Nice first win for Bubba Dickerson this past weekend on the Nationwide Tour and likewise for one of his sponsors Mississauga-based Sligo Wear.
Bubba's win at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open was pretty dramatic with Dickerson sinking a birdie putt in a playoff with Brian Vranesh on the first extra hole. Sligo Wear a Canadian based apparel company signed Bubba in January and is already reaping the benefits with lots of exposure of their up and coming apparel brand. Ottawa Golf Blog will be doing a review of their apparel soon so stay tuned.
Everyone is talking about Tiger Woods putt to win his first tournament of the year but the crazy thing is he really didn't play all that great all four rounds. It was his ability to minimize his mistakes with his short game that ultimately won it for him and hey Sean O'Hair's collapse didn't hurt either. I guess we should of know that a 5 stroke lead is never safe with Tiger on the prowl.
I got a kick out of watching NBC's coverage today of the Arnold Palmer Invitational when Tiger Woods on the 18th hole went a little wayward with his 2nd shot out of the rough. The ball had clearly embedded itself in a bank along the water hazard. Everyone and their mother was looking for the ball but no one could find it. It really wouldn't of mattered because he would of never been able to hit the damn thing. He ended up with a bogey on the hole after a huge putt. With help like that I'd never lose a golf ball again. It will be interesting to see who wins this tournament.
Normally here in the Ottawa area we're usually not golfing til early to mid April but sometimes the snow leaves fast and you get what you have this year golf in March. Now it's kind of got me a little off guard as I still haven't been out as of yet and I have no good excuses. Currently this is this list of courses opened right now mostly outside of Ottawa:
Calabogie Highlands- March 20th Cedar Glen -March 25th Mapleview -March 25th Dragonfly- March 26th Pakenham -March 27th Sumac Grove -March 27th Camden Braes -March 28th
So help me get off my lazy winter butt, out of my sleep number bed and out to a bloody golf course. If any one has some words of wisdom please feel free to comment.
The talk on one of the golf forums I tend to frequent yesterday had a lot to do with just what Jason Gore was putting with during the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. Some people thought it to be a bit obnoxious with poor sight lines. I guess people have their opinions but it can't be all that bad as Gore is 2nd to Sean O'Hair after two rounds 3 shots off the lead. He's a T9 when it comes to putts per round and 3rd in putts per GIR.
I'm also thinking there might be a few Scotty Cameron haters on the forum. The putter Gore is using is a Tour Studio Select Kombi. In my opinion is in a nice black finish that hopefully comes to retail Scotties. Considering all the different styles of putters out there this one seems OK in my books would definitely like to try one out. I'm pretty sure Jason is liking it as well.
I've noticed lately that I've been taking more photos with both my digital camera and my cell phone. This I believe in one part because golf season is ramping up in the area and I've been doing more golf apparel and equipment reviews and also because it's just been better weather with it seems more chances to take photos. Because of the fact I've been taking more photos I'm on the lookout for a higher capacity micro sd card for my cell phone. I figure 'll be using this a lot on the golf course as it's compact and take pretty good quality photos and videos. I just need more capacity. That one great thing about shopping online lots of deals all over the Internet.
Woke up today to find a nice size parcel had been delivered while I was sleeping. The good folks at Puma Canada sent me a whole lot of nice stuff to review. Here's a few pictures of what Puma Golf has to offer this year. Stay tuned for the reviews.
I have a TaylorMade contact that sends me press releases from the company so I was pleased to get the press release from Retief Goosen win this past weekend at the 2009 Transitions Championship. I remember last Summer following around Goosen a the Canadian Open marveling at his game even though his T30 wasn't great he had flashes of the old Goosen with a 68 and 65 sandwiched by ho hum 73s. It's hard to believe he hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2005 but you knew with a couple of recent wins overseas that Goosen might be getting back to form. He's also got his old putter back to the way it looked when he won two US Opens that can't hurt either. If you look at his WITB he's definitely got a good mix of old and the newest TaylorMade clubs.
Retief Goosen's WITB:
Driver: r7® SuperQuad™ 8.5 degree Fairway wood: Tour Burner® 14.5-degree 3-wood, R9 17-degree 5-wood Irons: Tour Preferred irons 3-PW Wedges: rac™ TP 50 and 59 degree wedges Ball: TP Black with LDP Glove: TaylorMadeTour Preferred Footwear: adidas Golf TOUR360 3.0
How often when things aren't going well at the office do people start to think that the grass might be greener on the other side of the fence. With all those admin job search queries from disgruntled and overworked secretaries to high tech geeks looking for the ultimate job on various job sites. It doesn't always pan out for some right? Most have been there, little do we realize that sometimes things really aren't that bad. Most companies these days are feeling the economic crunch and thus employees are going to feel the stress of this as well. So depending on what you do maybe it's OK to just suck it up and ride out the wave because employment is better than not working right? Also I'll never admit to searching those golf job listings either, honestly!
Just got off the phone with Alistair Fraser from 1 Eye Design this guy is one savvy entrepreneur with some cutting edge golf fashion that has some great function as well. Nothing like I've seen ever and he's Canadian to boot. You have to check out the Cheeky Putting Panties for ladies and the Putting Manties for guys. Will be doing a review of his belts very soon.
Golf Contest- Triple Bogey Golf Shirt Ottawa Golf Blog recently did a review of the 2009 Spring Line From Triple Bogey Apparel because the guys are so generous we're giving away a golf shirt. All you have to do is respond in the comments section of this post as to why you need a new Triple Bogey golf shirt for the start of the Spring golf season. This golf contest is for the shirt "Front Nines" and it's a large. So lets here's why you need this shirt. My team(my kids) and I will choose a winner by the end of April. Good Luck!
Advertising for professional golfers can sometimes take a crazy swing. Look at Henrik Stenson after his Thursday round at the WGC-CA Championship. Who would of though he'd ever think about getting down to just his underwear to hit a golf shot. Maybe it was a big ploy to get an underwear sponsor right, I highly doubt it although one of his sponsors Stanford Financial is having some rough times as a lot of financial institutions have come under some scrutiny lately. I'm sure he'd prefer an endorsement for a Patek Philippe watch or maybe BMW or anything else. I'm sure he hadn't planned on the strip. All in all he made the shot now he just has to put up with the comments by players and fans.
I always like when a new golf product comes out and you say to yourself , "Man this is a great idea why didn't I think of this?" That's immediately what I thought when I unboxed the new Cleatskins a few weeks ago. They're called Golfskins specifically for golf shoes and when I first saw them I conjured up images of my Grandfather going to church in the winter and putting his rubber protectors over his good Sunday shoes. Now Cleatskins are a little more high tech than my Grandfather's shoe protectors. So here's the scoop.
The Company Launched in 2008, Cleatskins are revolutionary accessories designed to slip over cleated shoes and quickly and conveniently take athletes from the field to the street. Both Cleatskins Sole and Golfskins are crafted from SKINTEK™ rubber, a flexible formulation of compression molded rubber, and are offered in a variety of bold colors. Developed by former college athlete and father of three, Rick Kay, with his wife Marianne, this must-have footwear innovation is available in youth and adult sizes and is designed to meet the needs of today’s pro athletes and sports-minded families active in soccer, baseball, football, golf and other outdoor sports.
So what are they made of? Constructed of SKINTEK™ rubber, a unique formulation of compression molded rubber, Golfskins cups the bottom of golf shoes to extend the life of cleats, improve mobility and safety on asphalt, concrete and other hard surfaces, and provide a sealed barrier to keep dirt and grass out of the home and car. Golfskins join Cleatskins Sole, the company’s first product designed for cleats used in field sports, including baseball, football, rugby, soccer and others.
The Review
Most of the time I change into my golf shoes when I get to the course, having these Golfskins I can just slip them on my shoes and be ready to hit the course or range sooner. I know for me sometimes I'm rushing to get to the course for a tee time after work or your delayed for whatever reason getting to the course and with Cleatskins it would save me a few minutes. I also like the fact that when your wearing the Golfskins it doesn't feel like you have anything on they are very light weight even if you have a larger foot. The ones I have are XL which fit golf shoes size 11.5 to 13.5. They also come in sizes medium (6.5-8.5), large (9-11), and XXL (14-16).
The Golfskins I have are black and they go nicely with my size 12 Adidas. They also come in a host of other colors including white, taupe, dark brown and medium brown so you should be able to find a color that works with your golf shoe.The ladies have Golfskins for women and they come in black, white, taupe, red and blue violet in sizes small (5-7), medium (7.5-9.5) and large (10-12). The tread pattern is pretty aggressive and I didn't slip on any of the surfaces I've encountered over the last few weeks but living in Canada I'd be extra careful of ice in the winter, the tread is good but won't keep you from sliding on ice. I also liked the fact they put the Cleatskins logo on the front and back of the Cleatskins so they're not plain looking but not ugly looking either. You also get a really nice bag to put your Golfskins in and can be seen in the pictures. It easily fit in my carry golf bag.
So far I've used them a few times going to and from the indoor driving range and they've worked great. They slid onto my Adidas Tour Traxion with ease and come off easily as well. With your golf shoe on put the toe of the shoe in the Golfskins first then stretch the back on, reverse when taking them off. This worked the best for me. They seemed really durable and I've even washed them once so if they get all dirty feel free to give them a wash. I could definitely see these being a great gift for the golfer who has everything like my father-in-law. The suggested retail price for Golfskins is $32.95 so pretty reasonable. My testing will continue as our season gets into full swing in about a month. So stay tuned to OttawaGolfBlog.com
Looks like OttawaGolfBlog.com will be interviewing Jim Grundberg, the Owner and Managing Partner from SeeMore Putters in the next few weeks. So if you have any questions for Jim please email me at:
Great news again concerning golf in Canada. Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim has signed a multi-year deal to represent the RBC brand on the PGA Tour. Kim will be a huge part of RBC's advertising and marketing efforts in the U.S.. He'll also carry an RBC branded Tour bag while on tour.
RBC is the title sponsor of the RBC Canadian Open, and now as Kim stated:
"I'm looking forward to working with the RBC business leaders, meeting their clients, and contending at the RBC Canadian Open for many years to come," Kim said.
Here's some pictures I took from last years Canadian Open where Kim came in a T8.
There is a God the first outdoor driving range opened this past weekend. Get out your clubs and head over to Kevin Haimes Golf Centre as they've plowed the snow for your golfing enjoyment. Of course they're closed today as it's snowing but alas the weather gets mild again soon. Stay tuned to the Weather Network for weather updates.
So with all this mild weather in our area lately most of the golf fanatics are thinking of hitting their various clubs both new and old outside in the wonderful fresh air. For a few lucky folk this past weekend those golf crazed people got a chance to get out and hit balls as at least one local driving range opened on the weekend. Unfortunately I didn't get out as my dehumidifier was working overtime and I was on flood watch I had a few spots around my foundation that I though were going to do some damage to my basement. I'm not on high alert anymore as everything seems to be OK. One of the drags of Spring there's a lot of water around maybe next weekend I'll get out to the range and hit some balls in to some of that water.
Triple Bogey 2009 Apparel Review
I was lucky enough to receive some golf shirts from Ottawa based Triple Bogey Apparel. If you’ve never heard of the company I didn’t either until last year when I read an article about Triple Bogey in the Ottawa Citizen. It peaked my interest but how is a 40-year-old father of 3 suppose to pull off wearing their golf shirts that are geared for young guys. Well dammit I’m still a young guy so here’s my review.
The Company
Three buddies (Brett Hooper, Kamar Haragadon, Simon Anisman) from local High School Glebe Collegiate decided that golf apparel was to stuffy and wanted something with a bit more of an edge. The alternative golf wear company, Triple Bogey Apparel was then formed. Their first golf shirt came out in 2006, which showed a skull beneath crossed golf clubs. All 54 sold out to friends and family and so it began.
2009 Line
This years golf shirt line is quite interesting to say the least. I was sent the following golf shirts from the 2009 Triple Bogey Apparel Line
Guerrilla Tactics
Front Nines
Feelings
Triple Bogey's logo- shows a golfer breaking a club over its knee. Something any golfer can relate too whether they've done it to one of their clubs before or even thought about it. I like the fact they have the logo on the back but it's small and subtle. The graphics on the front of their golf shirts not so much. They're big bold and in your face trying to make a statement from the
Guerrilla Tactics- Gorilla dragging a golf bag w/ clubs blood smear behind the bag. Front Nines- Front line infantry at the ready with their golf clubs. Feelings- Golfer bent over in disgust with his putter probably after not making the putt.
So if your not into a golf shirts that makes a statement and that might raise a few eyeballs then Triple Bogey probably isn't for you. The images on the front of the golf shirts are kind of what I like about their golf shirts the fact that they are different. My kids don't really like the blood on the Guerrilla Tactics golf shirts but then I'm probably not going to like some of the stuff they wear when they get older either right. The images for me are tongue in cheek with a healthy respect for the game. You have to remember these guys are just having fun Here's whats written inside the tag of the shirt.
This garment contains special inks which can send & receive wireless communications without the wearers knowledge. Buyer beware, we are watching and tracking your movements.
Triple Bogey's golf shirts are made of 100% cotton they are quite comfortable to wear. I've been wearing my XL Triple Bogey golf shirts for the last few weeks and have no complaints. Just make sure you order the right size as they do fit a bit smaller. They even throw in a extra button on one of the inside tags of the shirt, a nice touch because it's you always need an extra button. The shirts are good quality you can tell just by how they wash. These golf shirts haven't even hit their online store yet but will probably run you about $45 CDN (price of Triple Bogey's 2008 golf shirts) You'll also be able to get these at Shoreline Surf Shop on Richmond Rd. and at Milk on Dalhousie St. in Ottawa as well as EQ in Gatineau, Quebec and Free Your Game in Toronto.
Stay tuned to Ottawa Golf Blog as we'll be giving away a free Triple Bogey 2009 golf shirts soon.
Well it's actually starting to feel a little like Spring. Temperatures are starting to rise, snow is melting I can see some grass. It's not officially Spring for a few more weeks but I'm getting the urge to swing some golf clubs. Last year my first round was April 24th my first outdoor range session a little while before that. Now with this time of year as well the honey do list has a few things on it like buy new taps and install, slap some paint around the bedroom, buy sinks, finish taxes. You know where I'm coming from guys, right? If I get enough of a patch of grass in the backyard the honey do list will have to wait and early season chipping may have to happen.
Rory McIlroy is finally get some well deserved attention on this side of the pond which is great to see. He was amazing to watch during the Match Play this past weekend and I think he definitely surprised a few people. He's one of my guys in my Fantasy Leagues to do well this week so go Rors.
Tattoo Golf was nice enough to send me a few of their golf shirts to try out and over the last few weeks I've done just that. If your looking at getting a long sleeve t-shirtTattoo Golf has a keeper in the Long Sleeve TG Skull t-shirt. It reminds me of those great concert t-shirts you use to get at Rock shows and basically wear it lots until your wife basically throws it out after 10 years because it's worn out. It's100% cotton so it shrinks a little. The one I have on in the pictures is an XXL and it has washed really great as well. If your not into having skulls with golf clubs on a golf shirt then this isn't for you. The one on the front is quite large and on the back right hand side Tattoo Golf is also present. The ones down the side sleeves I think make it feel like a Rock Concert shirt.
I can definitely see this being my range golf shirt in the spring when it's still a bit cool hitting balls up here in Canada. This golf shirt is priced reasonably priced at $24.99 and comes in black, brown, charcoal and white.
The other golf shirt Tattoo Golf sent over was "The Argyle" their Poly-Dri High Performance golf shirt. Translated this is one golf shirt that will keep you cool. The material sucks away any moisture to the surface where it drys nicely keeping you cool during a round. The golf shirt I received was the black "Argyle" it's an XL and fits quite nice. I like the look of the Argyle pattern with the Tattoo Golf logo. I always like getting my kids opinion as they're little fashion critics they gave this one a thumbs up.
I'm really into black lately so I can definitely see this one being used lots during the season just because it's so damn cool and comfortable. The Argyle retails at $47.99 and comes in black, charcoal and white. Pretty good price for this kind of golf shirt most are $60+ dollars.
This is the time of the year my wife and I try to plan the Summer Vacation with the kids. Of course I always try to squeeze some golf in wherever we are like most years I get a few rounds in with my father-in-law or like last year got to marshal at the Canadian Open. You have to feed the addiction and it helps to have an understanding wife. This year is coming around as it look like we might be spending a few days near Quebec City so of course I'm checking not only vacation rentals in the area but where the nearest golf courses are. Google maps is so handy for this kind of research. There's also the possible of going down to North Carolina so I'm looking at some Outer Banks rentals as well as golf courses to many to research and there's also usually a few camping expeditions. Summer can't come soon enough so come on Spring.