB Cases: I use one myself and LOVE it. They manufacture in the USA. Check out this HD video of the installation of a plastic injection molding machine. Notice how many workers it takes to install the machine. Great video, thanks SKB for posting this! Scratch Golf Clubs (based in Berkley Michigan): In 2010 Ari Techner at Scratch Golf Clubs posted, “We get extremely raw forgings from Japan and then we do all the rest of the manufacturing here in Chattanooga. Our putters are 100% made in the USA.” http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/365880-what-clubs-are-made-in-america-anymore/ Maybe made in the USA? Scratch Golf: Ari Techner mentioned in the link posted above, they were in talks with a foundry in US. I am trying to find out what ever came of...
Which is better golf GPS or laser?
What are your favorite golf aids? For years I used this great little app, and still do occasionally: http://gudensoft.com/projects/golf-gps-for-android/ This golf app allows you to download courses for free from its web site, or create your own. I have created about 20 myself. The nice thing about this app is that it not only shows you distance to front/middle/back of the green it also gives you the distance to a hazard. When you create your own course using “Course Maker”, it uses Google maps. You zoom in on the course of choice. Next you zoom in on the green of hole number 1 and click on “Add Hole 1”, Then it drops 4 flags. You then position front, middle and back flags (red, white, and blue respectively), then you get to position a “hazard” flag. I have had this app since it was only in a windows version. Then when I got my androids all of the courses ported over. Great job Gudy at GudenSoft! I know there are other apps out there, but I have to give a big thanks to Gudy at GudenSoft. For a “Christmas in July” present, I received a Garmin S1 golf watch. Awesome, simply awesome! I never have to pull out my phone, unlock it, wait for it to get a GPS sync. (although my Galaxy S4 Syncs VERY quickly). I simply look at my wrist and there it is. I never have to tell it what hole I’m on. One reason I find GPS better than laser is that when you have a blind shot, you can tell the distance. For example. I was on a dogleg and there were trees between me and the hole. The golf watch told me I had 140 to the middle of the green. For me this meant 9 iron. I knew with a 9 iron I would easily clear the trees. I stuck it to 10 feet from the hole and made the putt. With a laser I could not have gotten an accurate distance without line of site. My golf partner has a laser and I often find it more accurate than the GPS, but in times of not being able to see the pin (behind trees, over a hill, etc.) it is useless. If I had to pick one, I would recommend a GPS, but what I really want is a Golf Watch with GPS and laser. This would be the ultimate. My next (golf) fantasy would be to use the new Google Glass with an app that analyzed the green and showed you the line. This would be...
How to Choose a New Golf Bag – What Features Should You Look For?
When looking for a new golf bag I found an overwhelming number of features to consider. I have written this post in an effort to help you understand a few of these or at least remind you what to look for in a new golf bag. Things to consider in a new golf bag One of the first things to consider is price. Sometimes bags can be expensive. Consider this, you will probably have this bag for more than 10 years. Amortize the price over the cost of 10 years and it doesn’t seem like so much. Also, look around. I found the bag that I wanted at a local shop (which I am very loyal to) for $295 but when I found the exact same bag on Amazon for $109, I couldn’t pass it up. Also consider purchasing in the fall. Sometimes you can find a very good bag at a discount just because they want to make room for new bags. While a golf bag won’t directly impact your score, there is something to be said for having everything right where you need it, when you need it. My old golf bag the inside bottom of the tubes were ripping and the material was grabbing the club and sometimes I couldn’t pull the club out of the bag. Sometimes 3 or 4 of the surrounding clubs would lift up as I was removing another club. Not only embarrassing, but frustrating and neither of those feelings help your golf game. Style; cart, stand or travel? If you primarily walk consider a stand bag and what the weight is. Will the stand mechanism stand (pun intended) up over time? I travel a lot with my clubs and needed to make sure my full cart bag would fit inside of my hard sided travel case (If you haven’t looked into the travel cases by SKB, you should. They are well worth the money). Another thing to consider with a cart bag is will it fit on the cart? My old bag was very wide and had huge pockets on the sides. Sometimes my playing partner’s bag and mine did not fit so well on the cart. I broke a pare of glasses cramming my bag onto the cart once. Features to consider: Where are the pockets and what purpose do they serve? Based on how you play, you probably know what you like to keep in your bag. Where will you put your new stuff in the new bag. Will it hold what you want? Think about valuables, cell phone, sunglasses, sunblock, balls, ball markers umbrella, extra gloves, does it...
Right Golf Clubs?
Once I started golfing better, I had the opportunity to get some better golf clubs. This REALLY improved my game. I was amazed at just how forgiving “game improvement clubs could be. I also recommend getting “fitted” for clubs. If you are lucky enough to live near a golf store or club that lets you try clubs before you purchase, I highly recommend it. Keep your eyes open for demo days or other store specials when they may have club representatives on site. I was fortunate enough to have a Ping rep. let me try about 10 different club head, loft, shaft stiffness, and length combinations until I found what worked for me. Don’t rule out the irons. I originally got fitted for a driver, but later for irons then a 3 wood. Start with a 6 iron, this will give you an understanding of the entire set. If the 6 works, try the pitching wedge. Don’t worry so much about distance, but consistency, straightness, sound, feel. If you are taller don’t hesitate to ask to try a longer shaft, (or shorter if needed). If you can’t afford an entire new set consider rotating your purchase. For example, a driver one year, irons the next, then wedges or fairway woods. This can spread the cost over 3-4 years and you are getting new equipment every...
Need some ideas for fun scramble games for your golf outing?
For what ever reason you’ve decided to have a golf scramble. Now you are looking to make your outing more entertaining. You’ve come to the right place. Here is a list of fun games to play during your scramble. Pick some or all of them, I enjoy doing a few of these, but not more than 3 or 4 in a round. String Each team gets the same amount of string. We usually use about 10 feet. The amount doesn’t really matter as long as they are all the same. During play you get to use string as a stroke. For example everyone misses a putt and the closest is only a few inches from the hole. Pull out the string, measure from the edge of the ball to the edge of the cup. Cut the string and keep the unused portion. This effectively puts the ball in the hole without adding a stroke. Use the string to get out from under a tree, out of a bunker or out of mud. The fun comes at the end, if there is a tie for the low round, the group with the most string wins. Toss Similar to the string once per 9 holes the group can decide to hand toss the ball. It doesn’t count as a stroke. As a group the decision is made to use the toss, it can be from a few feet and just drop in the hole or from off the green to try to tuck it up close. Choose your own rules, but the person should be standing. No getting on your knees. You will be very surprised on how difficult it is to judge distance if trying to roll it on the green. This can be used in the fairway, from the rough, or from behind trees, use it anywhere. Closest to the pin This is a scramble standard on par 3s. Another variation is closest to the pin on second shot on a par 5. Often golf courses will have sign post that can be stuck in the green by the first group and picked up by the last group. Whoever is closest to the pin (yes, it has to be on the green) gets to write their name on the sign. Longest drive Longest drive is often found par 5s but can also be used on long, straight par 4s. Again, ask the course if they can supply the little signs. Water balloons At first I had trouble with this one, but it was pretty fun. Tie 3 small water balloons together and set them up in a small...
Practice with a Purpose
When you go to the driving range (and you should) do you have a routine? Do you just hit the ball as far as you can? Club order This is something that works for me, try it, modify it, make it your own. When I go to the range, if I am not working on something specific, I hit my clubs in a particular order. During this routine, I pay close attention to how far each club is going. I start with my pitching wedge, it is one of the heaviest clubs in your bag. It warms you up, and gets you going. Then move to your 6 or 7 iron. Next is 3 wood or a long iron. Only then do I start hitting my driver. This club is hard to hit. I have played a few rounds where I left the driver in the bag and only hit 3 wood off the tee. While hitting the driver I don’t focus on hitting it long, I focus on not slicing. If I can hit without slicing, then I try hitting within boundaries, see below under aiming. Then I move to my wedges, I usually start with my 60 degree, just to get a feel and focus on good contact. Finish off the bucket with chipping and pitching. I happen to use my 52 degree wedge. I pick a patch of grass, or a previously hit ball as a target and try to land the ball on it. Long (50+ yards), mid (30 yards) and short chips (under 20). This drill has really helped shave a lot of strokes off my game. Distance Make mental notes or even write them down. How far on average do you hit each club? Don’t keep track of your best shots, but your average. This exercise is VERY important. You really need to know how far you hit each club, it is critical to better golf. Putt Putt or mini golf I have found that playing Putt Putt or mini golf actually helps my putting. I have often putted best after taking the kids to play miniature golf. Give it a try and have fun with the kids too! Don’t have kids? It is a great place for a date too! Aiming When at the range, don’t hit just to hit. Pick a target, pick an imaginary fairway and try to hit within these boundaries. You don’t realize how wide open a range can be. Have a vision of where you are aiming and don’t allow yourself to relax your standards. Chipping I have often gone to the range and hit an entire...