Tag: Golf Digest

5 Trends To Watch In 2015
A new year is upon us, and in the golf world that means one thing – The annual PGA Merchandise Show is right around the corner. Held in Orlando, Florida every year, the show brings together thousands of golf industry insiders, manufacturers, professionals and buyers to share ideas, display new technology and conduct business. The state of the golf industry as a whole is usually a hot topic at the show, and this year will be no exception. Here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on for 2015.
- Performance Analysis and Game-Tracking Technology – It started a few years ago but now this new segment of the golf market has taken off. Advancements in GPS, accelerometers, bluetooth and smart phone technology has allowed developers to bring dozens of new game tracking devices to market. One of the best I’ve used is GAME GOLF. Using sensors on each club and GPS to track your location, this little device gives you all kinds of stats about your game and helps identify points of weakness. It also has a cool social media angle to it that allows you to share your results with friends. Another is Arccos Golf, which uses bluetooth sensors on the clubs to give you real-time information about your swing. Expect more advancements and new products in this category for 2015.
- The Death of Anchored Putters – As the 2016 ban on anchored putting approaches, professional golfers all over the world will have to abandon the long putter. More specifically, they’ll have to abandon the anchored putting method many of them have used for years. Some may switch to a conventional putter, others may try the arm-lock method Matt Kuchar made famous, and still more may move to counter-balanced putters, which were born out of the anchoring ban. You can expect to see products that allow you to convert conventional putters to arm-lock models and more counter-balanced options. As an opponent of the anchoring ban, I think many recreational golfers will simply ignore the rule and continue to play golf with their long putters rather than deal with back issues and yipped putts.
- How to Grow Golf – In years past we’ve seen various industry initiatives come about that proposed changes to the game to increase participation and keep players interested in golf. A couple of years ago the PGA of America announced Golf 2.0. They paraded Jack Nicklaus out to be their spokesman and talked about programs like “Get Golf Ready” and “Play Golf America”, but consumers weren’t listening. Last year we saw a rebranding of Golf 2.0 called Hack Golf. Led by Taylor Made Golf CEO Mark King, they threw out ideas to grow golf and increase participation. A year later, these initiatives have mostly failed to attract new players to the game, but they did spawn a couple of abominations like Foot Golf (Imagine slipping on some knickers, which are mandatory to wear for tournaments and kicking a soccer ball around a golf course) and WhipGolf, which has players throw the ball around the course with some sort of apparatus on your arm. While some suggestions the group had were interesting, (like mixing things up occasionally with 8 to 15-inch cups instead of the standard 4 1/4″ hole size) most of their ideas never had a chance. More importantly, the Hack Golf movement lost their champion. Mark King left Taylor Made Golf in the wake of massive layoffs and restructuring to become the head of adidas North America, and basically left Hack Golf adrift in a vast ocean of apathy. Personally, I don’t think anything is wrong with golf, and it doesn’t need to grow. The ongoing contraction in the sales of equipment, number of courses and people playing the game makes sense, given the unsustainable growth golf experienced in the last 20 years and guerilla marketing employed by golf companies to sell drivers.
- Decline of Golf Media – There’s no stopping the media juggernaut these days. We live in the age of social media, 24/7 cable “infotainment” and TMZ. In my opinion the influence of modern media has had a very negative impact on golf. I’ve spoken about this subject before, and I don’t see things getting better very soon. Traditional golf publications like Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golf Channel have lost their way in search of eyeballs and page views to drive advertising revenue and stay profitable. These outlets seem to have eschewed golf instruction and real journalism for paid advertorials and “fitness” articles showcasing ladies in tight yoga pants. Perhaps they forgot that women play golf too, and they don’t care to see women objectified all over their pages and social media channels? I’ve ended my subscriptions to Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, and can barely watch the Golf Channel since NBC Universal took over. Maybe one day they’ll figure out that golf instruction shows don’t need to feature a woman making swings in a shirt that is a couple sizes too small for her. And don’t even get me started on the Back9Network – the TLC of golf programming. Sadly, this “Sex sells, and when all else fails, talk about Tiger” approach will probably continue in 2015. Even some golf bloggers aren’t immune to this overload of sex in golf in search of web traffic. Thankfully, Golfweek is still around and actually still covers golf.
- New Equipment – 2015 promises every golfer at least two things when it comes to equipment. More distance!! More Accuracy!! Ok, now that we got the message from the marketing department of every single golf manufacturer, we can focus on the real news. If you bought your current driver in the last 2 years, that shiny new Taylor Made R15, Callaway Big Bertha Alpha, Titleist 915D2 or Ping G30 driver probably won’t give you more distance or accuracy. Sorry to burst your bubble, but hey – I just saved you $400! Actually, I just got the Ping G30 and think it’s the best driver I’ve hit in years, but that’s a story for another day. There will be the usual assortment of new drivers, woods, irons and wedges in 2015, but what I’m really looking forward to is the rebirth of the Ben Hogan Golf Company led by the very capable guidance of Terry Koehler and the new company from GoDaddy founder Jim Parsons, called Parsons Extreme Golf. Mr Koehler is the brain behind the most versatile and best performing wedges I’ve ever owned, and he’s bringing his considerable talents to the Ben Hogan Company to resurrect this great brand. I don’t have any idea about how much Jim Parsons knows about golf, but I know he’s a marketing genius and is no stranger to the “sex sells” approach with his over the top GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercials, so we’ll wait and see what his new ultra-premium golf clubs look like with great anticipation. I hope they live up to the hype, but given my history in golf over the last 25 years I’m not holding my breath.
January 12, 2015
A Day At Black Diamond Ranch

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When contemplating some of the greatest holes in golf, we usually think about holes like #16 at Cypress Point, The Road Hole at St Andrews, the Postage Stamp at Troon, #12 at Augusta National, #17 at TPC Sawgrass and many others. No matter what order you put them in, the greatest holes in golf are considered great because they are visually stunning, offer superb shot values, present risk and reward, and have stood the test of time.

But which course has the best stretch of holes? One thinks immediately of Amen Corner at Augusta National, which is comprised of holes 11-13 on the back nine. What about holes 16-18 at TPC Sawgrass, where the Players Championship is often won or lost on Sunday? Colonial’s Horrible Horseshoe is one of the toughest three-hole stretches on the PGA Tour, along with Quail Hollow’s Green Mile and PGA National’s Bear Trap. All of those are great, but I recently played what I would argue is the best 5-hole stretch of golf in the United States at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, FL.

The Quarry Course at Black Diamond Ranch is named for the 5 spectacular holes that were routed in and around 2 abandoned limestone quarries. Tom Fazio expertly designed the quarry holes to take advantage of the extreme topology of the area, with sheer drops and dramatic carries. The result was a stunning set of holes that will leave a golfer breathless and wanting more. Of course, I’m not the only one who likes the Quarry Course so much. Golf Digest has recognized it as one of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses for 19 consecutive years.

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The 5 hole stretch of quarry holes from 13-17 is fantastic, but the other 13 holes on the 7062 yard Quarry Course are not to be overlooked. The course is a stern test of modern golf, but is very playable for all levels. While playing the course, it actually felt like the quarry holes snuck up on me. It’s a fantastic course for the first 12 holes and demands your full attention, but as you stand on the thirteenth tee looking at the 100 foot drop into the quarry it becomes evident why this course blows people away. Tom Fazio is a master at creating visually stunning layouts that complement the natural beauty of the landscape. His designs reward good shots while punishing poor ones. For this reason, he was the perfect choice to design not only the Quarry Course, but all 45 holes in the 1,340 acre private community near Florida’s Nature Coast.

Black Diamond’s other golf courses include the 18 hole Ranch course, which measures 6985 yards from the longest tees. Along with the Quarry, the Ranch course recently hosted the 2011 Florida Open. I have to admit - Playing the Ranch course in the afternoon after a go around the Quarry in the morning was a bit of a letdown. This is misleading of course, because the Ranch course on its own is fantastic, and it would certainly be the crown jewel of many other communities or resorts. The Ranch course may be second fiddle to the Quarry in critics’ eyes, but it remains a favorite with the members. The Ranch course is framed by hammocks of live oaks and tawny colored sand, and is sometimes compared to Pine Valley. Course designer Tom Fazio once said that the Ranch’s final three holes “represent the three best finishing holes I’ve ever designed.” The Ranch course can also be combined with the Highlands nine-hole course, offering a total of four separate eighteen-hole configurations. The Highlands course measures 3470 from the black tees and boasts views of up to 25 miles overlooking Citrus County. [caption id="attachment_3205" align="alignleft" width="300"] Click Photo to Zoom[/caption] Homeowners at Black Diamond Ranch also have unlimited access to the neat little four hole Diamond Dunes executive course, which is hidden in the Carnoustie Village neighborhood. It’s an added bonus for the members, who take advantage by bringing out family and friends for a fun time. The club also enjoys a complete practice area, which includes a large practice range, chipping green, two large putting greens and four other maintained greens for short game practice. The amenities are rounded out by a 28,000 square foot clubhouse, fully equipped fitness facility complete with professional personal trainers, green-clay tennis courts and a pool. One of the big factors that often makes or breaks a private country club is the staff who interact directly with the members. At Black Diamond, members and guests are greeted with smiles and friendly faces, and everyone was very helpful and understanding. The outside staff is well organized and the area around the clubhouse is kept neat and tidy, and the pro shop is well stocked and professionally staffed. Riding around the golf courses, one can hardly tell that Black Diamond is a vibrant residential golf community. Home sites are set back from the course with plenty of vegetation providing privacy, and the homes don’t come in play at all. Homeowners get golf course views without golf balls in their back yards. Black Diamond Real Estate offers custom-built homes ranging from the mid $300s to over $1 million, and membership at the club is quite exclusive. [caption id="attachment_3206" align="alignright" width="300"] Click Photo to Zoom[/caption] With kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving and world class fishing just minutes away in the Gulf of Mexico and Homosassa River, and with cities like Tampa, Orlando, Ocala and Gainesville a short drive away, it’s no wonder Black Diamond Ranch and its 45 holes of top-notch golf is among the top residential golf communities in America. Black Diamond Ranch is located 30 minutes from Ocala in Lecanto, FL. The community is free from big city traffic, noise and congestion but still close to shopping, attractions and services. Located less than 15 minutes to the Gulf of Mexico, just over an hour from Tampa and Orlando, 30 minutes from Ocala and one hour from Gainesville, Black Diamond Ranch feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere but it really isn’t. It’s a perfect blend of quiet country living mixed with modern amenities and big city convenience. For more information about Black Diamond Ranch membership or real estate opportunities, contact Black Diamond Realty at 800-328-8099. The membership director can be reached at 352-746-7400. Black Diamond Ranch also has stay & play packages available on a limited basis, which includes three days, two nights accommodations and two rounds of golf on the Quarry and Ranch courses. The list of golf communities that can boast 45 perfectly maintained holes of breathtaking championship golf and all the other amenities I described above is a short one, and Black Diamond Ranch is right at the top of my list. Being an exclusive private community and managed by Escalante Golf, the members are assured that it will remain one of the best golf communities in the world for years to come.
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July 27, 2011
2011 Golf Digest Golf Ball Hot List – Behind The Scenes

The May 2011 issue of Golf Digest has hit the shelves at your local news stand, and it’s one of the most anticipated of the year. The Hot List issues are always in high demand, and the Golf Ball Hot List is no exception. Every year the editors at Golf Digest get together and test golf balls. Lots and lots of golf balls. Using a combination of machine testing and real life play testers, they find the best golf balls and hand out their gold medal picks in the magazine. Here’s a behind the scenes look at how the process works.

This year I was fortunate enough to take part in Golf Digest’s Hot List golf ball testing at Reunion Resort in Orlando Florida just after the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show. Golf Digest enlisted the services of about 20 testers with handicaps ranging from +1 to 10 or so. After a brief warmup on the driving range we broke up into pairs, each with a Golf Digest editor in tow. Each golf cart of two players is followed by a cart with an editor that observes, takes notes and asks questions of the players in an effort to gather as much information as possible. My friend Lindsay and I went out first on the Arnold Palmer Legacy course with editor Michael Johnson, who is Senior Editor of equipment for GolfWorld.

In order to make the testing as objective as possible, all the golf balls being tested were disguised using black markers. All the markings on the cover of all golf balls were blacked out so as to be almost indistinguishable from each other, and they all had numbers painted on to tell them apart. Obviously we were not told what brand or model golf ball we were hitting, which is mostly done to avoid subjective results from testers who may have a brand preference or may be influenced by manufacturer marketing efforts. For example, most low handicap players would not give a low-cost distance ball a fair shake over a “players” ball with high spin and soft cover, but this way every player gives every ball a chance to be a winner.

Because human golfers don't have the ability to create a perfect impact condition every time, Golf Digest uses robot testing to get data for driver hits with each golf ball. The use of a robot provides consistent contact, spin rates and ball speeds. While feel is a very important factor in golf ball performance, for the purpose of the golf ball hot list the human testers don't hit tee shots during the ball testing for the reason I just stated, and also so that we don't run out of golf balls via wayward drives! Instead, we proceed past the tee box and down the fairway to hit iron and wedge shots on every hole. For the first three holes we were assigned two different golf balls to test. We each received 3 of each ball for a total of 12 golf balls between the two of us. Starting at about 160 yards in the fairway, we alternated hitting iron shots to the green. I found the best method was to hit all three of one brand to get a better idea of the feel and ball flight. I hit all three of mine, followed by Lindsay hitting 3, and back to me until all the balls were on or around the green. All I knew about the golf balls was that they were white and round. I had no idea what brand, model or type of golf ball I was hitting. Our editor Mike was watching and taking notes as we hit iron shots, observing the ball flight and listening to our comments about the feel, ball flight and overall impressions. Once we arrived at the green we collected our assigned golf balls and proceeded to hit chips and putts for a little while and then moved on to the next hole. We played 3 holes from the fairway in, varying the distance of our approach shots on each hole from 200 yards to inside 80 yards. The distance we hit from didn't matter so much, but the goal was to hit mid iron, short iron and wedge shots with each golf ball. After playing three holes with two different golf balls and hitting 60+ shots from irons to wedges, chips and putts with each ball, we gave Mike our final comments on the balls and rated them from 1 to 5 on playability, feel, spin and overall performance. We then moved on to the next 3 hole stretch and were assigned two new golf balls to test. We continued switching every three holes until we finished 18 holes. In all, each player tested 12 different golf balls, hitting somewhere between 300 and 400 shots. We repeated this process the next day also, and I figure I hit close to 1000 golf balls in the two days, between warm ups on the range and testing. I preferred hit a few more chips and putts around the greens to get a better idea of a ball's overall performance. The Golf Digest editors had quite a large task in testing all these golf balls. It must have taken a lot of time to mark every single ball, organize them into bunches and then collect the data from each play tester. Compiling all that data into metrics and information readers can use to make informed decisions isn't easy. Having been a part of the testing, I can say with confidence that the golf balls that earned Golf Digest's gold medals are the real deal. The testing methods used are about as thorough as you can be to test the vast number of golf balls they had in a reasonable amount of time. I learned a lot from the ball testing. I had a chance to hit some golf balls I never would have given a second look to before, and I also learned that golf ball technology has started to blur the line between your cheap, durable golf balls and the soft, spinny player's golf ball. We are starting to see cheaper golf balls that spin, and spin balls that go a mile. Gone are the days of delicate, wound balata covered balls that felt like marshmallows, but these days there is a good chance that if you keep it in play, you can play 36 holes with the same ball. In the past, you had basically two choices - A balata ball that lasted 9 holes, or a surlyn covered rock that didn't offer any spin or feel. Today, with multi-layer construction and advanced manufacturing techniques it is possible to be fit for a golf ball that does it all. My current golf ball of choice has a perfect blend of feel, spin, distance and durability, and I could never get that in a ball 10 years ago. Swing by your local news stand or book store and pick up the 2011 Golf Digest Golf Ball Hot List issue and see what golf ball is right for you. With several companies now performing ball fitting, it's even easier to get the right formula for your game. With all the different models and brands available, it's nice to have a comparison test like the one Golf Digest performs to give us some way of narrowing down the field!
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April 17, 2011
15″ Wide Hole – What Would You Shoot?

Photo by Dom Furore

If the hole was fifteen inches wide, what would you shoot? Ten strokes better? Twenty? Well, some lucky folks got to find out recently and the results were pretty surprising. Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde dreamed up the event called the WIDE Open after hearing some comments about how making the hole bigger would make the game more fun. Held at one of my favorite courses in America – Pine Needles Lodge & GC in Southern Pines, NC – The event drew about 60 golfers of all handicap ranges. The event replaced the standard 4.25 inch wide holes with cups that measured 15 inches wide. That’s almost 4 times the size of a regular hole, for you mathematically challenged out there.So, how did everyone do? There was no word on how long they played the course, but we’ll assume the regular men’s tee and women’s tees were used, making the course play about 6000 yards for the men and 5000 for the ladies. The gross division was won by Steven Hahn, who shot a six-under 65. In the net division, 11 handicap David Sidden shot a 68 for a net 57! Several prizes were given out for the longest putt made (60 Feet), the fewest putts (15), and the most shots holed from off the green (four). The lowest score of the day was actually posted by an employee of the club, who could not be in the tournament. A plus-1 handicap, he shot 58 with four chip-ins! Because he works for the resort, his score didn’t count for the tournament or prizes.

The super large hole was popular to say the least. Scores went way down, nearly all the groups got around the course under four hours and most players left the flag in while putting, since the flag couldn’t interfere with the ball rolling in the hole. The gross division winner Hahn said he didn’t remember ever having laughed so much during a round of golf. Even though the prospect of shooting a crazy low score is attractive, many of the participants said they wouldn’t want to play that way every time.

This event proves just how important the short game is to your overall scores. Making it easy to putt and chip with a large hole allowed an 11 handicap golfer to shoot a 3 under par 68 on the par 71 layout. I’m speculating here, but most 11 handicap golfers shoot scores in the mid eighties. By the same token, a plus-1 handicap who shoots scores around par most of the time was able to shoot 14-under! Clearly a 15 inch wide hole has a huge impact on scoring. Just imagine what a PGA Tour player would be able to do on a course setup like that!

The WIDE Open will be covered in the June issue of Golf Digest. Make sure to check out Golf Digest’s new iPad app as well, they have just published an all-digital edition of the April issue for it, and we’ll be reviewing it very soon.

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March 14, 2011