Remember…Bobby Jones was a Professional

Masters week is an appropriate time to remember tournament founder Bobby Jones, who dominated his era as no one has ever done and there are a bushel of numbers to illustrate the point. Numbers such as Jones’ winning the four majors in 1930, the Grand Slam of the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

His record shows from when he won his first U.S. Open title in 1923 through his 1930 U.S. Amateur win he played in 20 major championships and won 13 times.

Let that sink in for a moment…playing as an amateur against professionals of the caliber of Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen he won 65 percent of the time.

And then he quit. He had climbed his personal Everest and the only direction he could go from there was down.

Besides he was tired, worn out from the strain of playing at such a high level as well as from the travel which in the 1920s was arduous, many days and nights on trains or steamships.

There also was another important factor in his decision, Jones needed money. He was not independently wealthy and while an amateur he couldn’t play for pay. He had to generate an income from his fledgling law practice and other ventures to support his wife and children.

Therefore, a month and a half after winning the U.S. Amateur for the last time he sent a letter to the USGA announcing his retirement from championship golf and renouncing his amateur status.

As a professional Jones most certainly could have commanded huge fees for exhibitions just as Walter Hagen was doing or he could have played for prize money on what passed for a professional tour in the Depression years of the 1930s. But reflecting the times any money he won would have paled in comparison to the potential exhibition income.

So he did neither. Jones sent the letter because he knew the USGA rules strictly defined what constituted being an amateur and he was planning to make money from ventures related to golf so he would have been in violation. This in spite an earlier ruling by the USGA that money Jones received for a column appearing in several hundred newspapers did not somehow violate his amateur status. Inconsistent to be sure but probably more a reflection of the prevalent opinion a journalist was above the common drudgery of earning money from the game in contrast with lowly professionals.

And Jones was not about to sell his endorsement of some product just for the sake of making money. In fact his best known project wasn’t an endorsement deal at all but an immensely popular series of one-reel instructional films shown in movie theaters entitled “How I Play Golf.” Even today these films are worth watching, filled with information about the golf swing though Jones disliked what he called the “corny” story lines transparently centered on him giving lessons to movie stars.

His most profitable venture was getting into the club business and he became intimately involved with the design of the club line bearing his name manufactured by A.G. Spaulding Company. Interestingly the fact Jones autograph-model clubs had steel shafts was a major factor in sealing the demise of hickory shafts…”If Bobby says steel is OK, it must be.”

So the bottom line is according to the Rules of Golf Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur golfer of all time, was not allowed to be an amateur any longer.

Images courtesy of the USGA.

Standard bearers for the 1930 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club.

Arch rivals and great friends Gene Sarazen and Bobby Jones.

Bobby Jones in 1936 after his competitive career was over.

Drawing of Jones in 1929 before the Grand Slam

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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It’s Not Just Majors

The other day sitting around after a round of golf discussing our favorite topic and commenting about Adam Scott’s attempt to defend his Masters title. Virtually impossible we concluded but that lead to a question none of us were able to answer with certainty.

Of the currently active players on the PGA Tour who after Tiger and Lefty have the most wins. The usual suspects were named and after taking advantage of smartphone technology my guess (shared with several others) of Davis Love III was confirmed.

This incident however prompted my thinking as to the reasons why the World Golf Hall of Fame recently made such a massive change to the process of selecting those get their names on the wall in St. Augustine.

To illustrate the problem and why it was a good thing to revamp the enshrinement selection process take a look at the list of currently active Tour players. And let’s set aside for a moment the number of major championships since too often that’s the only focus especially by my media colleagues. Plus we should add in their international wins since some such as Colin Montgomerie have spent most of their careers playing in Europe (31 wins) and have never won in the U.S.

The list is headed of course by future Hall of Famer Tiger Woods with 79 PGA Tour victories and 12 internationally followed by Phil Mickelson, inducted into the Hall in 2012, with 42 on Tour and 4 around the world. Then it drops back to Hall member Vijay Singh at 34 and 22.

Here’s the rest:

Davis Love III – 20/2

Ernie Els 19/47

Jim Furyk 16/0

Fred Couples 15/5

Els and Couples are Hall of Fame members already but Couples’ induction at least and certainly Montgomerie’s who has no majors were a big reason why the Hall of Fame’s board decided to make drastic changes in the selection criteria and process.

For me the need was obvious when they made decision under the old method of voting that lowered the standards for admission from 75 percent of the votes to 65 percent to finally the candidate receiving the most votes over 50 percent. I think it’s a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot—trying to solve the problem of current players not measuring up to the records of those who preceded them by making it easier to get elected.

I’m reminded of the sports leagues for kids’ that give everyone a trophy for merely showing up.

What are the chances the current crop of “stars” on Tour will better the records of those in the Hall? Will Adam Scott achieve more majors or how about DJ or Patrick Reed or Rory?

Boy, talk about a guessing game!

The Hall had become a recognition not for play in the Hogan-Nelson-Palmer-Nicklaus-Player-Trevino-Miller-Watson-Mickelson category but for something less and golf fans responded with a collective yawn. Let’s hope the new criteria changes that because the fans, the game and the great players already members of the World Golf Hall of Fame deserve it.

Images courtesy of the World Golf Hall of Fame

SLDR 430 – Building On A Good Thing

To complement its best-selling SLDR drive, TaylorMade Golf has come out with a smaller clubhead version aimed specifically for use by better players. At 430 cc the new SLDR is more compact than the original 460 cc model but uses the same technology to produce distance and control player controlled adjustments.

“We put low forward CG in a smaller head to make a driver that tour pros love,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation for Metalwoods. “SLDR 430 makes it easier to shape shots without sacrificing distance.”

Like the 460, the 430 weight placement moves the center of gravity towards the sole and forward toward theclubface giving a better ball launch with lower spin low. It also makes of the 20-gram sliding weight TMaG introduced on the 460 last August for fade or draw bias. For loft adjustment the 430 has TaylorMade’s “Loft-sleeve Technology,” a 12 position hosel with plus or minus 1.5 degrees of change.  

Pricing, Options and Availability

Available in three lofts – 9.5°, 10.5° and 12°, SLDR 430 is equipped with a Fujikura Speeder 67 graphite shaft andTaylorMade high-traction grip. The Tour Preferred version, SLDR 430 TP, combines the same clubhead with the tour-caliber Fujikura Speeder Tour Spec 7.3 graphite shaft. A variety of custom shafts are also available. SLDR 430 and SLDR 430 TP begins December 20 at a suggested retail price of $399.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

Big Box In Golf In A Big Way

By ED TRAVIS  A report from Longitudes Group on the “Sporting Goods Channel” Golf Market was recently released and reveals some interesting data. For those questioning what a Sporting Goods Channel is, it is what everyday people call “big box” stores selling sports equipment from badminton to wake boarding. According to Longitudes sporting goods stores account for 17% of golf industry sales. In addition the 10 largest sporting goods chains in the U.S. have more than 2,100 retail locations, over twice the number of traditional off-course golf retailers. Coraopolis, Penn. based Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) sells to 9.8 million golfers or about 40% of all U.S. players. They also own Golf Galaxy outlets and as of last June had 523 stores. Sports Authority with 450 stores serves 43% of the U.S. total golf retail market value with its individual stores covering over $2.2 billion worth of the total golf retail market. Dick's is making up ground though narrowing a $500M gap in golf sales in 2011 to just over $200M this year. The opening of 72 new Dick’s stores in parts of the country with more playable days for golf is a prime factor. Sports Chalet has the highest number of golfers per store at 28,136 presumably due to its strength in densely-populated urban Southwest locations. Academy has the 2nd largest growth in golfers served since 2011 with a 34% increase in stores for a current total of 168 stores. It now has the ability to serve 1.6M golfers within a 15 minute trade area. The product categories with the most dollar value in sales sold in the Sporting Goods channel are golf apparel with $240M in sales followed by woods (drivers, fairways) at $193M. In one way this recitation of research data shows little that is new and merely highlights a continuation of the switch away from green grass and small off course retailers. However in terms of golf course operations it shows the further eroding of an important revenue stream, one that every golf course depends on, in some cases to merely keep the doors open and the bulldozers off the fairways.   ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion Golf Illustrated

Ten Rounds With The SLDR

By ED TRAVIS Taylor Made Golf’s new driver, the SLDR, has been in use on the PGA Tour and European Tour for over almost three months and in my hands for just over three weeks. On the tours several of the professionals who endorse TaylorMade like the driver and are using it consistently. My test SLDR was 9.5 degree loft with a 58-gram Fujikura Speeder 57 stiff shaft and the stock TaylorMade grip. On the swing weight scale it is a D4. In other words a stock model, one could expect to find in his local golf shop or big box sporting goods store. For comparison, up until the SLDR arrived I had been using with a RocketBallz Stage 2 (9.5 degree, Fuji Rocketfuel 50 shaft, D6) alternating with a Titleist 913 D3 model with a Aldila RIP 60 shaft even though the clubhead of the 913 is somewhat smaller than the 460cc head on the RocketBallz. My procedure for testing any new club but particularly a new driver is to take it to the course—not the range. The reason is simple. On the range conditions don’t vary particularly the wind and the landing zone is always flat which can give a false impression of both carry distance and roll. Besides, distance comparisons on the course are a lot easier than on the range. After all, drivers are about distance first and with accuracy a fairly distant second. First I went to a hole with no out of bounds, water, trees and fairway bunkers that I usually can carry and hit six balls with each driver as a warm up but also to see if there were any noticeable differences between the three. There was. Though I like the RocketBallz Stage 2 I have never been a fan of the sound at impact and that was why, at least in part, I have been switching back and forth with the Titleist. The impact sound of the SLDR was much more to my liking. Solid, is the word that comes to mind, like the sound of the door closing on my father’s ’62 Buick Roadmaster. The ball flight of the SLDR was much flatter that either the RocketBallz or 913 so on the way back to the first tee I adjusted the loft up one-half a degree to 10 degrees. This first round, on every tee I hit three balls; one each with the SLDR, the 913 and the RocketBallz. This gave me a very good distance comparison to go with what I had found in my 18 ball warm up. There was no question increasing the loft of the SLDR helped its carry distance and trajectory with total distance somewhat longer. Compared to the RocketBallz Stage 2 and the Titleist 913 D3 the distance off the SLDR was slightly better, in the range of 5-yards so I made the decision to put it in the bag for the next nine rounds for a longer evaluation. After the 10 round trial I came to two strong conclusions. I continue to like the SLDR’s sound which is definitely confidence inspiring, a really big deal for players of any skill level. The SLDR is very controllable once you have the sliding weight set in the proper position for your swing. It took me a while to get it to just the right position. However, the adjustment was much easier once I increased the loft to 10.5 degrees which of course closes the face slightly and moved the weight one position towards the toe to promote a slight fade. So the question is, is the SLDR an improvement over other TMaG drivers or simply a difference? The short answer is yes. Because of the ease and simplicity of adjustment (the sliding weight and shaft collar), the solid feel and sound (perhaps the SLDR’s best feature) and what I think (non-scientifically to be sure) is better distance; the SLDR is on that short list of really, really good drivers. ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion Golf Illustrated

TaylorMade Ghost Tour Putters

By ED TRAVIS Taylor Made Golf has released to shops the new Ghost Tour Series putters. You will have your choice of seven shapes: three blade-style putters (Daytona 12, Daytona 62 and Sebring 62) and four mallets (Maranello 81, Fontana 72, Monte Carlo 12 and Corza 72). According to Brian Bazzel, TMaG’s director of iron, wedge and putter development, “We spent a full year perfecting every detail on our Ghost Tour putters, making each one a thing of beauty, elegance and excellence. Golfers will be blown away when they set each of these putters down for the first time, and again when they experience the performance.” Each model has black ion plating on the sole and a white crown meant for contrast with green grass. Alignment lines consist of heavy black parallels perpendicular to the face on the trailing edge. The combined visual effect is very strong and creates a confidence at address that the putter is on the desired line. Taylor Made also included their 8020 PureRoll insert (80% Surlyn/20% aluminum) which is a very nice feature usually not found in putters at this price point.  Ghost Tour Series putters carry a $149 price in 33”, 34” and 35” lengths. All are in stores now except for the Corza 72 model which will be Nov.1. ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion Golf Illustrated

Major Championship at Crystal Springs - Results

   

International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) Presents

Major Championship at Crystal Springs

Hamburg, N.J.

Sunday, September 8, 201

Kim Wins First Major at Crystal Springs

Parsells Holds On in Girls Division

MCAFEE, N.J. – The International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) held the first Major Event of their season the weekend of Sept. 7-8. Hosted by Crystal Springs’s Great Gorge Country Club, a field of 56 players representing six states and three countries took their best stabs at the course. The tournament featured junior players ages 10-19 competing for national rankings, as well as double IJGT Merit Points. Played on Great Gorge’s nine-hole Quarryside and Railside Courses, the two combined to play as a par 70, with each nine-hole course featuring its own unique layout. Carved into the remnants of an old quarry, the Quarryside course marked the tighter of the two, while Railside, featuring artifacts of an old rail line, was more open but also more hilly. Located on a mountainside, swirling winds added an extra element of difficulty for the field. In the Boys 15-19 Division, Kwanwoo Kim of Tenafly, N.J., was victorious, taking home his first IJGT Major Championship. Kim entered the final round two strokes back of first round leader, and KENTWOOL Socks Lo-Pro Award winner, Bobby Firth of Jenkintown, N.J., after carding an opening round 77. Entering the final round, Kim was part of a group of 10 players all within four strokes of the lead. As part of the final group Sunday, Kim played alongside Firth, Thomas Kaczan of Clark, N.J., and Gerry Mackedon of Port Jefferson, N.Y. Unlike his partners, Kim was able to avoid any big mistakes. While Kim made pars, and two birdies on holes Nos. 13 and 15, his opponents fell victim to Great Gorge’s elements. Firth was the first to succumb, posting a nine on the fifth hole. Mackedon came next, as triple-bogeys on holes Nos. 7 and 9 pushed him too far back. Kaczan bogeyed holes Nos. 6 and 7 and never regained his confidence, while struggling on Railside (playing as the back nine.) Kim continued with his pars on the difficult course and by the 16th hole held a comfortable lead. He managed a par-save from the sand on the par-5 16th, and then drained a 10-footer for par on hole No. 17. With one hole separating Kim for a Major victory, he did not let the pressure get to him, instead blasting a 300-plus yard drive right down the middle of the fairway on the closing hole. His approach stopped 20 feet from the cup, and he was able to comfortably two-putt to take home the championship. He finished the day with a 5-over-par, 75, to shoot 152 over the two days and was four strokes clear of Isaac Gorenstein of Nyack, N.Y., who finished second. Mike Bliss of Newtown, Pa., finished third with a tournament total of 157. Kim said the hardest part of the course was, “The 7th, 8th and 9th,” but noted his, “putting,” allowed him to stay in the lead. Paul Terminello of White Plains, N.Y., shot the low round in the final round to win the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award with a 1-over, 71. It was also the lowest round of the tournament by any age group. Like the Boys, the Girls Division featured a handful of players clustered at the top. After Saturday, Frida Henningsson, from Rye, N.Y., Christina Parsells, from Bernardsville, N.J., and Linda Wang, from Fresh Meadows, N.Y., were tied at the top of the leaderboard with 79. Yeji Shin of Norwood, N.J., and Megan McLean of Lebanon, N.J., lurked within striking distance. It was Parsells, however, who ended the tournament on top of the leaderboard. Henningsson, Parsells, and Wang all earned the KENTWOOL Socks Lo-Pro Award for their performance in the first round. Wang was the first to find trouble. Her tee shot on the par-3 12th (Girls Division teed off on hole No.10) landed unluckily in the middle of a bunker containing the stands of an old train rail, which played as an integral part of the course. She was forced to chip sideways in the bunker, before chipping out Wang finished with a double-bogey on the hole and lost all momentum. With their fellow competitors faltering, Henningsson and Parsells were neck-and-neck, with each golfer playing their first nine at 2-over-par. In the group ahead of them, Shin was putting together her own impressive round, trying to make a comeback victory for the second week in a row. With many sloped greens, making birdie was no easy task, and she had to settle for multiple pars on her way to a 2-over-par 72 and 153 tournament total. That could have been good enough to lead her to victory, but Parsells did not give her the chance. While Henningsson struggled on the second nine, Parsells shot an even-par to match Shin with a 2-over-par 72 and finished at 151 for the tournament to earn the championship and double Merit Points. When asked what the key to victory for her, Parsells quickly noted her driver, mentioning, “I only missed two fairways all week.” Eun Won Park of Tenafly, N.J., quietly put together a 4-over-par, 74 on Sunday to crawl back into contention. Her strong showing in the final round was enough to finish in third place with a 156. Parsells and Shin tied for the low round in the Girls Division with their 72s on the final day to win the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award. The Boys 14 & Under Division could not match the drama of the other divisions, but still featured strong play.   Joe Parrini of York, Pa., jumped out to a comfortable lead after firing a 79 in the first round. Luke Sample of New York, N.Y., was Parrini’s closest competitor at 11 strokes back. Parrini was not as strong on Sunday, but the lead he built the day before allowed him to play more relaxed. He shot a round of 87, which included eight pars and a birdie to finish at 166 for the tournament en route to his Major Championship. Parrini said he “plans to play at Jeffersonville,” as his next tournament and build off the confidence from a Major victory. Sample shot an 88 on Sunday to finish at 178 for the championship, and earned second place. Matthew Bastian of Media, Pa. rounded out the top three. The IJGT Northeast tour will be back at it the weekend of Sept. 14-15 in Jeffersonville, Pa., for the IJGT Philly Open. The tournament will be played at Jeffersonville Golf Club. To sign up for this Event, or others, visit www.IJGT.com/info or call 888.936.5327. About the IJGT The IJGT provides exceptional junior golfers with the opportunity to develop and showcase their competitive skills while setting high standards to preserve the traditions and integrity of the game.  As a tour that operates primarily throughout the academic year, the IJGT hosts approximately 60 tournaments annually. In addition, the IJGT hosts three international events.   Each event provides multi-day competition for junior golfers of all skill levels ages 9-19.  Players representing 45 states and 43 countries around the world regularly compete in events at venues such as TPC Sawgrass, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Kiawah Island Resort, and Harbour Town Golf Links.  Official partners of the IJGT include Bridgestone Golf, Quagmire Golf, KENTWOOL, CHAMP Spikes, Clazic Belts, AB Golf Designs, The First Tee, Sundog Eyewear, Golfweek morodZ, PURE Grips, and the International Junior Golf Academy. To obtain more information about the IJGT, please visit www.IJGT.com/info or call 888.936.5327. MCAFEE, N.J. – Final-round results of the IJGT Major Championship at Crystal Springs conducted by the International Junior Golf Tour completed September 8, 2013. Boys 15-19 Division: Blue Tees – 6,590 yards, Par 70 (72.5/135) Boys 14 & Under Division: Green Tees – 6,049 yards, Par 70 (69.6/130) Girls Division: White Tees – 5,709 yards, Par 70 (74.1/133) Weather:           Saturday: Sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s with 5-10 mph winds Sunday: Sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s with 5-10 mph winds International Junior Golf Tour
Major Championship at Crystal Springs
McAfee, N.J.
September 7-8, 2013
Great Gorge Golf Club (Quarry/Rail)
Boys 15-19 Division - Blue Tees, 6,590 yards, Par 70
1. Kwanwoo Kim, Tenafly, NJ *77-75--152
2. Isaac Gorenstein, Nyack, NY *79-77--156
3. Mike Bliss, Newtown, PA *79-78--157
4. Matthew Bastian, Media, PA *85-73--158
5. Ryan Skae, Old Tappan, NJ *84-75--159
5. Eric Terminello, White Plains, NY *79-80--159
5. Bobby Firth, Jenkintown, PA *75-84--159
8. Paul Terminello, White Plains, NY *89-71--160
8. Thomas Urciuoli, Short Hills, NJ *85-75--160
10. Dominic Pizzurro-Gomez, White Plains, NY *89-72--161
10. Vinay Ramesh, Newtown, PA *79-82--161
10. Nicholas Infanti, Clarksburg, MD *80-81--161
10. Dominick Mancinelli, Moosic, PA *78-83--161
10. Nate Menon, Wyomissing, PA *79-82--161
15. Sam Goldenring, Florham Park, NJ *82-80--162
15. Thomas Kaczan, Clark, NJ *76-86--162
15. Gerry Mackedon, Port Jefferson, NY *77-85--162
18. Nick Geiman, York, PA *81-82--163
18. Daniel Melcher, New York, NY *82-81--163
18. Bobby Piluso, Ridgewood, NJ *79-84--163
21. Jonny Slater, Old Tappan, NJ *84-81--165
21. Christopher Chiminski, Penns Park, PA *82-83--165
23. Justin Murray, Burlington, NJ *85-81--166
23. Asher Greenberg, Weston, CT *82-84--166
25. Brendon Kim, Rivervale, NJ *84-83--167
26. Jonny Emmerman, Scarsdale, NY *84-85--169
27. Hunter Lee, Great Neck, NY *87-83--170
28. Ross Rabin, Woodcliff Lake, NJ *85-88--173
29. Leonard Lee, Wyckoff, NJ *85-90--175
30. Angelo Mancinelli, Moosic, PA *85-93--178
31. Robert Shaner, Fort Lee, NJ *92-87--179
32. Matthew Quigley, West Milford, NJ *93-88--181
33. Cameron Hsieh, New York, NY *93-89--182
34. Cristian Cerza, Greenwich, CT *98-90--188
35. Peter Beckwermert, Wayne, NJ *101-93--194
36. Daniel Makarevich, Great Meadows, NJ *107-92--199
  DID NOT FINISH  
Zackary Potten, Wharton, NJ *90-DQ (Rule 6-3a)
Jack Faraci, Port Jefferson Station, NY *86-JWD   Boys 14 & Under Division - Green Tees, 6,049yards, Par 70
1. Joe Parrini, York, PA *79-87--166
2. Luke Sample, New York, NY *90-88--178
3. Daniel Bastian, Media, PA *92-89--181  
Girls Division - White Tees, 5,709 yards, Par 70
1. Christina Parsells, Bernardsville, NY *79-72--151
2. Yeji Shin, Norwood, NJ *81-72--153
3. Eun Won Park, Tenafly, NJ *85-74--159
4. Frida Henningsson, Rye, NY *79-81--160
5. Linda Wang, Fresh Meadows, NY *79-86--165
6. Allyson Wentworth, Stewartsville, NJ *84-82--166
7. Megan McLean, Lebanon, NJ *81-86--167
8. Katie Lee, Ringoes, NJ *85-83--168
9. Riley Smyth, Old Tappan, NJ *85-84--169
10. Raphaella Kang, Bayside, NY *84-86--170
11. Madison Braman, Loudonville, NY *86-86--172
12. Summer Kitahara, Greenwich, CT *87-87--174
13. Jasmine Kitahara, Greenwich, CT *96-95--191
14. Kate Weiss, Greenwich, CT *97-96--193
DID NOT FINISH
Zora Moore, Milford, NJ *JWD
 

Duo Cart

By ED TRAVIS

Alphard Golf based in Hong Kong has been making pushcarts for almost 15 years but chances are you haven’t heard of them because they were making them for other companies in the pushcart business. That’s changed with the introduction of their Duo Cart and this is one you should take a serious look at if thinking about purchasing a new “trolley.”

The Duo Cart is both a golf bag and a pushcart with four wheels that fold up compactly in two simple steps to go into a car trunk. How compact? It’s the same size as a cart bag. When folded the dimensions are 13” wide by 46” high by 18½” deep. Also as you can see from the pictures the wheels are nice and large so rough terrain is no problem—this cart is very stable. And should you need it, the squeeze operating brake is on the handle.

The bag is made of durable material with a 9½″ top, 14 club dividers and nine pockets, one being velour lined for watch and wallet and another a really roomy apparel pocket running the entire length of the bag.

Lots of very nice touches are standard in the Duo Golf Cart such as a 6-drink cooler pocket with a drain in the bottom and a handle that’s adjustable for height and angle plus there are accessories such as an umbrella clip and drink holder. Alphard tells me a GPS holder and cart seat will soon be available.

However, I’ve saved what I think is the best feature of the Duo Golf Cart for last. The wheels pop off in about 10 seconds converting it into a cart bag so you can walk or ride as the situation requires.

For now the Duo Cart gives you a choice of three colors, black, red or navy those more colors should be on the market soon. The price is a value as well at $279.95 on AlphardGolf.com.

ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion

Golf Illustrated

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Tight Lies - An Icon Returns

Tight Lies – An Icon Returns

By ED TRAVIS

Adams Golf not only resurrected the name Tight Lies from two decades ago but has also updated the design of the fairway that made their reputation and became one of the most popular fairways ever. Many of the features that made the originalTight Lies the choice of recreational and professional players have been retained but with the addition of the crown and sole slots pioneered by Adams.

"In the ever-present pursuit of maximum distance, today's fairway woods have become mini-drivers - extremely difficult to hit from anywhere other than from a tee," said Justin Honea, Director of R&D. "The low profile design places the center of gravity (CG) below the CG of the ball, making it easy to hit the ball in the air. The unique tri-sole design makes it easy to hit from a multitude of challenging lies and then we added a refined Cut-Thru Slot design so this new Tight Lies is twice as hot as the original. It's the perfect blend of playability and performance."

Adams thinks the new Tight Lies will be as revolutionary as was the original giving players the club that will get the ball out of virtually any lie and become the go-to club on par-5s and long par-4s. The new Tight Lies will be launched initially as a 16 degree 3-wood with other loft options available later.

According to 8-time major champion and Adams Golf staffer Tom Watson, "With the new Tight Lies, we've got a 3-wood that you can control, you can hit it out of bad lies. The most important thing for me is to know how far the ball is going to go, and with the new technology, here with Tight Lies, we can hit it where we want it to go and that's what you want in a golf club. Man, that's all I want."

In addition to the refined Cut-Thru Slots of the new version a hallmark of the original Tight Lies was the low-profile, upside-down design and it is back. This allows for a very low CG - below the CG of the golf ball, making it extremely easy to hit the ball in the air so golfers will see at once how easy it is to make solid contact from even “challenging lies.”

Adams also used the original Tight Lies tri-sole to reduce interaction with turf and help shots from the fairway, rough, sand - even tight or bare lies.

Tight Lies fairway woods will come standard with the Bassara Eagle graphite shaft by Mitsubishi Rayon. Tight Lies Tour willfeature the Aldila Tour Blue shaft. The Men's Tight Lies and Tight Lies Tour models will feature a matte black finish, while the Women's model will feature a matte grey crown. All models will include the familiar white half stripes low on the shaft that were also featured on the original. Tight Lies fairway woods will ship mid-August and will have a retail price of $199.99, and $229.99 for the Tight Lies Tour.

Photos courtesy Adams Golf

ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion

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