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Review: Basic Golf ClassicCool Golf Shirt
- by14STIX on28th March, 2009 inBlog
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Last week On The Tee we featured a great deal on the SportCool shirt from Basic Golf. The response to the deal was fantastic and we had a ball supporting a small business like Basic Golf because we're a small business ourselves. When we opened up the shipment of shirts from Basic Golf we noticed that there was an extra shirt in the box with a note from our friend Ed Lemire (the Pres of Basic Golf) that said, 'This is our ClassicCool shirt. Check it out and let us know what you think.'
Very sneaky, Ed. Very sneaky. He must have known that we're absoulte suckers for free merch. Of course, we get a lot of samples from golf companies but we only blog about the ones that are compelling.We love this ClassicCool shirt. Right now it comes in two colors; Wasabi Green and Ice Blue. We've got the Wasabi version and the color is absolutley brilliant. The sheen of the fabric makes it pop more than lime but isn't look-at-me obnoxious neon-green. It's the perfect tone and looks great with black, white, navy and charcoal which means you can wear it in any season.
The fit and fabric are also great. The cut is definitely athletic but not euro-tight (sorry, Ian). It fits slim through the body and sleeve but doesn't feel restrictive at all. The fabric seems to move and stretch during the swing like it's a second skin. The patented CoolDry fabric is lightweight and the finish is soft but durable. We've put it through the wash three times already and there aren't any fabric snags or signs of stress like some technical fabric shirts are known for. It's very comparable to materials that the big boys like Nike and Adidas use in their DriFit and ClimaCool shirts but at about half the price at $44.95. We know money is tight and $80 golf shirts don't seem to make much sense so why would you pay that much when you can get a ClassicCool from Basic Golf that's every bit as good technically and style-wise for half that?
In fact, speaking of price, Basic Golf has extended a great offer to our readers. If you head over to Basic Golf's webstore you'll get 15% off your order when you enter the code 14STIX. So, go on and get one now - the deal won't last long.
Want to learn more about Basic Golf? Check them out on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. 
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Putter Envy: DeLaCruz Golf Designs Granted Design Patent
- by14STIX on18th March, 2009 inBlog
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Dave Dawsey (aka the IP Golf Guy), the brilliant mind behind the always fascinating golf-patents.com reports that DeLaCruz Golf Designs was granted a design patent on the SweetSlot putter. Dave says 'some form' because:
The alignment features on the putter in the patent do not seem to match those of any of the putters on their website. The patent is USPN D588658 titled “Golf Putter With Slotted Head.”
I've been intrigued by DeLaCruz's designs for a while and though I'm normally a fan of cavity backs I'd have to agree with Dave that the blade versions are more visually appealing. The B-4 model would be my pick of the lot. What about you?
[Golf-Patents]
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Gadget Review: The Groove Sharpener
- by14STIX on16th March, 2009 inBlog
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Last weekend I was milling around in my basement sort of quasi-organizing my old golf clubs. I happened to pick up an old Titelist Vokey 60-M that I had retired last summer due to worn out grooves. I loved that wedge so much that I bought 3 more of them when they were first issued just in case Titleist stopped making them (Good thing I did, because Titleist had stopped until they released the TVD 60-M in May of last year). That old 60-M was still in good condition other than the grooves and I knew there had to be a way to sharpen them up without spending $50-60 to have the whole wedge refinished. I Googled 'groove sharpener' and the frist site I came across was for the Groove Sharpener. I read throught the site and thought for $19.95 it's worth it just to see if the Groove Sharpener could breathe even just a little bit of playing life back into those old wedges. So I bought a double-ended U groove sharpener and about 5 days later it showed up in my mail box.
I was a little skeptical at first but after about 2 minutes of work on my 60-M I could immediately see that the Groove Sharpener was totally legit. Imperfections and dents in the grooves were easily grinded out after a dozen or so passes. You could clearly see the freshly cut bright silver metal in each groove and the sharpening edge of the Groove Sharpener was covered in old gray metal shavings. It worked so well that after I finished with the 60-M I went ahead and refreshed all the irons in my bag. It looks like I've got a brand new set now and it only took 20 minutes.
I keep my Groove Sharpener in my golf bag and use it to clean my grooves on the course. I will say it would be great if they made a version that was tethered to a retractable cord that you could clip to your bag. It would make the Groove Sharpener more funcional for on-course use.
I took my refreshed 60-M out to the short game area at my club to see the results of my efforts. Knocked down pitch shots had plenty of spin and flop shots landed softly. Basically, it performed like a brand new wedge - without the breaking in period where the grooves peel the skin off of the ball even on little chips.
So, if you've got a favorite wedge or set of irons that could use a little refreshing - I'd totally recommend picking up a Groove Sharpener (or two, just in case).
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1 Day. 100 Holes. Help 14 STIX Raise A Little Money for The First Tee
- by14STIX on12th March, 2009 inBlog
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Our mission here at 14 STIX is to be your mainline to limitless deals on golf equipment, apparel, and accessories - but, as we say, we're more than just some online store peddling golf gear. We're a community that's devoted to the game of golf; preserving its history and traditions and fostering growth for its future. We're actively involved in organizations committed to the same goal (and we encourage you to do the same).
One of the organizations that we support is the The First Tee, which is a junior golf initiative of the World Golf Foundation and is supported by all major US golf organizations (PGA, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, USGA and Augusta National Golf Club). With over 200 chapters across the US and five in foreign countries The First Tee has enriched the lives of over 1.5 million young people in just nine years through the National Schools Program and The Life Skills Experience.
The First Tee is dedicated to providing young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. The program is designed so that kids have fun while learning how to play by the rules of golf - but also goes one step further by teaching a life skills curriculum to help the kids develop not just on the golf course, but in the classroom, in social setting and as member of society. These programs have had tremendous impact on the lives of participants. Almost 75% of parents of The First Tee children noticed an increase their child's confidence, positive changes in communication skills and responsibility, 66% saw an increase in social skills and 52% noted improved grades. Those are astounding numbers.
On May 9th, 2009 the Kansas City Chapter of The First Tee is putting on The Kansas City Junior Golf Festival. The event is going to feature instructional clinics from Kansas City's own Tom Watson, games for kids and parents to play together, an informational session on playing golf in college and applying to colleges, and (this is where I come in) a fundraising 100 hole golf marathon. Yup, myself and 26 other volunteers are going to play 100 holes of golf each to raise a minimum of $1,000 in pledges per player.
Here's the deal. I need your support. Now, I know you're probably thinking, "This guy wants me to spend money on his website AND donate money so that he can spend the afternoon playing golf?" Listen, I'd rather you not spend a single cent on this site for a month if it meant you'd be willing to pledge a few dollars to help improve the lives of these kids. It means that much to me.
If you think you'd be willing to help there are two ways to donate - online or by sending me an email.
- ONLINE - If you'd like to donate online you can do so here. In the designation box [THIS IS IMPORTANT] please make sure you type "KC Jr. Golf Festival - Doug Albers" - otherwise the funds won't be attributed to our event.
- VIA EMAIL - You can also email me through the Contact Us section on our site. I will send you a pledge form that you can fill out and mail, email or fax in.
You can make a pledge of any dollar amount per hole played (make it a $0.01/per hole if that's all you an afford to give) OR a single gift in the dollar amount of your choosing. And, yes, your donation is tax deductible. The First Tee of Greater Kansas City's legal name is the Junior Golf Foundation of Greater Kansas City, a Missouri Not-for-Profit Corporation. The Federal Tax ID# is 43-1532215.
This is the most important part. If we as a group do not raise $10,000 dollars by April 15, 2009 - we will have to CANCEL the event, which means a lot of disappointed kids and parents. Please help us give back to the game that has given us so much!
If you have any questions at all about the First Tee or the Kansas City Junior Golf Festival you can email me or contact Pat Zuk, the Chapter's Executive Director. You can email pat at pzuk@thefirstteekc.org.
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Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 Tournament & Slope Editions
- by14STIX on10th March, 2009 inBlog
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Over the next two days we're giving you the opportunity to own the same rangefinding equipment that the pros use. Today we're offering the Pinseeker 1500 Tournament Edition rangefinder and Wednesday we've got the Slope Edition. The Tournament Edition is legal for tournament play (under rule 14-3b ), while the Slope Edition is legal for practice rounds and casual rounds due to it's ability to calculate true playing yardages based on changes in elevation.
So how exactly do these contraptions work? Unlike GPS devices that rely on global positioning satelites to give information about yardage and course layouts, the Bushnell Pinskeer uses a special laser to calculate distance. You simply look through the eyepiece, aim the crosshairs at the pin, a tree, the lip of a bunker or bank of a pond and hit the power button on the top of the unit. A (fricken') laser beam is shot at the object and the device simply (if you're a math whiz, I guess) measures the time it takes for that beam to to travel to that object and back. That time is converted into yardage, which you then convert to pin-high golf shots.
Both rangefinders measure 1.7" x 5.1" x 3.7" and weigh in at 11.9 ounces, which means they're substantial enough to hold steady in your hand but light enough that you won't even notice the additional weight in your carry bag. Both editions are accurate (+/- 1 yard) up to 1500 yards when using a reflective surface (like the prisms on top of some flagsticks) and up to 400 yards on non-reflective surfaces, which should be plenty of range for just about any scenario you encounter on the course.
The best part of these devices is that they're as easy to use as they are accurate. There are just two buttons on each device; MODE and POWER. The MODE button toggles between Scan, Pinseeker and Pinseeker with Slope (on the Slope Edition) while the POWER buttons sends the signal to the target. Scan mode returns progressive yardages as the user pans from object to object or along the face of a long bunker. Pinseeker mode and Pinseeker with Slope mode are the hallmarks of these two devices. The Tournament Edition features only the Pinseeker mode, which provides the yardage to the closest object in direct line to the device (TIP: watch out for overhanging limbs). The Slope Edition features both standard Pinseeker and Pinseeker with Slope mode (which is the illegal for tournament play part). For example, Standard Pinseeker mode might return a yardage of 122 yards. Slope mode not only returns the direct-line yardage (122 yds) but using pre-loaded slope and trajectory tables it also returns a compensated distance meaning that a slope reading of +2° gives a yardage of 147 - or a half club more (see it in action here). How cool is that? Cool, but more importantly, accurate.
I own the Tournament Edition and use it in every tournament that allows it. It saves me strokes thanks to the 7x accurate optics and gives me confidence that the club I've chosen is the right one for the shot. And it also saves me time by eliminating the need to search for yardage markers and pacing off distances by foot. Bottom line: both the Tournament and Slope Editions eliminate any uncertainty about distance on the course and that kind of information is priceless. Just ask the pros.
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Drive For Show
- by14STIX on9th March, 2009 inBlog
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GARIA 2 GOLF CART
The old adage "Drive for show, putt for dough" is really just golf's version of "substance over style." It's not about how you get your ball in the hole, but rather when - as in fewer strokes than your opponent. And yet golf is and always has been a game where people are drawn to those that play with power, flash and daring (Snead, Nicklaus, Woods) over those whose greatness is owed to their methodical, wear-you-down consistency (Sarazen, Hogan, Furyk).
At first glance, the Garia 2 golf cart is all show but only because it looks like no other cart on the market. But the substance only rides shotgun to style here because it is so visually stunning. In a sea of tonal beige E-Z-GO's the storm trooper white Garia 2 is an absolute headturner. The brushed aluminum steering wheel and trim accents, custom color&hand-sewn seats, slim pedal design, front disc brakes, hi and low beam lighting system and 30 mile charge range all show that an equal amount of thought was put into the carts function. A design that's equal parts Tiger and Ben.
[via Uncrate]
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Get a Grip
- by14STIX on6th March, 2009 inBlog
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GolfWeek is running an interesting piece in this week's issue on what has been the
most boring yet truly functional component of the golf club - the
grip. The article briefly traces evolution of the grip from Golf Pride's longtime best selling Green Victory grip to Winn's polymer-cord blended PCi-TL. Personally, I think Golf Pride has this years hottest grip in the white colorway of the New Decade MCC (Multi-Compound Cord), which, by the way, has found its way onto the clubs of Sergio Garcia.
The most interesting part in the GolfWeek piece is their interview with Jerry Garrison, an independent contractor who represents Adams Golf out on Tour, about the quirks and preferences players on Tour have when it comes to grips. Here are some highlights.
GW: How often do touring pros change their grips?
JG: Tom Watson, maybe twice a year. Bernhard Langer, three or four times a year. Some guys will change every few weeks.
GW: Do a lot of tour guys use build-up tape underneath their grips?
JG: You bet. Gil Morgan builds them up under his left hand. Brad Bryant builds them up under his right hand. It's all to control or promote a certain pattern with their ball flight.
GW: Do some players mix grips?
JG: A player like Tom Jenkins will use one type of grip on his woods, another type on his irons and sometimes an elongated, stretch-down grip on his wedges.
I don't know about you, but this made me feel a whole lot better about my own eccentricities when it comes to gripping my clubs.
I do all of my own re-gripping on the work bench in my basement and I've got my system down pretty good. I cut the grips off using a box cutter and remove the old tape wraps using a two-step process. First, I heat the tape up by running a blow torch flame over it (Seriously. It's badass. You should get one just to say you own a blow torch). Next, I take the box cutter and cut a strip of tape off down the center of the shaft. I just peel the remaining tape off by hand.
Each new grip gets one full wrap of tape under the left hand and two wraps of tape under the right hand. I've found that this helps make the grip a more uniform thickness throughout the length of the grip, which is really helpful when I have to choke down on full shots or when hitting pitches and chips with the short irons. I re-grip most of my clubs about twice a year - but my wedges probably get re-gripped 3 to 4 times because frequent use.
I'm kind of a grip traditionalist so my grip of choice on my irons and 3 wood is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet (588 Round version). I like install them with the logo facing underneath so that all I see at address is a blank black grip. It's mostly a psychological thing for me. The driver is another story. For some odd reason, I've always liked to use a grip with a rib or reminder only on my driver. Again, totally psychological. I used to use the Green Victory but my Callway FT-5 came with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet (Cord) grip that had a reminder down the back and no logo on top. I liked it so much I ordered a dozen from Callway just in case they decided to stop carrying it.
So, what grips do you use? Do you have any quirks with how you like yours installed - or am I the only headcase out there?
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Step Inside / Walk This Way...
- by14STIX on5th March, 2009 inBlog
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It's a big day here at 14 STIX. As you can see we've launched a blog,
which, if you actually read our product write-ups, means more terrible jokes,
somewhat obscure musical references (who caught the Def Leopard reference?) cringe-worthy puns and nonsensical ramblings. So at least
you've got that to look forward to.
We've also added a forum where fans can interact with us, exchange ideas within the community or just talk about their golf games. Really, the idea behind the new additions was to create an atmosphere like your local golf course's tap room or bar/grill; a place to hang out with friends, talk a little golf and a lot of BS.
Don't expect to read a lot of serious golf-news type posts here at 14 STIX - there are already plenty of places for you to get that sort of info (we'll point those people and places out from time to time here). What you can expect are posts about music (this is what we're listening to as we write), clothes (just picked up a pair of these) pop culture (A prank for the ages...), food (anyone else slightly obsessed with No Reservations?) and technology (just downloaded this) that's related to golf in some way. Usually. And if it isn't...deal with it or go write your own damn blog.
So, welcome to 14 STIX. Have a look around and let us know what you think.
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© 14 STIX GOLF 2008.
