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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There’s Nothing Like Pro Golf

May 21, 2011 By 8 Comments
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

I know I say the same thing every time I attend an event, but I’m serious! This morning, I had the opportunity to attend the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. When I say I had the “opportunity”, I mean, I moved to Fort Worth and live three or four miles from the course, so how could I not go? No, my blogging juice carries no weight to get me in the gates, so I tossed my $45 into the hat, and drove on over. First of all, if you’re a fan of professional golf, there’s nothing like being there. I mean, come on. How can you not get a thrill out of standing there watching the pros that you see on TV, week in and week out? Granted, there was no Tiger or Phil, and I was hoping John Daly would make the weekend, but when they say “These Guys Are Good”, they’re not kidding. The worst players on Tour are better than the best players most of us have ever played with. Still, there

Filed Under: Pro Golf
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Progress Update: May 17, 2011

May 17, 2011 By 2 Comments
Swing Takeaway

What better way to spend the spring than to rebuild my swing? Ahhhh. Maybe I should rewind a little and fill in some of the details. I’m finally pretty much settled in after my move to Fort Worth, Texas. I last updated you all back in March, and I told you that moving was going to be hectic, and it was. I actually haven’t stepped onto a golf course since I left New Jersey. Mostly that’s because, as I mentioned, I was trying to change some things in my swing and it all went south. After I got here, I was spending a lot of time on the range trying to iron it all out and struggled, so I took some time and hooked up with a new golf pro here. I’ve had two lessons so far, and I really like where we’re going. Up front, I let him know that I’m not looking for Band-aids for my swing, so we set about making some fundamental changes. In actuality, there’s nothing earth-shattering. In fact, some

Filed Under: My Progress
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Room Nights for the Brave Giveaway

May 11, 2011 By 4 Comments
Birdies for the Brave

You may have heard of Birdies for the Brave, a military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR that is dedicated to supporting the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Well, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is teaming up to create “Room Nights for the Brave”. Beginning with the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on May 19th through the AT&T National ending July 3rd, for every eagle made by a PGA TOUR player, Crowne Plaza will donate a room night to Birdies for the Brave, creating a bank of hotel stays.  Rooms will be used to support injured veterans and military personnel participating in Birdies for the Brave activities at TPC Clubs, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour events as well as other unique golf related experiences. Click here for a press release with full details about the program, but this section from the release kind of sums it all up for me: In addition to Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, IHG owns a portfolio of well-recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels

Filed Under: Charity, Contests
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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

Filed Under: Instruction Reviews
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