After a full day of traveling from the frozen tundra of Salt Lake, I’ve arrived in the warmth of Mexico at a great resort called Villa del Palmar (pictures soon). I just managed to squeeze in 9-holes at TPC Danzante Bay, the Rees Jones course here with the famous 17th hole. The 17th is shown below. Even after the sun has gone down it still looks awesome.
I’ll be exploring the resort and playing several rounds over the next 3-4 days at TPC Danzante, and of course reporting and posting many more photos. Stay tuned.
Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to a beach party! Woot!
I can’t make birdies if my panties are all in a bunch. You can quote me on that. Seriously. I’ll do just about anything (other than practice or take lessons) to improve my scores. To that end I’ve been “testing” some new boxer briefs from a company called Warriors and Scholars. Let’s check them out.
I would have posted a picture of myself in these boxer briefs, but I’m too busy right now to field calls and emails from modeling agencies or inquisitive ladies. 🙂
Above are the “Daniel” model boxer briefs from Warriors and Scholars. They’re made from 93% polyester and 7% spandex. No cotton, which is good. Not a cotton fan for just about any apparel item, especially items so “intimate,” if you will.
The poly/spandex blend makes the undies not only super soft and comfortable, but moisture wicking as well. And let’s face it, I have enough to sweat over when I have a 3-footer for birdie to keep myself from losing a $2 bet.
The materials stretch and move as needed.
Lastly the “spacious pouch” provides room for comfort, but proper support to make sure everything is in the right place. Nothing worse that trying to smash a drive on a tight hole when things aren’t in the “right place.”
Sizes/Colors
Sizes run from small to double-extra large and the patters are very fun and unique. There are 24 different patterns to choose from.
Subscriptions
Warriors and Scholars offers subscriptions. You can get one to three pairs delivered to your door per month. One pair per month runs $12/month. I should do the 3-pairs package which runs $30/month. In a few months I could replace all my old boxers. There’s a pair of my old boxers at the Smithsonian right now being carbon dated to determine their age.
Since 2016 I’ve been gaming the Tour Edge Exotics CB Pro U Limited Edition 19 degree hybrid. It is a hell of a hybrid and I’ve been quite satisfied with the performance. I was skeptical when Tour Edge confidently told me I would like the new Exotics CBX Hybrid more, but I was certainly game to give it a shot at a starting position in my bag. For the foreseeable future, the CBX is now the starter. Let’s take a look.
Tour Edge Exotics CBX Hybrid Overview
The CBX Hybrid employs some very cool technology which helps reduce unwanted spin, increase distance, and allow the player to control or “work” the ball. Working the ball is when a player can control the shape of the shot in various ways, mostly controlling a draw or fade.
The face of the CBX is made of extremely thin titanium which helps reduce the club’s weight and increase power and accuracy.
The sole of the club is a carbon composite which helps distribute the weight of the head to the most optimal places. This weight distribution also helps with control, accuracy and getting the ball launched nice and high.
There is a “speed ramp” on the sole of the club which helps with the club’s “turf interaction.” This helps guide the club straight through the turf, reducing twisting of the head. It also helps keep the maximum club speed in the area where the club is interacting with the turf.
The face of the club employs “variable thickness” technology, which makes the club more forgiving on shots which are not quite on-center. From my casual observation the leading edge on the face has a bit more of a sharp cut to it that my old CB Pro.
On The Course
I’ve now had the CBX in play for three months. I don’t do five minutes and three range balls type of reviews. I truly believe playing the club for many many rounds, in as many different situations and conditions possible is the best way to review a club. Plus it can take awhile to really dial in the feel and swing as most of us know when it comes to testing out new clubs.
The CBX shines in how easy it is to hit. I thought my CB Pro was easy, but the CBX is even easier to hit. The ball flies nice and high, and most of the time for me the shot is very straight or has an occasional slight draw. Slight. The one knock on my CB Pro, which could have been more of a shaft or swing issue, was that I would occasionally pull it badly.
The leading edge I mentioned earlier, along with the speed ramp really helps when hitting this club out of the rough. It cuts right through and produces quality contact even when there is a lot of grass around the ball.
I use the CBX on short par-4 holes when driver is too much club. I also love hitting the CBX on my 2nd shot of par-5’s, or as the tee shot on very long par-3’s between 200-240 yards. My greens in regulation on long par-3’s like that has greatly improved.
Memorable Shots
A few weeks ago at Streamsong Resort I had a memorable par-3 like I just mentioned. It was the 17th hole of the Blue course. It was 200+ yards uphill, with a 1-2 club wind into. I hit a super solid tee shot with the CBX which started on the right half of the green and drew lightly to toward the back pin. Because of the elevation change I couldn’t see where it finished but I had a feeling it would be good. I stroked in that 5-footer for a very satisfying birdie. That was a two I would have a lot of trouble making with a long iron.
Another nice memorable shot was on one of my home courses, River Oaks. The opening hole is a 500 yard par-5 with water down the whole right side and wasteland down the left where balls are never found. After a decent drive of about 280 I had about 225 to a back pin. The CBX felt very solid and once again headed to the right half of the green with a slight draw. Due to the lighting I couldn’t see it finish and assumed the ball on the front fringe was mine. Nope. That was someone else’s. My ball had run up to about three feet, right below the pin. Straight uphill 3-footers for eagle are fun. BOOM! I find that eagles really help with one’s score.
Specs (courtesy of Tour Edge)
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LOFT
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LIE
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GRAPHITE LENGTH
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FACE ANGLE
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FLEX
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16 HYBRID
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16°
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57.0°
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41.00″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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17 HYBRID
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17°
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57.25°
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40.75″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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18 HYBRID
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18°
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57.5°
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40.50″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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19 HYBRID
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19°
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57.75°
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40.25″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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20 HYBRID
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20°
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58°
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40.00″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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22 HYBRID
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22°
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58.25°
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39.75″
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SQUARE
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R,S,X
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Available in right hand. Standard grip is Lamkin Z5 grip.
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Final Thoughts
I feel like my great relationship with the CBX has just begun. I’m absolutely positive the CBX will continue to be a crucial part of my club arsenal, at least until Tour Edge assures me their next hybrid is even better!
If you are in the market for a hybrid, I strongly suggest checking out the CBX, or any Tour Edge hybrid. They’re fantastic.
Related
Review: Tour Edge Exotics CB Pro U Hybrid Limited Edition
Tour Edge Exotics CBX Hybrid Photo Gallery
I just spent the whole chilly day here in northern Utah sporting the new Callaway Apparel Men’s Dual Action 1/4 Zip Pullover Sweater which just came in for review here at Hooked on Golf Blog. I never took it off, even at the office. Very comfortable and stylish.
Here are a few key features courtesy of Callaway Apparel:
- 100% Polyester
- Insulated thermal fabric creates a barrier between you and cold weather
- Weather-repellent fabric creates a barrier of lightweight protection to resist wind and water
- UV Block UPF 50 protects you against the sun’s ultraviolet rays
- Callaway Tour Logo on chest
- Callaway Chevron Logo on center back
- Fleece Fabrication Machine Washable Imported
- Available in BIG & TALL
I have more testing to do, especially in the fall golf weather here. Stay tuned for the full HOG review soon.
I’ve been quite happy with my Cobra Golf King F8 driver this season. My driving accuracy is off the charts since I put it in the bag. Normally I’m a low ball hitter with the driver, straight or a slight draw.
I’ve had a sneaking suspicion that recently I haven’t been playing with the optimal settings. Either that or my swing has changed a bit. When I first got the driver, I went through every setting and ended up with 10.5 degrees and a draw bias. That was months ago.
During some of my rounds this summer I’ve noticed that a couple of the guys I play with/against have been hitting their drives about 10 and even 20 yards past mine, despite my contact feeling good and the ball mark on the face being dead center. Perhaps a little too much spin, or not enough… something. One thing I’ve noticed is that one playing partner/opponent who has been hitting it past me has a much higher trajectory. Much higher.
So for the hell of it on the range before a recent round I went up one degree to 11.5 and kept the draw bias. I found that I had to tee the ball a little higher with that setup for some reason, but when I dialed in my ball position I started bombing some high and long drives, still keeping the accuracy.
I’ve been going with the 11.5 setting for a few rounds and I’m very confident when driving the ball, and I’m hitting it longer than I was this summer. The extra loft is giving me more carry and since conditions here aren’t hard like Scotland, there’s not a lot of roll. In cases like that it is best to carry the ball farther in the air.
I’ll be going like this for the time being, unless I decide to go up to 12 degrees. 🙂
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