I get a ton of golf accessories in for review here at Hooked on Golf Blog. From apps to laser rangefinders to GPS’s, golf club stands, to cigar holders, I see it all. One accessory that stood out to me for 2018, and which wins the Product of the Year Award for Golf Accessories, is the ShotScope V2 GPS Watch with Automated Performance Tracking.
ShotScope V2
ShotScope V2 is a GPS watch with performance tracking. It tracks every major statistic a golfer would want to know. A few stats include driving distance, fairway percentage, greens in regulation, putts per hole, putts per greens in regulation, club distances, club tendencies, scoring, and more. It does all this while providing GPS yardages.
322 to the water hazard. No problem! Swing away.
ShotScope plots the shots and information in a great interface either in a browser or mobile device, and shows the golfer every shot plotted on top of a map.
Map of all my shots at Bonneville. User can zoom in to each hole and even closer.
With ShotScope V2, a golfer can see the strengths and weaknesses of his or her game. Knowing both can help the golfer know what to work on more, in terms of weaknesses. And it can help the golfer make better choices on the course, knowing his or her strengths.
Hats off to ShotScope and congratulations on winning this prestigious award!
The HOG Product of the Year for best golf course is a course which was featured/reviewed in the calendar year, and has never been played previously. This year there are some very good courses played on the HOG World Tour, so the winner is certainly the cream of the crop. Here is a list of the finalists for this year, including all of the courses from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Every course in the finalists list is tremendous. Each has its own personality, great architectural features, and terrific scenery. One course edged out the rest, and boy am I aching to get back there again.
Hats off to Pacific Dunes, a Tom Doak design located at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, on the Oregon coast. Pacific Dunes runs right along the coastline, presenting tremendous and stunning ocean views and vistas.
Walking Pacific Dunes is a pure joy, rivaled only by rounds I’ve played in Scotland at Kingsbarns, The Old Course, Cruden Bay, Balcomie Links, Carnoustie, and the other courses at Bandon.
Pacific Dunes or Kingsbarns?
Pacific Dunes plays very links-like. It features tremendous tee shots, fabulous bunkering, and the views are amazing. Perhaps the strongest parts of Pacific are the green complexes and one of the best sets of par-3’s I’ve ever played.
I could reiterate more of my thoughts on Pacific. Instead I recommend simply checking out my Pacific Dunes golf course review here.
Hats off to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and Tom Doak for claiming the Hooked on Golf Blog 2018 Product of the Year in the golf course category. It’s truly a prestigious and exclusive award.
As 2018 comes to a close I look back at all the products I’ve reviewed here at Hooked on Golf Blog, and post my awards for the best of the best in golf equipment, golf courses, golf apparel, golf accessories and so on.
First off is the Golf Equipment Product of the Year award. “Golf Equipment” is a category which can include golf clubs, golf balls, golf bags, golf carts and such. Typically this award goes to the best golf club, but in this case the award is for the best clubs, as in a set of irons.
Drumroll please…
New Level Golf 1031 Forged Irons
Hats off to the new golf company, New Level Golf for winning the Hooked on Golf Blog 2018 Golf Equipment Product of the Year Award. The 1031 forged irons outshined many great golf products reviewed in 2018. The irons are as buttery and deadly accurate as they are stunningly attractive.
Congratulations to New Level Golf. The HOG awards are some of the most prestigious and exclusive golf awards in the industry.
I look forward to checking out some more products from New Level Golf in 2019.
Apparel scripting is super important, just ask any golf PR firm. I’m not talking just golf apparel scripts either. Apparel scripts for daily life and events really makes a difference. You can make yours and the people’s lives around you better with some good apparel scripting.
2018 could shape up to be the best Christmas ever for me, because I have a pair of Ugly Christmas Sweater socks from Swiftwick. The Ugly Sweater model is new, and part of Swiftwick’s “Vision Five” line. I finally have some solid sock scripting for Christmas season, or the “holiday season” for you politically correct types.
Construction
The Ugly Sweater is made from 70% nylon, 23% Olefin (no clue what that is), and 7% spandex. Some of the features include:
Durable Nylon heel and toe
Lightweight Olefin Fiber wicks moisture and dries quickly>/li>
Versatile medium cushion delivers lasting comfort
Seamless toe eliminates friction and irritation
On The Course
These aren’t just gimmick socks. They are performance socks which breathe well, provide moisture wicking, and help with circulation. They’re quite comfortable too.
I must admit this review of the Galvin Green LARS Interface-1 jacket took me awhile. You see, in northern Utah we have two seasons: unbearable heat and winter. We are a desert technically, so we don’t get much rain. So testing rain jackets is more of a challenge. And keep in mind, I do on-course testing, not just fly by one-wear reviews of golf apparel.
I’ve been thrilled to have the LARS in the bag, in the unlikely event that some rain hits. But due to some traveling to Florida, Bandon Dunes, and Mexico, I’ve had some great rounds logged with the LARS.
LARS Features
This LARS jacket by Galvin Green is a short sleeve windproof, water repellant jacket. LARS is versatile jacket for varying conditions when sleeves are not wanted or needed. The outer layer is a tightly knitted Polyester combined with a polyurethane membrane which is soft and smooth on the inside.
The waist has a draw string which is great for tightening down the hatches and keeping the wind out. I also like to tighten it to keep the garment from interfering with my putting stroke or golf swing.
Colors
LARS comes in three super colors, back (pictured), dark blue, and green.
Sizes
LARS comes in sizes small to triple-XL.
On the Course – On the Town
On one of my recent rounds in Florida a light rain started to fall. The problem is that the temps were about 85 degrees. The last thing I want to do is put on a long sleeve jacket and cook myself to death. The LARS kept my core dry, but allowed me to stay cool, at least physically.
I sported the LARS a ton on my trip to Bandon Dunes this past summer. At Bandon the temperatures were in the 60’s, but with huge amounts of wind. Thanks to the LARS jacket I weathered the high winds well, pun intended. My enjoyment of that tremendous golf destination was aided by having the right apparel for the conditions.
I’ll wear the LARS around town too, when I need to just cut the edge off of some wind or slight chilly conditions.
No matter what the conditions, I find LARS to be extremely comfortable. It performs flawlessly and provides a nice style to my outerwear. Speaking of style…
Style
One note about LARS. The style has a big of an edge to it, with the white graphics under the sleeves and on the back shoulder area. I like that quite a bit. It goes right along with my rock & roll attitude.
But LARS is certainly not obnoxious or over the top. It’s super classy and sharp looking.
Conclusion
Galvin Green’s LARS Interface-1 jacket lives up to what I expect from Galvin Green. Over the years I’ve reviewed many GG products, and they’re all of the highest quality and design. The price for their products is not cheap. In fact, it’s almost in the “if you have to ask how much it is, it’s probably too much” department. That said, the LARS is worth every penny of its $329USD retail.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
