Father’s Day golf gift alert… I’ve just spent a few minutes setting up my new Bushnell Excel GPS Rangefinder Watch, loading the accompanying mobile app, and setting it up on my Google Pixel phone (Android). See photo below.
This GPS Watch does more than a typical golf GPS. Here’s a short list:
- GPS yardages
- 35,000 courses
- Book tee times
- Record scores during and/or after play
- Pedometer/Fitness tracker
- View smartphone notifications (incoming calls, texts) from the watch
Mobile App (integrates with GPS watch)
- Full color aerial views of hole layouts with distance
- 3D flyovers with distances
- Scorekeeping
- Book tee times
- Swing analysis stats
I’ll be starting my testing tomorrow in Wednesday league and posting a review before Father’s Day, hint hint.
My short game needs more work than a 1975 AMC Pacer. It’s nice to have a six-sleeve of Sci-Core indoor/outdoor practice golf balls handy to practice my chipping and pitching in the hallway.
I can even hit flops from the bottom of the stairs to the landing, then up the other half of the stairway to the 2nd floor of HOG World Headquarters. If I mis-hit a shot, which is highly likely, I won’t break anything except my fragile confidence. Sci-Core practice balls are soft.
Some pitching wedge work in the hallway
Sci-Core practice balls differentiate themselves from regular practice balls in a few ways. They’re soft, but will not crush or change shape. Many practice balls will cave in with hard swings, never to be the same shape again. The covers are durable and don’t scuff. The roll and flight is more accurate than any other practice ball I’ve used.
Final Thoughts
Practice makes permanent. Work on your short game inside or outside, in tight spaces without the worry of causing any damage on errant shots.
Happy Cinco De Mayo today.
Post dedicated to Eat Golf.
Last season while training for my Scotland trip by walking many golf rounds on some very hilly courses, I learned more about foot support than I’d ever hoped. The combination of my likely overdoing the walking with shoes which had minimal arch support caused an arch injury in my right foot. After consulting some foot specialists I found out I’d given myself Plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes, which supports the arch of the foot. I had to change out my shoe inserts and replace them with expensive replacements which provided better arch support. Fortunately the inserts helped, and I was able to walk the entire 125 miles in Scotland without hurting my arches, or even irritating them.
I’ve found now that my feet seem to be more susceptible to Plantar fasciitis, and walking even short distances in shoes which don’t have enough arch support causes me instant pain. Thankfully I’ll be putting the Aline foot suspension system into play to help with this.
Aline makes many different models of shoe inserts which aid in support and body alignment for athletes, including these specially designed for golf. The golf model’s technology is designed to help support the golfer and put him/her in the best position athletically to make a golf swing.
Do they work? Stay tuned for my full report after I’ve had a few weeks of testing. I have high hopes. I need to walk a lot this season for my health, since about the only other exercise I get right now is clicking a mouse button.
Last fall and this spring here in northern Utah has been the perfect environment for testing out top-of-the-line wind/rain apparel. I’ve been using my Galvin Green Bart Jacket and absolutely loving it. This jacket is tremendous. Let’s take a look.
Windstopper Overview
Galvin Green is one of the world’s best in terms of outerwear and weather resistant fabrics. The Bart jacket is a prime example. This stretchable, breathable Gore-Tex jacket is completely wind proof. Windchill is eliminated. Do you hear that my friends in Scotland? The key is the “windstopper membrane” which is a protective layer laminated to another light textile layer. The membrane is made of the versatile polymer polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE). The PTFE is expanded to create a “microporous structure.” This sounds like Klingon, but in English it means a breathable material which protects against wind and moisture but allows the wearer’s body to breathe and stay comfortable.
The user benefits from the jacket’s “thermoregulatory function,” which keeps regulates the body temperature for optimal performance.
The fit is tapered in the sleeves and aided by flexible material, as well as a draw string in the waist area to keep the wind and weather out.
No Wonder
I’ve been enjoying how great this jacket feels and performs (not to mention the fantastic looks), not knowing how incredible the technology that makes it happen really is. Researching this jacket has matched the high expectations from Galvin Greena; confirmation in what I already knew, Galvin Green rules.
Here I am enjoying my jacket’s thermoregulatory function, provided by the expanded microporous structure of the polymer polytetrafluorethylene…
Colors/Sizes
Colors include: steel white/gray/borolo red, navy/blue/white, black/deep ocean(blue)/white, iron grey/black/white (pictured in this article), black/iron grey/apple (light green).
Sizes: sizes run from small to XXXL.
Care
I dislike high maintenance golf apparel. I need to be able to throw a garment in the washer and dryer and expect no wrinkles, shrinkage, or fading. No problem here. The Windstopper is cleaned with washer and dryer, and can even be ironed! I’m curious about their recommendation to keep the piece away from fire. Those who like to burn their golf apparel may want to stay away from this one.
Conclusion
The Windstopper ($275) is my current go-to jacket for wind and rain. On the course the Windstopper lets me swing free with no restrictions. It’s also the go-to at the office, where I sit right below an air conditioning vent. I wish I’d hat this beauty for that last trip to Scotland. It’s looking like Ireland and Scotland are coming up and the Bart Windstopper will be definitely making the trips.
Related Links
Galvin Green Ventil8 Polo Review
Galvin Green Millard Polo
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