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Augusta National: Winter Wonderland
- by14STIX on23rd February, 2010 inBlog
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From the looks of these pictures a friend sent me, Augusta National is closer to hosting the Biathalon than golf's season-opening major. The grounds crew might have just a bit of work to do considering The Masters is less than 40 days away otherwise we might be watching players and caddies cross-country skiing around the property just to get a few practice rounds in before the event. Cool temperatures have been an issue in recent Masters, but this is just ridiculous. Regardless, if I got the call to play that day I'd be on the first plane to Georgia - stocking cap, gloves and orange golf balls packed and ready to go.
A view of the clubhouse blanketed in snow
Water fountain and tournament/course record marker
How'd they get the snow cleared off the putting green so quickly?
A shot of the 4th green and the lone palm tree on the entire property
A view from the 11th fairway
A shot from near the 11th green
The tee at number 12
The infamous Hogan's Bridge
Looks like a shot from behind 16 green 
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The Pure Grips Challenge
- by14STIX on23rd February, 2010 inBlog
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It's about this time each year that I start to get the golf bug again and typically one of the first things I do to start the season is re-grip my clubs. I usually go with the standard Golf Pride Tour Velvet (logo down, 1 wrap of tape under the left hand, 2 wraps under the right...if you're curious), but after installing some Golf Pride New Decades on my dad's set I thought I might try something different this year. So, today when I was looking around for new grip technology I stumbled across a press release on The Golf Wire that mentioned that PGA Tour member Matt Jones had signed a deal with Scottsdale, AZ based grip company Pure Grips.
I hadn't heard of Pure Grips before so I checked out their site. As you might expect from a small company, their product lineup is limited but still provides enough options to cover a variety of preferences in terms of feel and performance. The lineup features three wrap-style grips ranging from soft to medium firmness and one firm pro-style that would be similar to the Golf Pride Tour Velvet.
There are two things that really set Pure Grips apart from it's competitors: construction and installation. Pure Grips uses an innovative injection molding process and a proprietary EPDM (not to be confused with Erick and Parrish Makin' Dollars) rubber containing no plasticizers or other diluting additives. In non-technical terms, the process and EPDM rubber create grips that are highly durable and incredibly tacky. According to the company, the technology also allows "clubs maintain more balance and shots are more consistent because our grips provide equal thickness, no parting lines and the most unvarying weight of any grip on the market." In fact, they're so confident in the all-weather durability of their product that they guarantee all of their grips to stay tacky and perform like new for 12 months - and if they don't, they'll replace them for you. How cool is that? Almost as cool as the fact that Pure Grips can be installed with or without tape in 1/4 of the time it takes to install a conventional grip thanks to their proprietary 'tapeless' installation process (be sure to check out the video). Again, sounds like a challenge. I like that the grips can be installed with tape as well because I like build up the thickness under the right hand so the grip is uniform in thickness from end to end - allowing for consistent feel whether I'm hitting full shots, knock-downs or pitches and chips. Normally, it takes me a good hour to hour and a half to a proper re-gripping of 13 clubs, not including the cleanup of all the mess from tape and spilled solvent, so being able to throw on new grips in 15-20 minutes without all of the hassle of cutting tape and soaking everything in solvent sounds pretty good.
At this point, I feel compelled to take the Pure Grip challenge and see for myself if they're really that easy to install and if they're as durable as they claim. Hey, they're confident enough to guarantee their goods, so what do I have to lose?
If you're interested in Pure Grips you can buy them on right off their site.
Already got Pure Grips on your set? Let us know how they're working for you by dropping a comment below.
Pure Soft Wrap
Pure Smooth Wrap
Pure Wrap
Pure Midsize Wrap
Pure Pro
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First Look: Lyle & Scott Apparel
- by14STIX on17th February, 2010 inBlog
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Oh, you haven't met Lyle&Scott before? Well, let me introduce you. Everyone. Lyle&Scott. Lyle & Scott. Everyone. See, introductions aren't that hard. I first stumbled upon this label on Facebook thanks to our friends over at TrendyGolf.com (check them out on the 'Book here.) and thought, 'wow, this is a cool new label.' Little did I know that this little label actually has 130 years of history in designing some very fine knitwear. Based out of the Scottish Borders' town of Hawick, Lyle & Scott have recently revamped the label's apparel for the sport that shares a common birthplace. You might recognize their Golden Eagle brandmark (which was recently given a green overhaul, as you can tell from the pics below) from the lapels of the likes of Bob Hope, Greg Norman, and GB&I Ryder Cuppers as far back as 1969.
Well, it appears that the label is borrowing on it's rich tradition in revamping it's golf lineup and making a push back into prominence with a slightly modernized and more versatile look. I was immediately drawn to the cadet blue Chest Pocket Shirt because of it's resemblance to my favorite old school golf brand, Pickering, and because it could pull double duty away from the course without anyone really knowing that it was a golf shirt. That sort of versatility goes a long way with me because it means I'll get more wears for my dollar (or Euro). I also like the look of their knitwear for the same reason. The black Fine Cotton Cardigan with the green sleeve detail is a personal favorite and will probably end up in my closet too.
Take a look at some of the other shirts and knitwear in the Lyle & Scott Spring '10 line below. If you like what you see you can head on over to TrendyGolf.com and have 'em sent to you straight away. The line is not yet offered in TrendyGolf's US store, but they will ship from their UK store for a very reasonable rate.
The Chest Pocket Shirt in Cadet Blue
The Mesh Stripe Polo in Charcoal/Green
The Fine Cotton Cardigan in Black
The Half-Zip Performance Pullover in Black
The Fine Cotton Argyle in Black
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Tangled Up In Blue
- by14STIX on12th February, 2010 inBlog
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PGA Tour rookie, Rickie Fowler has been getting his fair share of press lately - and deservedly so. His game was extra solid at the end of 2009, recording a T-7 at JT's tournament, T-2 at the Frys.com Open and a 15th place finish at Q-School. He's made one cut so far in 2010 and finished T-5, which is great, but probably not the consistent finishes that he's looking for.
Rickie has also become Puma's poster child and while I'm normally a big fan of their gear, I've got to question Rickie's ensemble at the AT&T this week. Is it just me or does he look like Golfer Smurf? I dig the blue, the sweater, shirt and pants, but I'm not even sure Violet Beauregarde could pull of that much azul.
It seems that I'm not the only one who's taking a crack at Rickie's look. CBS's Nick Faldo also got in a few jabs. Puma Golf's blog has the details there. Check it out.
Speaking of blue...one of Dylan's best. Happy Friday, people. Have a cold one, maybe a Pabst Blue Ribbon.
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The USGA Deems Your Closet Non-Conforming
- by14STIX on11th February, 2010 inBlog
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Our friends over at Chapeau Noir reveal that the USGA will not only be checking your grooves, but your hands a feet as well. No, not for contraband - ok, well, sort of. According to rule 14-3, shoes and gloves are considered part of a player's equipment and therefore subject to standard USGA testing that clubs receive. It's all in an effort to ensure that equipment of any kind does not give unfair advantages over another.
Would non-conforming gloves and shoes translate in to lower scores? Probably not. Early statistical feedback from the PGA Tour for 2010 compared to that from the prior three seasons shows no significant difference in scoring across six key scoring areas since the new groove rule was enacted. In fact, Greens In Reg has actually increased by 3% over last year. Waggle Room has a great post about this if you're interested in more hardcore datageek stats.
I don't know if there are any footwear or glove manufacturers grandfathered into the rule book like Ping wedges were, but if there are don't be surprised to see a Tour Player or two rummaging through the bargain bin at the local Goodwill for some retreaded kicks.
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PRACTICE TRACKS: Kid Cudi - "Down & Out" vs. Outkast - "Chonkyfire"
- by14STIX on9th February, 2010 inBlog
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We're taking a bit of a break from the PGA Show coverage to put together another installment of Practice Tracks. Don't get us wrong, we're fired up to cover the show and all, but there's only so many days in a row you can write about gloves, clubs and clothes before you need to mix things up. For the past week I've been pretty much wearing out 3 or 4 Kid Cudi mixtapes. You might remember that the K-I-D (aka Mr. S-O-L-O D-O-L-O) made an appearance on last week's track by Dan Black. I like Dan's music a lot, but I basically ran across the that particular track while I'd been searching for new stuff from Kid Cudi.
Like I mentioned, there are quite of few Cudi mixtapes out there and one track that seems to have made its way onto each of them is 'Down&Out' (download it here) - and if the beat sounds familiar, it should if you're a fan of Outkast. Cudder deftly sampled 'Chonkyfire' from the ATL duo's Aquemini album and put his own lunar-loner (you-can-call-him-Moon -Man) spin on it. There's something about Outkast's other-worldly guitar riff and bass line that suits Cudder's sound and what's not to like about a song about persevering through tough times to become what you were meant to be? It's a pretty good lesson to keep in mind when you're out there grindin', on the driving range that is, don't ya' think? Give it a listen and get after that goal, whatever it might be.
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travisMathew Arrives In Style
- by14STIX on6th February, 2010 inBlog
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Leave it to travisMathew to roll a custom painted (and logo'd) Volkswagen Type 2 van onto the showroom floor at this year's PGA Show. Normally, if I see a Type 2 on the street I think of two things: hippies and THE LIBYYYYYANS! But I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that travisMathew found a way to make the unrefined look classically stylish; after all they did transform Bubba Watson from a pleated-pant-and-sail-mast-shirt-wearing-scrub to a tailored and polished pro (hey, Bubba: urwelcome!). In fact, just about everything about their booth was on point - from the eye-popping paint job on the van, to the remixed Beach Boy's tunes playing subtly in the background, to the travisMathew branded water bottles and bottle openers (which has proved its utility on a number of occasions now). The Cali-cool vibe was definitely well executed.
I was lucky enough to get the invite into the travisMathew booth for a sneak peak at the 2010 lineup. The thing that struck me instantly was how much the line had expanded over last year's. There are 25 new shirts shipping in 2010 complemented by 15 styles of pants and shorts, a handful of outerwear options - including rain gear - dozens of t-shirts, hats and, of course, the signature TM belt buckles, which will have 9 different finish options.
I managed to snap a few pics of some of the new pieces. My shoddy photography doesn't do the fabrics justice, but it should give you a little idea of where the brand is going this year. The color palate features lots of deep blues, teals, chocolate browns, khakis, creams and variations of greys, ranging from charcoal to a nice light heather. Most of the shirts are 60/40 cotton/poly blends, but they also mixed in are a few styles featuring a jersey-soft 100% combed pima cotton as well as a few 100% Drytech polyester versions, which will be perfect for summer. My only criticism on this year's offering is that there were not more styles that featured technical fabrics that are breathable and wick moisture. I know that sentiment will probably offend cotton and style purists, but from a utility standpoint where I live cotton just isn't wearable on the course from May until September, unless you want the back of your shirt to look like a Rorschach test.
But what the line lacks in technical fabrics is more than made up for it in its attention to detail and its function. Many of the new shirts like the 'Double-Double', 'Stitch', and 'Dub' feature great contrast stitching on pockets, plackets and sleeves. They also pulled off a fashion risk that rarely works in my opinion - reversible garments. The 'Re-Verb' shirt can be right-side-out for a seamless look or flipped inside out to reveal contrast stitching and a pocket on the left chest. Perhaps my favorite piece in the entire collection is the 'Magestic' short which features a classic looking golf short when worn one way but goes all Optimums Prime to turn into pool/beach-ready board shorts when flipped inside out. They're really clever without being campy. On a more traditional note, I really took a liking to the grey 'McCord' and blue heather 'Mally' pants. Both are jean cut (five pocket style) and have a nice weight to them that will be great for Spring and Fall.
2010 promises to be a big year for travisMathew with the greatly expanded line and the signings of Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba, Billy Horschel, and Arron (no longer dresses) Baddeley. Like it's team of players, the new offering is youthful but not young. It's simply a versatile, well-made lineup that will turn heads much like its cherry Type 2 V-Dubya. Yep, travisMathew has arrived.
Subtle, TM, very subtle.
A look at that candy clearcoat paint job on the side of the Type 2.
The 'Brasher' polo paired with the 'McCord' pant, white with gunmetal outline TM buckle, and grey Bahamas hat.
I told you my photography skills suck. Those blurry lines...that's corduroy.
The 'Double-Double' (an In-N-Out reference?) in chocolate paired with the 'Sear Short', white leather belt with shiny nickle buckle and brown 'B-Stripes' hat.
A closer look at the 'Sear Short' - an updated take on the classic sear sucker.
The 'Staple' shirt in dress blues paired with the 'Short Penne' short in grey/white plaid, grey leather belt, black and white outlined buckle and grey heather 'Jonesin Cap'.
A closer look at the 'Short Penne'.
These solid gold (ok, plated) TM buckles are not for sale. One will be given to each winner on the PGA Tour this season - even if they're not a travisMathew staffer. Ogilvy already has his and Bubba almost got one a few weeks back.
The travisMathew bottle opener in action. I promise this photo was take after 10:30AM.
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Need A Hand? HJ Glove Is Here To Help
- by14STIX on3rd February, 2010 inBlog
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I did a total double-take and laughed out loud when I walked by this booth at the PGA Show. HJ Gloves? Seriously? Of all the initials they could have picked for a glove company they chose HJ?
Maybe I have a the sense of a humor of a 7th grade boy, but HJ and glove in the same sentence immediately causes laughter. To make things worse they feature a ladies HJ Glove called the Fashion Gripper. Here are some of the features of the Fashion Gripper if you can't quite read them below:- High performance micro-fiber leather (hilarious!)
- Remains soft and tacky when wet (c'mon stop! OK don't.)
- Reinforced palm patch for provides extra durability (I could not make this up.)
Apparently, HJ Glove has been around since 1976 so they must know what they're doing. Just in case HJ Glove needs some help promoting their products, I thought I'd send them a couple of slogans.- "HJ Glove - Giving golfers a hand since 1976"
- "HJ Glove - Having trouble releasing? Try an HJ."
THINK YOU CAN BEAT OUR SLOGAN? DROP YOURS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNING CAPTION ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TOMORROW.
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2010 PGA Show Link Catalog
- by14STIX on2nd February, 2010 inBlog
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My first visit to the PGA show was an absolute whirlwind. I thought that a day and a half on the show floor would be more than enough to see and properly cover all that I wanted to, but it turns out that I could have spent another day and a half there - easily. I've spent the past few days massaging my sore feet (and surprisingly inflamed hip - what?) and sorting through ways to bring you all some interesting posts. I'm still working on the interesting part (we'll see if I ever get there), but in the meantime I thought I put down a catalog of links from the most interesting exhibitors. Over the next few weeks I'll follow up with posts about some of those in this list - and, fingers crossed, should have some contests and giveaways to bring to you as well, so stay tuned for that.
Ok, so here's the list with links and a couple of pics. It's in no particular order mainly because we're just not that organized. Deal with it.
KIKKOR GOLF / www.kikkor.com
Definitely not your dad's golf shoes. As a bit of a sneakerhead, I gotta say these kicks will probably find their way onto my feet soon. Be on the lookout for some sick looking apparel from Kikkor this year as well.
HOCKEY STICK PUTTERS / www.hockeystickputters.com
We bet Happy Gilmore would have beat Shooter by a lot more if he had one of these. He probably wouldn't have gotten his ass beat by Bob Barker either.
RJB COLLECTOR / www.rjbcollector.com
RARE - UNIQUE - EXCLUSIVE - BETTINARDI. Scotty who? These putters are DOPE! That's my personal favorite from the collection, in case you care.
GENTLEMAN'S VICE / www.gentlemansvice.com
Look familiar? Yep, they've been on our site for a while. We've known the guys at Gentleman's Vice since junior golf days. They had a killer PGA Show - so you know we had to give them some run here.
PUMA GOLF / golf.puma.com
Puma made a big splash in the golf apparel world dumping Geoff Ogilvy in favor of Tour rookie Rickie Fowler. Like the brash new face of the brand the 2010 lineup shows lots of flash - and substance. Look for big things from both Rickie and Puma this year.
IOMIC GRIPS / www.iomicusa.com
These things look more like Fruit Roll-Ups than grips, but I wouldn't recommend trying to eat them (how much California Sensamilla did you smoke anyway?). We're expecting them to make a big splash when they hit the mainstream market in the US this year.
SUMI-G / www.sumi-g.com
Voted the number one new golf company of 2009, Sumi-G is known for incredibly well engineered and beautifully simplistic designs like the Dormy belt shown here. They also make elegant looking head covers, divot tools and score card wallets and other leather goods.
TRAVISMATHEW / www.travismathew.com
Y'all know that I'm a big fan of travisMathew. I've done my fair share of hyping this new kid on the golf apparel block and when the guys at TM invited me to take a tour of the 2010 I was totally floored; one, because they were cool enough to extend the invite and, two, because the new lineup absolutely blew past all expectations. Adding Geoff Ogilvy, Billy Horschel, Bubba Watson, and Aaron Baddeley to the TM team is going to garner even bigger exposure for the brand - but in our opinion the 2010 line is every bit as good as these guys games.
EDEL PUTTERS / www.edelgolf.com
A fitting system with 30 million variables just to fit a putter? Sound excessive? Well, not to David Edel who uses a very unique fitting process based on a player's perception of geometrical shapes to fit players with the perfect putter. He's able to whittle down those 30 million options into a flat stick that's custom crafted for your game. So, if you're missing putts in bunches, maybe it is the arrow and not the Indian after all...
HIGH DEFINITION GOLF / www.hdgolf.com
High Definition Golf has taken golf simulation to the next level. Other simulators on the market look like blown up versions of PS3 games, but High Definition Golf's images are so stunning and clear that if there was a fan misting salt water spray in your face you'd swear you were really at Pebble Beach. On top of that it measures data like club head speed, path, face angle, ball speed and spin, launch angle and spin axis. Let's see EA Sports try and touch that.
ABACUS / www.abacus-golf.com
The PGA Show was our first exposure to this London-based brand. It's making its way into US stores this year and I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on it. Great colors. Functional outerwear. Unique patterns. It's fashionable without that whole look-at-how-trendy-I-am nonsense.
POLO RLX GOLF / www.ralphlauren.com
The RLX line was a total showstopper. This was by far the sickest lineup at the show. We snapped a bunch of pics from the booth and even managed to get a little video of longtime Polo brand ambassador and my personal golfing idol - Tom Watson. Stay tuned for that.
ILIAC GOLF / www.iliacgolf.com
I'm a bit of a belt junkie. It looks like Iliac is going to help me get my fix. They make fantastic leather belts like this black and gold d-ring (M-I-Z baby!), traditional pom and tassel head covers, gorgeous leather golf bags as well as sporty apparel, outerwear and headwear. Preppy, but not pretentious.
LAMBDA GOLF SHOES / www.lambda-golf.com
Hands down the most unbelievably beautiful golf shoes on the market. Hey, Lambda, if you're reading this, please send me a pair of the Ferrera's in white/black croco (see above). Thanks. Sincerely, 14STIX.
AIR SPORTS WATCH / www.airsportswatch.com
I always wear a watch when I play. Don't know why. Always have. I'll also sport some sort of band on my opposite arm. Sometimes its a rubber band from asparagus at the grocery store. Sometimes it's a Trion-Z band. The Air Sports Watch kills two birds with one stone. That's why I picked up a white one at the show.
PENNINGTON&BAILES / www.stadiumpants.com
We flat out begged the guys at P&B for a pair of old gold trousers with black Mizzou "M's". I think I put on a pretty convincing act so hopefully they'll have some ready for me by the time golf (or spring football) season starts. I can't think of a better way to show your school spirit than a pair of these pants. Grown men don't wear jerseys, c'mon get serious.
ROBOCUP / www.finetunegolf.com
My pops and I built putting greens for friends and family last Christmas. RoboCup is going to be the perfect addition to my own putting green - sparing me the grueling 10 foot walk to the retrieve balls from the cup. Now, if I could only teach my dog to fetch beer from the fridge I'd be all set.
BONUS LINKS / OTHER COMPANIES TO CHECK OUT:- GOLF GATORS / www.golfgators.com
- TONINO LAMBORGHINI GOLF / www.tlgolf.se
- BLACK WIDOW GRIPS / www.bwgrips.com
- PGA TOUR SIMULATORS / www.pgatoursimulators.com
- ZEN ORACLE PUTTERS / www.zenoracle.com
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14 STIX Is Headed To The 2010 PGA Show
- by14STIX on25th January, 2010 inBlog
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14 STIX is heading down to Orlando for the 2010 PGA Show on Wednesday. It's our first time at the show, so we're totally fired up and can't wait to score some great new deals and bring you inside looks at all the new equipment, apparel and gear being launched this season. Here's how you can stay up on the latest from the 2010 PGA Show:
1. 14 STIX BLOG: Check the blog for video, pics and news from the show. We might even be able to score a couple of interviews. We'll be armed with our Flip Mino, iPhone, and laptop so be sure to check in this week.
2. TWITTER: We'll be tweeting live from the show floor. Not currently following us on Twitter? Well, get on it already - click here.
3. FACEBOOK: If you're too busy photo-stalking the girl that sat next to you in sophomore History class to keep up with us on Twitter you can stay parked on Facebook and keep up with the latest from the show there. Become a fan of the 14 STIX page here.
Let us know what you're fired up to hear about at the show. Drop some comments below.
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© 14 STIX GOLF 2008.
