Course Keeper

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews

The Course Keeper is an extendable golf rake and ball retriever for those who would rather buy their own $60 rake then have to search around for one on the course.

Better than a regular old rake?

Funny you should ask that question. The Course Keeper extends to nine feet long for raking without having to step into the bunker. It also has ball scooper holes on the ends to use the unit as a ball retriever. A UV protected nylon cover protects the head, which folds for storage and transport. The nylon cover includes a ball marker, divot tool and extra tees. A cart bracket can mount the unit to a golf cart.

I think it is funny that my cover for my own personal $60 rake is UV protected, yet I seldom wear sunscreen. 🙂

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Cross Sight golf alignment aid

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews

I go through periods of time when I have no idea where to put the ball in my stance, and where my ball actually is. Doubts come in to my confidence and I play bad golf. This happens 2-3 times a hear. It is strange to say the least, having no idea if my ball position is right.

With the Cross Sight golf stance alignment tool (above)I can work on my alignment and ball position. The Cross Sight is a small and lightweight, weighing in at only five ounces. It folds nicely to store in your golf bag.

Mats or grass

The unit can be secured to grass through holes on the ends of the unit with golf tees. If you’re on a driving range with mats, the included mat pins allow securing there.

Adjustable

The centering of the ball alignment can be moved forward and back, as well as in to out.

Critiques

This alignment tool is available for $68 on Amazon. That’s considerably high price in my opinion. I’d price a golf gadget like this around $15-20. For $68 bucks I might be more inclined to lay some clubs and/or tees down on the ground to check my positions.

Suggestion

Currently the cross sight works only at a 90 degree angle. It would be cool if the bar which aligns your feet could be adjusted for open or closed stances, leaving the ball position bar where it is. I do realize you could just adjust your feet but I still think this would be an easy to implement feature which would help visually for learning how to “work” shots.

Sherpa Man and his Sherpa Chair

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Miscellaneous • Reviews

This past summer I had a terrific time hiking in Arches National Park. I was playing host and tour guide to four very fun ladies. Over the course of that weekend the ladies affectionately started calling me “Sherpa Man.” Little did I know that a couple of months later I’d have my own “Sherpa Chair!”

Sherpa Chair

You’re at The Masters, a PGA Tour event, a kid’s soccer game or some other event where you need to sit for a while, then move around. It is very inconvenient to have to carry a standard folding chair, and if you’re at a long event all day having no chair is even worse.

The Sherpa Chair is the solution. The Sherpa Chair is a high quality folding chair with backpack straps. While walking around the very light chair is on your back. When you find the perfect spot, like say behind the 12th green at Augusta National, you can set up the chair in seconds.

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Handy Caddy

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Handy Caddy

Here’s a golf accessory for keeping your clubs dry or just having convenient access to them while practicing. I suppose if you have a club losing problem, this may help too.

The “Handy Caddy” sticks into the ground with the forked end and provides an oval ring on the top which holds your clubs (see pictures).

The Handy Caddy can slip into your golf bag when playing or moving your clubs around, just make sure you have the oval ring outside or it may make accessing other clubs a little troublesome.

Other uses

Other uses listed on the Handy Caddy web site include supporting baseball hats, fishing rods (good idea) and other sports gear. I think I may give my extra one to my lady for her garden to help out the tomatoes!

Divot tool too

I do like the fact that a player could use the forks in the bottom of the unit to fix ball marks. Let’s just get a bunch of these in the hands of club marshals and have them fix a zillion ball marks without having to bend over.

Critiques

It may be a tough go for Handy Caddy because there are many other companies who have products similar. I’ve even reviewed a few of them. Those links are below.

Being a “golf web geek” I have to comment on the Handy Caddy web site. It needs some redesign work. And the site definitely needs more (and higher quality) product photos!

Related links

Handy Caddy web site

HOG Handy Caddy Photos

Columbia Match Play Golf Parka – Hard to review rain gear when you live in a desert

Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, November 16th, 2009
Categories: Golf Apparel • Reviews
Tags: Columbia Sportswear • Golf Rain Gear

To prevent rain, bring your rain gear… (or live in Salt Lake)

I’ve had a couple of really awesome pieces of rain gear from Columbia Sportswear tucked in my golf bag just waiting to be worn. The problem is that here in Salt Lake we’re in a desert. Yes we’re associated with “the greatest snow on earth (thanks to my uncle for coining that phrase by the way), but down here in the valley it hasn’t rained for months. The old golf adage has reigned true: “The best way to prevent rain while golfing is bring your rain gear.” I guess I should have had Columbia send me a snow suit too. That way maybe there wouldn’t be snow on the ground right now and I’d be golfing.

I used my new Columbia Sportswear “Match Play” shell this last month or so as a wind breaker though. This piece is so comfortable. Even though it is waterproof, the fabric is so soft I catch myself rubbing the sleeves going “ooooohhhh.” For fun I spilled a water on myself to see how waterproof it was. Sure enough the water beaded up perfectly and none got through. The water just rolled off the jacket like little marbles.

Looks

For a plain old black jacket this thing is good looking. How an apparel designer can make one black item look better than another is beyond my brain’s capacity, but they did it. Must have something to do with the stitching… 🙂

I can swing a club with it on!

One reason I hate wearing too many layers and/or long sleeves, is the restriction I feel during my golf swing. I’m happy to say that I didn’t feel any restriction with the Columbia Match Play shell on. My hack “granny over the top cross the line steep epileptic seizure on crack” swing is free to do what it wants to!

Nice touches

There are some nice little touches in the Match Play shell:

1. Velcro on the sleeves to tighten them up. This is nice to keep the rain out, or keep the sleeve from creeping down too far over your hand. That really helped with my putting, keeping the sleeve out of the way.

2. The waist tie is very nice to tighten up the waist and keep the rain and wind out. Nothing worse than a cold or cold & wet draft.

3. Vented pockets. You put your tees and divot tool in your pocket and they often have dirt on them. The vents keep you “fresh” (so to speak) and they also allow dirt and debris to fall back to where it came from (provided the waist tie isn’t too tight, haha).

Availability

This unit is coming out soon. You can’t really find it on Columbia’s web site, but you will soon. Oh and it is a mere $23 retail! What a deal! Never mind. Typo! Didn’t mean to get you too excited.

Related links

HOG Columbia Sportswear image gallery

Columbia Sportswear’s web site

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