Layers: The Forgotten Friend

I had some insight the other day that will hopefully not be forgotten anytime soon. It was one of those cold rainy mornings that I just happen to be working at my part-time job at Rideau View Golf Club. It felt more like Fall then late Spring.  You could see your damn breathe, luckily no frost. Not a so called great day for golfing but the Rideau View Turf Team is out there making the course beautiful for those crazy golfers

I had layered up my golf clothing to what I thought would be adequate for the weather. I was sadly mistaken. I had a great waterproof golf jacket on but that wasn’t the problem. My layers were not the best I had 3 layers under my jacket but probably could have used a few better quality layers.

That’s where the likes of Galvin Green and others come along. You know those high-performance golf wear companies that just make highly functional and ergonomically designed clothes. Plus companies like Galvin Green still seem to maintain a high level of design and fashion.

If you’re not familiar with the brand they are a Swedish company that has a stranglehold on the waterproof apparel market in the UK.  Galvin Green offers a plethora of apparel from golf pants, hats, socks and shirts to compression layers as well as belts and bags.

I really could of used a few of their base layers last week. Oh! how the week changes as we’re now in a head wave with temperatures in the Ottawa area over 30 degrees with the humidity.

Rideau View Golf Report: My First Three Weeks

Well it’s been a busy three weeks since I’ve taken on a part-time job at Rideau View Golf Club as a member of their Turf Team. It’s been a real learning experience working Monday to Friday 5:30AM to 9:30AM. Many things to report, so many nuisances of maintaining a truly beautiful golf course like Rideau View.

One of the first things I got trained on was cutting the holes for each days play at Rideau View. It’s a 9 day cycle that I’ve learned to embrace. Having the power at where the holes will be placed is fun especially when you’re a golfer yourself. You don’t want to be too hard but you want to make it a challenge as well. Some of the greens at Rideau View have some severe slopes so you have to be careful at where you put the hole. 

I played 9 holes the other day and I happen to have cut the holes for that day as well. On the 9^th hole which has a few of those severe slopes I mentioned. I happen to have hit a nice drive and only had a little wedge in to the green. The pin was middle left and my wedge shot went past the pin and came back to just about 10 feet. I ended up 3 putting for bogey. Karma is a bitch!

Another fun thing about working on the Turf Team at Rideau View Golf Club is you get to drive some fun vehicles. My 5 year old loves when I show him the pictures of the “Gators, GroundsMasters and Cushmans” I get to drive each day. 

I’ve also had the chance to use both the walking greensmowers as well as a riding mower where I got to cut the grass on the tee boxes. Fun times at Rideau View and each day brings something new.

Make sure you check my Twitter feed, as well as my Instagramfeed for more updates from the Rideau View Turf Team.

Glenmuir Apparel Review: Kippen and Bexley Golf Shirts

I was made aware of the Glenmuir line of golf apparel last season when I had the chance to test out a polo shirt from their 2012 Golf Apparel Line. It was just before the Ryder Cup was going to take place at Medinah Country Club in Illinois where Glenmuir has been the preferred supplier of shirts and knitwear of the European Team for 25 years. I was really impressed with the first golf short I reviewed from Glenmuir. Here’s my take on two of their golf shirts from their 2013 Apparel Line.

Glenmuir Kippen Golf Polo Shirt

The Kippen Golf Polo Shirt is one nice golf shirt. Soft and comfortable, perfect for those that enjoy the comfort of 100% combed cotton. Glenmuir applies some nice touches to this shirt with the contrast of coloured collar and cuffs stripes as well as the Glenmuir 1891 embroidery on the right sleeve. The Kippen shirt is slim fit and the large fit my frame perfectly. No more baggy golf shirts. I do love a golf shirt that fits.

The Kippen shirt I reviewed was Tahiti/Black but comes in a host of other colours including Navy/White, Grenadine/White, White/Black, Black/White


Glenmuir Bexley Performance Golf Shirt 

This is a great shirt for those hot humid days here in the Ottawa area. Made from 95% polyamide and 5% elastine this shirt is great at wicking moisture away from your skin when golfing. It not only will keep you dry and looking good but it also built in UV protection. Again Glenmuir is subtle with the nice touches of adding an interval stripe pattern into the shirt as well as the Glenmuir 1891 script embroidery on right sleeve. Again the slim fit of the Bexley was perfect a pleasure to play hot weather golf in.

The Bexley shirt I reviewed was Grenadine/White but is also available in other exciting colors.
Tahiti/Black, Black/White, Cucumber/White, White/Navy.


Both the Glenmuir Kippen and Bexley Golf Shirts are great performing golf shirts whether you like the comfortable feel of cotton in the Kippen or the Performance Fabric of the Bexley. You can't go wrong with either golf shirt. The Kippen retails at £33.00 and the Bexley at £38.50.

Sweet Looking Lightweight Puma Faas Lite Mesh Golf Shoes Now Available

Rickie Fowler was wearing some Puma Faas Lite Mesh Golf Shoes on Tour back in January now we can wear the lightest shoes in golf. At only 6.5 ounces these golf sneakers are sure to be popular with the minimalist crowd. 

Be sure and check out my Puma Faas Lite Mesh Golf Shoe Review

The shoes have a zero heel-to-toe drop which gives golfers a barefoot feeling and allows for a more natural stride and posture during the swing. The Faas Lite Mesh also features strategically placed corrugated flex grooves, SmartQuill traction technology, Evertrack carbon rubber in the forefoot, and an OrthoLite sockliner.

Available in Blue/Limeade, Vibrant Orange/White and White/Black for men and Black/Virtual Pink or White/Brilliant Blue for women (which is even lighter at 5.5 ounces), Puma looks like it has a winner!

Full Press Release
PUMA Golf Debuts the Lightest Shoe in Golf, the Faas Lite Mesh

CARLSBAD, Calif. (May 15, 2013) -- PUMA Golf has officially announced the release of the Faas Lite Mesh – the lightest shoe in golf.

“Weighing in at only 6.5 ounces, the Faas Lite Mesh is lighter than other golf shoes in the market,” commented Tom Manthe, Global Marketing Manager, PUMA Golf. “The new, spikeless footwear style is designed to take you from the street to the course in lightweight, maximum comfort and trend-setting style.”

Inspired by minimalist running, the zero heel-to-toe drop gives golfers a barefoot feeling and allows for a more natural stride and posture during the swing. The zero heel-to-toe drop refers to the sole of the shoe staying the same height, much like a foot would stand if wearing no shoe.

Strategically placed corrugated flex grooves move with the foot for a more natural movement. The grooves provide optimal flexibility and increases ground contact throughout the swing for improved traction and stability.

Additionally, the Faas Lite Mesh features SmartQuill traction technology that provides directional grip elements to enhance ground contact for improved stability and traction. Evertrack® carbon rubber in the forefoot and heel provide long lasting durability and an OrthoLite® sockliner provides long lasting comfort and enhanced fit, so golfers can rock the Faas Lite Mesh comfortably round after round.

In addition to the lightest shoe in golf, PUMA Golf will be releasing the Faas Lite, an extremely lightweight and waterproof golf shoe. A combination of FaasFoam+ (a proprietary blend of foam and rubber that is 25% lighter than previous foams) and lightweight materials in the lining package and tongue create an extremely light and comfortable shoe that weighs just 8.7oz. Microfiber leather with stormCELL provides super lightweight performance and waterproof protection. Like the Faas Lite Mesh, zero heel-to-toe drop, corrugated flex grooves and SmartQuill traction technology is found in the Faas Lite to deliver a lightweight, performance golf shoe.

The lightweight technology is packed with unquestionable style in three colorways for both the Faas Lite and Faas Lite Mesh. The Faas Lite Mesh is available in Brilliant Blue/Limeade, Vibrant Orange/White and White/Black and the Faas Lite is available in White/Vibrant Orange, White/Black/Brilliant Blue and Black/Castle Rock. All styles come with two laces, one tonal and one pop color for golfers to customize their footwear look.

The Faas Lite Women’s and Faas Lite Mesh Women’s have all the same features and benefits as the men’s versions but weigh in even lighter at 7.0 oz and 5.5 oz, respectively. Women can choose from two colorways: White/PUMA Silver/Virtual Pink and Black/White/Virtual Pink in the Faas Lite Women’s and Black/Virtual Pink and White/Brilliant Blue in the Faas Lite Mesh Women’s.

PUMA Golf will also be releasing a limited edition version, the Faas Lite Splatter. Taking inspiration from Rickie Fowler’s ‘Golf Art’ in 2010 and the graphic designs on COBRA Golf’s AMP CELL line of products, the Faas Lite Splatter features paint splatter designs on a white outsole with an orange formstripe. For more information, visit puma.com/golf

Ashworth Golf's Funny #PantsPetition Video

I pretty much wear shorts golfing all the time so why not let the pros shed their pants for some shorts. Ashworth Golf has put together a brilliant video of a few players from their stable of paid golfers that just want to wear shorts for some awesome reasons. Check out the results they are fabulous. Retief Goosen and Johnson Wagner steal the show. Sign the petition now!(for fun you can win some cool Ashworth stuff if you live in the USA).

Golf Book Review: Kinetic Golf: Picture The Game Like Never Before

Pictures That Will Help Your Golf Game

Kinetic Golf: Picture The Game Like Never Before

Book Review

Kinetic Golf: Picture The Game Like Never Before was a great read for the start of the season here in the Ottawa area. A quick read, you could glance back at sections you might want to focus more for your own golf game. I really didn’t know much about the author Nick Bradley but after reading his bio (see below) Nick is pulling from many avenues of his professional life.

Consultant, coach, author, and course designer Nick Bradley is a frequent contributor to Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf International, and Golf Monthly. Bradley has worked with some of the world’s top golfers, including Ryder and Walker Cup players, and winners on the European Tour and British Open. A London native, he now resides in North Carolina. 

For me visualizing my shot is an important part of my golf game. When I do it properly my game is better. Nick Bradley takes visualization to a whole new level with this book and some of his keys to the game I’ve already started to incorporate into my game. In Kinetic Golf, Bradley uses 100+ amazingly photo-shopped photographs, accompanied by his words to help both amateurs and professional with their golf game.

 Here's a few of my favorites:

The High Shot- Shrink For Lofty Goals

The Image: Bradley on a skateboard with driver favoring his right side which is way smaller in the picture.

Hopeful Outcome: A high ball that goes forever

Baseball Bat It from Sidehill Lies

The Image: Bradley with a bat hitting baseball out of a birds nest on a sidehill lie

Hopeful Outcome: Always a tough shot Bradley makes it easier to get that positive outcome.

The Fairway Bunker: Don't Crack The Egg, Because You Might Lose More Than a Shot!

The Image: Bradley's in a bunker ball resting on the tip of a Mommy T-Rex's egg with Mommy standing over said golfer

Hopeful Outcome: Catch the ball clean with a nice sweeping arc golf swing a la Jack Nicklaus. Your out!

 Don't Clown Around with Sucker Pins!

The Image: Bradley in the fairway with a clown holding the pin right side of the green a few steps away from the gnarliest bunker you've ever seen.

Hopeful Outcome: Play to left  of the pin for a easy two putt.

The Short Putt: Don't Be The Grim Reaper; Be The Happy One!

The Image: The grim reaper standing over Bradley the putter with some grooming sheers ready for any movement.

Hopeful Outcome: No gimmes, make your short putts with a steady head through the putting stroke.

Stretch Your Way to the Top

The Image: Bradley stretching out a snake from neck to tip

Outcome: Feeling the width and torque through the stretching of your swing.

The whole Images of Motivations, Attitudes, and Affirmations section is probably the section ever golfer should read at least a few times. As with most golfers the brain can sometimes get in our way of enjoying the fun that is golf. Make sure you read this a few times.

 Most of the time as golfers are brains can get muddles by words Bradley uses some powerful imagery for a different yet effective way to improve your golf game. Check it out for $29.95 USD (Hardcover) at various retailers.