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Book Review: Golf List Mania!

July 10, 2011 By 2 Comments
Golf List Mania!

Golf List Mania! by Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman is exactly what it sounds like: a huge pile of golf-related lists. Who doesn’t love a good list on the topic of golf? I’ve done a number of them myself over the years. They’re fun to do, they’re a good way to dig into any facet of the game and its history, and they’re a great way to spark debate. Who are the top five players of all time? What are the ten best tournaments ever? Name the five greatest shots you’ve ever hit. Name the five best shots you’ve ever seen. The list (of lists) is virtually infinite. Shapiro and Sherman did some serious brain-storming to come up with most of the 100-plus lists included in the book. It’s filled with some creative, well-researched lists that are fun to read and thought-provoking. But they did one better. They also included lists by notable figures such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jiyai Shin, Ian Baker-Finch, Ron Sirak, Dave Kindred, Jim Nantz, Peter Kessler, and a number

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Training Aid Review: T2Hole Golf Improvement System

June 26, 2011 By 2 Comments
T2Hole Golf Improvement System

The T2Hole Golf Improvement System, endorsed by well-known golf teacher Denis Pugh, is exactly what it sounds like. Its purpose is to be a versatile training aid that can be used to improve every facet of your game. It is a highly configurable solution to address many faults in your golf game and to help you groove proper technique through helpful drills. In the Box When the T2Hole arrives, you are provided with the system itself, a quick-start and set-up guide, some stickers used to customized the T2Hole (should you prefer), a carrying bag, and a DVD featuring set-up instructions as well as drills and information from Denis Pugh showing many ways to use the system to help your game. The Basics The T2Hole system is pretty easy to set up. It breaks down into four major parts: bars to use for alignment and stance adjustment, and two bristle swing-arms used for swing feedback (and for other nifty drills). Here are a couple of photos showing the T2Hole system in its basic configuration: As you

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Book Review: The Caddie Who Won the Masters

May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Caddie Who Won the Masters

Please note that this review contains a few plot spoilers, which are labeled, should you prefer to avoid those sections. The Caddie Who Won the Masters, a novel by John Coyne, shares the story of Tim Alexander, an aging, inexperienced golfer who wins the USGA Mid-Amateur championship and an even bigger prize: the invitation to play in the Masters that is customarily extended to the champion of that and several other amateur events. About the Author As described on his website, John Coyne is the author of more than twenty-five nonfiction and fiction books, including a number of horror novels. A former Peace Corps Volunteer and a life-long lover of golf, Coyne has edited and written a number of books dealing with both subjects. The back cover of the book also adds: “Coyne, known for his novels of the occult, blends his skill with the supernatural and his knowledge of golf and its history to tell a Field of Dreams-like tale that brings the great legends alive again.” As it turns out, that’s a great

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Instruction Review: FixYourGame.com

May 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
FixYourGame.com

Note: Check below for a special deal for Life in the Rough readers. For a while now, I’ve been of the opinion that golf instruction will be driven to change by the explosion of technology that has taken place over the last decade. The internet has become so pervasive and multimedia capability is in within the grasp of virtually anyone with a smart phone, laptop, or inexpensive video recorder. We can stream video and even chat face to face. Certainly there are many pros that are taking advantage of technology, with video lessons being commonplace and with some pros even working in a web-friendly way. But, to me, there is still an awful lot of room for improvement. Needless to say, I was enthused when I was contacted by Brant Kasbohm, director of instruction at FixYourGame.com and he asked me if I wanted to give his service a try. Kasbohm has been a PGA Professional since 2000. Click here to read his bio. How It Works Here’s how it works: you go out to the driving range

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Accessory Review: Starter Coin

February 16, 2011 By 1 Comment
Starter Coin

Most of us that play golf have, at one time or another, been standing on the first tee, trying to figure out what the teeing order should be. Some foursomes use the tried and true method of standing in a circle and throwing a tee in the air, with the honor going to the person closest to the pointy end. Other groups kind of just figure it out somehow, despite the fact that everyone really wants to play last. And some groups just don’t care with whomever is ready playing first and the others following in some unspecified order. Well, the folks from Starter Coin think they’ve brought order to chaos. They call it “the gentleman’s way to start the gentleman’s game.” The Starter Coin is a two-sided, well, coin, with markings to indicate the order of play. Simply gather your foursome around, flip the coin, let it land and the markings do the dirty work of establishing teeing order. On one side, the Starter Coin contains the word “Honor” in the center, written as

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