It has become clear that if I am truly going to elevate my golf gadgetry to a Batman-like level, I need an iPhone. Sadly, this goal seems as unrealistic as my ever attaining a scratch handicap. I hate phones in general, even ones with handy “apps.” If I were to get an iPhone, though, I would definitely buy the Wind Meter app (99 cents). The app measures wind velocity through the microphone of the iPhone and converts it into wind speed. No more tossing blades of grass into the air like Tarzan, that cretin in a superhero-wanna-be loincloth. Maybe there’s an app that ... full post »

Although whiffing might damage your ego, the dreaded pop-up or sky ball is infinitely more injurious to your club. How many of us have swung too steeply on the tee, only to send athe ball 40 feet high straight off the crown of a brand new $400 driver? (Way more of us than we’ll ever admit, that’s how many.) Fortunately, the Batman of golf is now armed with Pop-Up-Protector. Pop-Up-Protector is an adhesive film that fits on the leading edge of the crown of any golf club, providing a tough shield against so-called “idiot marks.” Importantly, PUP (for short) is the only ... full post »

My game is inexplicably deader than any number of entertainment icons, but the dream of becoming golf’s Batman is alive and well. A recent practice session in 90+ degree heat and 80% humidity taught me one thing: My suddenly terrible swing gets even worse when my grips are so sweaty that my clubs fly out of my hands. (But only just barely worse.) To combat slick grips, I’ve stocked my Batbag with Bat-tape, a.k.a. Softspikes ClubGrip. ClubGrip is the first golf “grip wrap” that meets USGA specifications. The tape provides superior tack, more comfort, and greater absorbency than traditional grips. Most ... full post »

The Batman of golf cannot be mauled by mosquitoes while in the process of duck-hooking yet another drive. To protect against pernicious pestilence, I’ve stocked my utility bag with Bug Bam! bracelets. Although extremely pungent, the bracelets are preferable to messy bug sprays (which also smell pretty foul), and last for several days. They do, however, lose their effectiveness with time (after about 100 hours), so the order of 16 wristbands for $20 available at the website is recommended. Bug Bam! won’t stop bullets (or duck-hooks), but it’ll protect the Capped Crusader from attacks by nefarious no-see-ums and fiendish flies. full post »

Thursday, June 18, 2009, 8:06 (EDT): Tiger Woods snap-hooked his drive on the first tee at the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Golf pundits, pedants, and poobahs have begun asking the tough questions: Is Tiger in a slump? Is Tiger’s knee healthy? Is Elin pregnant again? The random speculations and minute analyses will not end any time soon…or at least not until his next good shot… full post »

I have no super powers, and the golf gods know my powers over my golf swing are inconsistent at best. But I do have access to the best golf gadgets on the market. So, until my game comes back, I’m focusing on turning my self into the Batman of golf. The perfect tee for golf’s Batman is the Vireo-S3, by Evolve Golf. The tees, which are made from a mix of recycled and sustainable materials, are marked with a series of little dots on the side. The dots ensure that you can tee up your ball at exactly the same height ... full post »

This summer, my golf game has gone straight to the dogs, and the dogs proceeded to tear it apart and pee on the bits they didn’t devour. But am I going to let it get me down? Well, yes, actually. I’m quite miserable. However, as I struggle to regain the form of a couple years ago, I’ve committed myself to creating the golf-bag equivalent of Batman’s utility belt. In it, I am trying to stock every possible golfing gadget, gizmo, and gewgaw in an attempt to make me useful on the course (as it is a sure thing that my terrible game won’t ... full post »

For those of you scrambling for Father’s Day gift ideas, word of a couple of sweet freebies just crossed my desk. First, Golf Gym has announced that this June any person who purchases a GolfGym PowerSwing Trainer, a training and conditioning tool designed to develop proper swing habits and muscle memory, will receive a complementary book from Rick Sessinghaus’s book Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game, a $13.99 value. This exclusive offer teaches Dad, Grandad or even the pending Grad how to play better golf by integrating both the body and mind. God knows that so far this season, it couldn’t hurt ... full post »

My wife thinks it’s hysterical that I write WorldGolf.com’s gift guides for all major holidays, because I have in the past forgotten both Christmas my own birthday. I’m actually well-qualified to dole out gift ideas precisely because of this perceived shortcoming. See, I can empathize with the difficulty people– male people, generally – have with fitting holiday shopping into their busy schedules (between beer, naps, and SportsCenter, we’re pretty booked up). So I’m all for companies that make it easier to shop, especially online. Today Antigua Golf, purveyors of some of the finest, most comfortable and stylish golf apparel on ... full post »

As a kid, I loved Batman. He was the superhero I could someday be, or so I thought. He didn’t have super powers, which obviously were beyond my reach. All he had were superior intellect, unparalleled physical training, and billions of dollars – all perfectly attainable in my 6-year-old mind. With his vast fortune, he could create a gadget for every occasion. And I LOVED the gadgets. I tried to make my own utility belt at one point, but all I could fit on it were a tape measurer, magnifying glass, and egg whisk. None of these items turned out to ... full post »

Our old friends at BogeyPro Golf aren’t only about flashy golf duds. They like to make a difference, too…especially when it’s fun to do so. To this end, Arik Nordby of BogeyPro worked with T.V. and movie star Will Farrell to design Will Ferrell’s Sunscreen Products. 100% of the proceeds of from the sunscreenwill go to the Cancer for College Scholarship fund. “We are obviously appealing to sun worshippers, streakers, art lovers and the ever growing market of body-building golfers,” said Ferrell recently about the sunscreen. “We hope that everyone will see the humor in this product and join us ... full post »

Phil Mickelson just announced that he will leave the PGA Tour immediately to be with his wife, Amy, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Our collective thoughts, prayers, and best wishes for Amy’s speedy and complete recovery go out to the Mickelson family. full post »

Boccieri Golf announced last week that our old pal John Daly used its new Heavy Putter MID-WEIGHT K4 model en-route to a runner-up finish at the PGA European Tour’s BMW Italian Open two weeks ago at Royal Park I Roveri in Torino, Italy. For those of you not familiar with the Heavy Putter by Boccieri Golf, it is HEAVY. The original models were about twice as heavy as a conventional putter. And in case you weren’t already familiar with John Daly, he used to be about twice as heavy as a conventional golfer. Just this year, though, Boccieri Golf has introduced a somewhat ... full post »

Until today, I had never just passed along a press release without a thorough filtering of said release through my sieve-like intellect and leaden wit. But in the case of the following whiz-bang, hi-tech, Tiger-licious Nike promo, I think I’ll let the press release do the talking. (I don’t want to omit or mangle any of the details.) So all of you who cannot get enough of the Striped One, here you go! ———————————————— BEAVERTON, Ore. (May 7, 2009) – Nike Golf athlete Tiger Woods will be the focal point of a national Nike Golf consumer experience whereby golf fans will be ... full post »

When you’re looking for the best Mexican restaurant in Phoenix, it feels a bit like trying to find the best prom date at the Playboy Mansion: There are so many of them, and they all look so good. According to the Arizona Republic, the restaurant you should seek out is the Barrio Café. The largest news paper in the Valley of the Sun has named Barrio Café as the best Mexican restaurant for the past six years – ever since the café opened, in fact. I had the good fortune and deepest pleasure of eating at the Barrio during a recent Arizona ... full post »