BogeyLounge: BOGEY RANTS Archives

December 3, 2009

Blast from the Past: Elin Nordegren is a twin...

Play Better Golf Today -
Visit David Leadbetter's PlayBetterStore.com
The Official Online Store of David Leadbetter Golf Academy!

This is a reprint from an April 2004 post on BogeyLounge.com - Guess what, it's our most popular post this week (surprised?).

From the "not so breaking news department" comes a post from the usually straight-laced Sand Trap on Tiger Woods' yummy wife (and her twin sister)...

Trust me, I'm not complaining, as a matter of fact I'm glad the gang at TST decided to come down to BogeyMan's level and join those of us who prefer style over substance...

However, besides the occasional trip down the wrong path, I beg Erik and the SandTrappers to stay above the fray, otherwise I may be forced to turn to mainstream media for my golf commentary fix.

Props to the Sand Trap... now go visit their site, they have more pictures of Elin!

Elin is a Twin [The Sand Trap]

June 7, 2008

Romo, Timberlake Break 100 at Torrey Pines; Lauer Doesn't

Tiger Woods told reporters last year at Oakmont, generally considered the toughest golf course in America, that no 10-handicapper could break 100. With Torrey Pines refurbished into a 7,643-yard “monster”—the longest in U.S. Open history—it served as a suitable stand-in for a challenge, hosted by Golf Digest magazine and NBC.

Tony Romo, Justin Timberlake, Matt Lauer and an essay contest winner (John Atkinson) played Torrey Pines today, under "US Open" conditions (wink... wink) and two of the three broke 100.

While I'm not so impressed that an NFL star had the athletic chops to break the century mark, I've got to say it is pretty impressive that pretty boy singer/dancer played the back tees at Torrey and lived to say he shot a 98.

At 100, Lauer's feat is also somewhat impressive, but I've got to wonder what he really thought he would shoot going into today. (I think he thought he could shoot at 85 and I'm probably right).

OK... Enough shenanigans... let's get to the pros and the already overhyped Tiger vs. Phil matchup.

Read more: Romo, Timberlake break 100 at Torrey Pines [Yahoo!]

July 23, 2007

Padraig Harrington fails in his bid to join Van de Velde

Harrington (leading by a stroke) takes driver off the tee, puts two in the water and still wins the Open Championship.

Can we now please put Jean Van de Velde's meltdown to rest? The 18th at Carnoustie is tough and no lead is safe (sort of like Fenway Park), Harrington overcame a catastrophy and won, Van de Velde's was more of a circus, but not that much different from Harrington's.

Cheers to Padraig Harrington, 2007 Golf Champion!

June 19, 2007

Tiger Woods becomes a dad

Congrats to Tiger Woods and his wife on the birth of their daughter Sam Alexis Woods.

I don't know what it feels like to win the Masters but I do know that it can't top the feeling I have every morning when a look over my daughters crib and she looks up, recognizes me and lights up with a big smile.

Perspective will change for Tiger, but I don't think it will affect his golf in a negative way.

Tiger's comments (from TigerWoods.com) can be found after the jump.

Link: Tiger Woods' wife gives birth to first child - Reuters

Statement by Tiger Woods

Elin and I are delighted to announce the birth of our daughter, Sam Alexis Woods. Sam was born early Monday morning, June 18th. Both Elin and Sam are doing well and resting peacefully. We want to thank our doctors and the hospital staff for all their dedicated and hard work. This is truly a special time in our lives and we look forward to introducing Sam to our family and friends over the next few weeks. We thank everyone for their well wishes and continued respect of our privacy.

Sincerely,
Tiger

Pictures of Sam Alexis Woods will be made available shortly.

June 15, 2007

Golf Blog World Continues to Grow Abroad

Welcome to another fine golf blog!

I've add UK Golf Blog to our blogroll and invite any other golf blogs to write us in request of a link exchange. You can reach us at staff[at]ilounge.tv

Here's a little secret for our friends at UKgolfBlog... BogeyMan is secretly pulling for a Euro to take home the US Open. Hey, Tiger and Phil are getting on my nerves and if Ben Curtis can take home a Claret Jug than why not have a Dougherty or Poulter go home with whatever the US Open trophy is called?

I'm just saying.

June 6, 2007

Wie Watch: Things are heating up and not in the good way...

The Lounge has never had a problem with cat fights, but when the scuffle involves the first lady of golf (Annika Sorenstam) and the gonna-be-great Michelle Wie, we are inclined to look the other way.

This isn't the kind of controversy that raises interest and increases ratings... No, this is the kind of awkward situation that exposes the ugly side of professional sports - full of out-of-touch ~~athletes~~ parents, greedy agents and enabling sponsors.

Annika is no angel, but she has the results and history to back up what she says. Michelle Wie, on the other hand, continues to come off as an arrogant, immature and spoiled kid (which is expected of a 17-year-old).

The problem with Camp Wie isn't the star, it's the people who should be giving her guidance and helping her go from unpolished kid to adult professional. If her agent, father, mother, public relations handler and sponsors really cared about Michelle, they would hand her her ass after some the responses she has been giving the media regarding her latest controversy.

"I don't really feel like I have to apologize for anything. I just have to take care of my body and move forward and only think of positive things." - Michelle Wie

Michelle is not taking this stand and associated attitude on her own... she's getting it directly from the people who should be giving her guidance. They are probably thinking that once Michelle starts winning, everything will be ok. Unfortunately, that logic is flawed.

Players (both PGA and LPGA), fans and media have gone sour on the great story of the little girl that could go up against the boys. Sadly, it is becoming evident that regardless of whether she lives up to her potential or not - her recent attitude is making her irrelevant.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you out there cheer against Michelle's success, and I can't blame you.

Link: Wie controversy gathers more steam on Tuesday [ESPN.com]

May 31, 2007

Michelle Wie - From Prodigy to Sideshow Act?

A recent internet search for the definition to "sideshow" rendered the following response: Sideshow - A diversion or spectacle that is incidental to a larger set of circumstances or a bigger issue of concern.

Is there a better way to describe Michelle Wie and what has quickly gone from a promising career to a letdown of biblical proportions?

Today, she withdrew after 16 holes with a +14 score... just a two more strokes over par and she would have been banned from LPGA tour events for a full year.

What is going on? Here are a few opinions.

1. Her parents are pushing her too hard.
2. Nike is pushing her too hard.
3. She is using the injury as a safety net for when she doesn't perform.
4. Deep down, she is rebelling against her pop by performing poorly.
5. She should go to college and continue to practice and come back in two years.
6. She should focus on dominating the LPGA before trying to prove anything else.
7. She needs to grow up but can't until number one stops being a factor.

I hope Michelle "recovers" in time for next week's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her during the event last year when she contended into the final day.

Michelle Wie still has the potential to become one of the greatest athletes we'll ever see. I just hope she doesn't have to reach rock bottom in order to get to the top.

May 27, 2007

A Round With Bogeyman

I recently had the honour of playing a round with our very own Bogeyman. Don't let him fool you, he can play. With solid accurate tee shots and a decent putter he can be deadly. His irons let him down a bit when we played, but you could easily see the good golfer within.

The truth is that Bogey likes to place the occasional wager on a match and our game had no money involved. I think he was hoping that by playing worse than usual he would lure me into a wager, but I am half Scottish, and therefore quite fond of my money, I didn't bite. Now he had to finish the round poorly or look like he was trying to sucker me in.

Actually, I think he would have wanted to play better, we all do. The round was still fun. He is a gracious host, I traveled to him, and a very pleasant playing partner. If you ever get a chance to tee it up with him I recommend it. Although, if there is money involved I still think he will turn into Birdieman.

May 3, 2007

Cruise Ship Golf Excursions and Customs

Last month I went on a Carnival Cruise sailing from Miami and stopping at Key West and Calica Mexico. I brought my golf clubs along because I was playing Bay Hill the weekend after the cruise and I was not going home in between. Since I had my clubs on board I thought that it might be fun to do a golf excursion or two. I booked both Key West Country Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club since I am not much of a snorkeler.

The first excursion was to Key West. I meet the golf pro down at the gangway and waited for the ship to dock. Not much time in Key West so we had to be first off the ship. Just as we were about to leave the chief of security received a phone call. He chatted for a few minutes gesturing to the pro and then passed the phone over to him. A few more minutes passed and Mike, the golf pro, handed the phone back to the chief of security and turned to talk to me.

He informed me that we would not be allowed to leave the ship with our golf clubs because customs officers needed to inspect them. Customs wouldn't be available until 9-10am and the ship left Key West at 1:30pm. Needless to say that waiting around for customs officers meant that we could never get our round in plus we would miss our 8:00 tee time. Apparently, this was a new rule that only applied to U.S. Naval base docks, of which Key West is one.

I am all for security and safety but could someone please help me understand how I board a ship in Miami try to get off in Key West with my golf clubs and suddenly U.S. Customs is involved? I was really disappointed and I felt bad for the pro too because he was made to look like an idiot through no fault of his own.

The Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club experience was much better. I am not sure that Mexican customs would care if you left the ship with a thermonuclear device let alone golf clubs. It was a good course, very well maintained and pristine tee boxes. All the food and drink was included which was pretty important because even in April it was unbelievably hot. I was drinking a bottle of water per hole and eating a sandwich every three holes. I have never experienced anything like it. I managed to play pretty well considering the heat and the pro and I relaxed afterwards with a few beers and concluded with a tequila shot. Great day and I would recommend the excursion to anyone who loves golf and can stand the heat.

May 1, 2007

Fantasy Golf Blues

How does anyone win a fantasy golf league?? I tried this year for the first time and by the end of week one I had zero points. Why? Because I was at the Mercedes Championship not hanging out by my computer ready to make my round 3 selections.

The Sony was a similar tale, still in Hawaii; I managed to get a few minutes to select some players and left them in place for the week. Result: a smattering of points.

By this point I was really behind but there was still time in the season to make up for it right? Wrong!! I played for the next 15 weeks carefully selecting my picks and making most changes from round to round. I made up some ground sure but not enough to make me believe that I was going to catch anyone.

Then life happened. The days grew longer, I spent more time on the course than watching golf, weekend getaways started to crowd out my fantasy golf time. Now, I don't even know who is still on my team and I can't bring myself to care much. How does anyone with a life pay attention to this stuff for an entire season? I tried to care and came up well short.

April 22, 2007

Justin Timberlake: Bringing Sexy to the PGA Tour?

Next in line to join the "I'm gonna play on the PGA some day" is non other than boy bander Justin Timberlake.

Joining a long list of PGA wannabe's like Michael Jordan, Michelle Wie and Ty Tryon - the 26-year-old Timberlake seems hell bent on getting his game N'Sync for the tour.

“Justin is a very keen golfer and he’s playing to a very high standard now,” states a source.

The 26-year-old golf fanatic is determined to fulfil his ambition during the next 4 years, before he turns is 30 and is currently going strong practicing as much as possible.

The source added, “His aim is to make it into a pro event - just for a tournament or two. He practices every day, has a coach and takes his clubs wherever he goes.”

Here's our take: He's playing to 6, he's wearing a Nike cap and playing an r7 driver, and he was in N'Sync... Justin's lucky to get be getting invites to celebrity events.

Links: Justin Timberlake from popstardom to professional golfing? [BNN]

Timberlake plans golf weekend [Digital Spy]

Justin Timberlake: The Next Tiger Woods? [The Gossip Girls]

March 22, 2007

Woods and Federer are Friends... zzzzzzzz....

OK, we get it... Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are friends. BIG FREAKIN' DEAL!

Why the media thinks we care that two elite athletes keep in touch and sometimes hang out is beyond my comprehension.

"It's great to have him out here," Woods said after the round. "I think he's a wonderful supporter of golf, and I think it's pretty neat when you have probably the most dominant athlete on the planet out there in your gallery."

Now if Tiger were friends with Federline instead of Federer, that would be of interest.

Link: World No. 1s converge on the Blue Monster [PGAtour.com]

March 8, 2007

PODS Championship from Tarpon Springs, Florida

This week the PGA Tour plays the PODS Championship on Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course.

The tour keeps promoting the location as Tampa, Florida when in fact it's in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The community was first settled in the late 1800s and was named for the tarpon fish that was plentiful along the Gulf coast. In the early 1900s, some enterprising Greeks decided to try the sponge beds off the Gulf coast and found them very productive. Greek immigrants made the city home, built sponge docks and boats, and the sponge trade was off and running in Tarpon Springs.

Don't know why the tour calls it Tampa when it's not even in the same Florida county. Maybe that's why Golf Blogger had a hard time finding the course on Google Earth.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify because I've spent many a summer visiting my cousins in Tarpon when I was a kid and have fond memories of the area and of Innisbrook Resort. If you're ever near Tarpon, stop by and enjoy the fantastic Greek food, nice beaches, and of course plentiful golf.

Just looking out for my Greek peeps!

Links: PODS Championship Official Website

Innisbrook Arial Shots [Golf Blogger]

Tarpon Springs, Florida [Wiki]

March 2, 2007

USGA should groove away from my wedges...

The executives at Callaway Golf have been aware of the U.S. Golf Association's desire to impose restrictions on irons for two years, but that doesn't mean they're certain of the implications.

"This is by far the most collaborative process I've had with the USGA," said Steve McCracken, Callaway's senior executive vice president. "We're left with a philosophical decision. Do we really need a rule?"

The proposal restricts the size of the U-grooves on irons, a change that would limit the amount of spin that can be imparted on a golf ball. The players who benefit most from the current rules are highly skilled members of the PGA Tour, a fraction of the sport's players.

McCracken accepts the USGA's findings, but he said, "What do you hope to accomplish by changing the rules? Is it worth disrupting all other golfers in the world?"

NO!

Links: Club exec wonders if groove rule needed [USA Today]

Here V Go Again! [GolfDigest.com]

USGA won't ban U-groove clubs [PalmBeachPost]

February 13, 2007

Blog maintenance during a snowstorm: Seeking new Golf Blogs

Earlier this week I talked about the relief of finally updating my golf blogroll... a task I likened to Peyton Manning finally getting the "Super Bowl" monkey off his back.

As part of this project, I asked for fellow golf bloggers to contact me about reciprocal links between BogeyLounge and their respective work and received a good amount of messages.

In an effort to have the most complete and updated golf blogroll possible, I reach out to all of you (especially english language sites outside of the U.S.A.) who have golf themed blogs to get in touch with me in order to get you listed on the site.

Thanks and welcome to the latest Golf Bloggin' members of the BogeyLounge Golf Blogroll.

GolfWrx.com Blog [Jason]
GolfNow.com Blog [Paul]
Aspiring-Golfer.com Blog [Paul]
GolfersDelight.de Blog [Alex]
Golf Balls Don't Float Blog [Nolan]

I kindly ask you to give them each a click and see what they are all about...

Do you have a golf themed Blog and want to do a link exchange with BogeyLounge? Contact me at BogeyMan[at]BogeyLounge.tv and we'll hook up.

Have a blog related to any of our iLounge Media Network blogs and want to do a link exchange? Check out our offerings at iLounge.tv and email us at Staff[at]ilounge.tv and we'll get your blog added to one of those blogrolls.

February 11, 2007

Cleaning out the Golf Blogroll

It has been on my to-do list for quite some time and today it is finally done.

The trivial matter of my outdated golf blogroll had been weighing down my blogging mojo, so today I finally sat down and cleaned things up a bit.

As you'll notice, a lot of golf blogs didn't make the cut - some had not been updated in a long time, some just weren't enough about golf, and some had promised me reciprocal links and never bothered to reciprocate.

It pained me to remove now defunct (but classic) golf blogs like Musey's Hole In One, Carlsbad Confidential, and TMaG Insiders - all who served at some point as inspiration for BogeyLounge.

Now, I'm looking to add more quality golf blogs to the list - so if you are out there and I haven't linked to you yet, shoot me an email at BogeyMan@BogeyLounge.tv and I'll get on it.

February 10, 2007

First George Lopez, now Danny Ganz!

What is with today's NBC coverage of the Pebble Pro-Am and their infatuation with Vegas showman Danny Ganz?

No one appreciates a good Las Vegas show as much as I do, but when I tune into PGA golf I really don't need to see a guy do Austin Powers impersonations over and over and over again.

I understand this event has always been a silly one, but Danny Ganz doing Austin Powers and the announcers falling all over themselves over Danny's act was enough to make me channel surf away. Good thing I did too, because I stumbled across a classic Sarah Jessica Parker movie that also starred a young Helen Hunt - I think it was called "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".

Yes, that was better than watching the Lopez and Ganz show... I mean, c'mon Ray Romano and Kevin James are there and they are a lot funnier. I say more King of Queens and less Clown from Vegas.

At least I know I'm not alone on this one ---

Link: Watched the PGA Tour for 42 seconds today… [Hooked on Golf Blog]

More: Danny Ganz at the Mirage

January 28, 2007

Look out Paula, Lorena and Annika - Here comes Katerina!

Each year the PGA Merchandise Show represents the official start of the golf season for me and I assume millions of other hackers who love buying, trying, and eventually trading golf gear as much as they do playing the game.

Gadgets, gizmos, game improvement gear, training aids, apparel... you name it, the PGA Merchandise Show has got it. Last year I attended my first show and vowed to return every year and share my experiences with all of you.

Who knew that just a year later I would be with my wife for the birth of our first born instead of the PGA Show? ... Bad timing? Ironic? Or maybe very fitting? As much as I love shiny new golf gear, it goes without saying that the experience I just went through really put things like golf into perspective... and while my golf time may be cut down with the arrival of our new bundle of joy, this is a most welcomed golfing setback.

My favorite time of the year will now coincide with the birthday of my baby girl. What could be better than an annual trek to Disney World for her birthday weekend and a stop by the Orange County Convention Center for the show? It's great when things work out, isn't it?

Tomorrow I'm going to call the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and see how old she needs to be before attending her first instructional session :)

January 21, 2007

Our new next big thing: Julieta Granada

Around this time last year I was going on about how Japan's Ai Miyazato would be the next big thing on the LPGA and how big an impact it would have on golf in Japan. Now I'm back at it, only this time it's Julieta Granada that's got my attention.

Julieta was a rookie on the LPGA last year, earned $1.6 million dollars including the first ever $1million prize in women's golf history... more importantly, she became the first ever Paraguayan-born player to win on the LPGA tour.

Why is that important? Paraguay only has 6 golf courses and today with the help of Julieta and her playing partner Celeste Troche won the Woman's World Cup.

Granada was a rookie on the LPGA Tour last year, and she asked how she could get into the World Cup. She was told Paraguay -- a country with just six golf courses -- was not even invited.

"So I tried really hard all year," said Granada, who won the season ending ADT Championship on the LPGA Tour. "And I hope now that young people in my country will take up the sport, but more importantly, that they never give up."

She gets her country invited to the World Cup and then goes out and wins the whole thing!

We say, watch out Annika, Paula, Lorena and Michelle... Julieta is not only coming, she's arrived!

Read: Paraguay claims Women's World Cup by seven over USA [PGAtour.com]

Julieta Granada [Wikipedia]

From PGA.com - ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Julieta Granada

All due respect to Seon-Hwa Lee, the LPGA's Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, but Julieta Granada deserves the award more.

Granada finished fourth on the money list -- behind Ochoa, Webb and Sorenstam -- with more than $1.633 million. Most of that came from the tour-record $1 million check she received for winning the season-ending ADT Championship, but that doesn't negate her other impressive stats.

She made 26 cuts in 30 tournaments and had two second-place finishes, four top-5s and seven top-10s. She was also the only player ever to make the ADT Championship her first victory.

"This is just unbelievable. I'm so excited I can't think," she gushed afterward.

January 5, 2007

Weather you like it or not - It's good for golf!

Balmy winter days have become the norm thus far here in the Northeast and other areas that are usually snow covered by now.

Sure we like the change of season, but if you are a golfer I really hope you are getting a chance to get out there and enjoy some winter golf at discount prices.

The only bad thing about this is that clowns like me who normally play all winter in 6 layers of clothes are finding hard to get weekend tee-times because all of a sudden everyone is a winter golfer. Half the dudes out there this weekend (expected high 60's) would have normally by now put their clubs into hibernation, instead they are beating me to the good tee-times.

Oh well, it's good for golf or at least for the golf industry.

If you are lucky enough to be enjoying the unseasonal temps, get out there and play a round... because Mother Nature could dump a foot of snow on you next week and the only golf you'll sniff is reading golf blogs.

Read: What Happened to Winter? [abc11tv.com]
Golf clubs, not skis, fit the weather this winter [JSonline.com]

November 7, 2006

I can find golf courses that are 24 miles off a main road, but where do I go to Vote?

I respect the fact that you are all very busy, but it only takes a few minutes to participate in the process that powers our government.

I won't go into the "people fought wars so that you can have the right to vote" argument (ok, I sort of just did), but they did - so get out and vote so that you have a right bitch and moan when things go to hell in a handbasket.

Don't know where you need to go to vote? Try this foolproof POLLING PLACE LOCATOR. [Vote411.org]

October 31, 2006

Weird Golf Dreams With Frank Lickliter

Frank Lickliter.jpg

I managed to take advantage of the beautiful east coast weather and play today. I actually played rather well. I wonder if it was because I was more worried about helping my brother than my own game? It was just nice to get out and swing the clubs. 5 pars on the front nine, not bad for this 16 handicapper.

Last night I had the strangest golf related dream. I was in the final group of the U.S. Open but I only showed up for the final 3 holes. It turns out that I had a proxy play the other 69 holes for me. I guess the guy had played pretty well for the first 3 days because here I was in the final group on Sunday. I scored a par on 16 and 17 and stepped up on 18 and drove the ball straight down the middle. It was a reachable par 4, hey don't blame me for the bad finishing hole this is a dream remember, and I put mine right on the front edge of the green.

I looked on the green only to see Tiger's ball sitting about 8 feet from the pin, he had driven the green and was set up for an eagle. My heart sank! We get up to the green and I chip to within a few inches and finish off the putt for a birdie. Tiger steps up and blows his putt by the hole and it rolls off the green. Now I am thinking to myself, "great, if he pars the hole I win the tournament." Sure enough, Tiger plays a great little pitch shot and finishes up his par.

I am thrilled; I think I have won the U.S. Open. I look up at the score board only to see my proxy who had gotten me into the final group on Sunday had shot +10 through 15 holes that day and I was now in 3rd place. It was Tiger Woods, Frank Lickliter, and then me.

Now how the hell did I have Frank Lickliter placing second in my dream?? What does this mean?? I am so confused by this dream I can't begin to tell you.

Well, the dream continued with a party at Jim Furyk's house in Maui, but the house was also a boat and we ended up sailing through the streets of Venice but the thing that bothers me most is why Frank Lickliter was able to penetrate my dreams? Oh well, if anyone has a theory let me know. I’m off to bed. If I have any more weird golf dreams I’ll be sure to report them.

October 27, 2006

Winter Golf Strategy

Not every one can live in a warm climate where golf is played in the dead of winter. I live in PA and believe me there is a good stretch where my golf clubs just look at me say, "Daddy, when can we go out and play again." Unfortunately, with the wind whipping through the air and driving rain on the way it looks like today is the day I have to say, "next year kids, next year."

I am curious what others fill their time with once winter has a firm grip on the golf course. Do people actually go out and play in freezing conditions? Do you play more Tiger Woods on the X Box? Travel to warmer locations? Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep your game in shape as the snow piles up on the 1st tee?

Read Winter Play on a Frozen Lake Course

October 4, 2006

Jim Furyk is #2

I know it may be hard to believe for some of you, but Jim Furyk is the #2 ranked golfer in the world. He has earned his way to the top with hard work and tones of talent. Jim and Tiger are the only two guys with scoring averages under 69, Jim is second on the PGA Tour Money List and third place is $2 million behind him. Furyk has 12 top ten finishes with 2 firsts and 3 seconds included in the mix.

I love to see Jim play. He rarely shows exuberance but you know he is trying on every single shot. I realize when I see him that I will never be a great golfer, but if I just played smarter golf I could be better, he rarely makes a mental error. Jim is a class act and I wish more pro athletes could emulate golfers and particularly Jim Furyk. He is a gentleman and a great ambassador for the game; I wish the PGA Tour would use him more.

September 24, 2006

Another international failure for U.S. sports...

It's over, the Euros have retained the cup and the U.S. continues its downward spiral in the category of international sporting competitions (i.e. basketball) or (i.e. soccer).

A dramatic U.S. Ryder Cup victory would have meant a great deal to the growth of golf in this country. Oh well, at least Tiger Woods has his Nike deal and Phil Mickelson has his Ford deal, that's what's really important after all.

Maybe if they played for endorsement deals or pimped out cars, the U.S. would step up in games they play for "free".

Congrats and Cheers to the Euros, they deserve it!

September 20, 2006

How fake naked pictures of Elin Nordegren won the Ryder Cup for the U.S.

The Dubliner magazine wrote in its September issue about Elin Nordegren, his Swedish wife of nearly two years.

"Most American golfers are married to women who cannot keep their clothes on in public," the magazine wrote. "Is it too much to ask that they leave them at home for the Ryder Cup? Consider the evidence. Tiger Woods' wife can be found in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites."

BogeyMan thinks the momentum has just shifted towards the U.S. thanks to the idiots at the Dubliner. And we think we have media problems here in the States.

Rock on Tiger! Now go defend the honor of your lovely wife.

Read: Woods rips Irish mag for story on wife [Yahoo!]

Ryder Cup taking extra security measures (for US players?)

Overall right now, the world is a different place due to political unrest, war, and fear of terrorism. It's funny, however, to see the need for extra security be blamed on the fact that the U.S. is involved in so much war conflict.

Last time I checked, terrorist bombs were going off in other parts of the world where Americans were not the target at all.

"The U.S. at the moment is involved in a number of war zones,'' Irish sports minister John O'Donoghue told Irish broadcaster RTE. ``If anything were to happen to any of their players that would have very, very serious repercussions for us as a country. There would be fire and brimstone."

Read: Ryder Cup Village Sealed Off by Police for Millionaire Golfers [Bloomberg]

September 7, 2006

Michelle Wie to tee it up at the Masters: Euro Style

She wanted to play in the Masters, so Masters it is... European Masters that is.

This will be Michelle Wie's 10th tournament against men, the first in Europe. Oh, and she used the opportunity to say that she would like to one day also play in the Ryder Cup.

"I think it is totally possible, anything is possible in the future," She said. "I think players, both women and men, are getting better and we are getting stronger and are mentally tough and we can do it."

You all know that I cheer for Michelle wherever she decides to play, but I still can't understand why she doesn't just get in a groove on the LPGA and then make the leap when her game is in top form.

What is the motivation? Does she expect to compete with the PGA's best right from the get-go? Is just making the cut enough? I can't help but believe that these comments are somewhat motivated by Nike or her dad and that she can't possibly be that crazy about being criticized at every one of these appearance.

Then again, maybe Michelle believes she is ready right now. I just hope she realizes the whole thing is quickly going from "phenom" to "freakshow".

"I love playing men's events. This is not going to be a short-term thing for me, it is long-term and I intend to do it all the way. Of course there are going to be some people that aren't happy with me playing. I am not expecting 100 percent support every week, but that is the way the world works. There are going to be people that support me and others that don't but I feel people here have been very supportive and welcoming."

Rock on Michelle... We're pulling for ya!

Read: Wie to make European Tour debut at European Masters [Yahoo!]

Archived BogeyLounge Wie Coverage:
Michelle Wie shrugs it off and gets it going... June 2006
Here Wie go again... May 2006
Michelle Wie: Who's Rush Limbaugh? March 2006
I hope Wie makes the cut... I also hope she doesn't January 2006
Michelle Wie puts the "M" in MOXIE... July 2005
Ready or Not, Michelle Wie takes on the men... Again. July 2005

August 27, 2006

Why should you be the subject of my 500th post?

While surfing one of my favorite gadget blogs, Engadget, I noticed they had just posted their 20,000th post. Wow, that's a lot of shiny techness!

So I check to see how many post BogeyLounge was up to and low and behold we too are nearing a "major" ;) milestone of 500 post!

Ok, 500 is not so major in blogging but its big time when you are talking about home runs, career touchdown receptions, PGA wins, and in my case lifetime pars.

The 500th post should be special, so I'll leave it to the people that have kept the Lounge going for over a year now to suggest what I should use #500 on.

I could do a SOD (site of the day) on your site or blog, or maybe a review of a product you are trying to promote, maybe I can post a picture of you celebrating a hole-in-one, or maybe you want me to post your collection of golf tips for lefties... you suggest and I'll decide based on the most persuasive and creative story.

There is only one rule (see there's always a catch :) ... if your suggestion is related to linking to your site or promoting your product, there must be a link back to BogeyLounge.tv in order to even be considered. Currently we are up to an average of 3,000 unique visitors per day so this could be a nice way to get some visitors for your cause.

So update your blogroll and either send me an email at BogeyMan@bogeylounge.tv or use the comments link at the bottom of this post.

I'll pick a winner to do the 500th post about, but I'm sure I'll also mention some of the runner-ups during the course of this promotion.

Thanks for visiting and happy golfing!

Father Son Tournament Results

It was difficult to tell who won the Parent Child Tournament this past weekend because of all the categories and divisions: under 17yrs old, over 17yrs old, 9 hole, 18 hole, net, gross, etc. The weather was really crappy in the morning and this reduced an already short field, yet somehow we managed to avoid winning a single prize in any category and we played pretty well.

Every year the Parent Child gets shafted by the tournament committee because they schedule the event for right after the greens have been plugged. Now at my home course down in Delaware they use needle size holes to aerate the greens but in NJ I am convinced they use old Standard Oil drilling equipment that creates craters so large that I don’t like to stand too close to the edge of them. In addition to the aerated greens this year the weather meant they couldn’t cut the greens so it was like putting on a fairway, SLOW!!!!!

I have to give my Dad credit; he never criticized me the entire round. This could have had something to do with the fact that I was spanking the ball down the center of every fairway I encountered. I was like Jim Furyk out there without the distance ;) However, I gave him plenty of reasons to pop a vein with my putting, ugh. We three putted the first 4 greens because I couldn’t get the ball to the hole. Actually, I couldn’t get the ball within 12 feet of the hole and with the greens looking like Vieques, Puerto Rico there was no chance for a 12 footer to drop.

All in all we played well shooting 80 for a net 68 or -2. The handicaps were an average of 80% of the two handicaps. The winners managed to shoot a net 62 or -8, pretty good on a day that saw many three putts and zero roll on the fairways. My Dad and I were 1 stroke away from winning the low gross in the over 17 group with our 80 but the amazing thing to me was that the low gross in the under 17 group was a 70, not bad when you consider the course record is a 67 held by Lee Trevino.

As always we had a load of fun playing in this event. It can be a tough format though because, as the father son team we played with discovered, you can go many holes without playing a particular type of shot, in their case they counted back and realized that the son hadn’t putted anything more than a tap-in in 6 holes. Ignoring the challenging format and the stressful nature of the competition, it is a wonderful thing to be able to play golf with your Dad. I cherish the rounds we play together and encourage anyone who can, to go out and spend some time with the old man, you’ll enjoy it.

August 24, 2006

How could steroids be used to benefit a golfer?

Could steroids in golf ever be a problem? In this case a golfer could use performance enhancing drugs to get stronger, have more stamina, faster clubhead speed, and quicker recovery times between workouts, but would any of that really help someone get their scores down?

If anything these drugs would tighten a golfer up to the point where their flexibility would be compromised to the point of degrading their on-course perfomance. And don't forget the "roid" rage that accompanies use of ped's... unlike football where that could be a benefit, in golf wrapping a 3-iron around a tree is probably not a desired effect.

Anyway, it's a hot topic and when the number one athlete in the world talks about it, people are gonna write about it.

AP - Tiger Woods said he would like to see testing on the PGA Tour for performance-enhancing drugs as soon as possible to make sure golf remains clean.

"I don't know when we could get that implemented," Woods said. "Tomorrow would be fine with me."

Also...Woods did not say he thought anyone was using steroids, but said it could be a problem in the future.

Read: Woods in favor of drug testing [FOX Sports]

Father Son Tournament

So this weekend I am heading up to Mendham NJ to play in the Parent Child Tournament at Roxiticus Golf Club. My Dad and I enter every year and we were even lucky enough to win one year; however, this is one of the most stressful events on my calendar.

As if playing with your Dad in a tournament is not stressful enough, the format for this beauty is a modified alternate shot format. Both players tee off on every hole and you select the best drive playing alternate shot into the hole. Thank goodness for the two drives otherwise this event could really get ugly.

I listen to a constant stream of help, advice, pointers, told you so, why did you do that, and general commentary about my play on a regular basis, but when we are in competition the whole thing is magnified. Not only does he criticize my shot selection and execution he now has to go and play the ball I just bladed over the green into the bunker of doom. In spite of all this we make our pilgrimage every year to suffer defeat at the hands of some 9 year old and his 32 yr old wonder athlete of a father, oh well, it is a testament to just how dumb we really are.

August 23, 2006

Is Tiger Woods the best athlete ever?

Tiger US Open.jpg

Is Tiger Woods the best athlete ever?

Maybe the richest, hardest working, prettiest... maybe even the most influential, private, or best dressed, but GREATEST ATHLETE EVER? A golfer?

I'm not smart enough to be able to argue for or against that question, but I do know that regardless of how much I LOVE GOLF, it would be hard to imagine that the world's sports loving public would ever agree to put a golfer at the top of that list.

Most dominating? ... now that's something we can shoot for.

Read: Woods among greatest athletes ever, but not quite No. 1 [Baltimore Sun]

Woods is greatest individual athlete ever [ESPN]

August 21, 2006

Tiger Woods wins 12th major... are you bored yet?

Fact: Tiger's win on Sunday was his 12th Major Victory.

Opinion: Tiger will not only reach Jack's 18 majors milestone but will surpass 20 within the next five years.

Fact: Tiger has won his 12 majors by a combined 56 shots and Nicklaus won his 18 by 44 shots.

Opinion: Tiger has finally adjusted to his swing changes and is poised to go on another hot streak.

Fact: Tiger has never lost a 54-hole lead in a major.

Opinion: The rest of field mentally crumbles at the mere thought of going head-to-head with him on Sunday.

Fact: TV ratings are much higher when Tiger is in contention going down the stretch.

Opinion: I couldn't have been more bored watching yesterday's coverage with the final two hours of the broadcast being spent blowing Tiger in every conceivable way. I would have rather seen Luke Donald or Sergio Garcia going stroke for stroke with a Chris DiMarco or Ian Poulter.

Fact: Caddy Steve Williams once again removed his caddy bib before congratulating Tiger on the win.

Opinion: He probably does that so millions can see the Valvoline sponsor patches on his shirt.

Fact: In his first 40 majors played Nicklaus was +30 in score to par... Tiger is -119.

Opinion: That probably has a lot to do with equipment advancements.

Fact: Tiger made only three bogeys all week.

Opinion: That's not a big deal... Just last week I had less than three bogeys in over four rounds, however, I also had a lot of double and triple bogeys to round things out.

Fact: Tiger will be the center piece of the USA's Ryder Cup team.

Opinion: I'd like to see him play with as much passion in the Ryder Cup as he does in majors.

Read More: We still haven't seen the best of Tiger [ESPN]

In easy victory, Woods is still riveting [ESPN]

Tiger tames Medinah, field to win PGA, 12th major [ESPN]

August 20, 2006

That's how the pros roll...

Call me strange, but I think that one of the most interesting things TNT covers early on in the day is the arrival of players in the parking lot.

It's the ultimate "they put their pants on one leg at a time" scenario for me to see guys getting out of their cars for their day of golf with an extra shirt, a pair of socks, nothing, or in Mike Weir's case a few minutes ago, three golf balls and a putter (wonder what he was doing in his hotel room last night?).

I'm still waiting to see someone show up 5 minutes before their tee time and start digging around their trunk for a golf glove or their brown belt. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

Enjoy your Sunday of golf watching...

UPDATE: Now I know why Chris DiMarco never wins the big one... TNT just showed him getting out of his car with his wife. How often have you had a good day at the golf course when arriving with your wife?

I'm kidding of course... sort of.

August 2, 2006

Too hot to fish, too hot for golf, and too loud at home

I think those are lyrics from a country song, but they sum up my thoughts today.

It must be 110 outside (in Baltimore) and at home we've got contractors demolishing two bathrooms for the next few days.

Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but... it is actually too hot to golf. I've played in 20* cold with 30mph winds, and that was probably safer than playing today.

Oh well, since my options are limited, I guess I'll go to work.

July 29, 2006

Seeking a "slump-buster" for my putting game...

Over the last few weeks my game has come along nicely. Normally a mid to low 90's golfer, lately even rounds that don't seem to be going so well end up in the high 80's (thanks to some decent course & mental management).

What's the problem you ask? I can't get into any sort of putting groove and regardless of how much time I spend working on it, nothing is clicking.

That's where you come in. I'll take any advice (mental or technical) or any suggestions for a putter that may have helped you get that "feel" back.

Emails to BogeyMan@BogeyLounge.tv would be great, or share your knowledge with everyone by using the comment link below.

I thank you and I hope that my golfing (i.e. wagering) partners will not be thankful for your assistance.

Beware of lightning on the golf course

As is probably the case with a lot of golfers, I sometimes make light of storms coming through during a round. But this story of a golfer being killed while taking cover in a storm shelter makes you think twice about hanging aroung for "just another couple of shots".

"The lightning went down the tree and into the wood of the shelter," said Town of Montgomery police Sgt. Alex Landolina, who responded to the scene. "We're definitely ruling this as a freak accident caused by nature. Who would ever think lightning would travel through wood?" - Times Herald-Record

Read: Freak lightning kills woman, injures friend [Times Herald-Record]

July 25, 2006

Tiger snips at snappers: "It was very frustrating"

Despite walking away with the Claret Jug, Tiger Woods expressed his frustrations regarding people taking pictures during play.

“We had it at every hole,” Woods said after a closing 67 gave him a two-shot victory over Chris DiMarco and the 11th major of his career.

“We had never seen anything like it before. It wasn’t the professional photographers, it was the gallery. They had cameras or camera phones.”

Most, if not all, pro tournaments ban cameras and cellphones during play. However, I recently attended an LPGA event where cameras and phones were banned and fans didn't bother to follow the rules.

This problem could probably be solved if goobers would learn how to use their gadgets properly. What Tiger was probably complaining about was the fake shutter sound that digital cameras and camera phones make, not the fact that someone was snapping a silent photo.

What Tiger (or caddy Steve) should have yelled at the gallery is: "If you're not going to follow the rules, at least turn off the fake sound you idiots!"

Read: Tiger Woods Hates Cameraphones, Has a Hot Wife [Gizmodo]

July 24, 2006

Claret Jug or Elin Nordegren? We choose Elin...

What would a Tiger Woods major win be without mention of his better half Elin Nordegren Woods.

Fact sheet: Elin Nordegren and golfer Tiger Woods were married in Barbados on 5 October 2004. Nordegren first became a public figure in 2002 when she began dating Woods, one of the world's most famous sports figures. A blonde, blue-eyed Swede and part-time model, Nordegren was working as a nanny for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik when she met Woods.

Nordegren has a twin sister, Josefin... Her mother, Barbro Holmberg, has served as Sweden's migration minister. Her father is a radio journalist.

Note:Some images found under the following searches may be listed as Elin, but are not. As far as we can tell the more racy images are fakes.
Google Image Search: Elin Nordegren
Yahoo Image Search: Elin Nordegren

July 23, 2006

2006 British Open: Sunday thoughts...

Not much to say, other than the final few groups will make for an interesting finishing Sunday. Will Tiger come out and dominate all the way? Will Sergio breakthrough and begin meeting everyone's major expectations?

Watch the Open, then go out and play a round this afternoon. Is there a better plan?

Here's some buzz from around the web:

[The Sand Trap]
First and foremost, Erik B. is hooking us up with Live Blogging of the final day. It will be cool to get a golf blogger's perspective to balance ABC's.

[GolfDiscussions.com]
Great high rez image gallery from this year's Open. Best part of the gallery for a gear whore like me is you can check out what everyone is using (from clubs to shoes). Good Stuff!

[The Golf Space]
With over 600 registered members, TheGolfSpace should be a lively place for Open discussions all day.

More later...

July 21, 2006

Kudos to TNT for not exploiting Woods v. Faldo

My problems with the mainstream sports media are many (stay tuned for more on that), but the fact that any and every little controversy (real or not) is overplayed in order to get readers, viewers, impressions, etc... is just old and tired.

Steroids, suspensions, labor agreements, and arguments are more focused on (and overblown) than actual on-field performances. Local media outlets cry budget constraints when not sending writers to cover the "home team" on the road, but then send multiple staffers across the country to chase a potential Barry Bonds tax evasion indictment.

This morning, USA Today - Sports TV columnist Michael McCarthy, points out that ABC and TNT didn't do a good enough job of playing up the Woods v. Faldo in order to add more "sizzle for good TV".

"If Woods and Faldo are willing to admit there's a problem, why are network analysts so eager to dismiss it? Doesn't a little sizzle make good TV? Not to mention it's in bad taste for some media members (usually ex-jocks) to act superior by blaming the rest of the darned media." - Michael McCarthy

HELLO! The British Open should be enough sizzle for good TV, and making anything more of it to draw some yokle first-time golf viewers is not in the best interest of the sport, journalism, or the TV industry.

See Michael, that's the problem... it's not that kids don't like sports anymore because of too many video games, or that fans are disenchanted with greedy team owners or thug players... the problem with today's sports is that the media that covers them try to make more out of the off-field issues than the game itself.

The mentality by sports media to "ADD SIZZLE" to their stories (in hopes of adding sizzle to their lives, salary, and social standing) is more of a problem for professional sports than any injectable performance enhancer.

The same motivation that makes an athlete cheat to enhance their career drives journalist to sensationalize.

Athletes risk their integrity and health to make an all-star team and are criticized by the same media that blows things out of proportion in hopes of getting a guest appearance on "ESPN's Outside the Lines".

On this morning's telecast, Mike Tirico said that the feud was blown out of proportion by the (ready to pounce) British media. He also said that if we all sat next to Faldo as much as he did we would see the respect Faldo has for Tiger and that the feud was blown out of hand.

Kudos, Tirico and TNT... that was a breath of fresh air.

Read: Psst, ABC and TNT, Woods-Faldo feud is a grudge match [USA Today]

July 18, 2006

Walk or Ride? Even our leaders face the dilema...

The G8 leaders, representing the 8 most industrialized (read: powwerful) nations, gathered this week to discuss the issues affecting our world. One topic of note was whether to walk or use golf carts to get around the meetings.

Sounds like somebody should have told them to scatter ;)

"To ride in a golf cart or not to ride? That was the question driving a wedge between Group of Eight leaders even before they sat down for talks on Sunday."

Golf cart politics divide G8 leaders [Mail & Guardian]

July 8, 2006

Why people love golf

Don't mean to get zen-like on everyone but it's 6:15am and I'm driving to play golf at a course about an hour drive outside of Baltimore.

I've got a decent cup of coffee, and I'm driving through some beautiful horse country alone with my thoughts.

I haven't hit a shot yet, but because I'm looking forward to a nice round with a fun foursome, I can feel my blood pressure dropping, I'm looking forward to a nice afternoon with my wife later today, and I've had about ten great ideas and solutions for issues at work.

Because of golf: I'm happier, healthier, a better husband, and a better employee... and I haven't hit a shot yet.

That's probably why so many of us love golf.

July 3, 2006

It always comes down to putting

Whether you're talking about a PGA major or the weekend skins game you play with your buddies, good golf comes down to good putting.

Two weeks ago I played a round where I couldn't hit fairways, missed almost every green, but putted out of mind. Thirty footers from the collar to save par, a twelve footer for a birdie on a par 3, and 1-putting almost every hole led to a very low (for me) 85. In that case, good putting turned a horrible performance into a great day.

Yesterday, I hit almost every fairway and gave myself a chance at par with good approach shots throughout the round. However, I putted like an ass and my 96 proved it. I probably hit the ball as well as I have in a year and still managed to have a bad score.

I know I'm not telling you something you don't already know, but I needed to say it out loud. With a little bit of good putting, a bad round can be saved and a good round can be made remarkable.

Now go practice your putting.

June 30, 2006

Down with Golf Blog Envy...

Get on over to Hooked on Golf Blog and read about some issues blogmaster Tony is having with his recently launched golf themed social networking site, The Golf Space.

The problem isn't with the site (The Golf Space is actually doing just fine), it's that a bunch of clowns who think they are gonna be the next MySpace are pulling some crap on him and his sites.

I know the feeling because there are still some golf blogs that won't link to or include the Lounge in their blogroll because they think I'm also some sort of competition.

My response? I've always played nice, attributed links, and mentioned other blogs regardless of their attitude towards the Lounge. The more time I put into the site, the more traffic I get. There is nothing to gain by "hating" on other sites.

LISTEN UP EVERYONE: The spirit and reason for growth in this whole "Web 2.0" hype is good social interaction and ethical business behavior. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times... the more quality offerings in existence in your space, the better for your own business.

Only the pretenders don't get that point. They get an idea in their head, usually spurred by reading a Business 2.0 article, and think they have just come up with the next "big thing".

WHATEVER YOUR IDEA IS, THERE ARE 1000 OTHERS TRYING TO DO THE SAME EXACT THING. So get off your stupid-ass business school high horse and realize that being an asshole is not the way to become the next GOOGLE, MYSPACE, GIZMODO, or MICROSOFT.

Have fun with your idea, put some effort into it, give credit where credit is due, use the power of today's web to make allies and spread your ideas like wildfire, and be a good guy (or girl).

Do all of that, and you may have a chance at growing into the next "big thing".

More: The Golf Space continues to grow, and apparently some feel threatened by it!

June 29, 2006

Ai Miyazato poised for breakout at US Open

US OPEN LINKS: OFFICIAL SITE | REAL-TIME SCORING | TV TIMES

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the LPGA's McDonalds Championship in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

It was Sunday afternoon and the next to last group went off down the fairway and along with it about 80% of the estimated 30,000 fans in attendance. That group included Michelle Wie, and the full bore hype afforded this teen phenom was in full effect.

The last group (the leaders) had all but a handfull of fans in tow. That group included Pat Hurst, and the "Tiger Woods of Japan" Ai Miyazato. From what I had read about Ai last year, she was to be the next international golf star, but here in sleepy Havre de Grace she was just one of the other golfer.

Ai wasn't even in the top ten in fan popularity. That honor went to Wie, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Christy Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Julie Inkster, Chirstina Kim, Lorena Ochoa, Karrie Webb... and Annika.

In Japan, she can't even go out in public without tons of paparazzi, but here she was. That being said, I was able to follow her for nine holes with very few fans to get in the way of a clear view of this rising start from the land of the rising sun, as she tactically manuevered around the course with the confidence and poise of an old pro.

Ai Miyazato has all the game, mental makeup, and personality to make it in a big way on the LPGA. What it means to the tour is immeasurable as TV ratings for her Asian tour appearances outrank anything else on Japanese TV.

What I saw that sunny and clear day at Bulle Rock golf course was a true teen phenom without all the media hype, who is about to take the LPGA by storm.

Now that she has now gotten more comfortable on US soil and LPGA events, I expect to see a breakout performance this weekend.

My predictions for this weekend: Miyazato, Ochoa, Creamer in that order. Let us know your picks through the comments link below.

More resources:
Ai Miyazato Official Website (in Japanese)
Ai Miyazato [Wikipedia Entry]
Ai Miyazato Google Image Search

June 26, 2006

LPGA's Carolyn Bivens - Missing scoring opportunities?

"The LPGA is positioned right now in terms of the depth of play that's going on on the course, the overall skill of a very broad and deep group, the international nature of these players. The LPGA players look much more like the face of the USA population than do a lot of other sports. If we are going to begin to move in the market, we have to do it now." - LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens

Ty Votaw set the LPGA up to be in a very good postition in terms of worldwide marketability and growth. He embraced player personality and sexuality in terms of what it could mean for the growth of the association and put forth progressive ideas to help the LPGA break out of it's dusty and tired image.

New commissioner Carolyn Bivens has been handed the perfect opportunity. Take a sports league that is gushing with young and charismatic talent and bring it along so that it can reach its' maximum potential.

How's she doing? The early results are in and it looks like Ms. Biven is not measuring up.

The girls are hot, wear short shorts (and skirts), have million dollar smiles, and play a brand of golf that's fun to watch... and yet I hear her say that the International players need to speak better english for the press conferences and pro-ams.

What the hell are translators for? Who cares if a Korean player wins a major and then needs a translator to speak to the media. Ms. Bivens is trying to be progressive, but that sort of thinking is actually backwards and caters to "redneck" centric thinking.

Is she worried about the throngs of trailer park golf fans not associating with the talent? "Ain't nobody gonna watch that sport if it's full of orientals who can even learn our langauge." ... give me a break!

The growth of the LPGA will be based on the players, their abilities, personalities, and the level of competition, not how well the ladies can communicate with a fat CEO of a multi-million dollar company during a bogus pro-am event.

Look at the big picture LPGA ... the world is your oyster, what you do with it is up to you.

Read more:
Carolyn Bivens, Courageously Running LPGA Into the Ground [Erik B - The SandTrap]

More Bivens Wit and Wisdom [GeoffShackelford.com]

The changing face of the LPGA [Times-Union.com]

June 22, 2006

U.S. Soccer plays Ghana for a shot at advancing...

Don't know about you, but every four years I get juiced up for World Cup action. So much that I was able to quickly put together a site dedicated to what the rest of the world calls "football".

This morning, the U.S. plays what may be the most important game in this country's soccer history.

Check out a Lounge of a different color (and topic) SoccerLounge for the latest in World Cup commentary. Today should be very interesting.

Visit: SoccerLounge

June 20, 2006

Legends chime in on Mickelson Meltdown

"Put the ball in play. Go play golf." -Jack Nicklaus on Mickelson's meltdown

Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson were in the dark about events at Winged Foot after arriving returning from a fishing excursion at a remote salmon fishing camp. But it didn't take long for them to figure out what they had missed.

Both were fairly critical of Mickelson and Colin Montgomery, questioning their shot selection and letting a major slip through their grasp.

The real question is - who goes fishing during U.S. Open weekend?

Read: Phil's folly shocks golf legends [TheStar.com]

June 16, 2006

US Open Pick 10 Challenge

Just a reminder to get your top ten picks in for our first ever US Open Pick 10 Challenge.

Using the comments area below, give me your picks for who will will be left standing in the Top 10 spots on the leaderboard when the dust settles Sunday evening at Wing Foot.

Reader that picks the most top ten players correct wins. In the event of a tie, I'll pick a random winner as a tiebreaker. Just remember, I'm making this up as I go along and reserve the right to change the rules.

I'll take your picks up until they tee off Saturday morning for the start of round three.

Prizes are still to be announced (hint: the more a participants, the better the prize).

Good luck!

Winged Foot's Cheating Legacy

It figures that a course that keeps all but one of the world's best golfers in black numbers on day one of the Open would be the birthplace of the "mulligan".

The course in Mamaroneck, New York, where Colin Montgomerie leads the U.S. Open heading into today's second round, claims to be the U.S. birthplace of the Mulligan, golf's ``do-over'' shot that gives weekend duffers a second chance without adding a stroke to their score. - Bloomberg.com

Read:
U.S. Open Golf Host, Claims `Mulligan' Birthright [Bloomberg]

June 9, 2006

Daly Wins Exelon Invitational

Exelon Invitational.JPG

The 8th Annual Exelon Invitational was held Monday June 5 at The ACE Club near Philadelphia. For those that have never heard of the Exelon Invitational, it is a skins match hosted by Jim Furyk. Jim invites 3 PGA Tour members to compete for a prize pool of $300,000 and the proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club. The best part about the event is the access the public gets to the players. Ticketing is limited so there is ample room to get close and really see, hear and feel what is going on. Much like a practice round on tour the players are friendly and autograph their way around the course.

This year’s event saw the return of John Daly for his 3rd appearance. John always brings color and excitement to any tournament and this one was no different. During the clinic held before the start of the match a fan asked about fitness regiments and Daly referenced his one armed curls as the only exercise he has ever done. John also attempted to hit a passing school bus by hooking his driver on the range and managed to convince the crowd that practice was wasted on him since it cuts into his drinking time. The crowd ate up the routine and as ever John Daly proves why he is one of the most loved figures on the PGA Tour.

Two other PGA players joined Furyk and Daly for the match, Sean O’Hair and Adam Scott. Sean, a Pennsylvania resident was received well by the local crowd, and Adam Scott was received well by the females in attendance. Unfortunately, Jim Furyk pulled a muscle earlier that morning and was forced to withdraw from the competition leaving us with a three man skins match. Each player managed to win some money but the champion of the day was John Daly. As he passed the $100,000 mark he quipped to the crowd that at least one of his alimony payments was covered for the month.

The day was a success for the fans, the players and the Boys and Girls club. I highly recommend coming out to the smaller tournaments and particularly this one. Furyk always manages to get top players to come to the event, two years ago Mickleson played and last year Mike Weir and Reteif Goosen came. The ACE Club is a beautiful course that adds to the enjoyment of the day. There is so much space and elevated viewing areas that seeing the players is never an issue. Get your tickets to the 2007 Exelon Invitational and enjoy a wonderful day of golf.

June 6, 2006

Michelle Wie shrugs it off and gets it going...

Showing the resiliency that only a happy-go-lucky teenager could, Michelle Wie visited Oriole Park at Camden Yards to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and promote this weekend's McDonald's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock Golf Course (Havre de Grace, MD).

Michelle spent part of the pre-game touring the O's clubhouse and meeting Orioles players and coaching staff, most of which were hoping to get autographs from the teen phenom.

Michelle, sporting an Orioles jersey with Wie #1 accross the back, threw a low and away fastball to 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey much to the delight of the crowd.

Looking as if she hadn't a care in the world, you wouldn't know the kind of pressure she had just been under a day earlier as she chased history trying to qualify for the Men's U.S. Open. Way to go Michelle, we're pulling for you.

Read: Wie tosses out first pitch [MLB.com]

June 4, 2006

Golf Outings: Best Format?

In a few minutes I am heading off for my second corporate golf outing this weekend. I was wondering what format people prefer to play in these types of events. The first one was a best ball gross and net and the round was going to take 6 hours, but it was mercifully shortened by lightening.

Does anyone have a favorite format that they think keeps everything moving, allows bad golfers to participate, and is fun. Today is a shamble (pick the best drive and play your own ball in) but I still think this is going to take forever because the crappy players will take 9 shots even from a great drive. Oh well, the free stuff is great at these events but you pay the price on the course.

May 29, 2006

My Memorial Weekend Mini-Marathon Concludes

3 Courses + 3 different states + 63 holes = My Memorial Weekend. Now before people start complaining about how pathetically little golf that is and how they once played 96 holes in a day, carrying their bag, walking uphill the entire time while also preparing for an IRS audit, I would like to make it clear that I don't care. This is my mini-marathon and I am proud of it.

Actually, truth be told, I have played more golf in the same amount of time but this seemed particularly brutal. Perhaps it was playing in the first really hot days of the year, perhaps is was traveling 3 hrs each day to get to the courses, perhaps I am just horribly out of shape and need to suck it up?

The whole thing got me thinking about endurance and how it would theoretically be possible to play a round of golf in all 50 states in 50 days. In fact, with some of the states being so close together you might be able to do it in less time, although I do recommend timing the trip to avoid certain states in winter. I went looking for information on people that may have tried this caper but came up empty handed. There is a lovely couple who have played in all 50 states but they took 30 years to do it, and I found a guy who has played 1321 different courses, but no true iron hackers.

Trying to accomplish this feat might be a wonderful way to make money for a charity. ESPN and the Golf Channel would eat the whole thing up. If you could get a group of people do it you could even make it a tournament with stages like the Tour de France.

I am curious if anyone has heard of anything similar to this actually happening. I would love to give it a try but I fear that if 63 holes in 3 days exhausted me I might not make it through 900 in 50 days. Anyway, Happy Memorial Day to everyone.

May 15, 2006

Here Wie go again...

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times... I have no problem with Michelle Wie playing in men's events. I do, however, think she is not helping her career by taking on these pursuits.

If Michelle Wie qualifies for this year's US Open, I will root for her as if she were my first born. That being said, I think she is better served by kicking ass on her turf first and then looking towards new challenges.

Unfortunately, title sponsors like Nike, Sony, and her dad are not best served by this line of thinking so - Here WIE go again!

More:
Wie SHOULD be in U.S. Open [The Golf Channel]

Teens Wie, Bandea take shot at U.S. Open [Honolulu Advertiser]

Hype is beast that requires feeding [Columbian.com]

B.J. Wie versus Earl Woods. Will they ever belong in the same sentence? [TravelGolf]

Wie Accepts Offer to Play European Event [The Golf Channel]

WIE TO PLAY ON EUROPEAN TOUR [Sportinglife.com]

May 14, 2006

Enough already with the freakshow!

Women playing in men's events. Men crying about not being able to play in women's events. And the ubiquitous teen phenoms whose parents need a reality check (I just wanna slap them upside the head and say "Your kid isn't going to be the next Tiger Woods")

I'm all about a good tale (see: Dokoda Dowd wants to spread the word), and I surely don't hold it against the kids, but where the heck is common sense? Parents uprooting families and chasing a dream that's more theirs than it is their child's is downright goofy.

Now I don't know the specifics about this particular "phenom" so I won't rush to judgement... BUT, reading about how he's been playing golf since he was 18-months old is plain ol' crapola.

At 18-months you were a freakin' infant... You weren't playing golf.

Read: Teen golf prodigy tries for U.S Open [Capital News]

April 12, 2006

Dokoda Dowd wants to spread the word...

Think Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie have moxie? You ain't seen nothing compared to 13-year-old Dokoda Dowd.

This young lady isn't just another freaky phenom who gets a publicity driven sponsor's exemption to play in an LPGA event. She's a very talented golfer (for her age) who wanted more than anything to get to play in a pro event before her mother (who is terminally ill) passes away. She is seeking publicity, but she wants to use the stage to spread the word about early detection of cancer in women.

This may be the best sponsor's exemption ever put to use.

"She's got talent,'' says Annika Sorenstam, one of Dakoda's idols and the women's top-ranked player who met her earlier this month and watched her swing. "She can really hit the ball. She's got a great head on her shoulders. She's really strong and her attitude is really something great.''

From daughter's golf, an ill mother's dream is realized [SI.com]

Tips on golf -- and life -- from a pro [TampaBays10.com]

Daughter of Dying Mother to Play LPGA Event [TheGolfChannel]

April 3, 2006

Phil Mickelson puts two drivers into play...

Mickelson Uses two (2) drivers

There are times when I am trying out or reviewing a new driver during a round of golf and happen to carry two drivers. As can be expected, my buddies (and I use that term loosely), always give me a hard time about it.

Now I see that Phil Mickelson did just that over the weekend and plans on doing it at Augusta next weekend.

Are we really going to get that specialized? And if so, why not just get everyone playing an adjustable driver and allow them to change the settings between holes.

For now, I'll enjoy the new era of acceptance for people who carry mutliple versions of the same club... Who knew I was such a pioneer?

Read: Mickelson using two drivers at BellSouth [Golf World]

It may be Masters Week, but today is Opening Day!

There's no doubt that in just a few years (six to be exact), I have become totaly obsessed with golf. Golf takes up a ton of my time and even a ton of my idle thoughts.

However, while it may be Masters Week, today also happens to be baseball's Opening Day, and that will always top the leaderboard of my sporting interest.

So, if you live in a Major League town that has a home opener today, grab the kids and get to the ballgame, or call in sick and go home and watch on television.

Tomorrow we can focus on the Masters... today it's Cracker Jack and hotdogs!

(In the interest of "somewhat" full disclosure: BogeyMan has worked for a Major League Baseball team for many years, and today marks his 15th Opening Day.)

April 1, 2006

Michelle Wie gets 2006 Masters Exemption!

Has Hootie Johnson lost his mind and given the go ahead that will allow teen sensation Michelle Wie to realize her dream of playing in this year's Masters?

Has Nike finally crossed the line and paid her way into a major marketing coup?

Or could it be that it's April Fools day?... Good morning fellow "Loungers"... consider yourselves warned.

See Also:
Paula Creamer to Pose Nude [Today's Golf]
Tiger Woods to retire after 2006 season [Golf Today]
Danielle Amiee makes LPGA Tour [Today in Golf]

March 27, 2006

Michelle Wie: Who's Rush Limbaugh?

Oh to be young, a world-class golfer, a multi-millionaire, and have no knowledge of Rush Limbaugh...

That's the life of Wie as reported by Time Magazine.

Read: 10 Questions for Michelle Wie [Time Magazine]

March 24, 2006

Hey it's Friday...

Not a whole lot going on in golf equipment and technology news lately, so why not turn to another of our favorite subjects...

Golfin' Hotties!

Here's a few links that will add some pink to your Friday morning.

Golf Digest Photo Gallery:
Paula Creamer

Google Photo Search: Natalie Gulbis

And let's not forget one of our favorites... The GolfPunk Bunker Babes Page

March 12, 2006

Tavern of the greens... PGA Opens themed eatery

First it was a PGA Tour line of premium wines, now it's a PGA Tour line of themed eateries.

According to the AP, all is quiet as the tour joins the likes of Planet Hollywood and the WWE...

Quiet Launch for PGA Tour Golf Themed Eatery in Rockville [WJLA.com]

March 11, 2006

More on the jackass space stunt...

A few days ago I posted about the "golf equipment manufacturer" that paid the Russian space program to allow it to hit a golf ball using its' gear for a world record 2.1 billion mile drive off of the International Space Station.

Congratulations to the mastermind marketing person who came up with this brilliant idea. Regardless of whether or not this happens, the only publicity they will get is as a first class novelty golf company. Good work! Your million dollar investment has just aligned you with the same folks who make the swingjacket, the exploding golf ball, and that stupid snowglobe game where you try to get the ball up on the tee.

I'll stick to club manufacturers that focus their attention on research and devlopment, not Mickey Mouse stunts... and shame on anyone involved with the ISS for turning the station into the overused cliche of a future full of overcommercialization.

Read: Space golf drive no universal hit [IndyStar.com]

March 9, 2006

Fun things you can do with hair...

Since I'm losing the ability to grow my own, I've taken to watching others grow theirs.

Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, and Tim Clark have a wager about who can grow the longest mane of hair... last ~~mane~~ man standing wins.

At least now we know why they've been sporting the Captain Caveman / Johnny Damon look... No word on why Phil Mickelson is growing his hair, but I'm sure it has something to do with a Ford or Callaway promotion.

Read: Hair-raising bet [Orlando Sentinel]

March 2, 2006

Golf space stunt could be risky?

So we've got this multi-trillion dollar international space station and we've got a Canadian start-up golf company that makes golf clubs out of some space age material.

The start-up wants publicity, so it arranges (through the pimped out Russian space program) for a publicity stunt to have a Russian ~~astronaut~~ cosmonaut to hit a golf ball millions of miles (a record for sure) using one of their clubs.

So what's the problem you ask? The ball could come back at some point and hit the space station with the equivalent force of a 6.5 ton truck traveling at 62 mph... the chances of that are slim, but why bother?

Read: Cosmonauts to attempt golf record [BBC]

February 2, 2006

Mizuno does it again... This time with Bettinardi

I'm really trying here. There is no bigger advocate for Mizuno golf products than me. Every chance I get to talk about their products I take it.

Now I don't know if I missed this at the PGA Show, or if this news came out afterwards, but it looks like MIzuno has partnered with Bob Bettinardi to produce a line of putters.

MIzuno has been out of the putter business for three years (formerly had a TP MIlls line), so this is big news for them. Right?

Maybe I'm missing it, but I can't find anything on their website (and I even looked at Mizuno sites from other countries)... If any of you find anything there, please let me know.

Just another case of an equipment company that produces excellent gear, but can't market themselves to save their lives (or business).

Read: Mizuno fills out lineup with Bettinardi putters - GolfWeek.com

February 1, 2006

Nickent Golf : What are they thinking?

Based on what I've seen, Nickent Golf is heading in the right direction. Great looking clubs (although the jury is still out on the Pipe Putter) backed by some serious engineering and technology. Good design in regards to logos, brochures, website, retail displays, and trade show booths.

Nickent Golf has every ingredient needed to get golfers excited about their products save for one very important detail. The big name endorser.

An endorser. A real, honest to goodness face of the company that says, "this gear is ready for the big time!" Sure they can put out all the press releases they want about Darrell survey results and being the #1 hybrid on the Nationwide tour or #3 on the PGA Tour. That's all great and a testament to their "Cinderella" story, but when you've got a chance to get to the next level, you gotta grab it, and having a hockey player (Jeremy Roenick) as your lead endorser does nothing for "Joe Golfer" who looks to pro golfer validation to feel good about club selection.

Regardless of how stupid it is to buy clubs based on what some guy (or gal) gets paid to associate their name to, it is an important detail, particularly for a new (and relatively unknown company).

Somewhere there is a Nickent marketing executive telling his bosses that they don't need to follow what everyone else has done in order to be successful... I beg to differ.

Here are some quotes from Nickent's website regarding their association with Roenick. Read them and tell me how any of this would help persuade you to play these clubs. He's not a golf pro, and his not your common weekend hacker, so I don't see where he fits in connecting with your typical golf consumer.

I really hope this isn't the case of someone at Nickent being a hockey fan smitten with the idea of a Roenick association... It would be a shame for a company that is so close to the top of the mountain.

"Jeremy represents the kind of customer that is buying our golf clubs,” said Lee. “He’s been playing a lot more golf lately due to the NHL lockout and he was looking for clubs that provide feel, forgiveness and power all in one."

"Not that Roenick needs any help with distance. He hits his driver well over 300 yards on average. He stated that he needed clubs that could handle his 135 mph swing speed, but that also kept him in the fairway."

"This success on Tour led to numerous celebrities playing their clubs, and the Nickent Marketing Department stated they thought they could get more mileage from a celebrity than by following the industry norm and signing a Tour player."

More info: Nickent Golf [official website]

January 26, 2006

Why you should support David Leadbetter Golf products...

It only took a few minutes at the PGA Merchandise Show for my head to start spinning. Thousands of clubs, balls, gadgets, toys, clothes, etc... etc... etc... and not enough hours in the day to take it all in.

So we'll start slow and cover as much as is possible over the next few days (or probably weeks).

I picked up lots of sales brochures and business cards for followups, and there's still more research to do. But for now, I've got plenty of material to give you a glimpse of the goings on at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show.

My biggest impression of the day wasn't any of the shiny new toys or cute booth models, but a relatively old golf standard. David Leadbetter has been around for a while, and while most of us know him from infomercials and appearances on the Golf Channel, I got a chance to see a different side today.

After a short demonstration of his latest training aid (the SwingSetter), Mr. Leadbetter proceeded to, in his own words "get on his soapbox", and tell the audience that everyone associated with the golf industry in America needs to find ways to get kids learning and playing golf. Leadbetter, stated that the single biggest difference between this country and every other is lack of accessibility to affordable golf for kids.

According to Leadbetter, a youngster can join some of the premiere clubs in Australia for around $100 (without his parents being members). Coincidently, I was told a story the other day by a friend of mine who lives in Florida. He took his 10-year-old son out for a round to a very cheap ($20) and not very well maintained course in Tarpon Springs, Florida. It was around noon and while there were available times, the dude at the pro shop looked at the youngster and said to my buddy, "I'm worried you guys might hold up some of our regulars, why don't you come back at three".

Needless to say, my friend and his son went home. Sometimes it's easier to just shoot some hoops in the driveway than feel like a bother at your local course.

I agree with David Leadbetter about needing to do something about kids being embraced by the golf industry. I know his words were from the heart, I could see it in the way he spoke to kids afterwards and signed autographs for them. The Leadbetter golf machine is gaining some momentum with the launch of quality products, services, and association with high-profile clients... I wish them well, because I think they'll use some of that power for the good of the game.

I'll be reviewing Leadbetter's latest instructional DVD "Leadbetter Interactive" very soon. It is (hands down) the best production I have seen in the area of sports instruction, and I've seen them all.

As always, Stay Tuned...

Associated Links:
David Leadbetter's Official Site
Leadbetter Interactive Instructional DVD Series
The SwingSetter - Training Aid

Golf-a-Palooza recap is coming... but first a moment of silence

Tony (also known as Media Guru from Hooked on Golf Blog) is mourning the loss of a golf buddy. Earlier today, Bobby Drabner, Tony's golf buddy and good friend lost a two and a half year battle to cancer.

Our thoughts are with you buddy. I'm sure Bobby is in a better place up there playing pain free golf.

January 24, 2006

Say hello to Erik Vossman and Golf Nomad

I'm always happy to see more golf bloggers join the community...

For those of you who haven't heard my philosophy regarding the topic, it goes something like this. "A rising tide lifts all boats"... or is it, "A rising handicap gets you more strokes" ... or is it...

Sorry, It's late and I'm rambling... so let's welcome two new golf related blogs I discovered today.

Golf Nomad "The perils and pleasures of a golf nomad."
ErickVossman.com "The journey to becoming a scratch golfer."

January 18, 2006

A new camera for Bogey...

I don't know how often I'll actually use it during a round, but I just purchased a new digital camera (Canon Powershot s2 is) for the purpose of building a nice archive of golf images. I get home from Best Buy and start looking around the internet for more info about the camera (reviews, etc...), and surprise! it looks like fellow golf blogger Rich (Eat Golf) has not only bought the same camera, but has also done a post with sample photos.

It's weird, because I find that a lot of golf bloggers play the same gear, and now it looks like we are drawn to the same gadgets. Who's got a PSP out there?

As they say, great minds think alike.

Oh, the picture on the right, you ask? It's a shot taken by Rich of a rare eagle that resides in the Utah area.

January 17, 2006

Much ado about Bubba ...

As you all know by now, I'm a sucker for buzz, hype, and frenzy... So i'm drooling over the possibilities that Bubba Watson brings to the table for the 2006 season.

A lefty, who hits the piss out of the ball, named "Bubba", plays Ping clubs, and is from Bagdad (Florida). That's enough material to last me all season. Just thinking of all the cheesy titles I can use for "Bubba" blog posts all summer makes me smile.

I'm rooting for "Bubba", that is for sure. And before anyone else uses it, let me be first to call him... ready for this... ALI "Bubba" from Bagdad. Sorry, but it had to be said.

Anyway, take a look below as the world begins to recognize the power of "Bubba".

A "SHAAA-WING" FOR PING! [Hooked on Golf Blog]
“Boom Boom 2.0″ was bombing it 100 yards past Rory Sabbatini and simply blowing the announcers away. He was carrying the ball in the air over 300 yards. His driving average in the Sony was 336.3. That is average folks. Ping is going to love this.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? [Golf Punk Blog]
Lets start with the name. If ever there was an apt name for a young hotshot who can belt the ball 340 yards then Bubba's yer man. Images of slack-jawed yokels who don't possess the mental capacity to worry about swing planes spring to mind. Added to that, the 6ft 3" boomer hails from a place called Bagdad! Alright, it's the one in Florida and spelt differently to it's American inhabited counterpart, but intimidating nonetheless.

ON BUBBA's SWING [Major Acid]
But, like watching a train wreck, you can't take your eyes off it. The man is flexible. He gets his shoulders so far around I suspect even he doesn't know which way is forward, and when he unwinds ... same problem. He unwinds so fast that sometimes he can barely remain in a standing position. And if he wants to fade a drive, as he did on a couple of occasions (on purpose, I might add) elbows fly, and he is even more ungainly.

A NEW FAN FAVORITE? [The GrunkleGuru]
It looks like golf might have itself a new fan favorite on its hands, and his name is Bubba. Bubba Watson that is, and does this kid ‘ton it’. Four times on Sunday he hit drives of over 360 yards. This kid is scary long, and it looks like he has some game to go with the bombs he can hit as he finished in fourth place for the week.

NOT JUST LONG, BUT GOOD [The Undaunted Duffer]
Looking at Bubba’s stats for the weekend, you’d think that he was slighted in the end, and that he should have won just based on his numbers. He averaged 336 yards off the tee (1st in the field), he was tied for 2nd in greens in regulation (75%) and tied for 7th in putts per green in regulation (1.70). Then again, it isn’t too hard to get your ball on the green when your ripping your drive all the way down the fairway.

EVEN IN JAPAN? [Golf Digest Japan]
あんまり気に入ってしまったので、NETROLLさん　の許可を得て、掲載させていただきました。 NETROLLさん　は大好きなブロガーさんの１人で、毎朝ご訪問しては新しいイラストを見るのを楽しみにしています。

January 16, 2006

What's wrong with this scenario?

O.K., as you can tell from the links at the top right of this page, I've started to dabble with other "Lounges" beyond golf under the iLounge Media name. It started when I introduced friends and co-workers to Bogey Lounge and got a lot of "boy, would I love to do one of those on the topic of ____ ."

So, with the help of some talented writers and great story tellers, I'm gonna slowly roll out a number of "Lounges" related to various topics that people are passionate about.

Right now most of them are just a work in progress, but one (other than Bogey Lounge) that is in full force and has been running in beta for a few months to rave reviews is "Elephonkey Lounge". Elephonkey is a politcal/world issues blog whose tagline is "Common Sense, Not Common Politics", and is run by two of the most opinionated (and intelligent) people I know, Robert and Greg.

I suggest you take a look around because it's got something for everyone, whether your a politcal junky looking for your daily fix, or a politically apathetic American (like me) looking for some inspiration to get you going.

Oh yeah... the main reason for this post (and the goofy title) is that Robert just returned from a family vacation in Hawaii where he attended the Mercedes Championships. Robert was lucky enough to be able to use some "close" connections to also get an invite to the Srixon press conference introducing Jim Furyk as their newest PGA Tour representative.

So while I sit in cold Baltimore thinking and writing about golf, my politics/world issues editor is in Kapalua hobnobbing with the PGA elite... What am I doing wrong?

Anyway, take a look at "Elephonkey" and read about Robert's PGA experience. Nice work Robert, you are now officially a guest contributor to the Lounge.

Feel free to send me some Srixon golf balls very soon.

Read: Get Your Srix---ON!! [Elephonkey Lounge]

About Elephonkey

January 12, 2006

I hope Wie makes the cut... I also hope she doesn't

Michelle Wie - BJ Wie

When I first sat down to write this post, my intentions were to announce that Michelle Wie would make the cut at this week's Sony Open. After all, she's a pro now ready to move on with her lifelong dream of playing at the top level of professional golf. She's stronger, she's working hard with swing guru David Leadbetter, and she's maturing by the day.

Then I read the transcript from Tuesday's media session...

"I would consider a successful week if, at the end of the week, I felt good about the week. I had a lot of fun and played as hard as I can."

"Playing with the guys has made me a better player. With that experience and knowledge, I think it will help me win women's events. That's my goal -- to win with the women's events."

"I am going to relax, have a good time, play my hardest and what happens, happens."

Hey Michelle, what happened to "I'm gonna play in the Masters"? What happened to "I'm gonna kick everyone's ass... including Tiger's"

O.K., she never said that last thing, but I'm concerned that Michelle's toned down attitude may be from the pressure she feels from becoming a pro with seven figure commitments and no turning back.

Maybe this is a media strategy (courtesy of Nike) to lessen the blow in case she fails miserably.

Or maybe this is a kid who wishes she could be a kid, but has a dad who wants her to be "more than she's ready to become".

Read the most telling part of yesterday's session below, and tell me that sounds like someone who wants to dedicate her life to playing pro golf. Guess what Michelle? Nike isn't paying you to hang out with your friends in the school cafeteria... even if that is what you'd like to be doing.

Q. Do you like school or are you looking forward to being done with school?

MICHELLE WIE: Part of me wants to play every week, but a big part of me wants to stay at school, be normal. That's very important to me and my family for me to go to school. I'm very grateful for that. I don't think I could be home-schooled. I'm not that kind of kid. If there were more days (in the year), I would love to play week after week after week, because that's what I love to do. But I love to go to school, sometimes, not when I have exams. That's a part of my life I can't live without it right now.

ATTENTION WIE FAMILY: If it was important for you that Michelle went to school... Why the heck did she turn pro? Golf has been around for thousands of years, it would have still been there after Michelle graduated from Stanford.

Because it would be such a great story, I will still root for Michelle to make the cut this week, but part of me says what may be best for her in the long run (as a person and as a golfer), would be for her to fail so badly that she never steps foot inside the ropes of a men's event ever again.

As always, Stay Tuned...

Read More: Interview with Michelle Wie [PGA Tour]

Big Wiesy Tries Again at Sony Open [The Sand Trap]

Wie Making Fitness a Priority [AP]

The Cut Looms Large for Wie [AP]

The Golf Channel gets lions share of tour coverage...

Particulars of the 2007 PGA Tour schedule have not yet been announced, but the tv agreements are set.

The biggest change in the TV landscape is The Golf Channel's long-term commitment to the tour which makes them the exclusive cable television home for the PGA Tour's official money events beginning in 2007. The exclusive deal is not only unprecedented in golf, but also will make the 24-hour golf network the Tour's biggest television partner.

Congratulations Golf Channel... now listen up... Get your act together! Improve your broadcast quality, announcers, graphics, and start broadcasting in High Definition before the start of next season.

For all the good you have done for the game of golf, it could be just as bad for golf if you get the lion's share of coverage and don't succeed in satisfying the golfing public and engaging the casual fans.

PGA Tour Finalizes Television Agreements [The Sand Trap]

January 3, 2006

Happy New Year ... Let's all have a great 2006!

It's been a year since I began Bogey Lounge in an effort to amuse myself and hopefully entertain, engage, and inform fellow golf lovers in all topics related to golf.

I've had a blast building the site and making a ton of new friends through my virtual Lounge.

Now comes 2006 and I'm filled with excitement about what the new year will bring. My game didn't improve in '05 due mostly to a nasty case of golfer's elbow and a hectic work schedule, but I intend to beat both of those obstacles in '06.

There are a ton of things I want to do with the Lounge regarding content and interactivity (and will even officially be launching other "Lounge" blogs relating to other topics... more on that next week).

2006 is shaping up to be a great year for golf with many anticipated equipment launches, great professional story lines from the men's and women's tours, an upcoming Ryder Cup, and a growing number of great golf blogs doing tons of great content.

To my fellow golf bloggers I wish you a happy, healthy, wealthy, and low scoring year to you all ... and to our many readers and friends I wish you the same and many happy returns...

Now let's get the '06 golf year under way!

As always, Stay Tuned...

test

December 27, 2005

Why should you care about golf's growth in Asia?

Michelle Wie Nike

Why should any of us care about the growth of golf in Asian countries?

The popularity and continued growth of golf among the world's most populated region (60% of the world's population) will not only assist in the growth and popularity of the PGA and LPGA tours, but will also mean exponential growth for golf manufacturers.

More revenue for the likes of Callaway and TaylorMade will mean increased research and development (i.e. new technology and more innovation) and most likely a decrease or at least stabilization of retail pricing.

While other professional sports struggle to find a way to become relevant in the Asian markets (NFL, NBA and MLB games in Japan), golf has slowly become part of the daily sports landscape in Asia.

Asia carved out a reputation as the world’s new golfing hotspot this year with a string of high-profile tournaments attended by the sport’s biggest names. The region hosted no fewer than 10 European-sanctioned events — double the number in 2004 — with the Asian Tour enjoying another season of stellar growth. - Daily Times Pakistan

Read More: Asian golf gets bigger and better in 2005 [Daily Times Pakistan]

December 15, 2005

Armchair golfer pens a ditty to Daly

Now we know what happens when the weather turns bad and golf bloggers have too much time on their hands.

I'm scared to think what Hooked on Golf could be working on in his golf blog laboratory.

Read: John Daly, Golf Ball Driving Man

December 13, 2005

Gifting of knock-offs trendy?

If Mrs. Bogeyman is reading this I have one thing to say "Honey, no matter how trendy counterfeit items have become, please don't think it's acceptable to buy me fake golf goods for Christmas".

Now that I've gotten that personal public service announcement out of the way, here's the scoop. It seems as though counterfeit items are no longer thought of as tacky but instead have become trendy...?

"It's become cool and trendy to buy knockoffs," complains New York-based trademark lawyer Louis Ederer, who has represented Adidas-Salomon AG, Nike Inc. and Tommy Hilfiger Corp. in counterfeit cases. - TimesUnion.com

Now maybe you can get away with it when it comes to handbags, shoes, or apparel... maybe even a watch, but if you think for one second that a fraud putter, driver, iron, or ball will perform as well as the real thing, think again.

There is a reason why companies spend millions in research and development, and no matter how good something looks it doesn't mean it will perform as well (or at all) under playing conditions.

Now where did I put that r8 TaylerMade driver my wife bought me last year?... She's got some 'splaining to do.

Read: Fake items make naughty- but-nice gifts [TimesUnion.com]

December 9, 2005

Sex Sells... but should it have to?

Big Break Golf Swimsuit Calendar

What is it with the people that market women golfers and their tired obsession with swimsuits?

Yes, I'll admit that I pay attention to LPGA golf in part because of some of the cuties, but I'm just as interested in how good these women are on the course.

I understand that sex sells, and I even applauded the LPGA's marketing campaign to promote the personalities, charisma, and good looks of some of its' members. But swimsuits in the context of an athletic competition?

First is was Natalie Gulbis, then it was Sophie Sandolo, now it's the ladies from a show that isn't even on the air until February (The Golf Channel's Big Break V).

Forget the discussion about "objectifying women". I'm too guilty of it to go there...

My beef is with the marketers whose view is obviously, "Put the chicks in bathing suits and the pea brained men will pay attention". While that may be appropriate if you are promoting girlie mags, chicken wing restaurants, and silky lingerie, it shouldn't be for promoting "supposed" world class athletes.

My question for those "promoters" is this.... How are you helping your golf related client/product/show by going to the lowest common denominator to get attention? You are overshadowing all of the talent and hard work these women represent and place an unreasonable amount of credibility in how good their tits look. Remember the incessant Golf Channel promos that showed Danielle Amiee and her implant enhanced red top?

Yes, sex sells... but if you are a golf network that needs to show women in bathing suits to get ratings for a golf competition reality series, maybe you should be coming up with different programming.

By the way, I know TGC is working on a reality series featuring John Daly... here's to hoping they don't do a JD calendar of any kind.

November 27, 2005

Oh baby, look at that shot I just hit!

I think I'm a Tiger Woods fan again... Something I wouldn't have said a week ago. I mean, I've always thought he was awesome, but I've never really rooted for him to win since he first broke onto the scene. I guess it's because I like to cheer for the underdog and Tiger hasn't been that for a long time.

Something else Tiger hasn't been for a long time (until recently) has been "human" like. No, I don't mean his golf game has been elevated to unwordly proportions. I mean, his "Team Tiger" corporate personality is not one that has been easy to warm to.

Last week's PGA Grand Slam served once again as testament to Tiger's mental and physical toughness. His overcoming a stomach virus to play as well as he did was truely a "Jordan-esque" moment.

No part of his game was surprising, however, I can't help but notice how his personality has begun to come through lately. Usually guarded, rehearsed and cliche in his public and media interactions, Tiger has begun to let the cat out of the bag when it comes to letting us see some personality.

Yesterday, for example, as Fred Funk (while wearing a skirt for being outdriven by Anika the previous hole) squatted to line up a putt and asked Tiger (who was directly across from him) what he thought of the putt... Tiger responded with "It's a ball. No, it's two balls out."

Hearing interaction like that humanizes and makes Tiger "one of the guys", and even if we don't like or agree with what he's saying, it's still better than corporate robotic Tiger.

Which brings me to why I may be a Tiger fan once again...

At last week's grand slam event, Tiger, after hitting his second shot on the par-five 14th hole, which he hit 244-yards uphill and into the wind to set up an eagle putt said: "Oh baby, look at that shot I just hit! That was pretty cool."

He said it sort of like he was talking to his caddy, however, you could tell he was talking to himself. Posing and watching a perfect shot and realizing he just amazed even himself. Arrogant? Not really at all.

I didn't see that as a professional athlete loving himself in the first person ... I saw a golfer (just like you and me), amazed and sincerely excited to have just done what he did. The proverbial "one that brings you back" golf shot.

Congrats Tiger, that one may have brought me back!

Skirt skit makes for fun first day at Skins [TheDesertSun.com]

November 17, 2005

Bloggers are enthusiasts who keep journals... NOT JOURNALIST!

This morning, Heather McMichael, Blogger Leaderboard Goddess, takes on Mark Nessmith's assessment that "Golf bloggers blew it with "coverage" of the PGA Tour/Golf Digest marriage".

Heather writes that, "Being a blogger, in the purest sense, means having no responsibility to chase down news. There are some that do, of course, but that doesn't mean any blogger should conform. Being true to yourself is a blogger's job".

Amen, sister!

Her post reminds me of a post I made a few months back (coincidentally it was about TravelGolf.com), where I stated my views on a related topic.

"Can't we all just get along" June 28, 2005... Get a grip people! Blogger doesn't equal journalist. Some journalist are also bloggers (i.e. Robert Thompson), but not all bloggers are journalist (i.e. Me).

This is supposed to be a fun way to express ourselves, stroke our egos, and maybe even get a golf company to send us some free stuff to review.

Holding blogs to any standard is a joke because we are not journalist. People should not count on a blog to deliver unbiased coverage of anything. Repeat... blogs are not news media, we have no responsibility other than to amuse ourselves and our readers!

Nessmith continuously repeats the term "Golf Blog Coverage", and states that bloggers are "the self-styled people's journalists who serve as watchdogs picking up the slack from the fat, bloated MSM (that's blogger-ese for "Main Stream Media") too out of touch to report a "real" story if it jumped up and bit 'em in the rear".

Hey Mark, stop that! Other than a few (well publicized) vigilante or gossip sites, the other 99.999% of blogs don't "cover" anything. Especially golf bloggers, who usually just want to talk about their game, or some gear, or their favorite players.

In my opinion, bloggers who think they are journalist tend to be "wannabe" journalist that have either just started their careers or have failed at landing a good "mainstream media" job and decided to "create" their own space. So don't pay a lot of attention to blog rantings that begin with "I needed a journalistic platform that was free of biased editors and publishers". Because that usually means, "I couldn't get or keep a good job, so I created this site in hopes of becoming the next Matt Drudge".

The implication that bloggers are journalist (rather than enthusiasts who keep journals) is ruinous to the blogsphere. Because of a few well publicized instances, bloggers are being represented as "whistle blowers", "gossips", "vendetta driven", and even "liars". [See Forbes Magazine's attack of blogs]

And while there may be a bunch of blogs that are guilty of those things, I'd venture a guess that out of the 15 million or so blogs out there, very few care to blow the whistle on anything.

That would be too much like work... and that's the opposite of why most people create and manage a blog (especially one about golf).

Read:
Nessmith's rant puts onus on bloggers to cover the golf industry [Blogger Leaderboard]
Golf bloggers blow it with "coverage" of the PGA Tour/Golf Digest marriage [WorldGolf.com]

November 11, 2005

Golf and relationships...

Here's a little piece I ran into this morning regarding golfers, women's perceptions of golfers, and golfer's perceptions on women.

Like I tell Mrs. BogeyMan from time to time... She's lucky I met her before I met golf. (O.K., I don't tell her that, but I have thought it a few times ;)

In all fairness, golfers do have many socially redeeming qualities that would make them great dates or relationship partners. Some of the ones that come to mind are as follows:

1. Golfers have evenings free. After all, golf is played in the daytime, unless you’re completely addicted and like luminescent balls!

2. Golfers dress well, better than the average male. Remember guys, ladies do like us when we look good, and clearly care about our appearance.

3. Golfers are social creatures, always playing in well defined groups. Women like nothing less than asocial partners, who leave them alone to attend all of those demanding social events on their own.

ElitesTV.com

Read: Golf and Dating, A Match Made in Heaven? [ElitesTV.com]

November 3, 2005

Recovering from "high-end" golf ball addiction...

So I find one of these balls a few weeks ago while playing a round. It had a magic marker alignment ring on it (which I personally can't stand), but I paused a minute because I'd never seen these balls before. Hmm, a Wilson Staff Dx2?

Wonder if this is their high end ball? The last thing I need at home is more "junk" balls that will never get used, however, for some reason I proceeded to toss it into my bag.

Later in the round I reach for a new ball (usually looking for a ProV1 or BlackMax), and pull out the Wilson.

Oh well, I'm shooting a bad score and it's late in the round, so what the heck? I tee off using the Wilson... and about 275 yards later I'm standing in the middle of the fairway preparing for my second shot from about 250 yards away... Three wood - down the gut - carries about 220 - and rolls right through the green... I chip close, make a 2-footer... BIRDIE!

Next hole, I reach for a "good ball" and proceed to not make a birdie or par or even bogey... round ends, whatever.

The significance of this already long winded tale is that over the next few rounds, whenever I pulled out that old Dx2, I would make par or birdie... Par 3, Par 4, Par 5 it didn't matter.

No one has ever accused BogeyMan of being smart, so it took a while for me to realize, that there was a correlation between the success I was having and this ball.

Was it a magic ball? No, that can't be it. I know! It was superior to the balls I was using, probably a $60/dozen self correcting nano-technology ball that I hadn't heard of!

No, that wasn't it either. As a matter of fact, as I would later learn, this wasn't a "high" end ball at all. It was a low end, Wilson 2-piece ball. On sale, in fact at Edwin Watts for $13.95/dozen.

Could it be that BogeyMan has been throwing away gobs of hard earned cash in order to play (and lose) the "good" balls, when he could have been a better golfer all along using these "rocks". By the way, the dx2 felt soft and responsive before I found out that they were $13.95 per twelve.

What's a desperate golfer to do? I bought a dozen of the Wilson Dx2, and of course a dozen of Wilson's "high end" ball the Tx4. The logic, of course, was that if the cheap ball played so well, think of how the top line model would perform.

O.K., I promise I'm wrapping up here... Long story short... The more expensive Tx4's were nice but nothing to write home about, but the dx2's continued their impressive run of long and straight carry off the driver, control off the irons, and responsiveness in the scoring zone.

What have I learned? Don't be an equipment snob! The price or marketing of a golf ball doesn't matter when it comes to your score. Maybe this 2-piece ball is extremely well suited for my swing?

Whatever the case, I'm glad I found and kept this ball. Maybe it was a gift from the golf gods as a reward for raking bunkers and fixing divot marks.

I can tell you, it won't be easy to quit my "high-end" ball habit. As I sit here I'm fighting the urge to purchase a dozen ProV's for an upcoming golf trip. Old habits are hard to teach new tricks... or something like that.

Editor's Note: BogeyMan has always known that equipment doesn't make the golfer. It's just that he's having a hard time actually convincing himself of that. "It's all so shiny and new, and the tour players are using it, I need it... really!"

November 2, 2005

Hey Mizuno, why do I always have to come looking for you?

Once again, Mizuno, a company that produces excellent equipment and backs it up with piss poor marketing, has struck again.

While browsing at a local golf shop the other day, I ran into the new Mizuno mx-500 driver. This thing is down right sweet looking. Quaility craftsmanship, solid feel and a confidence inducing setup at address, this club looks like it could be major player in the driver category.

However, here's my problem. I watch a ridiculous amount of golf on television, I read everything available about golf, and yet I had to run into this piece of gear by "mistake". Not to mention, when I did find out about the driver, I had to spend time searching around the internet for some decent info. There are vendors out there (Edwin Watts, etc...) that have more info about the mx-500 on their website than Mizuno does on it's corporate product site.

I'm excited about trying out the mx-500, but I doubt many others will ever think to do the same. After all, you can't expect customers to come looking for you.

Here's more info on the mx-500 Driver:
GolfReview.com
GolfMagic Review
Detroit News
Mizuno Site

New (or new to me) Golf Blogs...

It's been way too long since I've updated the Lounge's golf blogroll.

When I launched BogeyLounge last January it was all I could do to find 5 or 6 decent golf blogs to put on the list. Now, less than a year later, there are more golf related blogs than you can shake a utility club at.

Here are some quality golf blogs with unique content and commentary. Excuse me now, I have to go catch up on my golf blog reading... Enjoy!

The Undaunted Duffer
19th Hole Comedy
Armchair Golf Blog
Blogger Leaderboard
Engolfed
Even Par Round
Going For The Green
Golf Chick
Golf Living
Golf Home Connect
Golf Punk
Golf Sports Blog
Golf Times
Golf Tips And News
Golfing Zen
Primary Rough
Traveling Golfer
Unplayable Lies
World Golf Views

October 29, 2005

Is "Van de Velde" French for Jackass?

I could go on forever and tell you why the logic behind his argument is totally f'd up... considering the source, I won't waste my breath.

You would think this guy would have just crawled under a rock and stayed there after his world class jackass performance in the Open a few years ago.

One more thing... Van De Velde's fellow tour players should probably sit this one out when it comes to making comments, because saying this is simply just a reverse of the "Wie" situation just reveals their ignorance.

from BBC News - Colourful Frenchman Jean van de Velde joined the debate over women in men's golf by revealing his intention to apply for a place in the Women's Open.

Read more:
Van de Velde targets women's golf [BBC News]

Van de Velde will 'shave legs' to play in women's tournament [The Independent]

October 28, 2005

BogeyLounge email now working at ".tv" address

I finally have email working again for the BogeyLounge golf blog.

For those of you inclined to communicate with me... You should now be able to email me at bogeyman@bogeylounge.tv

For those of you kind enough to link to the Lounge, please link to the www.BogeyLounge.tv address.

Thanks!

October 17, 2005

Back in the swing of things...

After some time away from the Lounge, I'm finding it hard to get back in the swing of things when it comes to sharing thoughts with you all. So I've decided to share some stream of consciousness ramblings to get back into the flow of things.

This summer has been hard on my golf game. FIrst it was the elbow pain that came from a severe case of elbow tendinitis, then it was the problems with the Bogey blog (thanks to idiot spammers) that took away a lot of my free time while transitioning the site. As if that wasn't bad enough to deal with, my regular day job was full of crisis and difficulty throughout the summer (for those of you who don't know, I work in the front office of a professional sports team).

As most of you can attest, it's hard enough to focus on golf related activities when everything is going well, so given all of these circumstances, golf wasn't as much a part of my summer as I would have liked.

Now the good news... With some cortisone shots and rehab, my elbow is feeling much better (not 100%, but much better). BogeyLounge has been transitioned to a new server and so far has not shown any problems. And my team's season is over (so now we can begin to plan for next year... spring will bring renewed hope for a winning and controversy free 2006 season.)

This week, I have taken Mrs. BogeyMan to Florida for a week of visiting friends and relaxation. I finally got a chance to play golf with some close friends yesterday and for the first time ever, my score or the course conditions didn't really matter... it was nice to get out a share a few hours with buddies. That really is the beauty of golf. We talked smack all day, made some nice shots, made some horrible shots, and just enjoyed the game.

I also got a chance to attend the Bucs/Dolphins game yesterday. While I've been a Bucs fan all my life, I had never had a chance to see a game at Raymond James Stadium. Very nice experience, great stadium, great weather, no problems with traffic and parking (nice job Tampa Police!) and the BUCS beat the fins!

Enough rambling because it's time to check out of our hotel and travel further south... my next post will be about just golf (I promise), but for now I wanted to get back in the swing by catching you guys up.

Thanks to all of you for your nice messages during my rebuilding of the Lounge... I know I still have to update some areas of the site including the Links List... so if I am not linking to your correct URL please shoot me an email at BogeyMan@bogeylounge.com. Also, if you have found my site just recently and want to do a link exchange let me know via email.

Now it's time to go drop the Mrs. off at a mall while I check out the local Edwin Watts (we don't have golf shops like this back home).... Get the credit card machine ready Mr. Watts, BogeyMan is coming...

As always, Stay Tuned!

October 10, 2005

The Lounge returns...

Content needs updating, lost comments need to be retrieved, and some pages still have weird formatting, however, the Lounge has returned.

I finally have a new server, upgraded software (that will hopefully keep spammers and hackers away - or at least, in control), and some fresh content ideas that I hope will keep all of you entertained and informed for many posts to come.

Sorry if I haven't been able to respond to everyone's emails and sorry if your previous comments have been deleted, but now that things are fixed (fingers crossed), I hope to get things back to normal.

I look forward to making up for lost time (Wie news, Daly's latest performance, bunker babes, new golf gear!)...

As always, Stay Tuned!

By the Way: Please direct your links and blogrolls to www.bogeylounge.tv, I don't know how long it will take to transfer the ".com" domain to the new server. Thanks!

September 27, 2005

BogeyLounge will temporarily be out of service...

Due to upgrades I want to make to the site (software, hosting, transfer of domain names, etc...), I will not be posting over the next few days... BogeyLounge will be back (and better than ever) just in time to settle in with all of you for a winter of golf dreaming and preparing for the 2006 season...

Over the last few weeks, i've had a hell of a time with software and hosting problems (mostly caused by the over 800 pieces of comment spam I've been receiving daily lately), so these upgrade have been a long time coming.

Thanks to you all.... it's been an awesome first year of golf blogging!

For now, I leave you in the very capable hands of Erik (SandTrap), Tony (Hooked on Golf), and the rest of the talented and quickly growing community of fellow golf bloggers.

As always, Stay Tuned...

August 24, 2005

Singh passes on Hall of Fame induction...

OK he didn't "pass" but "defered" on the World Golf Hall of Fame ceremony scheduled for November 14 because it conflicts with a tournament.

While that sort of dedication is what has made Vijay a HOF'er, I think I have a problem with him skipping this ceremony. How many times have players pulled out of tourneys last minute just because they were gassed?

Is this a money issue? Is Vijay sending a message of some sort? Or, does this just speak to the lack of prestige this honor carries?

As always, Stay Tuned...

Read: Singh defers induction into World Golf Hall of Fame [London Free Press]

August 16, 2005

Thanks to Golf Punk magazine for the link!

How do you know you've made it in the golf blog world?

Is it when the world's top golf companies send you free gear to review? Is it when you reach the 2,500 visitors per day mark? Is it when you have golf related companies ask you for your advertising rate card?

No, it's none of that... You've arrived when your favorite golf mag links to you on their new blog and send lots of EuroTraffic your way!

Cheers to the gang at KYN Publishing!

Now go visit GolfPunk and see the whole photo of the above Bunker Babe and many more like it.

August 14, 2005

I think I feel a 24-hour flu coming along...

Just another manic Monday... I don't think so!

There's nothing better for extending the weekend and making a Monday feel like a Sunday, than a Major Championship being extended into the work week. And I'm not talking about some lame sudden death playoff where you tune in and see one hole of golf. Were talking about a couple of hours (at least) of showdown golf, and that's before we even get to any thoughts of a playoff.

Playoff? Did he just say playoff?

Yup, you heard it here first... the 2005 PGA Championship will go into a playoff, so buckle down, have a good excuse ready for when you call in sick and enjoy a Major "holiday" Monday (without having to invite the in-laws over for a cook out).

Read: Mickelson Leads Delayed PGA [AP]

August 12, 2005

One armed golfer is inspiration not sideshow...

Arthur Pomerleau lost his right arm in a car accident when he was 16. He didn't pick up a golf club for the first time until he was in his 30's.

He went from shooting a 268 the first time he ever played, all the way down to a low score of 68 (over the course of 20-30 years).

Where common folks will see the story about a one armed man bagging his fourth lifetime hole-in-one as a sideshow story, avid golf freaks (like me and the rest of you who hang out here at the Lounge) will see this is an inspirational testament to playing the game, enjoying the game, and not letting the game get you all twisted up.

If I hear one more person say, "I got so frustrated, I gave golf up", or "I had a miserable day playing golf", or "I'm not writing on my golf blog because my golf game is so bad I'm not inspired by the sport enough to blog about it"... I think I'm gonna scream. And yes, I admit it, I've said those same things in the past.

You play golf, it doesn't play you. Loving something so much that you quit it because it frustrates you is the most ridiculous thing I've heard of. And yet, we hear about people like that all the time.

Read the story about Arthur Pomerleau, and then think about how lucky you are to be able to go out and shoot a round of golf.

One-armed Portsmouth golfer has recorded four holes in one [Portsmouth Herald]

August 3, 2005

If you could only own one golf book...

I'm feeling encouraged. My game has come back a little to the point where I don't feel lost standing over the ball with an iron in my hand. I've returned to the low 90's and hope to get back to breaking 90 now-and-then by the end of the season.

That being said, I'm usually more motivated to work on my game when things are good rather than when things have fallen apart. So with this in mind I ask all of you, what one golf instruction book would you recommend as a nice (and complete) guide to the golf swing? Or maybe I should find something that focuses on game management? Or short game improvements? Or maybe I should just leave well enough alone and read a comic book to keep my mind off what I'm doing right on the golf course?

Either way, I'd appreciate your recommendations.

I may be a goof, but I don't hit no girls...

You can call an American male a lot of things and get away with it, but accuse them of hitting girls and now you've got a problem.

John Daly is suing The Florida Times-Union and columnist Mike Freeman for statements made in a column last year calling Daly a "thug accused of smacking women around".

Freedom of the press is a beautiful thing, but many "journalist" get away with unfair, unjust, and exaggerated statements under the "columnist" umbrella... I doubt this will change things, but a nice settlement awarded Daly may help editors think twice about asking columnist to be more "provacative".

July 28, 2005

Paula Creamer Rocks! Tell us something we didn't know...

You guys know I could give you a bunch of reasons why current LPGA "it" girl, Paula Creamer, rocks. But LPGA.com has some statistical reasons for why the queen of pink is ruling in her rookie year.

Youngest and quickest to $1 million, most money earned in a rookie season, already accumulated enough points to make the '05 Solheim Cup team... and whole bunch more.

Read: Paula Creamer Rocks! [LPGA.com]

If you're gonna do something, do it right...

Who do professional athletes respect more than anyone? Legends...

From PGA.com - Peter Jacobsen is one of golf's more approachable stars, whether it's just for a handshake or an autograph. But unlike many athletes, Jacobsen makes sure that his signature is legible. Jake said he learned that from a man who has never turned down an autograph request -- Arnold Palmer -- several years ago when the two played in an exhibition in Los Angeles.

"At one point I signed a hat and handed it to Arnold and he shoved it back in my face, and he said, 'What is that?'" Jacobsen said at this week's U.S. Senior Open. "I said, 'That's my autograph.' He said, 'I can't read it.'

"He said, 'That scribble may be okay on a check because your banker is not going to look at it, but if somebody wants you to sign a piece of memorabilia, you'd better be able to sign it so he can read it.' So from that day on I always try to sign my signature so I can read it."

Another classic bit of wisdom from the King.

July 26, 2005

I'm finally back...

Firstly, let me say while Florida is a beautiful state full of great people and wonderful golf opportunities, it's not the place you want to be in late July (especially during a week when U.S. temps are way above average)...

Secondly, anybody who thinks they can go on a weeklong golf roadtrip/bachelor party in Florida and still maintain a daily blog is sadly mistaken (it's really hard to do blog posts from a Tiki bar/the 19th hole/or Thee Dollhouse)...

And Thirdly, BogeyMan has once and for all, realized he is not meant for being on a boat (I learned this the hard way by being stuck on a sail boat for 6 hours in Tampa Bay on Sunday). Even thinking about it is making me queasy... I should have just gone golfing.

That all being said, I played some nice courses and more importantly I got a chance to try out some great new gear... so once I get settled in here, I'll begin the review process.

Thanks for visiting... more on my trip in the following hours and days.

July 20, 2005

BogeyLounge on the road...

BogeyMan has packed his golf bag and traveled to sunny Florida (couldn't find anywhere hotter!), and over the next few days will be reporting on a bevy of new golf equipment... so stay tuned for reviews of some of golf's most anticipated equipment of the year.

Today, I will be playing Callaway's new FT-3 driver... looking forward to telling you about that!

In the meantime, check out "Hooked on Golf's" new review on TaylorMade's latest triumph, the new r7 TP Fairway wood... I'll also be playing that for the first time today.

As always, Stay Tuned...

July 14, 2005

Is Hootie ready? Wie three wins away from "likely" invite

OK, it may be a long-shot, but Michelle Wie is just 3 wins away from becoming the US Men's Amateur Public Links Championship... Which "normally" results in a Masters Invitation.

I'm confused (I know, what's new?), because everything I've read says her winning would result in a "likely" invitation. Would this decision become the next great controversy. If she wins, she wins... and there's no denying she should play in the Masters.

First things first, let's see if she can roll off three more wins and then we'll wait and see what the good ol' boys decide.

As always, Stay Tuned...

Read More: Michelle goes marching on [The Australian]

July 12, 2005

Miguel Tejada: 2005 All-Star Game MVP!

This has nothing to do with golf, but I've gotta give some love to Miguel Tejada who hit a homer in tonight's All-Star game on his way to this year's MVP award and a 7-5 American League victory!

Now my Orioles will have home-field advantage for this year's World Series... Congrats Miggy & Go O's!

Read: Tejada powers AL to 7-5 victory, wins MVP award [Comcast Sportsnet]

July 11, 2005

Congratulations Art... and why your gear doesn't matter...

No, I wouldn't call it a life changing epiphany ... As a matter of fact, I've always known that golf equipment doesn't matter when it comes to your enjoyment of the game. I just don't like to admit it out loud very much.

I still like shiny new golf things (always will), and I'll continue to fiddle with my equipment forever (there will always be something better out there, right?).

And while I've always admired people who play with the same clubs for years without any desire to change it up, I will never be able to resist the temptations that the evil marketing people at Callaway, TaylorMade, and Mizuno throw at me.

My name is BogeyMan (sort of) and I am a golf-equipment-aholic... and even the tale of "Art" won't change that...

Who's Art, you ask? Art was a gentleman I played with over the weekend. I'd say Art was about 60-65 years old, has been playing golf all his life, and has never had a hole-in-one... until now.

What does this have to do with equipment? Well, Art has been playing the same clubs for many, many, years. I couldn't even tell you what brand of clubs (I think it was a mismatched set), but I can tell you this. Art was using a tube sock as a head cover for his trusty 7-wood.

Not a headcover that looked like a tube sock, but a real honest-to-goodness tube sock.

Here I was, a strapping young man with more technology in my bag than it took to launch the first shuttle mission, playing horrible and being miserable, and there was 65-year-old Art with his mismatched set, and his tube sock, having the time of his life.

I had just shot a pathetic 48 on the front nine, and Art probably went out with a 41 or 42... when we stepped up to the 10th tee.

The tenth at Diamond Ridge Golf Course (Woodlawn, Maryland) is a no-nonsense par-3 about 175 yards over a small pond. You need to carry about 160 to get on the green and let's just say I thought I hit a perfect shot right at the pin, until my ball landed 5 yards short of the green... and !plop! into the water.

Art steps up (after removing his ~~headcover~~ tube sock) and hits his 7-wood onto the green, one bounce and then who knows?

My brother-in-law (who I bring along because I know I'll at least be better than one person in the foursome) shouts "I think it went in!".

Could it have? It was hard to tell. While we were only 175 yards out, there was some serious glare and we thought we saw something near the cup, so we eagerly drove up to the green.

As we neared the green, the foursome from the hole ahead of us walked over because they were thinking the same thing we were... so did some people from the nearby practice range... and guess what?

After 30+ years of playing that same course (with most of the same equipment) Art had just gotten his first hole-in-one... all he needed to do was pull the flag carefully and the ball that was wedged between the hole and flag would drop in.

As an obviously humbled (but very happy) Art pulled the flag in front of 10 strangers and the ball dropped, I can honestly say it was the best golf moment I've ever experienced.

Hugs, high-fives, and back slaps from 10 strangers carrying on for a moment as if we were all lifelong friends... what a moment. Wow!

So as I walked to the drop area with my 2-dot Cleveland CG10 wedge, my finely tuned Rossa Monza Corza putter, my Maxfli BlackMax ball and my Titleist players towel, Art walked over to his cart, put the lucky Top-Flight ball away in his bag, covered his trusty 7-wood with a tube sock and sat back and enjoyed the moment.

A moment that wasn't born via launch monitors, titanium alloy, or movable weight technology... Art doesn't subscribe to that game, and I'm sort of jealous. Not jealous about the hole-in-one, but jealous that Art has fun playing golf regardless of the outcome... just happy to have the chance to play.

Congratulations to Art in Baltimore on his hole-in-one, now if you'll excuse me I've got a core strengthening pilates appointment I've got to get to, and on the way home, I'm thinking of picking up one of those new TaylorMade Dual hybrid clubs... I know... I know... but they say the first step is admitting you have a problem, right?

As always, Stay Tuned...

July 8, 2005

Monza Corza: Read this before buying another putter...

I don't have time to write a full review that would do this putter justice, so for now heed my warning: Don't buy another putter until you've had a chance to try the new Rossa Monza Corza putter by TaylorMade Golf!

From the time I picked it up to try at a golf store, to the moment I rolled in my first putt with it, it has changed my outlook on alignment assisted putters.

Maybe it's the AGSI insert (Anti-Skid Groove System Insert) which allows balls to skid less and spin forward on impact, or maybe it's the incredible configurable weight system that allows you to customize the weight to your exact specs... whatever it is, this putter will make you roll the rock like it was meant to be rolled.

I'll give it a full review once I've had a chance to play it one more time, but for now, all you need to hear is the comment my playing partner (a total stranger I got paired up with) made after I smoothly sank yet another ten footer...

"Boy! You sure do have the smoothest rolling ball I've seen in a long time... it must be fun to putt when you can roll the ball like that!"

Now, while "smoothest rolling ball" are not the words you want a 65-year-old man saying to you while you're alone in the woods, it sure is enough to tell me that you gotta try this putter.

As always, Stay Tuned...

July 7, 2005

Michelle Wie puts the "M" in MOXIE...

"I'm not really thinking about the cut," said Wie, who finished better than both her playing partners. "I'm only five shots behind, and if I put up three crazy rounds, who knows?" Michelle Wie after posting a -1 in today's first round of the John Deere Classic

Babe Didrikson Zaharias is the last woman to make a cut on the PGA Tour, doing it at the 1945 Tucson Open. No woman played on the tour again until 2003, when Annika Sorenstam teed it up at the Colonial and Suzy Whaley qualified for the Greater Hartford Open. Both missed the cut.

Read More: Wie Shoots 1-Under 70 at Deere Classic [Fox Sports]

Golf Grouch says "Don't Lick Your Balls"

Grouchy Golf Blog warns of the perils of licking ones golf balls... We know it's wrong, but we can't stop doing it.

And while you're at it, don't put your golf tee in your mouth either.

Check out: Licking Your Balls - An Unhealthy Habit [Grouchy Golf Blog]

Ready or Not, Michelle Wie takes on the men... Again.

Should she concentrate on dominating the ladies or should she continue her quest to "make the cut" on the men's tour?

There is no doubt this young lady has a ridculous amount of talent, and something tells me we'll see her playing in Men's Majors at some point in her career. But the question for now is, why not focus on the amateur circuit and the LPGA events she can qualify for? Is her dad pushing this? Is this something she wants? Is this "PGA or Bust" attitude leading her down a road of no return?

The expectations being set are incredible, but how can she grow as a golfer (and gain the all-important confidence needed) if she continues to struggle to make cuts at men's events?

Lots of questions indeed, only the future holds the answers... As always, Stay Tuned...

Below is a roundup of Wie related stories from this week's John Deere Classic coverage:

Wie draws attention [MassLive.com]

A wee bit over the top [Chicago Tribune]

Wie the Main Attraction at Deere Classic [AP]

Wie means windfall for tour’s host cities [Honolulu Star-Bulletin]

Wie bids for British Open berth [Gulf Times News]

Michelle Wie tees it up with the big boys for the third time in her career [The Sand Trap]

July 3, 2005

Where's Bogey?

I've received a few emails about why I haven't posted lately...and first of all, I've got to say that I'm flattered that anyone would care.

Thanks for your mail, but I haven't posted because of a few factors (very busy at work, working on another web project, and I just flat out needed to spend some of my "free" time wondering what happened to my game)... After all, the reason for this site was to share thoughts about a game I'm obsessed with and it's hard to write about something that is giving you a massive amount of grief.

Long story short - After finally breaking the 90 barrier late last season, and going on to break 90 in about 10 consecutive rounds (getting down as low as 83), now I can't even sniff a round of 95.

I haven't played as much as last year, I've changed some pieces of equipment, but I don't think it's any of that. I really think the problem is upstairs... because I can't take the club back without having a million thoughts.

Today, with all my golfing buddies out of town for the holiday, I'm going to drive an hour to a course that has a great practice facility and I'm going to clear my mind and just focus on getting some feel (i.e. confidence) back. Yes I just said "clear my mind" and "focus" in the same sentence... this game can drive you crazy.

Only a golfer would understand, but it's funny to think about how much a funk like this can get in your head and affect your mood.

I'll be back to posting this week (I've got some great new items to review and discuss)... so as always, Stay Tuned... and thanks for listening.

June 28, 2005

Can't we all just get along... or "As the Golf Blogs Turn"

I go away (on a golf trip) for a few days, and when I get back I find that the golf blogosphere (I hate that term) has turned into a bad episode of Desperate Housewives.

The stir, you ask? It has to do with some lame travel site (I won't even give them the satisfaction of a link), going out of their way to make nasty comments about another blogger, Jay Flemma (one of their own... or at least he used to be).

Get a grip people! Blogger doesn't equal journalist. Some journalist are also bloggers (i.e. Robert Thompson), but not all bloggers are journalist (i.e. Me).

This is supposed to be for fun, a way to express ourselves, stroke our egos, and maybe even get a golf company to send us some free stuff to review.

Holding blogs to any standard is a joke because we are not journalist. People should not count on a blog to deliver unbiased coverage of anything. Repeat... blogs are not news media, we have no responsibility other than to amuse ourselves and our readers!

So give me a link and I'll cover your site. Send me equipment and I'll write about it (I'll find something positive to say about it :) ... I'm not a journalist and neither are most of the world's other golf bloggers, so ease up and enjoy our musings on the game we love.

Take the jump to the next page for my "unbiased" review of the current golf blog landscape... if I leave your site off this list, please comment or email me and I'll mention you too... there's plenty of love to go around.

By the way, if your haven't linked the BogeyLounge to your site yet, please do... I need all the lovin' I can get.

Here's a quicky look at some golf blogs along with commentary (in no particular order)...

BogeyLounge.tv - My favorite golf blog. You can tell the author doesn't have as much time to put towards this blog as he would like, but he's working on it... Meant to be a fun golf blog/portal which focuses on golf equipment, golf trends, golf hotties, etc...

Some sites have promised reciprocal links and haven't delivered and the author is also confused as to how some golf blogs that haven't been updated for over a year rank way ahead of BogeyLounge on Google and Yahoo. Any advice would be appreciated.

TheSandTrap.com - Awesome site, run by a golf lover named Erik B. (not the rapper, although that would be cool). Anyway, the Sand Trap is more of a golf news site that could give the big boys a run for their money when it comes to golf commentary, tournament previews & recaps, and equipment reviews. I don't consider this a blog, this is a full fledged golf website complete with a robust and lively message board forum.

Hooked On Golf - Great site, tons of links, a bloggers blog. From what I've been able to piece together, the author (Tony) plays a lot of golf, lives on a golf course, takes walks with his kids (and finds tons of golf balls... that's way cool), and just consumes all the golf info he can find.

Also, Tony is great about giving credit to other blogs when he uses info from their site (also way cool). More golf bloggers like Tony and the golf blogosphere (i hate that term) would grow by leaps and bounds. A friendly reminder to all you golf bloggers out there... A rising tide lifts all ships (or something like that).

The Reluctant Jam Boy - All I can say is this guy is eating our lunch when it comes to engaging golf content. Written by an anonymous caddie in Virginia (USA), Jam Boy keeps telling it like it is.

I love the blog, can't wait for the book, would see the movie, and am hoping for a podcast... just think of the audio musings of Jam Boy (while on crack).

Hey Jam Boy, can I get a link for the Lounge on your site... Your blog is going to go bigtime, and when it does, BogeyMan wants to be along for the ride.

Golf Blogger - Lots of post each day, usually dealing with equipment and gadgets. Tons of useful golf info (almost too much), but once you get your bearings this is a nice resource.

Golf Blogger is a golf blog pioneer and is always tweaking the site. I like that.

SortaGolf - We all hate the USGA's oppresive rules. This gentleman is doing something about it. Visit often, because the SortaGolf movement has begun. "Let freedom Swing!"

A Walk in the Park - Jay Flemma is to golf architecture what Dr. Phil is to family advice. Mostly way over my head when it comes to his reviews, but you've got to love this dude's passion. He looks at a golf course from a different perspective (unlike me, who categorizes courses into a few select categories like: easy, hard, long, short, pretty, expensive, and hot cart girls).

The multi-talented Jay is also working on a book along with some other stuff. Make sure to make his site part of your daily agenda.

Going for the Green - Robert Thompson is a reporter with Canada's daily national newspaper by day. By night (at least I assume he blogs at night), he becomes a very well versed golf blogger.

Columns, commentary, and news are all a part of his arsenal and he's not afraid to dish.

Grouchy Golf Blog - Grouch has a great sense of humor so you never know what angle he will be covering. Lots of topics and some interesting insight into television's coverage of golf. Always a worthwhile visit.

I know there are many, many more worthy blogs and I plan on covering them all in the future. I'm also working on an overview of corporate golf blogs (particularly my favorite TMaG Insider - TaylorMade's very well done blog). You guessed it, BogeyMan is a TaylorMade guy.

It's late, I need some sleep, but first I need to watch ESPN for coverage of my beloved Orioles walkoff victory over the Yanks... Go Birds!

As always, stay tuned...

June 22, 2005

USGA Blogs Women's Open - Moves Men's blog?

First of all, I can confirm that there was a 2005 U.S. Open Blog.

The problem was that it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but then it was where they thought they should put it (and it was pretty good), and now it's been moved to another location and replaced with one for the women's open. - Confused? You should be...

I'll give them credit for trying, but some things the USGA web team is doing don't make sense.

Over the weekend, the Men's Open blog could be found at (http://blog.usopen.com/index.htm), but when I visited this morning, it had been changed to the Women's Open blog...

First of all, the blog for last week's open wasn't at the address that most fans had bookmarked (which they should have redirected automatically), causing a lot of surfers to think that the blog never happened. Now they move things around causing more confusion.

The blog authors did a nice job of covering the Open from a new perspective. Problem is, it wasn't the easiest space to find.

Still confused? Don't be, just check out the links below:
(It's not my fault if they change things around again)
2005 Womens U.S. Open Blog
2005 Men's U.S. Open Blog
Original Link for U.S. Open Blogs (with no redirect)

June 21, 2005

Hello and Goodbye, Jason Gore ... will you be returning?

Over the weekend Jason Gore captured our collective imagination. Here was a virtual no-name competing on the world's biggest stage and making a name for himself.

Will we ever see him again, or will he go quietly into the golf landscape, never to be heard from again? Was this his John Daly type entrance onto the scene? One thing's for sure, and that is that golf needs more of these stories. Even though he struggled on Sunday, his story is the kind that sets golf apart from the rest of professional sports.

Read this nice piece about Jason's Pinehurst performance: Gore one golfer they all loved [RockyMountTelegram.com]

June 18, 2005

Flemma at the Open: Golf Blogging has arrived...

Golf blogging pioneer Jay Flemma is covering this week's US Open at Pinehurst. Jay's not there as a fan who goes back to his hotel room to post a story, he's on-site as a credentialed media member!

Good luck Jay... and keep it real...

I'm sure we'll get a perspective that is relatively different from the "mass media" that chases the same story and reads like cookie cutter coverage...

Take the jump for a larger photo (i.e. proof :) of Jay's spot in the press tent.

Trust me, and I say this after 14 years of working in professional sports media relations, this is quite a validation of how far blogs have come.

Check out Jay Flemma's work at: A Walk in the Park

U.S. Open Blogs - Blog or Clog?

Being a forward-thinking, technophile, gadget-freak, you would think that I would love the outrageous outbreak of "blogs" spreading like wildfires throughout the web...

But do organizations really understand what they are? Why they need one? How to create and maintain one? Can a professional organization, company, association, host a true "blog".

In my opinion, if you have to hold back for fear of pissing off a sponsor, exposing internal corruption or what may be perceived as questionable business practices, it's not really a "blog". Maybe corporate weblogs can be called something else? I recommend the term "clog".

I'm always suspicious of weblogs hosted by organizations and companies (not that I blame them for holding back internal matters), it's just that they should probably stay out of the blog business and continue to maintain corporate websites (there's no shame in that).

Unless you are willing to lay it out for all to read, don't bother with a "blog".

That being said, let's check out the "USGA's U.S. OPEN BLOG" and see if it turns out to be a "blog" or a "clog". So far, I've found it an interesting read...

Visit: THE 2005 U.S. OPEN BLOG

June 14, 2005

Rory Sabbatini: Out of Patience and Out of Line!

O.K., I know it's not the biggest deal, BUT, we are talking about a sport which prides itself on tradition, honor, and etiquette and disqualifies poor unsuspecting souls for making an honest mistake on their scorecard.

What Rory Sabbatini did was arrogant, wrong, and wouldn't even be acceptable at your local public course during a friendly round. Just like the weather and other factors out of his control, he needed to deal with it and NOT embarrass himself and the PGA tour.

And by the way, don't bother with the lame apology (which sounds like it was written by a Nike publicity flack). Trying to get the "people" behind you by making it sound like you were standing up against slow play across the world is a joke. You don't care about "Joe Golfer" and now "Joe Golfer" probably won't care about you.

I can see it now, someone in the Sabbatini camp was wondering how to deal with the incident. It probably went something like this: "I know what to say! Golfers hate to wait around for the group in front of them and can't stand those 5-hour public course rounds. Let's reffer to that and people will understand!"

For those who missed Rory's lame mea culpa, here's a bit:

"I was quite frustrated with pace of play, something that has become an all too frequent occurrence on golf courses around the world, and reacted inappropriately."

For the record, I am a notoriously fast player who gets very frustrated at having to wait (to the point where I let it ruin my game), but when you're in the big leagues you just have to deal with it.

Kudos to Mr. Crane for taking the high road. Now speed it up a little buddy!

Here's more coverage:
Speedy rounds are not a priority for golfers in U.S. Open [MercuryNews.com]

This is golf … behave! [Sun-Sentinel.com]

Slow play testing patience [MCall.com]

June 9, 2005

Mickey D's or Booz? What would you do?

Boy, do I have a hectic schedule at work today. Meetings, meetings, and and an actual meeting about meetings! However, one thing that I can chew on while my mind wanders in these very non-productive affairs will be an important weekend golf decision.

I've never been to a pro tour golf event (ever), and this week there are two options right in my backyard (I'm in Baltimore).

To the south at Congressional CC (i've never played there), you have the BOOZ ALLEN Classic and the PGA Tour with a pretty damn good field... and to the north at Bulle Rock GC (i have played there!), you have the McDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP and a real good and "good looking" field teeing it up.

Now, those of you who have spent any amount of time here at the Lounge will probably put your money on BogeyMan spending the weekend with the ladies, but then again how often will I get a chance to see Els, Mickelson, Weir, Harrington, Poulter, Price, Sergio and much more in person... yikes!

BogeyMan needs to make a decision because I can only spend Saturday on golf related activites (thanks to Mrs. BogeyMan volunteering me to work the souvlaki stand at our church's annual Greek Festival)... Thanks honey!

UPDATE (Monday, June 13)... Well, since I couldn't really decide, and my wife wanted nothing to do with either, and my golfing buddies said they would rather us just go play golf... I succumbed to peer-pressure and just went golfing. I won $15, but I missed a golden opportunity to see some pros up-close... I am filled with regret this Monday morning.

June 6, 2005

Fellow Golf Blogger Passes Away...

I was saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Mr. Michael James Reed (1953-2005), creator of the "Bunker Mulligan" blog.

A true gentleman, proud Texan, even prouder American, golf lover, and golf blog pioneer. You will be sorely missed, even by people you didn't think knew you existed.

Take a trip over to "Bunker Mulligan" and pass along your regrets. His family has been nice enough to update the site with a death notice and farewell comments.

visit: "Goodbye Bunker Mulligan"

June 4, 2005

Disc Golf? And they have a Pro Tour? I'm scared...

I know that some of you will say, "Did you just come out of a cave?", but while I knew about "disc golf", I didn't know these people had organized and even have a pro tour. And they sell stuff like Disc Golf bags and other "equipment"...

Now, I shouldn't poke fun because there are a ton of people who think we're idiots for chasing a little white ball around. But take the jump and check out the photo of a disc golf event complete with (get this) a spectator gallery, and tell me you're not scared...

Visit PDGA's Official Site

June 3, 2005

Seeking wedge advice...

I need new wedges. The grooves on my Cleveland 588 rust wedges (56* & 60*) are extremely worn. For as much as I've tinkered with equipment over the last 4 years, one thing has remained constant in my bag, my 588's. (Although I did try Mizunos a few months ago, they were nothing to write home about.)

I don't think Cleveland makes this model anymore (in an RTG wedge), so I'm in the market for something new. Anyone tried the Cleveland CG10's?

Any recommendations would be helpful... Thanks!

June 2, 2005

It's the mechanic, not the tools ...

Makes me want to pull the old Tommy Armours out of the closet and take them for a spin ...

Read: Golfer has ace in the hole with wife's bargain basement club [Chesire Online]

June 1, 2005

Pro Golfers vs. the rest of the sports world...

Check out "MJ on Golf" and his post on why he is giving up all other pro sports because he is tired of today's pro athlete... my rebuttals are in orange.

From MJ on Golf:

Golfers don’t get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel. No, but a lot of them have their own plane.

Golfers don’t hold out for more money, or demand new contracts, because of another player’s deal. No, they just break equipment contracts because they get a better offer, and switch to inferior equipment even if it hurts their game in order to profit.

Golfers don’t scratch their privates on the golf course. No, they pee in the woods.

Golfers don’t kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people. No, they have their caddies do it instead. And by the way, they have caddies to carry their stuff around and can't even wipe their own balls.

Professional golfers cannot fail 70% of the time and still make $9 million a season. No, they can fail all of the time, but as long as they make the cut, they make very good money and keep all of their endorsements (which are worth millions).

The PGA Tour raises more money for charity in one year than the NFL does in two. Yes, but no one takes into account each individual team's and player's contributions to their local community. Not to mention the many players who do things on their own without the league's "PR Machine" being there to promote it.

Now, I'm just having some fun with MJ, because I do agree with the overall sentiment of the post. However, it is really easy to take the Jose Canseco's of the world and generalize all other athletes into the same category. For every Canseco, there are dozens of Payton Mannings and Cal Ripkens.

Hating players because they make too much money is just a tired argument. The networks spend billions of dollars in rights fees, and that's what pays the athletes, not your $23 upper box seat or your $6 hot dog.

And by the way, golf isn't increasing in popularity or tv ratings, so maybe the "good Americans" MJ speaks of haven't yet caught on to the honesty and decency of golf. Interestingly enough, one of the most popular golf tournaments (in terms of attendance) is the ~~Phoenix~~ FBR Open which is popular because of the party atmosphere associated with alcohol, "hookup" potential, and all night rave style parties that are hosted on site. That tournament draws just over a half-million fans -- more than any other PGA event.

Go visit "MJ on Golf" where readers have already added to MJ's impressive list of why pro golfers are superior to other pro athletes: Golf - A True Sport

May 31, 2005

BogeyLounge.com is going away ... sort of ...

Due to technical issues associated with growing this site (and moving to a server that can accomodate more traffic), I will need to eventually switch my URL to www.bogeylounge.tv ...

So, for all of you who have been nice enough to link to my golf blog, I ask that you update my link to point to www.bogeylounge.tv instead of ".com".

Also, if you've linked to me and I haven't reciprocated, please email me (bogeyman@bogeylounge.com), so that I can link you up...

Thanks!

May 30, 2005

I'm Back Baby!

What could possibly merit such a title for a humble blog post?

After a six week battle with "golfer's elbow" (tendinitis), I'm golfing today. Just a week ago I couldn't lift a putter without pain, and now after some rest, ice, and a cortisone shot, I'm able to swing a club.

Hopefully, I'll make it through the first hole without the pain returning. I don't care what I score, I'm just happy to be back.

Warning: After a lenghty discussion with my doctor, he thinks that my blogging had as much to do with the injury as my golfing did. So golf bloggers beware, of the dreaded "golf-blog elbow".

May 27, 2005

Golf Blog: Danielle Amiee withdraws with bad back; and bares her chest?

Big Break Barbie's second “big break” came to an untimely end Thursday morning when she withdrew from the LPGA Corning Classic citing a bad back.

It is now up to The Golf Channel and the LPGA on whether to allow Danielle another exemption in place of this one. Based on TGC's programming interests, I think they will try and work this out with the LPGA.

Is this a real injury? Is she buying time, so that she can work with her swing coach some more? These are valid questions because if she doesn't do well in her last exempt event, she may never sniff the LPGA again...

Then again, is this really worth a conspiracy theory? Slow news week... Only a few more weeks till the US Open, and I can't wait.

Here's a great post from Travel Golf's Jennifer Mario on Barbie's Bailout: Barbie pulls out of the LPGA Corning Classic

IN OTHER DANIELLE NEWS: The latest Danielle conspiracy is the "Did she pose for Playboy?" rumor that has been circulating around the web. A photo does exists of what seemingly looks like her at some sort of Playboy 50th Anniversary party. If she did do this, why? How can this help your golf career (if that really is what you've been dreaming of)... I'll leave it to you to figure out...

(warning- "somewhat" adult material is contained in the following link)

HottieLounge Images

Danielle Amiee Topless at a Playboy Party?

May 24, 2005

Double-Bogey Still Par for the Course...

While everyone from Gary Player to the USGA complain about today's technology ruining the game by making current courses obsolete, the New York Times' Bill Pennington says that the average score has remained 100 for decades, despite all of the hullabaloo...

New, technologically advanced golf balls fly farther than ever. Oversized golf drivers hit the ball straighter. Space-age materials make irons easier to swing. Ergonomically engineered putters roll the ball more precisely. Golf courses are more plentiful and better-conditioned. Golf instruction is more accessible, at public and private clubs -- not to mention every night on a cable-television channel entirely devoted to golf.

The only thing in golf that has not changed is the average score for 18 holes. Neither the average weekend player nor the world's best golfers have managed to get the ball in the hole any sooner.

Read the rest: Double-Bogey Still Par for the Course [NY Times]

May 23, 2005

You Go Girl !!! - Paula Creamer joins the big time...

Paula Creamer, who will walk in her high school graduation on Thursday, became the second youngest winner on tour at 18 years, nine months and 17 days. Marlene Hagge won twice as an 18-year-old, and both times she was younger than Creamer was in her win Sunday.

In honor of Paula's (a.k.a. The Pink Panther because of her love of the color pink) first LPGA win... Click Here

For more on the teen's impressive win, check out Stacy Solomon's impressive tournament recap over at The Sand Trap: Paula Creamer Wins Sybase by One Stroke

May 15, 2005

Who knew? Golf club theft an escalating problem...

"As costs rise for equipment, so do theft rates..."

While it may be hard to believe, there are actually people out there who have the ~~balls~~ nerve to steal your clubs right out of the bag stand at your local club. I gotta say I've had that thought before, but I've discounted it because "Hey it's golf, a game of honor... at a safe haven away from the perils of everyday life..." Yeah right?

Looks like the problem is legit... And here I was thinking my bag and everything in it (including my wallet), was safe... I've even made fun of the theft prevention devices available for golf bags... who knew?

That being said, I'd love to catch someone trying to make off with my R7... I'd finally get a chance to put my 3-iron to good use for once.

Read more: A Rotten Club [THE FLINT JOURNAL]

May 11, 2005

Mind Games: Stop thinking and just swing already...

When you are a beginner, you have a lot of things to learn. Shots that go low, shots that go high, or even shots that go straight.

Do you remember the nerves off the first tee?... making your way around the greens?... putting!!! Is my grip right?, is my shaft too stiff?, am I bending my knees? (should I be bending my knees?).

All of that can be very scary, intimidating, and just not fun...

However, once you've played for a few years, it's time to stop thinking and let your game take over. As soon as you've got a decent arsenal of shots, you can relax and try to progress your game through playing, experimenting, practicing, and relaxing.

How many times have you been paired up with a stranger only to hear them scold themselves after an errant tee shot with "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TODAY? Normally, your thought is "you suck, that's what's wrong"... but really, what that golfer is saying is "I've proved to myself that I can hit good tee shots, why not today, it shouldn't be so hard!"

That's the game baby, it's about learning the basics, practicing correctly or playing enough to have consistent swings which will produce consistent results.

Simple, right? As Yogi Berra would say, "90% of it is half mental"...

Read more about golf's mind game: When a golfer thinks he's in a groove, it's time to think again [Dallas Morning News]

May 7, 2005

Sorry Babe... Danielle Amiee misses the cut

"Give me a break" winner Danielle Amiee rebounded from a tough first day and showed a slight improvement Saturday morning with a 6-over-par 77 at the rain-plagued Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill.

Her two-day total of 14-over 156 in the wet, soggy conditions left her well back of the cut line and near the bottom of the leaderboard.

On the positive side, Amiee finished just two strokes behind the defending champion and future Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak.

For those of you who tend to slow down to look at car accidents, The Golf Channel will air a special look at Danielle Amiee's LPGA Debut Monday 5/9 at 10PM ET.

May 3, 2005

I think I have "Golfer's Elbow": Has anyone experienced this?

BogeyMan is in the dumps... Is it because my beloved Orioles lost to the BlueJays last night? No, it's because for the last few weeks a sharp pain on the outside of my elbow joint has made it difficult to even hold a club with my right hand. The pain shoots down my forearm and even causes some wrist pain.

I'm seeing a specialist later this week, but was wondering if any of you have experienced this? This wasn't brought on by some marathon golf outing, I just woke up with it one day.

Any advice would be helpful, I'm getting freaked because it looks like I won't be playing too much golf any time soon... ugh!

May 2, 2005

Golf Blog : The BogeyLounge Forum is now Open!

Thanks to everyone for visiting my new golf blog. In just a short period of time, I have managed to meet a bunch of great people from all over the globe who share in my love of the game.

Now, there's another place to put our thoughts and share stories with fellow golf lovers, as I present for your enjoyment "The BogeyLounge Forum". The BLF is a very casual message board that I hope will serve as a meeting point for golfers around the world.

I know that there are a ton of other Golf related message boards, but I hope that the BogeyLounge Forum will serve those golfers who want a relaxed and casual place to share their golf thoughts. Talk about equipment and courses, ask questions, and share tales about your latest round... no judgment on what level of player you are, no "know-it-all" attitudes, just a bunch of people from all over the world talkin' golf when we're not playing (or daydreaming about) golf.

Thanks for all of your visits to BogeyLounge, I hope to talk to you in the forum... BogeyMan.

April 27, 2005

Spring cleaning for golfers...

Now that spring has finally arrived, here is a checklist of things every golfer should do before beginning the season...

1. Clean out your golf bag (Do you really need those empty ball boxes, dirty socks, and 6 divot tools?)

2. Clean your clubs (while this may not improve your game, it certainly won't hurt it).

3. Change the spikes on your shoes or get new shoes (Just because white shoes are back in style doesn't mean you should still be wearing your dads old spikes.)

4. Get some new socks (there's nothing worst than looking for matching golf sock at 6:00am while your buddies are honking the car horn outside).

5. Clean off and organize your computer's desktop files and replace the background with one of these nifty wallpaper arrangements from my favorite golf mag "GolfPunk Magazine" (and let the Bunker Babes be your golfing muses).

How's that for a round-about way of getting a hottie up on the front page?

April 20, 2005

Olympic sports to be put to vote: Golf on the agenda

Here's my chance to become an Olympian. Now, all that needs to happen are a few things...

Golf is voted in as an Olympic sport

I become a scratch golfer by 2012
(by then i'll be 42 years old)

I qualify for the Greek national golf team
(I may be eligible since both my parents were born there)

I know it's a stretch, but until my Champions tour career begins in 2020, I need to have something to look forward to :)

AP -The International Olympic Committee will decide in July whether any of the 28 sports in the Summer Olympics will be dropped for the 2012 Games.

The I-O-C finalized the procedures today for the vote, which will be held when the general assembly meets in Singapore.

The I-O-C is considering whether to drop any of the existing sports and add any of the five sports hoping to get into the Olympics, including golf and rugby. No sport has been cut from the Summer Olympics since polo in 1936.

The current review doesn't affect the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

April 12, 2005

Yet another "clever" Nike marketing ploy...

I know it feels like "beat up Nike" day, but here is another example of "clever" Nike marketing (i.e. deception)...

The boys over at Carlsbad Confidential have posted an intriguing story regarding how Nike has worked some numbers and thrown around money in order to make some pretty heady statements about their success on tour...

Why is this important? Because, whether you admit it or not, you buy your golf equipment based on a lot of these claims. Once something is tour proven, it gives it the legitimacy it needs to get you to shell out for it.

Read: Nike Steals the Iron Count at the Masters [CarlesbadConfidential.com]

Masters Thank Yous ...

I've been complaining about a lot of stuff lately (Vijay, Nike, etc...), probably because I'm cranky about not getting to play any golf recently... However, when it comes to last week's opening major, I am thankful for a bunch of stuff... Here goes:

Thank you Tiger for rising to the occasion and helping TV ratings (in my house alone there were 3 new viewers that had never cared about golf before)...

Thank you to whoever runs the Masters.org site for a fantastic wealth of coverage...

Thank you to whoever runs Augusta.com for letting us feel like we were there...

Thank you to CBS for another stellar production...

Thank you to the Augusta grounds crew for working your magic...

Thank you to Chris DiMarco for a gutsy performance and even classier reaction to defeat...

Thank you to Trevor Immelman for his hole-in-one and more importantly celebrating it like he had just won the Masters (that was nice to see)...

Thank you to the Holiday Inn Boardwalk in Atlantic City for equiping your rooms with CBS - The Golf Channel - and high-speed wireless internet access...

Thank you to all the Golf Bloggers out there who kept updating your sites all weekend with interesting stuff for me to read (more of you join the fray every day and nothing could be better)...

Presenting the Nike One Platinum - We think?

So now Nike wants the world to know that Tiger was playing a Nike One Platinum...

As was pointed out on these pages just a few weeks ago (see post), Tiger had been playing the yet-to-be announced Nike One Platinum since the start of the season (maybe even at the end of last season). However, as Nike puts it, Tiger likes to play a disguised prototype ball until he decides whether it is worthy of his name. That story was leaked because it "was time" after Tiger won at Doral to let the buying public know about the Platinum's success.

Sounds more like marketing than product research to me... What if Tiger doesn't play well at the Masters? Do you think Nike would have plastered the announcement for the Nike One Platinum on their front page on Monday following the tournament.

For all we know, Tiger played a Nike One Gold on Sunday, and because he is allowed to play a ball that is "disguised" with fake markings, we'll never really know.

Here's the point to my rant: If equipment companies want to use tour wins to promote their products, then they should be held accountable for every piece of equipment put into play by their pros and not hide prototypes in the name of "research". The way the system is set up now, companies can promote their wins and hide their failures.

If Tiger's ball says Nike One Gold on it... then he should be playing a Nike One Gold (who knows, maybe he was).

As sports fans discussed Woods' fourth Masters win on Monday, Madison Avenue was abuzz about one of the best product placements since E.T. and Reese's Pieces. Nike launches the One Platinum in the fiercely competitive $4-billion-a-year golf market next month. Countless replays of Woods' magic moment have been the kind of exposure money can't buy. "It was a hole-in-one," says Mitch Kanner, a Los Angeles-based product placement expert.

With Woods' chip shot taking 17 seconds to bounce and roll into the hole, the footage seems ready-made for use in a 30-second TV spot. Chris Mike, director of marketing for Nike Golf, said Monday he's working on several possible commercials. - USAToday.com

Read: TV close-up of hesitant golf ball scores for Nike [USA Today]

April 9, 2005

Shut up and play golf - Why Vijay Singh is barking up the wrong tee...

Are you kidding me? Vijay Singh had rules officials check Phil Mickleson's shoes to see if his metal spikes were to long or if he had a burr on one of them (burr - A rough edge or area remaining on material, such as metal, after it has been cast, cut, or drilled.)

During the round? C'mon bro, sounds like the kind of stuff I say to my brother in law to get into his head during a skins game.

O.K. Vijay let's talk ... Shut up and play golf! Don't blame anyone but yourself if you can't keep up with the big boys this weekend. You're the #1 player in golf, and you are at the Masters, not some club championship. Even if there is something wrong with Phil's shoes, I doubt it is affecting your game so much that you have to whisper about it in the locker room like a spoiled high schooler.

Maybe you should spend less time on the range and less time promoting that crappy $100 weighted stick on infomercials, and more time at the 19th hole learning how to be social.

I'm sorry, but all that intensity is getting old.

Read: Mickelson, Singh feud over Lefty's spikes [FOX Sports]

April 1, 2005

I pity the fool... A public service announcement from BogeyLounge

"Bogey Loungers" are not fools... so I wanted to remind you that it's April Fools day today.

Here's some info on April Fools day and a nice article featuring April Fools golf headlines (pretty good, worth the read)...

The Origins of April Fools' Day:
April Fools' Day originated in the 16th century due to the confusion which resulted when the Julian Calendar was replaced by a modern calendar that moved the date of the New Year's festivities from the end of March to the first of January.

The first April Fools' were those folks who did not make a timely adjustment to the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year feast on April first. Under the new calendar, people began sending 'fake' gifts and celebrating a 'mock' New Year that eventually turned into playing jokes on each other as we know today. The ritual was never intended to be cruel or demeaning but a harmless springtime release from the desolate bonds of winter.

Read: No fooling, early news is unbelievable - [Boston Globe]

Blogger's take on how golf brings out the true person...

Want to get to know someone? Take them golfing. This blog post caught my attention this morning, because it captures the essence of the social perspective of golf.

Blogger, Duncan McAllister, writes that his playing partners learn more about him in 9 holes of golf than his lifelong buddies know about him after years of friendship.

Personally, over the last year, I have learned to control my emotions on the course, and it has really helped my game (very much!). Now, I haven't stopped caring about my swing or score or outcome of the round, but what I'm training myself to think is this:

"I really love playing this game, and whether I score a 105 or a personal best 79, I'm gonna play a lot more rounds in my lifetime... this one round, this one shot, is not that important, so why let it ruin my day... there will be thousands of shots and hundreds of rounds to follow, so don't stress over today's game."

If I tell myself that, I can overcome a 10 on a par-5 and still break 90 like I did last week... A year ago, a 10 would have been followed by an 8 and maybe even a "i'm not gonna keep score the rest of the day".

You can still take the game very seriously and at the same time, not let yourself be so serious about golf... if that makes sense, try it, it helps.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, check out this short snippet by Duncan McAllister - The Wonderful World of Golf

March 28, 2005

Our fate hangs on the shoulders of Charles Howell III?

In today's Daily Telegraph (UK), writer Mark Reason takes a look at the fate of American golf due to the dearth of young talent.

"The second-placed Johnson is one of only three Americans who fall into the category of being both under 30 and in the world's top 90. It is almost unthinkable that the United States should have so few decent twenty-somethings, but it is a measure of a decline that has been reflected in consecutive losses in both the Walker and Ryder Cups.

By 2006 that number could conceivably be down to one because by next February both Johnson and Tiger Woods will have turned 30. That will leave only Charles Howell III, who will be 26 on the Monday after the US Open, to represent the nation's youth." [Daily Telegraph]

Now I like CH3, but is this really the best we can do? Maybe we should embargo the services of Butch Harmon or maybe ban college admission to foreign golfers... Just kidding of course (I wouldn't want to be labeled a xenophobe ;) Are you listening Paul Casey?

All kidding aside, the impact Tiger has had on the game will certainly fuel a new crop of young players, but the PGA could assist with better programs and more affordable golfing options for kids.

It's unfortunate that most U.S. professionals grew up hanging out with their dads at the country club from an early age. The game needs more future Lee Trevinos and less Davis Loves (no offense Davis, you still the man).

Read: Westwood reigns over America's talent drought [Daily Telegraph]

March 24, 2005

Help me read greens... Please

While my game is coming along nicely (i have finally started breaking 90 consistently) after three years of strife and struggle, I can't seem to really grasp the art of reading greens.

IMHO, I'm a pretty darn good putter (meaning my pace and following a line are fine)... I just have a really hard time with reading the line of a putt.

So my question is... Is there anything I can do (training tips, gadgets, books) to make me "get it" when it comes to reading greens?

Any info would be great (no need to register in order to comment below).

Thanks,
BogeyMan

Filed under BOGEY RANTS | Authored by BogeyMan | Comments (0)
Permalink | RSS-Atom | Di