Product Review: Ballzee

** PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SITE HAS OFFICIALLY MOVED TO MY NEW URL, RUBOFTHEGREEN.ORG, BUT I WILL BE POSTING TO BOTH SITES FOR THE TIME BEING **

Did you ever notice how Phil and Tiger toss their golf balls to Bones and Stevie once they mark them on the green? Me too. I've often wondered why golf ball cleaners are only located on the tees on a golf course, when as we all know, one of the most critical times for a golf ball to be free of any kind of dirt and grime is on the green. Of course the reason is because there's really nowhere to locate a ball cleaner around the green and have it be out of play our out of the way.

Ballzee Golf Ball CleanerEnter the Ballzee. The Ballzee is one of those products that is so simple, yet so handy. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" type of products.

The way the Ballzee works is simple. It's a plastic outer shell that surrounds a cloth-like interior. Before you tee off on the first hole, you simply put water on the cloth interior, put the Balzee in your pocket, and then you have it to clean your golf ball on the green.

I've found it works surprisingly well, especially this time of year, when conditions find my golf ball picking up a lot more mud and dirt than usual. I can tell it will also be handy later on in the year when my local course likes to sand the greens and my golf ball ends up picking up a lot of sand either when it lands on the green, or after my initial putt.

Anyway, click on this link if you are interested at all in the Ballzee, and especially if you want to look into getting a bunch as gifts or door prizes for a golf outing. They're not too expensive, and they really do work very well.

New Home for Rub of the Green

For those of you using http://rubofthegreen.blogspot.com to access this site, please update your links to point to http://rubofthegreen.org. I am in the process of moving this site to another host, a change which should take place in the next day or so. If you were previously using http://rubofthegreen.org to access this site, obviously you won't need to do anything, other than wait for the servers to update to point to the new site. Again, that should take place in just a day or two.

Norman on Tiger-Phil...

Greg Norman says that he thinks Tiger and Phil are equal in every way, except for the mental game and putting.  He goes on to say that Tiger is the best clutch putter he has ever seen and that Tiger has an advantage on Phil on putts over nine feet.  While I don't disagree with the Shark's opinions, I would also add that I think Tiger has the edge on Phil on putts inside nine feet.  Phil can't make a 3 foot putt under pressure and we all know it.

Does it Really Matter?

According to this article, Tiger could lose the #1 spot to Phil in a couple of weeks, providing Tiger doesn't win this week and Phil does win next week.  But Tiger has been on the bench for the last 8 months.  So does it really matter?  Will it prove anything?

It's akin to saying that Scottie Pippen will outscore Michael Jordan, providing Pippen scores 40 and Jordan only plays 30 seconds.

I'm not one of these people who say that Padraig Harrington's two major wins last year don't really count because Tiger wasn't playing, but this... is a non-story.

Spring Fever

I am hardly able to contain my excitement at the knowledge of Spring, and therefore golf season, being on its way.  I have been lucky enough to play two rounds this year so far, and hope to take advantage of some fair weather the latter part of this week to get a couple more rounds in.  Other than my new driver, I am excited to borrow a friend's GPS unit he received this past Christmas.  I play the same course 99% of the time, but I am excited to see how much having a rangefinder, even on a course I know pretty much by heart, will affect my game.

 

I am pretty much a 15 handicapper and have been at that level for the past couple of years.  I shot a couple of easy 83's last year, and (if memory serves)an 81, and am anxious to see if I can build on that success and actually break 80 this year.  I know that's a tall order, as breaking 80 is one of the big stepping stones in the game of golf, but I have the luxury of knowing that I have done it already, with a 77 several years ago.  So maybe I won't go all deer in the headlights when that day arrives.

 

Also am looking forward to reigniting a rivalry that has slowly been building the past couple of years, a fathers vs sons scramble on Sundays.

 

All in all I am looking for a great year of golf, and hope everyone else enjoys the same.  Just remember one of my favorite golf quotes of all time... "you don't HAVE to go play golf, you GET to go play golf."

 

Enjoy your year, everyone.

I Thought it was back in January...

Last week after I heard the announcement that Tiger was coming back this week, I mentioned to some friends that the PGA Tour season was finally upon us. According to this article, I suppose I wasn't the only one with that thought. But you see, I was joking. You see, I was making jest of the fact that a lot of people (mainly media) truly thought that the last several weeks of the season didn't mean anything and that the season didn't start until Tiger returned. In fact, those same people probably would tell you that the 2008 season ended after the US Open last year, even though there were two majors and lots and lots of tournaments still on the books.

I can tell you this: there are quite a few PGA Tour members out there who would tell you that the season did in fact start the first week of January, even though Tiger and Phil didn't really show up until this past week. There are a lot of players out there who would tell you that, you know what? The Tour does exist without the 2 or 3 or 5 people that you see week in and week out on TV, and that typically, believe it or not, there are more than 100 pros who show up each week with the hopes of making the cut, winning the tournament, feeding their family.

The PGA Tour is more than 1, 2 or 5 pros. And the sooner they and the media and the fly-by-night fans figure that out, the better.

Wie are Finally Legit

I will be very interested this week to watch Michelle Wie in her first "official" event on the LPGA tour. I say "official" of course, because this will be her first tournament as a Q-School Grad, official card-carrying member of the LPGA Tour.

I was never really into all the hype surrounding Michelle, not because I have anything against her, but because I tend to not believe in the praise, and therefore privilege, that tends to be given to athletes in any sport before they have actually proven themselves at the highest level. I am not a fan of college basketball players getting million dollar contracts before they ever lace up a professional shoe, nor do I like golfers receiving multi-million dollar deals before they ever win a professional tournament.

At any rate, I do wish Michelle the best of luck this season and hope that her struggles are behind her and hope that she will eventually turn into the force that the LPGA hopes she will become.

Golf Channel Changes In Store

Looks like there are some changes on the horizon for the Golf Channel. I noticed a few weeks ago that they finally got their own dedicated HD channel on DirecTV, a slot they had previously shared with the channel Versus. I also have noticed since the new season has started and I am watching the channel a little bit more, they have been advertising some new shows to the lineup. According to this article, they have hired someone new to run the show. Hopefully this will be a good thing. I have no complaints about the channel, but it's always good seeing someone strive to be better.

2009...

Just a quick post to highlight a new blog that I have decided to add starting in 2009. My intention is to use it to feature a different golf-related site each day of 2009. This will include other golf blogs, network sites like The Golf Channel, golf practice, tech and fitness sites, some of my favorite golf podcasts or maybe even golf stores at times. Anyway, I have added a link to my blogroll and I will probably post a reminder at the beginning of the year. For the time being, be looking for a "beta" version of Golf Site a Day on this very site in a couple of days, as I am working up a review of a great new site I have discovered called Wonder How to Golf.

Stay tuned...

Faldo FTW

I just wanted to give quick props to Nick Faldo for his handling of the European Ryder Cup loss last weekend. He was very gracious after the loss, even though you could see it was killing him behind those cool Adidas shades he was wearing. Top that with all the criticism he has been receiving across the pond, yet he still shows up and does his job graciously and professionally on the five hour block of Golf Channel coverage of the Tour Championship yesterday. It had to be eating him alive to have to hear the constant comments and questions from his partner Kelly Tilghman, as she constantly referred back to last week's events. That's no knock on Kelly. It's her job, and she would have done the same in any other week.

I always thought Faldo was a class act, and this week has only solidified my opinion.

Gator Cup, 5-4

So my team ended up losing the inaugural Gator Cup this weekend, 5-4. It was quite competitive though, moreso than I thought it would be. It actually came down to the approach shots of the final match of the final day to find out if we were at least going to tie, in which case I had planned on having a chip-off to determine the winners.

In a way though I was glad to see a clear winner crowned. I was thinking as I was watching my partner hit his approach into 18 that it would be a shame to decide it with a chip-off, considering the battle both teams had gone through for the past 3 days. It was fitting that there was a winner crowned, and I think anyway that a good time was had by all.

We have already started planning next year's rematch, with others giving input into how they think the matches, rules and so forth should be tweaked to make it even better for next year. In my eyes, that's a clear sign that everyone had a good time with the whole experience, because they are already excited about next year's rematch. I for one can't wait.

I wonder if I can get Boo Weekley to show up and play for my team?

Anthony Kim

Cup debut means more to Kim than Tour titles

I have to say, I'm liking this kid's action more and more every day. I understand that he's got one of those 'like him or hate him' personalities, but these days with Tiger's dominance, I have to give props to anyone who comes out and shows that they are actually hungry to win, rather than just make a living. His comment in the BMW a couple of weeks ago only solidified him as a player in my book... "well, I'm not playing for second."

That attitude will serve him well, in my opinion.

And the guy he was chasing, Camilo Villegas, seems to be the same kind of player. Again, he's one of those 'like him or not' kind of guys, and he obviously thinks a lot of himself, but I think that's the attitude you have to have on the modern tour... if you're going to win that is.

I like both of these kids, and I hope to see more just like them in the future. Competition for Tiger can only be good for the game in the long run.

News Conferences

I suppose in a way the Ryder Cup starts today, albeit not officially. News conferences start today, for most of the afternoon both today and tomorrow, and although I have my DVR set to record them, I have a feeling I will be skimming through most of the coverage, as I will quickly realize that all I'm going to hear is the same five points over the roughly five hours of coverage. Those points being:

- Phil absolutely must play well, and hopefully his pairing with Anthony Kim will inject a little life into his game (but the fact that Phil doesn't play well is not because he doesn't want to be here, because he loves the Ryder Cup, even though everyone knows he doesn't).

- The Europeans need to find someone for Lee Westwood to get drunk with because Faldo was dumb enough not to take Darren Clarke as a Captain's pick.

- The US Team absolutely has to win this year, but there's no pressure on them at all and no one understands why they play "not to lose".

- Azinger set the course up for our long hitters, because even though we should win because we are more talented individually, we are the underdogs because we can't keep a drive on the golf course.

- J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley are just "good ole country boys" and everyone gets a kick out of them, especially Boo.

Day 1 Results

In reference to my earlier post about our Ryder Cup style match, Day 1 was yesterday, and I thought I would post results.

Yesterday was 9 holes scramble, and 9 holes better ball, 1 point available in each match. We were playing in windy conditions, so I thought some of the group might want to delay the match until another day. But everyone was game, stating that it was fair for one and all.

The front nine match was a barn-burner, with the lead passing back and forth between teams all morning. In the end, our team managed to win the eighth hole to go 1 up, and we were conceded the ninth for a 2 up win on the front.

At this point I was extremely happy, as my only goal for the entire matches was not to get swept.

On the back, we started out strong, with me winning the 10th hole and my partner winning the 11th. My partner had a 4 footer on the 12th to go three up, but it broke off the world and he missed. At that point, I totally left the game for about three holes. I couldn't get a drive to stay on the course. I put a lot of pressure on my teammate, and we subsequently found ourselves 1 down going into the 16th hole. At that point the wind started kicking up like crazy, and both teams were fighting for their lives for the last three holes. We managed to win the 17th to bring the match back to even, but they won the last for a 1 up victory and a point in match two.

So after Day 1, the matches stand tied at 1-1.

Wind Damage at Valhalla

Wind Damages Ryder Cup Site

Looks like there's been a little shake-up at Valhalla even before the beginning of the festivities this week. I have to say, I live in Kentucky, played golf yesterday, and it was brutal conditions. Anyone with half a brain would have stayed home, but I've never been accused of having that attribute. Most of Louisville is apparently without power today. I hope everyone is okay and hope that the Ryder Cup goes on without a hitch.

Cup

Okay, I will freely admit that I've not gotten a lot done at work today, because I have been working on a Ryder Cup style match for my regular weekly foursome.

I'm really excited to spring it on my playing partners Sunday, even though I know my team won't have a chance in Hades on winning. I have ordered trophies to be presented to the winners so that they may display it proudly for the next year as "bragging rights". I plan on this being a yearly event in which the trophies are traded back and forth between winners. I have pretty much conceded this inaugural event to our opponents, but with the knowledge that in the coming seasons, my partner, who is a beginner, will improve exponentially. He's already shown marked improvement this season, so I am already looking forward to next year.

I know no one who reads this probably cares, but I am very excited about this little match I have devised, and had to write about it. More as the competition develops...

Why Can't the US Win?

I saw an interesting special on the Golf Channel last night, a 30 minute examination of the past several Ryder Cups which should have been titled, "Why Doesn't the US Dominate Like They Are Supposed To?"

Probably my favorite part of the program were the interviews with the Captains, and with Paul Azinger in particular. He addressed the comments that the US doesn't seem to have fun and gel as a team. He essentially says it's not because they are individuals and don't know how to play as a team, it's simply because they have not been winning. It's the chicken and egg thing. A lot of people think we are not winning because we don't have fun, but Azinger says we don't seem to have fun because we're not winning. It's a valid argument and one that I happen to agree with.

The sad thing is, if Europe ends up winning, Azinger's methods and opinions will probably be thrown out with the trash, just like Hal Sutton's pairing of Tiger and Phil in his year as Captain. Tiger and Phil will likely never be paired again, simply because it didn't work the one time. I think I've posted here before that I think the pairing didn't work because both weren't playing well at the time, Phil in particular. It wasn't because they don't like each other. They might well hate each other, I don't know, but they are both professionals and I guarantee you both of them wanted to win just as much as their opponents.

I hope Jack Nicklaus finds his way back to Captain again in either the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup. He's the only one I can think of who would have the guts to pair the two together again. And he would be able to put them out there with the right attitude, that at the end of the day, it's just a competition and win or lose, it's not the end of the world.

The Evil of Golf

Why is it that you can be playing your best one minute, and the next you play as if you've never touched a club?

That's what happened to me yesterday, and what's been happening to me for the past couple of weeks actually. I had a round going, it wasn't a great one, but I managed to hold it together for 15 holes. My driving and putting was off all day. I had given up par to bogey on more holes than I could count, but I was holding it together. But I reached #16 tee and all of a sudden I couldn't put club to ball. It was disasterous. I felt like I was 14 again and had just picked up a golf club for the first time.

It all started on #3 actually. I played the first two holes pretty well, and found myself behind some trees on the right side of the fairway on the par 5. I had a shot over the trees, which would have allowed me a realistic chance to get on the green in regulation, or I could have chipped out safely and taken probably a couple more to get on the green safely. I would have had a decent shot at par, and probably an easy bogey. I had picked up a couple of shots on my competitors on the first two holes though, so I decided to take my shot over the trees. I took an eight on the hole, and from that point on my game was in shambles.

I can't say that hole stayed with me mentally the whole rest of the round. I didn't consciously think about it. But once the round was over and I had lost, thinking back at my day, I could trace the wheels coming off to that one moment when I decided to go over the trees instead of taking the safe chip-out.

Golf is an evil game, but the evil comes straight from our minds. It's not the game's fault. It's not our equipment's fault. It's not our playing partner's fault. At the end of the day, it's our fault and ours alone.

Back Into It

Obviously I've not posted in a long, long time. I don't really have much of an excuse, other than life has been getting in my way these past months. I am going to make an effort to post on a much more regular basis from now on, hopefully a couple of times a week or more. I can't promise anything, but that is my intention.

The Masters

I must admit, I've not been following the world of professional golf as much as usual so far this season.  I've had a lot of other stuff going on, and truthfully, I'm just lazy like that.  At any rate, with the Masters coming up next week, and with it being my most favoritest major championship, I can't let it slide by without throwing up a few observations.

Unfortunately this will be the first major tournament in a long time without Davis Love III in attendance.  I must admit, earlier in his career (and earlier in my maturity level) I didn't like Davis a lot.  I think it was because he was just one of those guys who unfortunately don't exhibit a lot of personality out there.  In my earlier days of growing up with folks like Greg Norman to admire, Davis rubbed me the wrong way.  I have since learned to like and admire Davis and wish that he would be in the field this week.

I don't know what's going on with Phil Mickelson this season.  Sure, he's playing well, but not well enough.  He's not playing like the superstar that he is, but just as a Regular Joe tour player who has a very good chance of winning in any given week.  This is one major difference between Tiger and players like Phil, Vijay and Ernie.  Everyone but Tiger seems to go through lulls in their season.  Tiger is a superstar 100% of the time.

I predict Tiger to win, but I also predict good weeks from Steve Stricker and Fred Couples.  Both have been playing well, and Freddie loves Augusta.  And with Stricker's good tee-to-green game and excellent putting, I don't see any way he can have a bad week.  He might not win, but I don't think he will shoot himself out of it either.

That's all I've got for now.  Hopefully more updates to come...