Tattoo Golf PitchMaster Divot Tool Review

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: divot tool • PitchMaster • Tattoo Golf

Tattoo Golf is one of my all time favorite golf companies. Anyone who can mix skulls and cross bones with golf is cool in my book.

Tattoo Golf Pitchmaster

Tattoo Golf does it again. TG has a huge product line of hard edged golf items from shirts to golf bags. Now we can add one of the manliest ball repair tools known to man to the TG product line.

The Tattoo Golf PitchMaster is made out of stainless steel, so it won’t rust. The blades are retractable and there’s a magnetic ball marker on the back. Of course, all of the components sport the trademark “skull and golf bones.”

Features:

Small, perfectly formed and it fits in your pocket, the PitchMaster Divot Tool features are quality crafted to be durable and easy to use so you can repair pitch marks with minimum effort and get the most out of your game on the green.
Makes Pitch Repair Quick & Easy
Fully Retractable Fold Away Blades
Superb Quality & Rust Proof Stainless Steel
Lifetime Guarantee

Critiques

I’ve loaned this unit to a couple of pals to get their opinions. Both said this was a bit heavy and that they wouldn’t want it in their pockets. Personally, the weight doesn’t bother me. I just told my pals that my wallet, with all the cash in it, counter balanced the divot tool.

On the course

The fact that the blades are retractable is great. Many times I’ve poked myself in the groin or close due to a divot tool pointing the wrong way in my pocket. This won’t happen with the PitchMaster.

The thick forks really make a big difference and make it much easier to fix my ball marks, of which I hope there are many (meaning I didn’t miss the green).

The TG ball marker is a bonus addition which comes in handy.

Conclusion

It is hard to write an extended review on a divot tool, but this unit is great and I strongly recommend it! For $14.99 you’ll get a very strong and durable divot tool which is most definitely cooler than any other out there.

Tis Tasty really Tis Tasty

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Categories: Golf Lifestyle • Life • Miscellaneous • Reviews
Tags: Tis Tasty

I love my new “Lifestyle” section here, because it opens up a whole world of possibilities as far as subject matter. Golfers eat food, drink wine, get massages and travel to play golf.

One thing a golfer really needs is tasty garlic dill pickle spears and bread ‘n butter pickles. They’re a sure way to shave strokes off your game, or at least cure a bit of hunger you have when you get home from the course and dinner is a few hours away.

Thankfully ‘Tis Tasty makes both of those products as well as everything from jams to salad dressings! What a coincidence.

I’ve now polished off my bottles of Tis Tasty Old Fashioned Bread ‘N Butter Pickles and Hot Garlic Dill Pickle Spears. Polished off is too light of a term for what I did. I inhaled them. Let me tell you, they were very tasty.

The Bread ‘N Butter Pickles were very yummy and buttery tasting. The Hot Garlic Dill Pickle Spears were nice and spicy, but not so hot that the heat drowned out the garlic and pickle’s flavor.

About Tis Tasty

Tis Tasty is based in Oregon and makes these products in an all natural fashion, with no additives. I’m skeptical of “natural” foods. Usually “natural” or “organic” means no flavor or no fun. Not the case with Tis Tasty’s offerings.

The Byron Preview, Part 3 – The Location

Written by: 4Checker - Golfer In Kilt | Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Categories: Golf Courses • PGA Tour
Tags: Byron Nelson

For most major golf tournaments, the period immediately after the tournament is spent de-briefing, discussing what worked and what didn’t work, and then laying pretty low for several months before it’s time to start working on next year’s event. Two years ago, right after The Byron, it was a very different scene as bulldozers invaded the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and went where golf carts had been only days before as a massive reconstruction commenced.

COURSE HISTORY

The course was created in 1982 by Jay Morrish, with assistance from Lord Byron himself as well as Ben Crenshaw and others. The quality of the accommodations and Byron Nelson’s presence were always big draws, but the course’s most outstanding features were it’s logistical qualities rather than the way it played.

In the 90s the course underwent three phases of improvements. The first two were relatively minor, but in 1999 over a hundred trees were added.

The 2007 redesign cost over $10 million, and was led by DA Weibring’s design company with DFW native Steve Wolfard as the lead architect. DA had also participated in some of the earlier improvement work. The project included behind the scenes irrigation and water management work as well as a complete rebuild of most bunkers and greens. It also softened some of the stadium mounds to make the course more aesthetically pleasing.

“We respect this golf course’s history and embrace it’s future.” DA Weibring said in 2007. “Everything we suggest in our project plan is designed to build a course that Byron Nelson would be proud to play his tournament on in 2008 and for the foreseeable future.”

For the championship the course plays at 7,166 yards to a par of 70.

PAST TOURNAMENTS

The first three players to win the Dallas PGA event were Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan, and the tournament has showcased the very biggest names in the sport over the past 65 years. Jack won two Byron’s in the early 70s, and Tom Watson won four in six years at the end of the decade. The 80s and 90s tournament winners includes Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Payne Stewart, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. In this decade some of the champions were Jesper Parnevik, Vijay Singh, and Sergio Garcia. Last year’s tournament was won by Adam Scott.

SIGNATURE HOLES

The third hole is the sternest test against par, and played at 4.396 in 2008. It’s a challenging 528 yard par 4 with water all along the right side and two fairway bunkers strategically placed at between 265 and 350 yards from the tee. A triangular green offers many challenging hole placements.

The eleventh hole is a short par 4 at 323. Historically the water in front of the green has prevented most players from going for the green, but as part of the redesign the green was moved further from the water in order to introduce more risk-reward analysis into the players’ strategy. There are dual black tees on the hole, one on the same side of the water as the green and one on the opposite side.

Most of the crowds and most of the noise will be around the 17:th green (see picture). This 198 yard par 3 is the “Party Hole”, but offers a much more significant challenge than the similarly named hole in Phoenix. Water was added in front of the green due to DA Weibring’s 1993 redesign, and in 2008 it was the third most difficult hole on the course at an average of 3.227.

Hole 17 - Party Hole

THE RESORT

The Las Colinas property is everything one would expect from a Four Seasons resort, and much much more. The pool area is very elaborate, with semi-private alcoves squirreled away between the landscaping and vegetation. The spa offers sauna, massages, steam bath, hot tub, and a cold plunge, and the sports club is consistently rated as one of the top in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

If you want to venture out of the hotel for some reason I highly recommend Cool River, which combines a premier steak house with a great looking bar. Legend has it Cool River was one of the stops for the Stanley Cup trophy on it’s journey through Dallas’ nightlife after the Stars’ victory in 1999.

The facility is conveniently located 10 minutes from DFW airport and less than 30 minutes from downtown Dallas, but once you’re on the property it maintains a truly relaxed resort athmosphere. If you enjoy the occasional urban escape you can’t beat it.

I’ve lost my swing, my putting stroke and my mental strength. Anybody know where they are?

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Categories: Hackers • Life

I think I’ve done it. I lost my swing. I’ve felt this coming on for a few rounds now. I’ve been hitting shots which are not solid and I’m not able to concentrate at all.

Today I actually sh***ed not only one, but almost 10 shots. Until last week I hadn’t hit one of those horizontally challenged shots since around 2004. Today all I could do was laugh because no matter what I tried I kept doing it. Last time I had the sh**ks it took me going to my pro to solve it after hitting bucket after bucket of them for three days.

This score tied my highest round of the year and I really had no clue how to swing a club. It seems like it is slipping away for some reason.

I’m going to try and chalk this up to the fatigue of my big trip this week and to playing a bit too much. But I wonder…

Golf and life. Sometimes they get in each other’s way.

I’m discouraged about my game and I think the game is reflecting some changes in my personal life recently. I’m much more emotional now when I’m golfing, compared to being more even keel or should I say, even robotic. If I hit a great shot I’m very excited and I’m very mad and frustrated when I it a poor shot. The poor shots are sticking with me more and sometimes I want to throw a tantrum like a little baby. Fortunately that hasn’t happened yet. Higher highs, lower lows.

I think happenings in my non golf world have brought my emotions to the surface now, rather than having them buried deep under many layers of callus.

Different physically?

I’m also wondering about my physical body. I think back 3-4 years ago, when I weighed 56 pounds more than I do now. I played much better and more consistent golf. I also drove the golf ball much farther because I was shifting my weight into the ball.

I’ve dropped 20 pounds over the last couple of months and I think it has changed my swing. The good thing is that I’m more flexible and I generally feel better physically. My back isn’t stiff and I’m in better shape.

Could my increased flexiblity be contributing to my shots being more wild and erratic?

Sounds to me like I’m saying I was a better golfer when I was unemotional and fat. That may be the case, but I’m not going back to that state so I guess I’d better work it out.

Commentary from the mud bath at Ojo Caliente

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Categories: Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • Golf Videos • Life • Travel
Tags: Ojo Caliente

Greetings from the Albuquerque Airport… pardon me… “Sunport.” I have just enough time before my flight to post a little video nugget from my trip to Black Mesa this week. Below is a clip from the resort/spa I stayed at here called Ojo Caliente. I’ll be doing a full review soon, but for now I hope you enjoy this little video.