Golf World Loses Jim Flick
Jim Flick, world class instructor of hundreds of PGA Tour pros including Jack Nicklaus and this past week’s Charles Schwab Cup winner Tom Lehman, passed away today at the age of 82 from pancreatic cancer.
Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Flick, but I know many who did ant they have nothing but great things to say about him.
RIP Jim Flick.
For a much more detailed article on the passing of Jim Flick and some of his history, refer to this PGA.com article.
Book Review: The Five Inch Course: Thinking Your Way To Better Golf
Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, November 2nd, 2012
Categories: Golf • Golf Babes • Golf Books • Reviews
Categories: Golf • Golf Babes • Golf Books • Reviews
Click To Purchase
Possibly the most famous golf quote ever, was spoken by my all time favorite golfer, the late Bobby Jones.
“Comptetitive golf is played on a five and a half inch course, the space between your ears.”
When asked about the mental aspects of golf my standard quote is, “Golf is 90% mental and the other 10% is in your head.”
My friend and fellow golf blogger John Retzer released a new book to address the mental aspects of golf called, The Five Inch Course: Thinking Your Way To Better Golf. In this great golf resource John shares short thoughts about all aspects of the game, which he gathered through years of playing, blogging and also coaching high school golf.
The format of this book is quite similar to my all time favorite golf book, Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. In fact, it is really a blog format in print, with each subject or chapter containing a concept with one to a few paragraphs. Each thought or concept is clearly described in an easy and sensible way, with tips on how to apply it to one’s game. Many of the concepts are quite basic, but more often than not we forget the basics in golf, like playing for the fat of the green. Here are the main categories covered:
- Before You Play
- From Tee To Green
- On Every Shot
- On The Tee
- In The Fairway
- Off The Fairway
- Around The Green
- On The Green
- Know The Rules
- After The Round
Keep It Simple, Stupid
Once again, we forget the basics too often. In my city amateur this June I was in good shape. I wasn’t going to win it, but I was sure to make a top 10 finish and collect several hundred dollars in prize money. On the final hole, after playing 35 solid and smart holes, I forgot the basics. I went for the “hero” shot. The result? A double bogey which dropped me from top 10 to T13. I figured that one swing cost me over $200 in prize money. Had I kept a level head and employed the basic thoughts I’d read in John’s Book, I would have made a better finish by far.
Conclusion
The goal of John’s book is not to coach swing technique or change one’s swing to look more like Fred Couples. Too many books try to change a player into someone they are not. The fact is, there is only one Fred Couples. This book helps one take his/her unique game and swing to the course and get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. With lower scores comes more fun. That is the goal, right?
Scary Halloween Golf Tournament Format
What a crappy pin placement! – click to magnify
As club president of my men’s association for 6-7 years, one of the best legacies I left on the club was the annual Halloween “Hell Day” tournament. Other clubs call them different names like “Monster Mash,” or “Halloween Horror Tournament.”
The Format
In the Hell Day format we set the golf course up in the most crazy and difficult way possible. We put the tees on sideslopes, behind trees, on roads, on the driving range mats… any devilish position we can think of. We introduce odd rules, like having to hit pumpkins in the fairway, or having to knock a ball into a greenside bunker before one can hit it onto the green.
On the greens we have a lot of fun. We put pumpkins in the fall line around the hole and call them rub of the green. Can’t move them. We put the pins in the absolute worst possible place, like on a severe slope at the edge of the green where a missed putt might roll away 40 feet or perhaps off the green into a bunker.
Trophy
Perhaps even better than the tournament format itself, is the trophy my club awards.
I want this trophy bad! Love the skulls. Click to zoom.
The Hell Day trophy has a skull or skulls on it like this really cool one above from the 2012 Hell Day putting contest. I missed taking this baby home by one stroke. Maybe next year…
Meet my new son!
It is time for some big news, counter to the early slogan of Hooked On Golf Blog, “golf, life. In that order.” In today’s case it is “life, golf. In that order.”
I’m happy to announce that last night my lovely lass gave birth to our son “Seve.”
“Drive for show. Putt for dough, son.”
Yes, the name is inspired by the golf great Seve Ballesteros. Unlike Mr. Ballesteros though, Seve is his full name and not an abbreviation of Severino.
Stats
Weight: 8 pounds, 6 ounces
Length: 22 inches
Date of birth: October 28, 2012
Time of birth: 6:24 p.m.
Club head speed: 126MPH
Ball speed: 212MPH
Launch angle: 8.7 degrees
Golf Gadget Review: KP Golf Measuring Tape
Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, October 26th, 2012
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Gear • Reviews
KP Golf Tape in action – click to magnify
I play with two groups of golfers who have a “greenie” game. Greenies are awarded to the player who is closest to the pin, usually on par-3’s or in the case of one of my groups on every hole. Greenies are worth a buck in this group, but with carryovers they can add up. So there have been some intense times when there’s a four hole greenie carryover and there’s a dispute as to who is really closer. We’re talking big money here, $16 to the winner.
Now that I have a KP Golf Tape in the bag, those disputes are resolved perfectly and without any doubt. KP Golf Tape is a 100 foot long measuring tape designed and built for golf. Let’s take a look.
KP Golf Tape Features
- Tape clip clamps around the flagstick and rotates 360 degrees. One person can operate it.
- Clip stays above the cup, eliminating any possible damage to the green.
- Tape is 100 feet long. I walked it off to find out, then realized it said 100FT on the darn casing! Duh.
- Retractable handle extends to roll tape back up easily.
- Made in the USA, so it will not fall apart like cheap golf junk from China.
- All metal parts are stainless steel.
KP Golf Tape – click to zoom
Uses
Like I mentioned, KP Golf Tape is great for measuring greenies.
The tape would make great use for golf course officials who need to determine who is away in match play. While the USGA was here in town for the Amateur Public Links, I watched many USGA officials fuddling with regular tape measures and asking for someone to help out and hold the tape measure to the cup or stick. That mess would be rectified easily with a KP Golf Tape unit.
Another usage is for practice drills. One could use the tape to put tees or markers in a green at a certain distance from a pin.
With the clamp’s ability to rotate around the hole, a circle could be easily painted for competitions with the help of the KP Golf Tape.
Clamps on flagstick – click to zoom
Conclusion
KP Golf Tape is a super solid unit. Very well built. At $49.95 it is an investment, but it will probably last longer than the investor. If you or your organization finds the need for measurements around the green, KP Golf Tape is the ticket.
Related
Hooked On Golf Blog KP Golf Tape photos
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