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Book Review: The Art of Scoring

January 19, 2011 By 2 Comments
The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy

The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy is exactly what the title suggests. It’s a look into scoring as an art form. In it, Utley gives a number of ways to improve your game in the areas of short game and putting, where, as we’ve all heard before, scoring happens. Stan Utley is something of a rarity, having played golf at the highest levels, including being a winner on the PGA Tour, and having gone on to a very successful teaching career. He has been recognized as one of the 50 greatest teachers by Golf Digest (he was named 6th on the list in 2010) and he counts among his students, many players from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, and others. As the title of the book suggests, Utley tries to get away from overly-mechanical teaching to unleash the talent within players. The following excerpt from his website summarizes that philosophy. To teach the “Art of the Short Game” using a fresh and unique approach. It is my desire to

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Book Review: When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

December 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

There is a rich history of golf in literature. Titles like Golf in the Kingdom, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and Golf’s Sacred Journey, showcase the splendor, glory, and mysterious draw of the ancient game. Neither How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt nor its sequel When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever follow that pattern. Instead, these books provide a humorous take on the seedy under-belly of the game. Cheating, lying, and gratuitous (though well-deserved) violence fill the pages of these books, which aim to parody the myriad of self-help golf books on the market today. The material contained within could have only come from the depraved mind of a person who has been playing golf far too long. If you’re reading this, it most likely applies to you too, so wipe that smile off your face. I’m trying to become a pro over here, why am I associating with you people? Aww, who am I kidding? I like good golf humor as much as the next guy. If you can’t

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My Fantastic Voyage – Of Golf

December 7, 2010 By 5 Comments
Caledonia First Tee

I’m of the opinion that it’s hard to take too many golf vacations in one lifetime. A couple of months back, I came to the realization that it had been nearly ten years since my last. After having been under a crunch at the day-job, it was obvious that I needed another. My brother planted the seed that we should go to Myrtle Beach again, the destination of my previous golf-getaway. With his brainwashing taking hold, I started my planning. The plan was hatched, reservations were made, and we headed south. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was the destination. My brother Tony, our friend Keith, and I loaded up our rented SUV ready for 4-nights, 3-rounds of golf madness. We decided to keep it relatively short because we left the weekend before Thanksgiving and wanted to get back in plenty of time before the holiday. We had a great time and I thought I’d let this post serve as part course review, part vacation guide, and part travel log. I’m amazed at how low the overall

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Book Review: The Stack and Tilt Swing

November 1, 2010 By 3 Comments
The Definitive Guide to the Swing that is Remaking Golf

The Stack and Tilt Swing, by Michael Bennett and Andy Plummer, with Peter Morrice, is a fairly late-comer to the Stack and Tilt party.  Though Plummer and Bennett were becoming notable in Tour circles by 2005 or so, their Stack and Tilt swing set the golf world on fire after a feature article in Golf Digest in mid-2007. Since then, there have been countless magazine articles, blog posts (you can check out my Stack and Tilt category if you don’t believe me), and even an instructional DVD set. There has been much debate about the swing and it has even been discussed during national golf broadcasts. I’m not sure why, but it took a couple of years for Plummer and Bennett to follow up the original Golf Digest feature and subsequent instructional DVD set with this book.  However, if you’re serious about the Stack and Tilt swing, or are even seriously considering giving it a try, then this book was probably worth the wait. It amazed me in 2007 how many weekend players adopted the

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DVD Review: The Story of Golf

August 24, 2010 By 1 Comment
The Story of Golf

I love golf. I love history. Naturally, I really love golf history. That’s precisely what The Story of Golf delivers. This three hour documentary has an ambitious purpose. Namely, it aims to adequately cover a sport whose rich history literally spans centuries. Hosted by Golf Channel personality Rich Lerner, The Story of Golf starts at the very beginning, exploring the birth of the game and moves forward through time covering changes in the game that include everything from advancements in equipment to the various stars to the lesser known but equally important figures that have had a lasting effect on the game. The big names are given ample coverage: Jones, Hagen, Nelson, Snead, Sarazen, Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods, and others. But many of the other issues of the game are touched upon: gender and race issues, the evolution of equipment, architecture, golf in the digital age, and much more. Aside from Lerner’s narration, the Story of Golf is told through a lot of historical photographs and footage, as well as various interviews with many experts

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