Bandon Dunes Founder Mike Keiser’s New Project

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, January 10th, 2014
Categories: Golf Courses
Tags: Bandon Dunes • Sand Valley

Here’s a note from Bandon Dunes Founder Mike Keiser on a new project called Sand Valley. Anything which is a “cross between Pine Valley and Sand Hills” is good in my book.

January 9, 2014 – Nekoosa, Wisconsin

From: Mike Keiser – Founder, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

I have purchased the land and The Founders and I have decided to build the first of four golf courses at Sand Valley. The first course will be designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Bandon Trails, Cabot Cliffs). Design work will begin as soon as the snow melts and we plan to be open for play in Spring 2016.

With Cabot Cliffs (Inverness, Nova Scotia) underway and Gil Hanse and I working on Bandon Links (Bandon, OR), I really tried to resist this project, but within 30 minutes of being on site, I was hooked. It is a thrilling dunescape – a cross between Pine Valley and Sand Hills.

This is great. Arguably the best golf developer of the last 50 years writes a 4 sentence press release about a project which will likely be right up there with Bandon Dunes. Love it.

Sand Valley Golf Proximity

Coore – Crenshaw – Keiser

PGA Tour Rookie on the Radar: Kevin Foley

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, January 9th, 2014
Categories: PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Web.com Tour
Tags: Kevin Foley

Kevin Foley (middle), Mike Foley (left), me (right)

Kevin Foley (middle), caddie Mike Foley (left), me (right)

The PGA Tour’s first full field event of 2014 is this week at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii, the Sony Open. Click here for Sony Open TV times.

For 2014 I’m going to be keeping a close eye on a PGA Tour rookie who I had the pleasure of meeting and playing golf with last year while at the Colombia Championship in Bogota. Kevin Foley is his name. Kevin qualified for the PGA Tour by making the top 25 on the 2013 Web.com Tour. That finish was mostly due to winning the first event of the 2013 Web.com Tour season, the Panama Claro Championship.

I had a blast playing golf with Kevin in Colombia. His 3-iron goes about 50-75 yards farther than my driver. I measured my 5-iron against his too, about 40-50 yards difference and his goes way straighter. A different game for sure. Then again who am I fooling? I’m not a pro golfer. Pro blogger, yes but pro golfer no.

I got to see Kevin and talk to him very briefly in the fall when the Web.com Tour was here in Salt Lake, my back yard, for the Utah Championship. That’s where I caught the photo below, which I really dig (patting self on back).

Kevin Foley bunker shot – 2013 Web.com Tour Utah Championship

Kevin is in the field this week at the Sony Open. The PGA Tour is a big step up from the Web.com and there will be a lot of pressure. I’ll be keeping close tabs on Kevin through the year and hopefully reporting on some great finishes. The goal now is to STAY on tour. Many rookies have a tough go their first year, unlike the amazing Jordan Spieth. They miss a bunch of cuts and end up losing their card for the next year.

Here’s to Kevin having a great 2014. Not asking too much, just keeping that Tour card for 2015. I’ll be watching.

Ecco Street Evo One Snow Golf Shoes

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, January 9th, 2014
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear
Tags: Ecco Golf

I’ve begun the evaluation period for my review of the new Ecco Street EVO One hybrid golf shoes. Today I wore them to the office and luxuriated comfortably all day in them. Upon arrival at HOG World Headquarters (my house) the driveway needed shoveling, about four inches of snow.

Shoveling snow in shorts and golf shoes… This is normal.

With fresh treads and waterproof shoes, I shoveled the driveway. The Street Evo’s performed very well in the snow. Never slipped. Feet dry. Toes warm.

These are hybrids, but not just a hybrid street/golf shoe. We’re talking street/golf/snow hybrid.

Phase one of the review complete. Looking forward to phase 2, playing golf in them when the snow melts or when I leave town for green grass.

Top Golf Driving Range Balls Have Microchips Which Track Distance and Accuracy

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, January 9th, 2014
Categories: Golf • Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • Miscellaneous

I just saw this article on KHOU.com about a driving range called Top Golf. It isn’t just a range. The hitting bays are three levels/stores. The range balls have microchips in them which track distance and accuracy, and give points to players. Groups can rent bays and have hitting competitions which are very fun. Oh, and the bays are catered. The location featured is so popular it is getting 30,000 visitors per MONTH. Check out the video.

I doubt a Top Golf will come to Utah any time soon, but it would be cool if they did.

WT3 Golf GPS Watch by Golf Buddy

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, January 8th, 2014
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: Golf GPS

Golf Buddy WT3 Golf GPS Watch

Golf Buddy is certainly one of the most respected names when it comes to the best golf GPS units. Now Golf Buddy makes a wearable golf GPS watch, the WT3. Let’s take a look at this $249 (retail) golf GPS watch.

Golf Buddy WT3 Golf GPS Watch Features

Preloaded with over 36,000 courses worldwide, 40,000 capacity
GPS tracking
Automatic course and hole recognition
Shot distance measurement
Pin placement
Dynamic green view
Target/hazard information
Digital scorecard
Long lasting battery
Water resistant
Multi-lingual

On The Course

The convenience of always having your golf GPS with you in the form of a wearable watch is great. No digging in the bag. No going back to the bag or the golf cart.

The other great part of having it with you is tracking your every step, for those of you like me who love to walk the golf course. The GPS tracking will tell you how far you walked, how long you walked, and what your average speed was. Cram the essential functions of a FitBit into a golf GPS and there you go.

WT3 Screens – click to zoom

The yardages provided by this golf GPS, and that’s really what we’re most interested in, are fast and accurate. Unlike other golf GPS watches, this one will tell you distances to hazards, lakes, trees, bunkers and the like. The standard yardage mode gives you the middle of the green yardage in big bold letters with smaller yardages for front and back of the green.

For fine tuning approach shots, you can position the pin on the green for more accuracy, just like handheld golf GPS units.

This wristwatch golf GPS also serves as a basic timepiece. In time mode the watch shows the time, day and date. The battery life when simply running the watch in time mode is a full 50 days.

Critiques

My only beef with this golf GPS watch is the charging cable. Rather than a common mini-usb cable, the charging cable is proprietary. If you forget to grab the cable before your trip to Bandon Dunes or Scotland, you’re going to be walking off your yardages from sprinkler heads. You’re not going to find this cable at any store.

Colors

The Golf Buddy WT3 golf GPS watch comes in black or white.

Conclusion

Comfortable, convenient, great yardages, finetuning on the greens, and automatic course/hole recognition. The Golf Buddy WT3 golf GPS watch can be summed up in one word: SOLID.

Images

Here are more images of the Golf Buddy WT3.

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