Review - Carnoustie Sportswear

Before commencing with this review I would like to take the time to apologize to Mary Beth Lacy and the terrific folks at Carnoustie Sportswear. Due to an administrative issue (expired passport) and a lost shipment... this review is quite tardy in being released.

It seems like evolution seems to be a theme for me at the moment. Evolution can take place in many ways and we have seen a real evolution in golf apparel over the last 15 years. Out went pique polo styles and eventually technical pieces became the norm. If there's one thing that I love about writing and reviewing products from golf manufacturers it's the opportunity to see brands develop and evolve.

Last year, I had the opportunity to test and review some pieces from premium apparel brand Carnoustie Sportswear. The pieces went through their paces and ultimately tested fairly well. The one sample piece had a minor issue that was more of a nit-picking thing for me. I hate it when the collars of my golf shirt roll.  Other than that I liked what I received to test. When Mary Beth Lacy of Mary Beth Lacy Inc. offered me the opportunity to once again test a piece from Carnoustie's Fall 2016 line there was no way that I would decline the chance. Especially, after seeing some of their range first-hand while attending the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show. The line-up looked amazing with terrific colour stories. I'm still stuck on this "magenta" colour that I saw on several of their pieces.

In case you are not familiar with Carnoustie Sportswear they are an apparel company that has been delivering premium apparel to consumers for over 20 years. The Irvine, California based company is known for their elegant styling, outstanding design and first-class workmanship. I was excited to learn that I would be receiving a piece from their Performance category. Some of the features of Carnoustie's Performance line include...

• Easy care (terrific for unpacking from a suitcase)
• Fabric that is lightweight
• A poly blend with Spandex that has wicking characteristics
• Anti-Microbial
• Polos that offer UV Protection (great for long days in the sun)

When I finally received my parcel I unboxed a piece that looked as elegant and as tasteful as any piece of apparel that I have reviewed up to this point. My particular polo to review was the Classic Player's Stripe Performance Polo. Upon removing the cellophane packaging in my hands was a piece that had a "silky" hand of fabric. Aesthetically speaking the polo was sharp and the mostly black fabric with stripes featuring orange and creamy hues. These are colours that one can easily connect with autumn. The 3 white buttons of the placket contrasts nicely while the black knit collar is orange on the underside. This is perfect for the golfer that wants to "pop" their collar. A look that I haven't personally used myself for a long time but would do with this polo. On the reverse side of the shirt you will find the Carnoustie logo emblazoned between the shoulder blades.

Testing for this piece would involve a few different phases. Because this piece got to me so late I had to be creative with putting it through it's paces. The first test was the "Easy Care Test". Execution of this test was simply to see how it would perform after being laundered. Honestly, I was real curious to see if there was any roll of the collar. So after putting it through the wash (Carnoustie recommends machine wash cold and tumble dry). I simply observed that there was no roll of the collar and for the most part the shirt was wrinkle free. Exactly what the "jet-setter" looks for in attire. If needed, you may iron this fabric but the recommendation is to use a warm iron. 

The second phase of the testing was "The Wear Test". One thing about last year's models was that the fits were definitely traditional as opposed to "Euro-style" (see Slim Fit). This still rings very true of the Classic player's Stripe Polo that I tested. Honestly, I should have went with a large as opposed to an extra large. The fit was baggy which is of course was no fault of Carnoustie. Simply put the onus was on me. On carnoustiesportswearonline.com they have a fitting guide and my recommendation is to use it accordingly to ensure the best possible fit for you. I would wear the polo on the course for nine holes and a practice session indoors. After all it is golf in the "Great White North". I was pleased with the lack of constriction. Even though the polo did not fit properly in the shoulders (thus making the sleeves longer than they normally would be) my swing was not hindered and the polo remained very comfortable. The Classic Player's Stripe Performance Polo wears very well. I would love to get my hands on a large the next time around.

So if it's cold outside and comfortable enough in a dome so as not to break into a sweat... how do we test the all important moisture-wicking qualities? The answer is... use the sauna at the gym where you're a member. I was determined to see how the wicking qualities were and although it was unorthodox I would use the sauna for the "Sweat Test". So after a workout I wore the polo into the sauna. It's a dry sauna and it is a comfortable 90* inside. Eventually, I began to glisten and beads of sweat came from my pores. The test was underway and after 15 minutes in the sauna I was able to conclude that the polo in question wicked away the moisture from the body. In combination with a breeze on the links, the Classic Player's Performance Polo would keep golfer's comfortable a dry during their round.

In conclusion,  the Classic Player's Performance Polo is a very nice piece of golf apparel. Smooth fabric of hand, performance and styling that doesn't quit it would be a great piece to add to any golfer's apparel collection. 

It's Coming...

Oh boy... the time is drawing ever so closer. Almost time to start filling a big bag full of goodies and take to the skies. Now, one would think that with the Christmas/Holiday season upon us this automatically means that I'm referring to "Ole Santa". But I'm not! This time I am referring to myself. It's almost time to jump on a Southwest Airlines flight at Buffalo International Airport and fly down to Orlando, Florida for the 2017 installment of the PGA Merchandise Show. Four days of exploring all that is new, old and exciting in golf.

Photo Credit: trasemiller.com

At the time of writing I have appointments that are starting to line up in advance of the show. I'm looking forward to chatting with contacts I already have and contacts I have yet to make. Appointments to discuss products for testing and review. So what am I looking forward to? Well, first there is TaylorMade Golf. I am absolutely dying to see how the M range stacks up in comparison to the 2016 edition. Last year at the demo day I was blown away by the M2. The performance all-around in my eyes made the M1 (which I already had) look inferior.

Photo Credit: TaylorMade Golf

This past Friday, I found myself at a store that I have wanted to see for a long time. Located about 2.5 hours away in St. Thomas, Ontario sits a golf store and the golf products inside were the thing of legend. Old and new. While there, I happened to run into the regional representative of Callaway Golf and we know each other through the golfing circles. Golf shows and so on. He happened to have the new Epic range with him. The new Epic and Epic Sub Zero look amazing and I cannot wait to swing them. I saw the insides of them to see what makes them "tick" and my urge to swing those sticks became stronger. Due to an "embargo" currently in place I could not take any pictures. But they are sharp, look great at address and they also offer the Project X HZRDUS as a stock shaft. By the way, the new Steelhead XR irons are no slouch either.

Photo Credit: vertgolf.com

I am really looking forward to trying to set something up with Cobra Golf. I WILL be swinging the KING F7 ONE Length irons. I stumbled upon this notion many years back by accident when I screwed up my own re-shaft (I never knew it was a thing). But I love the principle behind it. There is definitely something about it that I like and really it does make a lot of sense. Last night on Twitter I was talking to Vertical Groove Golf and they will be having a presence at the show. They are a new company that is bringing out a new driver... this particular driver has vertical lines as opposed to the usual horizontal ones we usually see on drivers and such. As much as that intrigues me the crown does as well. It's sort of "dimpled" for what I figure equates to better aerodynamics. If you are familiar with aerospace or physics think "Bernoulli's Principle" and how it relates to air foils. Last year, I made friends with a gent named Greg from Reno, Nevada. He told me to visit a booth last year but I ran out of time. Ironically, this company started following me on Twitter and I look forward to having an in-depth look at Directed Force Putters. Other companies I cannot wait to see include the likes of Skechers Golf, CHASE 54 (#TEAM54), Longball, KenRick Golf and countless others.

Photo Credit: golfchannel.com

There is another company that I cannot wait to visit on the range and that is Wilson Golf. If my curiosity wasn't stoked before with the reality show Driver vs Driver it is now seeing that the design was deemed non-conforming by the USGA. The reason has to do with the sole plate on the retail on the 10.5* and 12* versions. The 9* version is conforming. Wilson Golf was quick to address this issue to customers who had already purchased this driver following the show but a few things come to mind. Before I begin please remember that I am a huge Wilson Golf fan. In a statement (which I will paraphrase) Wilson stated that due to the nature of the show and it's resulting confidentiality they had no time to send it away to the USGA for testing. Something about this really bugs me. That may well be true but there has to be some sort of tape delay from production, to the airing and on to the driver going to retail. Maybe I'm mistaken. The ensuing scramble by Wilson might be good "smoke and mirrors" to cover the faux pas. But for a company that struggles to sell drivers or have their own staff put their drivers into play this could be extremely hurtful and a very bad omen. Wilson has come a long way over the last several years. A company that had a stigma for years with golfers thinking that the brand had become a "box store brand". Something like this could sway golfers to lean another way when thinking about buying a new driver. Granted, as I stated in my post-show re-cap I think Wilson went out of their lane on the price point. Sure, Triton might be worth it but sitting on racks next to M2 or Epic in the same vicinity puts the Wilson product at a disadvantage.

Some readers might find my comments unfair and some are almost certainly to disagree with me. But I'm okay with that because I have no issue sharing my opinions. My mission statement for my blog and reviews was and always will be to speak my mind (and the total truth) on my views of golf products. It who I am and it is who I will be. Unbiased.

Until The Next Tee!

The New Trend

It's been a revolutionary time in the world as of late. No matter who you are and who you voted for in the American Presidential election the winds of change are a blowing. Golf is no different. With the changing of the seasons from the emerald green that is summer to the wintry white of winter we see new developments and trends within the golf industry.

Remember way back to when TaylorMade and  Adams Golf first came out with their first ever adjustable drivers? To this day I preferred the 430Q over the R7. Yes, I didn't know much about golf at the time as I was an infant back then as far as golf knowledge and play went. Then the golf world was amazed with the use of carbon fiber in the crowns of drivers,,, if my concussion-plagued memory serves me well I believe it was the Callaway Golf ERC Fusion that launched that trend. Of course, how can we forget (even though we should) the age of the square driver? The "green bell pepper on a stick" and with that comes to mind companies like Nickent and Nike (yes Callaway was in there too). Wilson Staff had their time back then as well with the Spine. Then TaylorMade astonished the world with a white-headed atrocity that I legitimately hated when it came out. I came around eventually and just as I got over the white heads out came Cobra Golf and their colourful range of products to suit the like of young stars like Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson. In fact, one of the reasons why I love going down to the PGA Show is to see the new trends that the industry is leaning towards or experimenting with. Trends... it's some thing that the golf industry needs and quite honestly it needs to experiment with. With the much talked about decline in the industry which I'm not particularly convinced of the companies need to think a little outside of the box.

Photo Credit: Wilson/Amer Sports

As I am writing this entry it's nearly 8 pm EST and Golf Channel is about 2 hours away from the finale of Driver vs Driver. As most of us around golf are aware of it's a reality show where Wilson Staff has given the opportunity to people from a variety of walks of life to design their newest driver. Hundreds of applicants applied and in a way I regret not giving it a shot because I have had ideas flowing through my head about what would make a great driver. Oh well. Of course as I write this I have no clue what the winning product will be between the finalists which are designs called Triton and Pivot respectively. Initially, I wort of liked the Triton but after browsing the http://www.wilson.com/en-us/golf website I decided that there was a lot more that I liked about the Pivot. Nicer aesthetics, more traditional head and a deeper face. Whereas the Triton in my opinion is too darn busy. Either way, both of the finalists from sound bites that I've head sound much better than their previous offerings like the FG Tour M3 (I mentioned my strong dislike of the acoustics of the M3 to Rick Hulock) and even last years FG Tour F5 which sort of left me feeling "ho hum" last year. I've long been a fan of the brand (miss my Pi5 irons to this day) and I have always hated the fact that their staff players have not played their drivers... although I think Padraig Harrington played the Pd5. But I love the fact that Wilson went outside of the box to create a product and consequently a show in this manner. It's been exciting... like the moment before Brian Urlacher would punish an opposing quarterback into the ground. Huge kudos Wilson!!

Photo Credit: Golf Channel

Wilson however is not the only golf manufacturer to travel down this less traveled road. Even though I have never made a swing with a Bombtech Golf  they were one company that was very active on social media when it came to the development of their Grenade driver and range of woods and wedges. Owner Tyler Sullivan had ideas and asked people if they liked a certain option or asked specifically what people wanted. I was very active in this phase of their products development. Another company, OnCore Golf recently was very active in this facet of product development. They sent out a survey to their database looking for input on the design of their next product. A tour ball. They wanted input of preferences regarding feel to cost. Of course, I filled out the survey being the responsible golf writer that I am. I really applaud OnCore Golf as they are trying to make a tour ball "for the people... by the people".

Crowdsourcing. Could this be the new trend to give golfers what they want? Could this be the "fix" for the industry in a time of an apparent downturn in sales? Time will tell.

Until The Next Tee!

KenRick Golf

Got out and employed the belt from KenRick Golf. I have all of my thoughts gathered on their product and I am ready to write the review. In the meantime.

Until The Next Tee!

Golf... The Real Fountain of Youth

If there is one thing that I love about golf it's the fact that it's a game that you can take up at any age and play it until your final dying breaths. Personally, I know of two 90 year-old men that are both very spry who still play the game very well... besting their age. My coach who himself is 70 can still hit a golf ball very well and far for his age. I've seen him blast the ball past younger 20-something golfers. Golf is at an age where age doesn't have to be a factor... even on Tour.

Photo Credit: Family Guy

In the last couple of weeks we have seen some great golf turned in by guys over the age of 40. I wrote an article a little bit ago right on the heels of the win in Portugal by Padraig Harrington. Padraig (45) won for the first time on the European Tour in 8 years that week but it didn't stop there. That same week Anders Hansen (46) who only plays part-time finished third. Think about it... a 46 year-old part-time golfer finishing third in a tournament chock full of "millenials". Many of whom are towards the younger end of that spectrum. It's exciting when you really think about it... after all remember when a few years ago World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Tom Watson contended a few years ago in the Open Championship? The excitement that was in the air... of course much of that was sentimentality hoping that the "youngster" could pull it off. He didn't as we all know but here was right there. Then this week happened. "Only in Vegas Baby" a place where dreams of big payoffs can come true. Played at TPC Summerlin the Shriner's Open was won by another elder statesmen. Australian Rod Pampling found himself collecting his first victory in over a decade. Pampling (47) a Srixon staffer using a mixed bag of clubs consisting of TaylorMade Golf, PING, Titleist (Scotty Cameron putter), Cleveland and Srixon started his week by firing a 60 and ending with a 65 en route to a -20 total two strokes clear of runner-up Brooks Koepka. Pampling's dramatic putt on 18 was fun to watch as he started to "walk it in" from about 4 feet.

Photo Credit: PGA Tour

In a way, these types of occurrences on Tour sort of reminds me of the scene in the movie "Cocoon" where all of the geriatric folks jump into the pool and party. If you haven't seen the film from 1985 (by Ron Howard) it's about a group of elderly people rejuvenated by aliens (extra-terrestials). Well I think that the movie really is a symbolic metaphor for what is occurring in golf. Where guys like Pampling, Harrington and Hansen to name a few are the elderly people (guys you really aren't) the aliens in this case is played by the respective equipment manufacturers. Fitting resources never used before aided by Doppler, R&D that could easily be used (or might have already been) by the aerospace industry (Callaway Golf and Boeing XR-16) and space-aged materials are all largely instrumental in the new found "youth". Not to mention that golf fitness and nutrition are a thing... for some. Thanks to these gentlemen and the golf industry it gives old guys like me... hope. 

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Until The Next Tee!

Make Spin

I think this might be my first tip that I'm posting here since I re-vamped things a little bit. Over the last couple of days here in Niagara Falls, Ontario we have been experiencing some gorgeous nice weather. For the first time in a while I found myself with time and feeling decent enough to get some practice in. A nice change... quality me time with different irons and a new driver. Both Tour Edge Exotics.My two sessions were a bit different than each other where yesterday I added some short game work to the 4 hours worth of practice I spent. With my lack of playing time this year I honestly feel like I lost another year and with a lack of play if one aspect of the game can go in downward spiral quickly it's green side play. Yesterday I was employing balls from OnCore Golf and a Cradlz by Stinger device that I received to test and review. Watching some video of my pitching I saw a mistake that I didn't feel like I was making. So I thought that since it was fresh in my mind I would talk about it.

Photo: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

It happens almost every round that you play. You've missed a Green In Regulation and what's worse is that you've short-sided yourself a little. If you're on the fringe things aren't so bad because you definitely have the use of your putter at your disposal to hole it out or get it close. But you aren't on the fringe and there is too much real estate between yourself to utilize a specialty shot like a "Texas Wedge". So there you are and you take a wedge... or iron (green side doesn't automatically make it a wedge shot) and you've seen the guys and gals on Sunday afternoon on the various tours chip and make the ball stop. You try the same thing but instead you hit your chip and run it well past the hole. What happened to the spin?

Photo Credit: alexandertothgolf.blogspot.com

In a lot of cases two things might have occurred. The first option is that your club head got ahead of your hands and you flipped. The second option is a very, very good possibility. You decelerated on the stroke. Regardless of the distance for the shot you have to make if there is one thing that you you should never do is decelerate or give up on the shot. This is what I observed on my play back. While there was no lack of enough "swing" to make the shots I was making... I was clearly tentative. In order to get the spin that you require you have to accelerate through the ball... much like a driver or any other full shot. The combination of "trapping" the ball by having your hands lead the way through the ball and acceleration is what creates the spin. A deceleration will put "lazy spin" on the ball meaning that it will want to spin but it's almost like the golf ball says "Ummm... no!" and upon hitting the putting surface it just skips along. Accelerate and make that ball check. Below is a quick list of the set-up to achieve the spin.

1. Open up your stance slightly.
2. Weaken your grip. (If you normally see 3 knuckles on your top head lean more towards 2 or less)
3. Your ball position should be off of your trailing ankle. If you need to pop the ball up a little bit place it more towards the lead heel.
4. Place 90% of your weight on your leading side.
5. Pre-set your hands ahead of the ball. Doing this programs the hands or handle of the club to get through first.
6. If the shot is your basic chip rock the shoulders like a putt. Do not let your bottom hand "take over the stroke". Light grip pressure.
7. See the shot... rehearse the shot  and get a feel for how much stroke you need. Practice the acceleration. (Pre-Shot Routine)
8. Reset... step in to the shot by repeating 1-6.
9. Make the shot.

Do not do this. Deceleration causes a lack of spin and makes you prone to chunking chips and pitches. Not to mention coming up short.

I hope that this helps you lower your score by a stroke or 3.

Until The Next Tee!

Review - Tour Edge Exotics EXi Irons

Nestled away in Batavia, Illinois lays a company in the golf industry that has a different sort of following when it comes to golfers. In a way it's almost like a "cult" because those that like the products that this company makes... really like them. Tour Edge Exotics the brand that is the brainchild of President and Founder David Glod. I remember the first time I saw a product with the Tour Edge Exotics name on it back in 2005 (approximately). I was new to the game, enjoying golf and really liking the sport so I went to the Toronto Golf and Travel Show if for no other reason it was a day out. But on this day I took part in my first what I would consider Demo Day. I made swings with a variety of clubs and included in the proverbial buffet was the original Tour Edge Exotics driver and 3 wood. To this day I remember the sound and feel of those two sticks and I remember the four ports on the trailing edge of the driver and the fairway wood that year was much talked and every now and then you still hear about them. What I don't remember from back then were irons. Well I am pleased to say that much has changed for Tour Edge and there are most definitely irons to be talked about.

This past January I made a point of "swinging" by the Tour Edge booth at both the Demo Day at Orange County National and at the PGA Show just to see what Tour Edge was up to. This would be the first time visiting their booth after walking away not blown away by their products in 2013. I'm glad that I returned to their booth and discovered the Tour Edge Exotics EXi irons. The EX1 irons fall into the category of being somewhere in between a Player's Club and a Game Improvement iron. I only say this because the head shape and size of these irons is more traditional and closer to what can be described as compact. Tour Edge boasts that the EXi irons offers golfers "traditional playability, feel and control combined with having built-in distance technology". Notice that the term "forgiveness" has not been mentioned yet? More on that in a bit. The EXi irons feature less offset than their stablemate (EXd) but feature a dual undercut cavity which places the CoG (Centre of Gravity) deeper in the design of the head. This deeper CoG combined with Tour Edge's "Power Grid" technology (which was first introduced a few years ago) combines to make the sole very thin behind the face. Furthermore, Tour Edge introduced an insert in the cavity which provides golfers a softer feel at impact. The EXi irons also features "Variable Face Technology" and a very thin face that allows the design of the face to have more trampoline effect which helps with higher ball speeds upon launch and solid contact on those swings that would be considered less than optimal. The EXi irons are cast from 431 Stainless. The lofts of the EXi irons are slightly stronger (45*) than what is considered to be "the norm" as far as lofts nowadays for this particular category (47*). So it sounds like the EXi irons have a fair amount going for them. How did they perform?

I actually would make swings with the EXi irons on two occasions. The first time was in Orlando during Demo Day at the PGA Show and the second was about a month later at the Toronto Golf and Travel Show. When I made swings with the EXi irons I was initially impressed with the feel at contact. I loved the feel and even though they are a cast offering the "TPE encased insert" was effective in making the strikes feel softer as opposed to "clicky". Good strikes were rewarded with an "authoritative thwack" and the ball would jettison off of the face. The results... flights that were pleasing to watch. I would make swings with both of their stock shaft offerings which are the UST Mamiya Recoil 670 F4 (graphite) and the KBS Tour 90 (steel). Both shafts offer a profile that leans toward a mid-trajectory and the combination of the shaft profile and heads of the EXi irons lived up to their billing. One thing that I should report on adding to the performance of the EXi irons is the fact that there is a slot on the sole of the club. Similar to technology seen in other brands it is just that much different. The slot on the EXi irons actually extends out past the toe of the head and curls upwards toward the top line. This definitely is part of the "distance technology" that Tour Edge built into these irons. But what about the ever important "F Word"? Forgiveness is there on the mishits. I must forewarn my readers with a disclaimer at this point. For one reason or another my striking did not falter a whole lot with the EXi irons. My swing was for the better part "off" at Demo Day but then my swing came around nicely with these irons in my hands. Confidence inspiring? Perhaps. But I do recollect two swings that were in that...ahem... less than optimal category. Those strikes stayed on-line without losing a horrible amount of distance. So again, the EXi irons lived up to their advertising. These irons were easy and I mean easy to work in either direction and flighting the ball was a breeze. The EXi irons are irons that are very easy to control. When I would swing them a month later back in Toronto I achieved the same results. Solid striking. Simply put the EXi irons and I get along and that could be attested by my friend Randy who was present.

The EXi irons from Tour Edge currently retail for $599.99 and $799.99 USD in steel and graphite respectively. When compared to the other brands out there with similar products the EXi irons could very well be several hundred dollars less than irons comparable. I would classify them as "The Biggest Bang For Your Buck" as far as irons go in 2016. If you're a Low to Mid-Handicapper they are definitely worth a look... if you can find them. Where I sit geographically I am unaware of any "local" Tour Edge dealers so in my base the inability to locate them could be a negative. But the Pro's far outweigh the Con.. I am aware that is singular. There is a ton of performance and a lot to like about the EXi irons. Workability, control, and a soft feel at impact. All in all the EXi irons are an iron that has everything that I look for. I would put these in my bag tomorrow. Check them out at www.touredge.com they are worth your time.

*** Special Thanks to Tour Edge PR Director Joanne Miller for providing me a USB drive with the above images.

Review - Skechers GO GOLF

Skechers Golf.  A division of the massive shoe company that is Skechers. You’ve seen the advertisements on the television with Matt Kuchar and the gang. The commercials are fun, witty and they show Matt’s whimsical side. But no mistake about it Skechers GO GOLF has some serious clout in the footwear industry and their offerings from a golf standpoint are no joke.

Last year, I had the opportunity to test and review a pair of their shoes and suffice to say that I was very impressed with the GO GOLF Matt Kuchar shoes that I reviewed. They wore great, performed better and they ultimately led me to choosing Skechers shoes as my everyday shoe. It only makes sense when you think about it that a company like Skechers gets involved in an industry that involves people needing to pay attention to their feet… and in particular long days of pounding their feet. I really won’t delve into the company’s history other than to mention that since 1992 the company that is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California has a track record in the footwear industry that truly speaks for itself. I had last year’s review opportunity given to me after writing their company to see if an opportunity afforded itself and fortunately it was granted. I was in contact with Laurent Sirois who is the Marketing Coordinator & Brand Lead Skechers Performance Division at Skechers USA Canada Inc. After talking to Mr. Sirois I decided that my target this year would be a shoe that first caught my eye in Orlando at the PGA Show. This shoe caught my eye simply because of its looks, its weight and some questions or concerns I had about it when I first saw it namely durability.

The Skechers GO GOLF Bionic 2 golf shoe is a shoe that combines a progressive, lightweight design that is designed to be low to the ground for giving the foot/shoe natural movement. The GO GOLF Bionic 2 shoe has many interesting performance features going for them including a waterproof synthetic upper featuring the companies H2GO SHIELD technology, a 4 mm drop which is very close to making golfers feel like they are golfing barefoot, GObionic Engineering which give the shoe a more organic design, ResaGrip traction for a better grip on the turf (outsole), and the shoes weighs in at a paltry 11.5 OZ per shoe with ResaMax cushioning.  The cleated portion of the shoe is flexible which allows for natural movements of the foot, is a seamless construction and they are designed with an athletic look. As is the norm for Skechers the GO Golf Bionic 2 shoes feature the branding of the companies “S” on the side.

When testing began it was some time ago. Late March or early-April to be precise. I had my mind made up in Orlando that if given the opportunity to test and review these shoes, I was going to be as thorough as I have been in any other review if not more. As mentioned earlier as pleasing as the Bionic 2 was from an aesthetics point of view I figured that if this shoe had an “Achilles Heel” it would be the durability. Upon picking up the shoe and looking at it closer I had my doubts about a few things… namely the seamless design. But more on that in a bit. Out of the box the Bionic 2 shoes were very comfortable similar to a well worked in baseball glove. There was no break-in period required for these shoes and the first day I wore them in the Pro Shop it was a longer 10 hr day. I was impressed at the comfort performance and I have worn great shoes from other brands that feature “zero drop” and these weren’t far behind at all. I felt low to the ground and that is partially due to the 4 mm drop and ¾” heel height. I was very pleased with the toe box portion of the shoe as my feet (Diabetic) never felt squeezed or pinched. If I could make one recommendation to Skechers regarding these shoes moving forward may I suggest using some of your “GOGAMAT” padding or something similar? Just a little more padding in the heel would be great although it could just be my gait. But other than that the shoe is a very comfortable on and off of the golf course.

I would wear this shoe for most of the golf that I played this year and unfortunately it wasn’t a copious amount. But the conditions that I did wear the Bionic 2 shoes in ranged from a soggy quagmire of early spring to the drought of summer and everything else in between. I really was impressed with their spikeless design and while I have seen spikeless patterns more “aggressive” this particular design was fantastic. It provided all of the stability that a golfer could want. Greens keepers would love these shoes as they don’t mark up the greens and we’ve all seen those spike marks around the hole. Whether the ground was firm or soft the ResaGrip definitely served its purpose very well and when the turf was soaked there was no slippage. The traction and attached performance scored extremely well. The waterproof upper was indeed as advertised and only once did I suffer wet feet while wearing them and that was only my fault. You have to pay attention when you’re walking around checking out a golf course. You never know when a puddle in the rough will be over the shoe… oops! I cannot speak enough about the performance of the Bionic 2 shoes. They perform!

Now for the proverbial “elephant in the room”. Durability. I had my concerns and as a matter of fact during this testing I would treat my concerns like I was on a “witch hunt”. There was something about this seamless design that I did not like and in particular it was the part of the shoe where the seam of the toes would meet the top part of the foot. This part of the shoe seemed very delicate and I was certain that this would be a glaring defect. Folks, I absolutely abused these shoes. I literally wore the tar out of them. I wore these shoes nearly every day at work and my hours were freakishly long. Heck, I even wore these shoes while walking the dog. Like I said… abused. At every turn I would wear the Bionic 2 shoes with a purpose of exposing them. I tried and really I did and the end result. Skechers won! There were no durability issues with the shoe and the synthetic upper looks almost like it did when it came out of the box. Other than some scuffing on the heel (it’s the way I sit). The only wearing that the shoe had was the heels wore down (walking on concrete… lot’s of it) and eventually the spikes wore down (concrete)especially around the balls of my feet. Again, this is more about my gait and not the manufacturer. Not to mention where the spikes still exist they are very much still formidable. Huge props to Skechers.

This is the first time in doing testing for a review where I was trying to make a product fail. I know that I did everything to make it fail and the Bionic 2 shoes from Skechers passed every test. If you wore these shoes for strictly what they were intended for you would find a comfortable shoe that would perform and last a very long time. Also, bear in mind the price point of the Skechers GO GOLF Bionic 2 shoes. At $105 they are a very budget friendly shoe whilst giving you the performance of a shoe double the price. Give the Skechers Bionic 2 a look.

Grinding, Rory and Nike Golf

Labour Day. The unofficial death of summer even though there are still a few weeks left. With that means school. For some parents and children school is already back in class. For others (like myself) the respective parents are getting used to getting the "kidlets" back into the routine of "the grind". Grind... is there a word used more in describing golf? But what is exactly is the grind?

In this case the word grind is a verb. According to the dictionary it means "to reduce something to small particles" and when you really think about it... it really is a great adjective to sum up the game. We've all experienced the grind at one point or another because our love (see addiction) for the game is so strong. In my case, this meant going to the range/course daily to pound buckets of balls and play 18 or 36 holes afterwards to get ready for competition. Swings and changes don't really build themselves after all. For the last 5 years this was me in a nutshell. For guys and girls on Tour the grind can simply mean a dry spell in between wins or a period of playing a lot of golf week in and week out.

Photo Courtesy of TPC.com

This weeks winner on the PGA Tour and winner of the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs was a guy that we really haven't heard a lot from as expected. You heard more about him for declining to play in Rio than you did for his play on the golf course. In fact, it has been 16 months since his last victory before winning this week at TPC Boston during the Deutsche Bank Championship. Yet in a quiet sort of manner there he sits in the Official World Golf Rankings at #3 in the World. Much has been said about Rory in 2016. Most notably that he's massive and that his woes are that he became too big to swing. His workout regimen almost became a thing of notoriety when Brandel Chamblee of Golf Channel heavily criticised him (not to mention the Olympics regret thing) publicly. Honestly, I thought he was bordering on "too much" and if you followed his Facebook or Twitter feeds you were lead to believe that he had become obsessed. There is no doubt that for Rory it had been a difficult time in 2016. We saw him throw or break a club more than once and The Open Championship comes quickly to mind. Something that Tiger became notorious for. The rage out of frustration was something that might make a passive observer think "'Rhoid Rage" but that's a can of worms that doesn't need to be opened. But Rory stayed with the course and played through the "struggles" (again #3 in the world). But golf fans expected so much from him. Recently, Rory addressed his putting issues by hiring Phil Kenyon to fix his woes. Kenyon's other clients include the likes of Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose  and Lee Westwood to give you the idea that the man knows what he's going. Well something clicked and it's great to see Rory and Nike Golf back in the winning column. Congratulations Rory!! But as I sit and watch I cannot help but think about the proverbial "Elephant in the Room".

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com

So the "swoosh" that is Nike Golf. Unless you have been living under a rock you know that Nike Golf is getting out of the golf equipment game. This was a move that I predicted after the 2016 PGA Show Getting right to the point... it was downright surreal that Nike had no presence in Orlando. As a matter of fact had I not visited the Oban booth I would never have seen a Nike club there. So if you ask me the writing was clearly on the wall. So Nike Golf has elected to get out of the golf equipment game (balls too) and focus on apparel which really is undoubtedly the king of the brand. So when Rory won this week does it mean that we have seen the last of the "Swoosh" ITB in the "Winner's Circle"? One can't help but think that's a possibility so moving forward where do the likes of Rory and stablemates Kevin Chappell, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Paul Casey, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods go as far as their next sponsor. In a case like Tiger and Rory who no doubt are getting wooed by everyone and their collective uncles it's hard not to see them playing a brand like PXG and no matter what CEO Bob Parsons says that he chases nobody... you have to know that he is actively pursuing the two players to play his wares. But you can't blame him can you? Truth be told I could almost see all of the above playing PXG with an asterisk beside the names of McIlroy, Woods, Koepka, Finau and Wie as strong likelihoods. Pettersen I initially had thoughts of TaylorMade but for some reason I see her playing PING. However, getting back to Rory I never thought he looked "right" with the swoosh and I was relatively vocal about it on Twitter when he first went there. I really felt that he should have stuck with Titleist and the two parties fit each other. Remember, before Nike Golf Tiger played Titleist too.

All in all, I think the departure of Nike Golf is going to make an otherwise mundane (Ryder Cup notwithstanding) wraparound season exciting. Let the rumour mills churn.

Until The Next Tee!