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 This putter review has been a long time coming. Since Phil used it so "masterfully" to win last year's tournament, I especially wanted to blog this here XG#9 during The Masters. Here are some thoughts. Better late than never.
I've had a chance to spend some quality time with the Odyssey XG #9. It took some time to get familiar with a new putter, but we're getting along just fine now. Phil Mickelson, known to favor traditional looking putters like the Wilson 8802, except for his momentary tryst with the Futura, provided the inspiration for Odyssey's XG#9 putter. This putter stays true to traditional aesthetics, but combines it with technically modern insert materials. The XG#9's classical and modern themes conjure images of Frank Gehry's deconstuctive architecture. Odyssey has always been the innovative leader in putter material science. Inspired by the latest technological developments in multi-layer golf balls, the XG#9 has a multi-layer insert that is a blend of two materials with differing levels of firmness. This provides improved feel off of the face of the putter, regardless of the type or construction of the golf ball being played. The core of the insert is made of a soft and highly resilient elastomer material for enhanced feel and the thinner outer striking surface contains urethane for fine-tuned responsiveness. Combined, these two materials are one-fifth the weight of steel, allowing more weight to be moved to the perimeter for a higher moment of inertia, more forgiveness and a truer roll. The face also includes a Textured Impact Zone, which enhances feel and clearly defines the optimum impact area on the insert face. The heavy weight of the head encourages a smooth, sweeping stroke. The feeling of at impact is lively, but not as "jumpy" and "skiddy" as some of the previous inserts that I have tried. Compared to the "huge block of steel" feeling of other high-end and tour caliber putters, impact feels lean, energetic, and nimble. I sense the ball begins to roll immediately off of the face and I receive immediate feedback in my hands.
In design, Phil sticks with a toe-weighted, heel shafted, flange blade putter that has treated him so well in the past. The putter has a long hosel with a half-shaft offset that will help you sweep the ball like Phil. At first glance, the simplicity of the putter, its clean lines, and satin finish are pleasant to my eye. On a sunny day, glare is minimal. From address, sight lines on the flange and the top line provide the perpendicularity that I require to sink putts and keep me focused on my line. I have always used anser-style putters because of the boxy, perpendicular, and geometric aspcets that help me align my putts. Along similar lines but on a different tangent, the XG#9 from address resembles a protractor from high school trigonometry class. The putter design and the metaphor of the protractor provides the right angle for attacking each putt and lends well to the Stan Utley School of putting.
The only downside to this putter is the lack of a functioning head cover. I can see how it would fit Odyssey's boxed-shaped, anser-style putters but the irregular curves of the XG#9 leaves the cover extremely unsettled. To make matters worse, Odyssey has opted for a neoprene and nylon hybrid cover (everything's hybrid these days). Odyssey's use of snug fitting neoprene always made sense to me, but the nylon adds weight and fits like an oversized shoe; clumsy and insecure. If I had been using the head cover, I'm sure I would have lost it by now. All of this could be solved with liberal amounts of Velcro to secure it more firmly. However, Odyssey has gone anemic on the prickly fuzz. The lonely centimeter squared of Velcro should be put out of its misery and removed. It just gives me reason to reach out for some cool after-market putter covers like these. An interesting element to the putter cover is the incorporated pocket and the poker chip that fits inside. We first blogged on the poker chip way back in the day. At first I thought its was just a novelty item, but Joe Kwok astutely suggested that the chip should be used as a target when practicing at home or on overcrowded municipal practice greens. This gives new meaning to the term "putt for dough."
Continue reading "The Putter That Won Phil The Masters" »
GPS ubiquity is upon us. Hand-held devices, cars, shoes, and now golf hats can provide us with precise location and distance. These gadgets are supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient, but will our rounds of golf really get shorter and will our scores actually go down? SkyKap is a new provider of GPS enabled golf accessories, incorporating GPS technology into the bill of your hat. In addition, the hats include a small scale computer design and voice recognition to acquire yardage data, enter and track scores, pace of play timing functions and many other capabilities. Similar to SkyCaddie, courses can be searched and downloaded to the hat by using the course access website and hooking the hat to a PC with the supplied USB cable. In addition, the hat can record a course layout (green distances only) which can then be shared with other users.
Too bad the hat can't predict the weather. Hopefully it doesn't rain during your round of golf, or else you may really lose your head on the golf course.
 In a marketing ploy that appears to be an attempt to beat the golf contraband that inevitably gets leaked to the public, Grafalloy has employed the services of Ebay to promote the new Epic shaft. The Ebay auction is for the first production Epic shaft (68 gram S-Flex, 46-inch driver shaft in a 0.335-inch tip) with a certificate of authenticity from Graffaloy. There's only four days left so hurry up and place your bid.
The Epic golf shaft, to be released in mid-March, is constructed from a revolutionary nanofuse material that provides an alternative to steel and graphite shafts. The physical properties of the material allows engineers to produce a shaft that is as light as graphite, but with similar properties and feel as steel. The guys at Bomb & Gouge say "It was just dandy. And if it makes any sense, it didn't feel like graphite or steel." A previous entrant into the nanotech golf shaft market, Accuflex's Creation, was also profiled here at Gourmet Golf. "Everything about Epic is one-of-a-kind, so this is a fun way to create additional excitement around the shaft and give one person a unique opportunity," states Chad Hall, director of marketing. "I can't wait until the bidding begins." Of course, Golfwrx has coverage, comments, and pics of Tiger testing the shaft at Torrey Pines.
 
From muni's to country clubs, there's an unspoken bond between the men and women that carry their own bags on their back. These golfers prefer to feel the terrain beneath their feet and the chance to experience the golf course as it is intended. They are "ready golfers" and opponents to slow play.They are grateful because they are physically capable of hoofing it for 4.5 hours. There is a sense of pride in the purity of walking 18 holes unassisted. I imagine it similar to the pride of a hunter that pursues his prey with nothing but a bow and arrow.These golfers are so intimate with their clubs that they need their equipment to perform on all levels. I am one of these proud walking golfers. With the new year, I decided to get a new quiver for my sticks to make hunting birdies and eagles more enjoyable. If you're one of these golfers, I'll tell you why you should seriously consider adding the Sun Mountain Mini Bag to your arsenal. I emphasize that this bag is for walkers only! I couldn't find many consumer reviews for this bag and was skeptical when I ordered the black, silver and orange (bay area colors ) bag onlilne. I had the same sense of anxiety that I had the first time I lost my eBay virginity and the anxiety didn't melt until I made my first loop with the bag. I'm usually a bit sore and struggling from exhaustion as I come down the stretch, but after my first loop with SM Mini I was still fresh enough to let the satisfaction of a quality purchase sink in. Out of the box, this bag doesn't seem like much, and at 2.5 pounds it really isn't. Once you put clubs in the bag it all makes sense. Organized neatly, fourteen clubs fit comfortably and can be removed easily. Minimizing haste on the golf course keeps your clubs organized, retrievable, and encourages a level demeanor. My only complaint with the club storage is the "X" design of the club dividers. This causes the long and mid irons to bunch, but is one of the few compromises required. The bag feels like a feather when it's on your back and the straps are comfortable, effective, and resistant to twisting. There's enough room in the four pockets to carry the essentials, yet the ball pocket struggles from a lack of dual zippers. A water bottle pocket is perfectly placed above the ball pocket, easily reachable when carrying the bag. The stand mechanism is sturdy, with easily extendable and fully retractable legs. Overall, this bag is characterized by its efficient, minimal, and intelligent design. It's a no frills bag, but Sun Mountain, as always, brings quality, style, and balance to a hard-to-serve demographic. I played Poppy Hills (in great condition with the arrival of the AT&T ProAm) on Saturday and put the bag through the paces for a full test drive. It worked flawlessly through the hills and it made the front nine very enjoyable. I noticed that such a compact bag holds the clubs closely, turns the volume down on the bag chatter and keeps those forgings from prematurely aging. We made the turn into torrential rain and it stayed that way for the rest of the round. Lucky for me, I brought the matching rain hood and it kept everything dry and playable (Thanks Sun Mountain for making the extra effort to craft some matching hoods instead of just tossing us some black ones. Little things like this make a difference and we notice). Even soaked with rain, this bag remained manageable and light. I was impressed.
I'm not sure why some people need a bag with a zillion pockets and flashy designs. I much prefer the Sun Mountain Mini and I'm gonna love this bag for what it is and not hate it for what it's not. Make compromises to your bag so you won't compromise your game.
Continue reading "Walkers Only!" »
Hello Blogosphere! I noticed some great golf blogging going on today (which I'll get to later) and it inspired me to do some blogging of my own. As you can see, the blogosphere is growing everyday and it is getting increasingly harder to navigate. It seems that many people prefer Technorati or Sphere when they're trying to get around the blogosphere. On a broader note, when our generation is lost or just looking for some direction, we don't stop at the local gas station...we just check our trusty navigation device. Speaking of navigation and golf, device incumbent Garmin has decided to play into our golf market. GolfLogix has joined forces with Garmin to provide the handheld GolfLogix GPS device. Engadget claims that the device will "utilize its proprietary golf software on Garmin's popular eTrex line of GPS receivers." I can see those SkyCaddies shaking in their spikes already. Don't see nothin' wrong with some competition.
The GolfLogix device is water/shock proof for those times you get too close to water hazards or when your scores are shockingly high. Ouch!!! MSRP is $349 and you can get hooked up with unlimited courses for $29.95/year.
If you or your golf game are lost, I hope you find your way.
Here's some glamour shots of the new Titleist 907 D1. Look closely and you'll see the D2 peaking out of the staff bags. Pictures were taken at the this week's Chrysler Championship and tons more information can be found at Golfwrx.com. Love 'em or hate 'em. The monster drivers are on their way. 
 What's causing the biggest buzz on Golfwrx.com right now? Its not the latest prototype driver, iron, or putter but, a bar stool from SelectGolf! These pictures were taken at the 2006 WGC Amex tournament in England. At first, it looks like a seat on top of regular staff bag but, on closer inspection of their site, it actually has legs and foot rests.
No pricing or availability was seen but, it does look like a very nice niche product. The company has offices in the UK and Australia and a fairly good list of professional golfers. No Tiger Woods but, plenty of other fan favorites to choose from! -GX Photo Credits: GolfWRX member jaridyard
 There is a lot of controversey these days about Darwin and evolution. Some people favor creationism while others prefer intelligent design. This debate will never end, but I am certain that golfers will have little to argue when it comes to Accuflex. There is no doubt that the new shaft designs from Accuflex are intelligently designed.
I have recently had the pleasure of putting the Accuflex Evolution shaft and Creation shaft (Tour Only) into play. Both were intelligently assembled by Joe Kwok, the master himeslf. The Evolution shaft is installed in a 9.5 Callaway FT3 at 44.75", 205g, and D3.5. Joe tells me that its unusual to obtain this weight and length combo for this setup. The shaft itself is mid-high kick, 75g, cpm's at 250, and is tip weighted. All of this produces a high and flat ball flight. NanoComposite technology adds strength to the shaft, but results in a slightly harsher feel than Nano-less shafts. At impact, as the shaft releases, I feel more of a smooth, horizontal punch as opposed to a quick kick. The upper half of the shaft, all the way to the butt, is thick and hefty. This is great for our oversized drivers and the heft provides stability, allowing for an agressive swing. Accuflex aesthetics are heavily invested in the color/paint. The irridescent orange is striking in the summer sun. It looks great, but I could use some creative graphics with the creative paint. This shaft feels great and performs well on the course.
Speaking of creation, another Accuflex shaft has been introduced. The Creation shaft is limited to professional golfers and has already found success in its short existence. Like the Evolution, the Creation has a fat butt section that reaches to the center of the shaft. This creates a stable feel throughout the swing, similar to the Evolution. I received the shaft installed in a TaylorMade R7 425.
According to Joe, "I thought it's gonna be a butt-stiff shaft, [but] I was wrong on that one. I think this one had something to do with their pin point [of] the variable bending properties design. They basically can stiffen or soften the shaft area that will maximize the performance and at same time doesn't give up the feel." Since I have had this driver for a limited amount of time and with limited opportunities to put it in play, I'll leave the review to Joe. For his swing speed (108-110) the shaft is perfect. He feels the "ball flight is high enough but never seen a balloon one. Definitely come out hot from the face due to the unload movement of the shafts. The fat butt area make this shaft feel so stable through out the swing. This shaft feels smooth through out the swing and no doubt it has a lot of feel to it." For Joe, the "biggest thing that made me hitting the club better is that this shaft gives me a ton of feel to give me a better consistency on my swing." Hopefully you can get a sense of my excitement through my words. I am by no means a professional golfer or a professional shaft reviewer. I can assertively state that these clubs have performed well for me on the course. Don't take my word for it, the members at Golfwrx have plenty of opinions. Try one on for size and decide for yourself. Create a driver and Evolve your game.
Continue reading "Debate: Intelligent Design" »
The new HD Tivo has been announced at CES and it has got people buzzing. Imagine seeing Tiger's
beads of sweat on his face, the hole out from the sand trap, or Swing Vision in HD anytime and as many times as you want!  Heck, if the TV is big enough, some people will be reading greens for Sergio. Previously, direct High Definition Tivo recording have only been a reality for Satellite customers but, the S3 now has a cable card slot. This means Comcast, Time Warner, etc. users can join in on the fun. And for you sound nuts, the Series 3 Tivo is even THX certified. It's the Golf Fanatics dream come true. With Tivo, a person is no longer a slave to their TV. A person can tape their favorite teams game, golf tournament, or favorite show and then go play 18 when no one else is on the course. So how else does Tivo change your life?
First, you will probably watch more TV but, that's what the fast forward buttons for. Second, fighting for the remote may become a thing of the past. Finally, you may actually find more time to do things around the house. Right Bob? Of course this can be both a good and bad thing. Speaking of bad, here's the cost. Retail price is $799.99 and a monthly fee of $12.95. You can find discounts, from various retailers, for the units and pre-pay plans on Tivo's Web site. Also check out tivo community forums for more info. -GX Photo Credits: ©Tivo
UST is having a tremendous year on all Tours this year. Check out their latest press release for full details. The UST V2 shaft is an affordable shaft that works for all playing levels. OEM acceptance has shown in not only stock offerings but Ping's TFC 909D graphite shaft made by UST. That seems like the First win for the Rapture too! The hybrid V2 is also making some huge in roads on tour and in the aftermarket. UST was cool enough to even screen some shafts for GolfWRX!
Photo Credits: ©USTGolf
 The world of online video is hot. I can't wait to start featuring some of our home-made gourmet videos here on the blog. Until then, check out the Titleist site for a video feature on the new 585.H hybrid (there's some cool musc too). You'll notice that Titleist has Lucas Glover, Aaron Oberholser, Davis Love III, and Steve Mata (tour rep) working overtime. Somebody tell Titleist that Gourmet Golfwrx can handle the golf buzz and that should free up some time for Lucas, Aaron, and Davis to get back to winning golf tournaments  The take-home message from Steve Mata: "traditional looks, easy to get off the groud with a strong flight off the tee."
 Here's another gourmet exclusive. We were first in the blogosphere to blog on Nokia's N93 Golf Edition and now we bring you a viable competitor from Samsung.
If you're as crazy about golf as most Koreans, you should snag one of these SCH-B570's from Samsung. The South Korean electronics company offers an 8GB hard drive-equipped phone that targets hardcore music listeners that play golf. No need for multiple devices. Now you can have your tunes (8GB worth of MP3s!!!), wireless communication, and handy-dandy (much cooler than your golf buddy's) game-improving golf gadget incorporated into one device. You'll have a hard-drive in your pocket and hard drives off the tee.
Thanks to the iPod, we all know the capabilities of the hard-drive enabled MP3 player (I've seen Poulter rockin' his iPod on the range many times). With respect to golf, the mobile device comes equipped with a GPS receiver that provides your distance (yards? meters?) to the green... a la SkyCaddie. The phone also recommends the appropriate club to use from that distance. Imagine the look on Tiger's face when a phone tells him to lay-up because he doesn't have enough club in the bag to reach that 5Par.
For now, the SCH-B570 is offered in Korea and for Korean golf courses. There is no word about plans for North American localization. I imagine that it would be easy for Samsung to offer the golf software on any of their GPS enabled phones and convert the measurements from meters to yards. Koreans, already light-years ahead of everyone else in mobile device technology, will use their technology to keep churning out more vicious LPGAers. They'll do this in style, while listening to the newest download, watching the DMB TV, taking psychological tests, and playing motion-controlled video games on their cell phone. No wonder Korean golfers are so coordinated. The device costs KRW800,000-900,000 ($837-941/£443-499/€654-735). Once again, we shamelessly offer Samsung our services and time to get a chance to test-drive and report on one of these bad boys .
  With Callaway’s blessing, iron/wood and metal/composite are wedded in holy matrimony, bringing strength to the FT3 family. You may assume all of the feature mixing compromises the club’s identity, but it possesses a definite sense of purpose. In an overpopulated hybrid market, filled with impersonators, I welcome the originality of the FT3.
This FT3 hybrid is attached to an 85-gram Graphite Design YS-hybrid shaft. This set-up provides some heft and gives the swinger confidence to make an aggressive strike. Combined with the weight advantages of the composite crown, the FT3 produces a straight, casual, parabolic flight that lands gently 225 yards away. This is a go-to club for par 5’s and long par 3’s.
Continue reading "Hybridification Of The Hybrid" »
Attention Blogosphere: Taylor Made releases their new TPRed and TPBlack golf balls to the public today! Gourmet Golfwrx got theirs (a gift from the ball fairy) yesterday and will put them into play tomorrow. The SandTrap.com got theirs back in April. Rats, foiled again!
 Taylor Made has spent the past 3.5 years designing these balls. Apparently all of the time was spent under the urethene cover because the graphics on the ball are similar to their previous model (yawn). I've always questioned TM's aesthetic and I think the TP logo could have been successful here. Instead, we are left with a bland looking ball that lacks the distinct style of the Americanish Titleist or Japanesish Bridgestone.
Looks aren't the most important thing. To boost performance, TM employs an ultra-thin thermoset urethene cover that has an advanced pentangular di-pyramid dimple design. This is supposed to increase lift while maintaining a flat trajectory. The core of the ball is made of NdV4 rubber and is covered by an ionomer mantle layer. The TPRed has a larger core and thinner mantle to maintain a low spin-rate and lower launch angle with a softer sound and feel. The TPBlack has a smaller core and thicker mantle for a higher launch angle and lower spin. The most important thing is that the TP balls stand alone, and are not a rebranded Maxfli ball. Thank you TM for the R&D. Professional golfers using the TPRed include Sergio Garcia, Hale Irwin, and Chris Perry. Justin Rose and J.L. Lewis use the TPBlack. Keep the bag fresh and pick up some of these. Toss your opinions in the "comment" section. If you're the type of golfer that needs "word of mouth" (WOM) validation, Golfwrx.com always has the most trusted opinions. Check 'em out.
 Golf transportation is not to be outpaced by the rapid improvements in golf club technology. The Segway Golf Transporter (GT) is the newest way to navigate a golf course. This is definitely gourmet.
The GT has a golf bag carrier and a speed of 12.5 mph. A speedy round with no walking will let us all play 36 holes in record time. In addition, the GT is zero emissions and extremely energy efficient. What a beautiful segue to Gourmet Golfwrx's thoughts on organic golf. Rival golfers will no longer need to share a cart or carpool to the other golfer's ball. Personally, being whipped around by someone's poor cart-driving skills is bad for my golf game. I think the GT and individual transportation is a great idea. Don't take my word for it. The Washington Post thinks so too. Gourmet Golfwrx will provide a full review as soon as Segway puts some wheels under us.
 I tore open the long, slender box and the 15 degrees of X-Tour metal, attached to a stiff 26.3 Tour Platform from Fujikura, was no longer a hidden treasure. You golf ho’s gotta get a taste of this. Out of the box, this club brought back memories of my days of stand-less bags, short tees, and stainless steel heads. It’s an updated old-school design, reckoning the heritage of the original warbird. I have a warm spot in my heart for old-school/updated designs. I felt a sense of familiarity with the X-tour. It’s like we had met before in another life and I couldn’t wait to get reacquainted with her. I had a feeling that we would pick up where we left off.
Continue reading "X Marks the Spot" »
I was very excited to receive shipment of my X-Tour wedges. The 52, 56, and 60 degree wedges went into my bag immediately and they have been performing on all levels ever since. These wedges are hot. They hang their heads from the top of my bag, telling me to “hit it…you know you wanna hit it.” Other golfers can’t help but stare, and that’s always cool. When reaching for a wedge, the bold graphics and numbers make each wedge easily identifiable. The wedges are sexy (almost as sexy as me in a green blazer) and a huge improvement from the previous forged offering. Tight is a good way to describe the X-Tours. These wedges have a tight, more angular, and traditional profile compared to the previous saucer shaped wedges. Although a minimal bulge on the top line is a slight distraction, the view at address is clean. They sit tight to the turf and are ready to go to work; no fidgeting with the bounce is needed. Weight is satisfactory and impact is nice and punchy. And the end result….? You’ll get a shot that sits tight to the pin. These Mac Daddy grooves will make your ball jump….jump….and stop! Our big brother, Golfwrx, has a more technical review and comments if you’re interested.
Continue reading "Tight. Just the way I like it." »
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