First Look: Forté Golf Apex 6 – 6 Layer Golf Ball
Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, January 18th, 2017
Categories: Golf • Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf For Women • Golf Gear
Tags: Golf Balls
Categories: Golf • Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf For Women • Golf Gear
Tags: Golf Balls
Fast forward to 2021 and I will be reviewing golf balls with 18 layers. Until then, there is not a golf ball on the market with more layers than the Forté Golf Apex 6. The only other 6-layer ball I’m aware of is the Maxfli U6. I played a box of those and really liked them. I’ve got three boxes of Apex 6’s to test out and I’m excited to try them. They’re “tour” level balls, meaning the highest performance and specs in a ball. Ones PGA Tour players would trust.
Forté Golf is a brand not yet available in the USA but hopefully it will be soon. I’m afraid to like these balls because I’ll have to get them shipped to me from Australia, where they’re available. Better yet, I’ll just fly there. Yeah, that will work.
This is just an introductory post to get the word out that I’ll be reviewing these balls. Right now the high temperatures here in northern Utah are below freezing. We’re skiing here, not golfing. When spring comes, I’ll be out there knocking these 6-layer golf balls from Forte golf about, and seeing how well they perform. A report will follow.
Stay tuned.
Related Links
Forté Golf Tour Performance Intro
Review: Volt Fleece Heated Gloves
Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, January 17th, 2017
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Apparel • Golf For Women • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Glove
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Apparel • Golf For Women • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Glove
I’ll admit this review is a stretch in relation to golf. It’s almost better for skiing, so maybe I should post it on my ski blog as well. Yes, I have a ski blog. It’s winter here in northern Utah, so we aren’t golfing much. We are skiing. But some crazies (like I used to be) will still play golf if the course is open, no matter what the temperature. I’ve played in single digit temps before, back in the crazy days. Even played in snow and hail storms. The first problem I would have in those conditions would be cold hands. One thin long iron shot with cold hands and it’s over.
These Volt Resistance Heated Gloves would be a great solution for keeping the hands warm between cold golf shots, or using them for more practical winter activities which we are deep in right now here, shoveling snow and skiing. Let’s take a look.
Volt Fleece Heated Gloves Overview
The Volt Fleece Heated Gloves are battery powered. Each glove has its own 7.4-volt 2200mAh battery which slides into a zippered compartment to shield it from the elements. On the top of the glove, over the wrist area, you can see a clear bit of plastic (photo). Through that clear part the wearer can see the battery lights, which indicate what heat level the gloves are operating at. There are four heat levels.
Heating is distributed through the hand and fingers.
The set comes with a battery charger which plugs into the way and has a “Y” connector to charge both batteries. I’m not sure how long the charge lasts. The amount of time the batteries last depends on how high the level you set. I took them skiing last weekend in brutally cold temperatures. Even without the heating the gloves were great. As the day wore on I turned on the heaters and had a whole afternoon of warm hands.
According to Volt here are the rough times the batteries will last based on heat level:
100% High – 2 hours
75% Med/High – 3 hours
50% Medium – 5 hours
25% Low – 8 hours
Their website says low is 8 hours but the packaging says they will last over 10 hours.
Check out the conditions I was in last week in the video below. Unbelievably my hands were never cold!
Comfort
The gloves are very comfortable. I’m a big fleece fan so they’re great for me. They fit well and with the wrist coverage they help keep the pow pow out when I’m carving fresh tracks, or shoveling the driveway.
Conclusion
At a retail of $149, these gloves aren’t cheap. But warm hands can make the difference between enjoying your time outside doing whatever activity you may be doing, and being miserable. Whether walking the dog, skiing, or playing golf in the winter, warm hands are essential!
Top 10 Reasons Which Have NO Bearing on Me Buying a Golf Driver
Last night I was on Twitter for a minute. My time on social networks has dropped of late, which has been quite nice. Harry Arnett (SVP, Marketing & Brand Management at Callaway and Odyssey Golf) was arguing with someone from “My Golf Spy.” The back and forth between these two has become quite childish and tiresome really. The discussion went from Arnett saying MGS’s latest bragging (nooo, MGS brags? Never!) of unique visitors was a made up spreadsheet, and MGS hitting back with driver sales smack or some such nonsense. As I was falling asleep I was thinking of golf marketing, MGS, Arnett and how the sales numbers smack was supposed to hit Harry in the nuts, so to speak. At that point I realized just how little I care about golf marketing and how little, if at all, it has a bearing on what I will purchase. As the last sheep jumped over the fence the idea for today’s post hit me, top 10 reasons which have no bearing on me buying a driver.
Drumroll please…. The envelope.
#10 – It’s the “latest” model
With the insane product release cycles from TaylorMade and Callaway, your shiny new driver will be obsolete by the time you get to the top of your first backswing. I don’t care if a driver is the latest model, last year’s model, or five years old. Because it is new doesn’t mean it is better. Plus, I thought last years model, when it was the newest model, was the best driver eva! Now it’s chopped liver.
#9 – It’s on Golf Digest’s or Golf Magazine’s hot list, or whichever soon to be out of business golf magazine’s hot list I never read
Maybe I’m weird, but I have never read any golf magazine’s hot list. Seriously. Year after year these hot lists come out and year after year golf companies use being on them for part of their marketing. It’s all noise to me. “Ooooh did you see the hot list?” Um, no. Let me guess, all 4-5 major companies’ drivers were on it for the 20th year in a row.
#8 – It has some weird hole in it with a window you can open up and put chewing gum inside
The driver has some nutty feature like a weird window in it which you can open up and put stuff inside. Great.
The New KINGPXGM1-MEGA Driver
This is supposed to make me deliver the club perfectly at impact. Got it. Pass thanks.
#7 – It’s the longest long double-long, longer, guaranteed, long LONG LOOOONG!
Did I mention this driver is the longest, ever? That’s quite a feat considering last year’s model was the longest long long, longer, long LONG LONG, distance, huge longer, massive, long. What’s even more amazing is that last year’s long one is even longer than the super long massive long long LONG model from the year before that. …and so on.
#6 – It has ‘x’ number of adjustments
Cool, this driver has 987,562 different ways it can be configured! I’ve played many adjustable drivers. I like the concept. But once I adjust it that’s it. I never change it again. Nice to have adjustments, but I can easily adjust my own swing to a driver which has no adjustments but is setup properly.
#5 – It’s the #1 selling driver
Because a driver is the #1 selling driver doesn’t mean it is the best for me. It means company ‘x’ has the biggest marketing budget.
#4 – It’s the #1 driver on Tour
Because a particular golf company has a large enough budget to endorse more Tour players than any other golf company doesn’t mean their driver is the best for me.
#3 – Kenny G plays it
The #1 kazoo player in the world plays this driver and so should you. Seriously. Kenny G or George Lopez or some “star” playing a driver will never be a reason for me to. In fact, I’ll probably avoid playing any gear Kenny G uses to prevent “kazoo by association syndrome.”
#2 – PGA Tour player ‘so and so’ plays it
I do not have the same swing as Bubba Watson, Rory McIlory, Tiger Woods, Jason Day, or any other tour player. Because Bubba or whoever is the longest driver in the world with a particular model doesn’t mean I’ll hit it longer.
#1 – My Golf Spy says to
Last but not least, no My Golf Spy driver contest has or will ever have any bearing on whether or not I will purchase a driver. Maybe I’m missing something, but the only thing I notice in their marketing of these “unbiased tests” (LOL) is the whining and sniveling that Titleist or some other company “declined to participate.” It’s like they’re trying to shame or embarrass that company into sending them clubs. I’ve decided to have a “best bank” contest. Whichever bank doesn’t send me cash “declined to participate” and will be shamed online. Power to the bank customer!
Best reason to buy a driver?
Right before I went to sleep I hit the Instagram button on my phone by accident. Then it hit me. There she was, LPGA star Belen Mozo. Whatever driver she plays is the one for me.
First Look: New FootJoy Contour Fit Golf Shoe
Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, January 13th, 2017
Categories: Golf • Golf Apparel • Golf Gear
Tags: FootJoy • Golf Shoes
Categories: Golf • Golf Apparel • Golf Gear
Tags: FootJoy • Golf Shoes
Pop quiz: What’s the best selling golf shoe of all time?
Answer: The FootJoy Contour
Below is the newest rendition of the FJ Contour for 2017, the Contour Fit.
FootJoy Contour Fit
Some of the key features of the Contour fit include:
- Soft and comfortable achilles pad
- Waterproof upper
- Green-friendly low profile soft spikes
- Foot-forming extra thick fit-bed
The key focus of the Contour Fit is comfort. This is a “first look” post. I will be testing out the Contour Fit as soon as the snow melts, or as soon as I get out of here and head to a warmer climate. Until then, enjoy the photos.
OUUL Super Light Python Series Golf Stand Bag Review
Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, January 10th, 2017
Categories: Golf • Golf Accessories • Golf Equipment • Golf For Women • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Bag • OUUL
Categories: Golf • Golf Accessories • Golf Equipment • Golf For Women • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf Bag • OUUL
The 2017 PGA Merchandise Show is coming up in a couple of weeks. One new company which will be showing there for the first time is OUUL. OUUL is a maker of “fashion forward, technically superior bags & accessories.” I have been testing out a couple of great bags from OUUL this summer and fall. Today’s review is the extremely light and easy to carry Super Light Stand Bag, part of the Python Series. Let’s take a test drive.
OUUL Super Light Stand Bag Overview
The goal of this bag is to provide the golfer with a light, easy to carry, convenient, and stylish stand bag. Goal achieved. The Super Light clocks in at only 2.7 pounds. Of course that is a starting weight. Many more pounds may be necessary depending on how many golf balls one must carry to “have enough” to finish a round.
The opening (photo below) of the bag is 9.5 inches, not huge, but the engineering and design of the 5-way top makes club removal and insertion super-easy. The 5-way top also helps with club organization. I have my long clubs like driver and fairway in the top, long irons middle left, mid-irons middle right, wedges and putter on the bottom.
One of the best features of the bag is on top of the bag’s opening. There’s a plastic handle which goes around 3/4 of the bag, with some pretty good clearance to the top. That clearance allows for easy grabbing, carrying, controlling the bag. It also helps protect the clubs inside as well as giving the golfer a good place to hang a towel.
The Super Light features three pockets. First is a large, bag-height pocket for clothes and larger items. Then there’s a smaller bag toward the bottom, about 1/4-1/3 the height of the bag, and then there’s the ball pocket. The ball pocket could hold several dozen balls. I never carry that many but it could. Inside the ball pocket is a 4th “pocket” they don’t mention which can hold some small items like maybe a GPS watch. One critique, the missing soft and fuzzy valuables pocket for a camera or phone. There’s also an insulated beverage sleeve.
I like the large ring on the side. It has plenty of space for hanging various golf accessories like towels, GPS units, golf lasers, and club brushes. Just below the handle is a place for a sharpie type pen. Nice touch.
The dual shoulder strap attaches to the bag in four places and adjusts well. It should result in a comfortable and balanced carry when set correctly.
The base of the bag is flexible and adjusts when the bag is on the ground. Hard to explain this, but it’s a popular design of late in carry/stand bags. The legs are very solid and the base of the bag when set down is very broad and sturdy.
The rain cover is nice and big, with easy velcro straps and four buttons to attach it. See the “snow” photo below.
On The Course
I’ve traveled extensively with this bag in play, even all the way to Morocco. The bag is easy to carry, light, and provides a sharp and classy look. The pockets have plenty of space for all my rain gear and accessories. I really like the top section’s fantastic design and especially the protective handle.
Conclusion
This bag has been a joy to use in many different conditions and environments, even the Christmas Classic (photo below).
The OUUL Super Light Python Series delivers solid quality, very sharp looks, and super smart design.
One last thing to mention is the lack of branding. Notice how the big brand names these days are plastering their logos all over the place on their golf bags? No obnoxious branding on OUUL bags. I dig that.
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