The long drive circuit has become a legitimate and dynamic sub-culture in the world of professional golf. And its popularity has spread remarkably fast around the world over the past decade. The long-drive competition has, aside from giving golf fans jaw-dropping thrills, opened up a new world stage to some equipment companies that cannot afford to get their names on PGA Tour players’ bags. One such company is SMT Golf, headquartered in Oswego, Illinois. For years, I’ve been writing about this family-owned company and the high-quality clubs it produces. This year, in yet another example of how small companies can build powerful ... full post »

Q: What’s the difference between the U.S. Ryder Cup captain’s picks and a European Ryder Cup captain’s picks? A: 4 points! I’m tapped. That’s the best I could do. If you want a treasure trove of real golf jokes, “501 Golf Jokes for (Almost) All Occasions” by Franklin Dohanyos (MJF Books) is priceless. Seriously - I can’t find a price written on it anywhere. But I did find that you could pick up a used copy for 1 cent on Amazon.com, and a new one for as low as $1 (+S/H). In these trying economic times, what could be better than a good ... full post »

My fellow countrymen (and women), do you have any Ryder Cup traditions at your house or club? I mean besides weeping bitter, bitter tears? One tradition that Coach Faldo would like to see us adopt on this side of the pond is sipping some of his Nick Faldo Selection 2005 Shiraz. Last night I popped the cork on a bottle of Faldo’s vino, and threw together a pre-Ryder Cup dinner for my wife and myself: grilled porterhouse steaks, roasted rosemary and garlic fingerling potatoes with onions, and fresh organic wax beans sautéed in sunflower oil with sunflower nuts, garlic, and lemon juice. ... full post »

There was a time not so long ago when springtime was the season when golf equipment companies would usher in their new designs, and golfers bounded into pro shops like children in search of Easter eggs, giddy with anticipation. In those days of yore, autumn was a time to clean off the old sticks and, with a hint of melancholy, stow them away in the closet. Then you turned on football and forgot about your clubs for a few months. These days, thanks to razor-thin profit margins, speed-of-light technological advances, and an arguably very unhealthy insatiable desire for continual improvement, equipment companies ... full post »

My wedges are like my children. If I happen to leave one on a green, I panic – cold sweat, heart palpitations, the whole deal. I would wager that for most players, wedges are the clubs that are changed or updated least often. I know guys that switch putters faster than John McCain switches policy positions. And each season, another generation of drivers hits the market, promising short-knockers some vague promise of “hope.” But wedges, well, they grow to become a part of most of us. So switching wedges is scary. But now Eidolon Golf, maker of the best wedges you’ve never heard of, ... full post »

I have to admit, I feel lousy today. After blogging yesterday about Nick Faldo’s wine, I felt like I needed to provide some balance to the alcoholic pre-Ryder Cup coverage. But Paul Azinger doesn’t have any wineries. Or if he does, he’s not sharing the fruits thereof with the rest of us. What was I to do? Well, obviously, I needed to sit down in front of my home bar and come up with a drink for our boys at Valhalla. A drink that is not mead. (Seriously, have you tasted mead? No wonder the Vikings were so damned bellicose.) Several bottles of various ... full post »

European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo has taken a lot of heat for his Ryder Cup Captain’s picks of Paul “Player Hater” Casey and Ian “I fold at majors like the pleats I would never wear” Poulter. I personally think the media ought to lay off the poor guy. I mean, there’s a lot of bad picking going around, and at least Faldo seems to be doing a better job of it than John McCain. So, defense of the once-robotic-now-droll one, I would like to point out Faldo’s wine label. According to a press release I received a few weeks ago, ... full post »