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Category Archives: What’s in the Bag

The Cadillac of E-Carts

Of course, this is not in my bag but it does carry my bag with all the mandatory items I prefer to carry when going on the links.  I have never enjoyed being a pack mule due to issues with my back and have always chosen to use some sort of cart.  The ultimate cart is the one that you sit in and I love those to pieces.  It gives me the best of all worlds when it comes to my physical ailments but it does not provide me with the much needed exercise.  My doctor is a strong advocate of golfing as a way of getting exercise but sitting in a cart is not high on his list.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many reasons why duffers can’t walk the course and as I continue along the path of aging, I get closer every day to many of those reasons.  While I can though I try to walk.  Initially, I used the old pull cart.  Used to buy one of those plastic babies at Costco for about $40 and it served it’s purpose and still does for many duffers out there.  The problem with the pull carts is that you’re dragging something behind you and like all push or pull carts it tends to affect my shoulders and back.  The affects on my shoulders and back gets translated to my game.  Just like when my legs get tired and my hips joints start to scream for mercy at the latter parts of the round it tends to raise my scores.

Problem with those plastic carts was that they would fall apart.  Seems that there is a reason they were only $40.  Go figure.  I got tired of replacing my pull carts and found the Sun Mountain push carts.  Still have 2 of them in garage collecting dust and a few cobwebs.  The Sun Mountain push carts are a great product but for me it still affected my shoulders and back.

At my advanced age, carrying a few too many pounds, I need to walk and Manteca Golf Park gives me that opportunity to the tune of about 6 miles per round.  If I didn’t play Army golf, left-right-left, I could get away with about 5 miles which adds up when you play 2 to 3 times a week.  I needed to find something that would allow me to walk yet still have my bag and golf clubs always available.  Did a lot or research and looked at most electronic golf carts.  Rejected the ones that only go straight for a set distance cause let’s face it, I don’t live down the center of the fairways.  I needed a cart with a remote control.  I chose the one that best fits my game which turned out to be the Powakaddy RoboKaddy Titanium remote controlled golf cart.  It obeys my every command by remote control and is the only remote controlled cart that has the ability to go in reverse.  Yes, it’s the Cadillac of remote controlled carts but it allows me to better enjoy the game of golf.

Add comment | January 3, 2009 - 9:40 am | duffer

All I want for Christmas is my golf GPS

Since I’ve always loved technology, often at a high price, it was a nobrainer that I would quickly fall in love with a golf GPS device.  By now we’ve all seen them either on the course, a commercial, or an infomercial.  But once upon a time little was known of golf GPS devices and most golfers, hackers, and duffers had strong opinions concerning their use.  It was almost sacrilegious to even talk of GPS let alone use one.  Remember all the arguments against them and how it would ruin the game as we knew it then?  But when we played golf where they had GPS on carts, they would rant and rave about it.  Certain golfers I know use to bad mouth me to no end when I started using my first SkyCaddie.  While they were looking for yardage markers and pacing every which way they would question how my game could be helped using one of those devices.  I  just stood there over my ball and with my GPS instantly know the distance to the front, center, back of the green and know yardages to hazards, water, etc.  I knew what yardage I needed for a layup or clearing a hazard.  No, my GPS device did not in itself improve my game since after all, you still need to execute, but it sure did improve my game by making me a smarter player and sped up the game.  One BGPS (before GPS) day I played the Black Horse Course at the old Fort Ord Army base in Monterey, CA with my eldest son who’s serving our Country in the Navy.  It was a long par 5 and I didn’t quite tag my drive like I should have – so what else is new.  Black Horse is known to have a few hills and as I stood over my ball I couldn’t see the green or anything.  I started looking for a sprinkler to see what the distance was.  I found one and I will never forget what it said … “Too Far” …  To this day it brings a warm smile to my face.

Many of the courses that I play just don’t have yard markers on sprinklers.  Yes, you’ll see the blue, white, and red markers for 200, 150, and 100 yards or maybe a 150 bush but that’s usually all.  And how many of us would see the 150 marker 30 yards to our right and after playing our favorite 150 club wind up 20 yards short.  Took me a while to figure that one out.  Who said we would never use those math courses in high school?

Once the USGA adopted their rules for range finding devices it became fashionable to start using GPS devices and many duffers would never leave home without it.  On those rare days when I do forget my device, it feel naked and wonder how I ever played without one.

I’m not here to argue which golf GPS device is the best.  My present golf GPS device is a Sonocaddie V300 and over the years I’ve owned a couple of SkyCaddies.  Now that Santa has made the rounds, my buddy Mike will be able to enjoy his GolfLogix GPS-8.  Turns out Santa asked me to help her out getting her loving husband the only item he wanted for Christmas.  Go figure – Here’s a duffer that could ask for anything at all, even one of those knock-off Chinese Taylor Made R7 drivers, ha, ha, ha – but nooooooo, he wants a golf GPS device.

So, did you get your favorite golf GPS device?  Do you dare play a round without one?  Living in the trees like I do, it’s nice to know the distance that my ball will never travel cause that ball gobbling tree separating me from the green will have it’s way with me.  Alas, I knew that Pinnacle Execption well.

Add comment | December 25, 2008 - 9:27 am | duffer

I Love Technology

There’s nothing like a little technology to even the odds.  Most of the guys on the Senior’s Tour, or whatever they call themselves now, admit to  hitting the ball farther than they did in their prime.  Yup, you guessed it … technology.  Everything has and is being tweaked to improve one’s game.  Clubs, balls, hybrids, even shoes, tees,  GPS, gloves, etc.  As I look at my game I find that to be true and unfortunately I’m hooked on technology.  I say unfortunately cause technology isn’t cheap.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those Duffers that changes equipment every couple of months.  I usually buy a new set of clubs every 2 years.  I know some guys that have something new in their bag every other week.  Those infomercials sure make it look easy.

I now use a regular shaft instead of a stiff shaft (no comments from the peanut gallery) and will graduate to a senior shaft.  Let’s face it, unlike Barry Bonds, I am not getting stronger and faster as I age and that’s where the manufacturers are there to help.  I play with guys in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and watch them hitting the ball straight and longer than they should cause they have chosen to let technology help them.  I’m here to tell you that I’ll be happy to be alive in my 80s let alone play golf on a regular basis!

It hasn’t been 2 years yet but those Adams Golf Idea Tech a4OS Hybrid irons, the Insight Tech a4OS Driver and Insight Tech a4OS Hybrid-Fairway 3 wood sure do look goooood …  Clubs nowadays are so forgiving!  I’m actually enjoying myself more today with updated equipment cause I’ve been known to miss stike a ball now and then.  NO, really … I’ve done that once or twice.  Which clubs and/or driver are you drooling over?

Add comment | November 30, 2008 - 3:07 pm | duffer

Pinnacle Exception

Used to be that I would hit any ball that I could find.  The more the better cause I used to lose a ton of balls every round.  Like some people say, I good round is when you find more balls than you lose.  Nowadays, I tend to play with the same ball for a few rounds depending on how much water is on the course.  There’s something about water that attracts my balls – kind of like bees to honey or ducks to water.  Hey, that would be a great name for a new ball … ducks … nah, that would never fly.  Ever use a ‘water ball’?  Course you have.  That’s the ball you pull out of your bag when you get to that signature par 3 hole that tortures golfers by making them cross water to get to the green.  No self respecting duffer would chance losing a good ball when you can use one you found last week hidden in the rough or better yet one that you retrieved from that same water hazard.  No ball would splash twice … right?

As my game evolved, so did my preference for a golf ball.  There’s a lot to be said for hitting the same kind of ball all the time.  As most of us know, not all balls are created equal.  There’s a big difference between a $4 ball vs a $1 or less ball.  The better you get the more difference the ball makes.  I’ve probably at one time or other played with most balls only because I used to play with any ball that I found.  I choose to play the Pinnacle Exception golf ball now cause I like the feel of it, the soft touch when putting, and the way if comes off my clubs.  Got to this point mostly cause Costco used to carry Pinnacle at a price that didn’t make my wife cringe.  I used to hit some kind of power flight Pinnacle ball that gave me great distance but felt like a rock.  When Titleist came out with their proV1 Pinnacle came out with the Exception.  Softer ball than their previous ones but the distance was still there.  Believe that Titleist owns Pinnacle which explains the design.  Course, being a duffer I still look to be frugal and tend to buy AAA used Pinnacle Exception golf balls.  They probably all came out of the same par 3 water hazard that I use a water ball on!!

What ball do you pull out when you reach into your bag and why?  Curious minds want to know …

Add comment | November 26, 2008 - 7:38 am | duffer

My golf bag

Everyone has their reasons and preferences as to what they carry in their golf bag.  I for one would never bad mouth anyone for their equipment.  My preference for many years is Adams Golf.  My index before I started using Adams Golf equipment was 28 and is now 15.  It’s been as low as 10 in the last year or so.  Course, I must be fair and say that during that period, I have played more golf then ever.  I love their equipment and will remain loyal but there’s no replacement for actually playing and spending time on the driving range.  I initially upgraded to the Adams Tight Lies, then Idea a2OS, and now carry the Idea a3OS.

Everything in my bag is Adams: driver: 10.5 degree Insight XTD a3OS, 3 wood: 15 degree Insight XTD a3OS, irons: Idea a3OS Hybrid Irons (3-PW), Idea Pro Wedges (52/56/60 degree), and the Adams GT Graphite Tip Spec03 putter.  Since I have been slowing down over the years, I use a regular shaft rather than try to swing harder.  I love thechnology and try to allow technology to make up for my game and age.

Yes, Adams Golf actually built a putter once.  I think it might have been part of a set or something.  My boys gave me the putter for Christmas about 10 years ago and I have used the putter since.  Tried many other putters like everyone else does.  It’s never my fault but the fault of the putter.  It cost me a lot of money to realize that it really is the puttee and not the putter.  I have always gone back to the Spec03 and I no longer try other putters.  What’s in your bag?

1 Comment | November 24, 2008 - 9:41 am | duffer