Golf in Naples, Florida

For the past week, I have been in Naples, Florida visiting my aunt as she just bought a new house. I of course made it a goal to get out golfing once. And I did. Once at Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, and then 9 holes at TPC Treviso Bay which was a great experience.

I played the Naples Beach Club course with my aunt's boyfriend Ben. We were paired up with someone else named Jerry. The course itself was fairly nice and somewhat challenging, but you could tell that it was rundown due to all of the tourists. The course wasn't quite up to its full potential. I was surprised how well I played on the front 9 since I hadn't played in 4+ months. On the front I shot a 43. Ben played with us for only 9 holes but I continued along with Jerry for the whole 18. On the par 4 10th hole both Jerry and I hit near perfect drives (I hit my 5 wood) and we were both left with about a pitching wedge to the hole. Both of us ended up hitting 3 balls in the water and I ended up with a 9. Other than that one hole, I finished the back 9 with a 44 bringing my 18 hole total to an 87. This is the start of my 3rd year of golf and I can consistently shoot in the low 80s.

Treviso Bay put all the courses I played so far to shame. My uncle worked there at one time and he helped me get in without playing the hefty $200 fee. I ended up playing with the assistant superintendent of the golf course who's name was Jared. The greens at Treviso Bay were extremely fast, for me at least...a 10.2 on the stimpmeter. I noticed that very early on the putting greens when I barely had to touch the ball to roll it down a shallow grade.

I started off strong with a par on the 1st hole. Then on the 2nd hole at Treviso, which was a 500+ yard par 5, Jared hit a driver off the tee. The wind was strong in our faces so he then hit a driver off the fairway. That driver off the deck landed within 2 feet of the hole and Jared made that putt for an eagle. I on the other hand got stuck in a bunker and made a bogey. But then on the 3nd hole par 3, Jared put 3 balls in the water while I put two. I finished at Treviso Bay with a 47 which I wasn't too happy with, but since I seemed to struggle all day, it was better than I thought.

It really is a shame that the clubhouse of Treviso Bay (which is big enough to be a mall) has been sitting, still under construction, untouched since 2009. I remember meeting Lee Trevino at Treviso Bay about 3 or 4 years ago with my uncle before the owner went bankrupt. But all in all, I am just happy that I got 2 good rounds of golf in before the season officially starts here in Massachusetts.

RocketBladez Irons from TaylorMade

The end of the golf season is my favorite. I just love all these new clubs and new technology that comes out. TaylorMade has recently shown off their new set of irons, RocketBladez. RocketBladez brings TaylorMade's technology from their RocketBallz driver and fairway wood line now into irons.

The reason that the TaylorMade RocketBallz line has been so widely successful in its first year of production is because of the speed pocket in their woods. TaylorMade has now been the first to introduce this into an iron. This is to help the golfer get the ball up into the air quicker, and they claim that you will not only achieve longer distance, but you will also have great consistent distance control.

What the pocket does is create a spring-like surface towards the bottom of the club face, which makes sense because that is where you would hit the ball. When struck, the pocket will spring up and create a higher launch and the ball should lift off the ground effortlessly resulting in a higher trajectory. Since the face is very thin, it allows the sweet spot of the club to be larger and lower for more consistent and forgiving shots.

The TaylorMade RocketBladez irons are available for pre-order at this point in time and will be officially released on November 30th this year. Click the link below to view the RocketBladez mini site and product page, and/or watch the video to the right.

RocketBladez Mini Site

RocketBladez Product Page

Cobra AMP CELL

I went to Golfsmith's website to look for a new hat and I found something much more interesting. On the main page they had an advertisement for Cobra AMP CELL golf clubs which will be released in February 2013 (Last year the AMP series was released on my birthday, February 10th. I wonder if Cobra will keep that tradition). The main idea behind these clubs is adjustability. These clubs are packed with new technology.

The AMP CELL driver is completely adjustable. Along with the E9 Face Technology and Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) which was released with the S3, and the Dual Roll which was released with the AMP, the AMP CELL features MyFly Technology which allows you to adjust the loft, and tune your driver according to weather, and grounds conditions in order to maximize distance. The driver is not sold with predetermined lofts. Instead, you adjust that yourself. The AMP CELL Pro is adjustable from 7.5 to 9.5 degrees, and the regular AMP CELL is adjustable from 8.5 to 11.5 degrees. AFT had been renamed SmartPad Technology which will allow you to set your driver to open, closed, or neutral. Even when you adjust these settings, the loft will stay put. The AMP CELL also has a 12% larger face which will maximize forgiveness. On top of all of this great new technology, the AMP CELL is available in 4 different colors: gray, blue, red, and of course, orange. The shaft flexes for the AMP CELL are: light, regular, stiff, and extra stiff. The AMP CELL Pro has shaft options of regular, stiff, and extra stiff. The AMP CELL Offset is not adjustable and is available in 10.5 or 11.5 degree with light, regular, and stiff shaft options.

Then there is the AMP CELL fairway wood and hybrid. They include the same technology as the driver (E9 Face Technology, SmartPad, and MyFly). The fairway wood also has a 12% larger face and is available in 2 different models: a 3-4 fairway, and a 5-6 fairway. With each model, you just choose which loft configuration you want and you can change it at any time. The hybrid has 3 different models available: a 2-3, 3-4, and a 4-5 hybrid. This is the same concept as the fairway wood. Both also carry over the E9 and AFT from the first gen AMP clubs. They are also available in the 4 color options. The fairway has light, regular, stiff, and extra still shaft options while the hybrid is just available in regular and stiff.

Then there are the AMP CELL irons. These don't seem to have nearly as much new technology as the driver, wood, and hybrid, but iron technology usually isn't as interesting. The AMP CELL irons include the E9 Face Technology and a new sole which will provide an improved interaction with the turf. The face and body are built so that there is a low center of gravity right behind the sweet zone which will help all golfers get the ball up into the air easier and will provide better distance. The AMP CELL irons are available in a configuration of 4-GW with either regular or stiff flex and steel or graphite shafts. The standard color is gray, but the rest of the colors are available if you custom order the clubs. A senior configuration is availible which is 5-GW and senior flex graphite shafts.

There are womens options for all of the clubs listed here. The colors for womens' AMP CELL clubs are green, blue, and pink.

I find it a little odd that none of these clubs are featured on Cobra's website. I have only been able to find them on Golfsmith's. Cobra seems to have put a lot of effort and technology into these clubs and I think they will be immensly popular. Since Cobra has already launched the Baffler irons, I am wondering if they will continue to bring updates to the current Baffler woods and hybrids, the LongTom and ZL Encore. I do remember that they made a partnership with Ferrari so I am looking forward to the launch of that high end driver as well. Open the link below to view the new line of Cobra AMP CELL clubs. They ARE available for pre order at this point!

Cobra AMP CELL Golf Clubs at Golfsmith
 

TaylorMade Penta TP3 and TP5 Review

For the golf team this year, we received Penta TP3s or TP5s which are both HUGE improvements over the crappy Titleist NXTs from last year. They had no spin or real performance. These golf balls from TaylorMade really impressed me. TaylorMade has never really stood out in the golf ball market but I believe that these two are excellent choices.

TP3: The Penta TP3s are really the best of both worlds. They have enough spin to stop sufficiently on the greens, but not so much that they can bring down your long game. They are versatile golf balls. I don't find that the urethane cover scuffs up very easily (like the Nike One Platinums that I used this year) so you won't be changing golf balls every other hole. The TP3s compress easily for a 3 piece ball and really have a nice soft feel especially around the greens. Around the greens they perform like any 4 or 5 piece ball. It is a great ball that will perform well on every type of shot and every type of club.

TP5: I found that the Penta TP5s perform as well as a ProV1. They really do provide excellent spin around the greens. I don't think that I ever actually got substantial backspin until I used the TP5s. They do have a lot of spin (since they are a 5 piece ball) so if you have problems controlling your ball flight, these balls wouldn't help you there. I am fairly certain that these have the same urethane cover that the TP3s since that they both are versatile. For some reason with the TP5s I don't particularly like the feel when hitting them with an iron. It could be because my swing speed isn't quite high enough to compress it properly.

I find that with both golf balls that you will get a nice high ball flight which is a pro in my eyes. I would rather have a higher flight than a lower one, but that would really depend on the person. The Penta TP3s are comparable to the Callaway HEX Chrome both in pricing and performance (checkout my review of those if you haven't already) at $35.99 a dozen. The Penta TP5s are at a more pricey $45.99 a dozen. To be honest, I don't think that I would ever buy them (I got them free for being on the golf team) on my own considering that the TP3s are nearly just as comparable and they are even $10 cheaper. If you really need a lot of spin (and I mean a lot) and you really know how to control your ball flight as good as a pro, then you would be a better fit with the TP5s They TP5s are also meant for golfers with higher swing speeds and are harder to compress due to the 5 layers. I don't think I am quite there so if I had a choice, I would go with the TP3.

Golf Club Review: What's in my Bag

Leave your own "what's in my bag" in the comments

I just want to update and give my feedback of what I have been playing with in the 2012 season.

Driver: Cobra S3 10.5 degree set on neutral, regular flex Fujikura Blur.
I love this driver! I have had it since mid last year and it is very forgiving. Most of my mishits happen to be on the heel and I can still get near full distance. The stock shaft is very fast, but not whippy. I can hit this driver straight every time.

Woods: Cobra Baffler Rail F 5+7, regular flex Fujikura Motore.
I can hit these 2 clubs extremely well off of the fairway, off the tee, and even in the rough. I bet many of you are wondering why the heck I would hit a 7 wood. It is the same loft as a 3 hybrid/3 iron, and I just prefer this. Simple as that. I like the feel and can hit it better. If I ever need to hit a long shot out of the rough, the 7 wood is my club. The 5 is mainly a fairway club, though I can obviously hit them both well in the fairway.

Irons: Ping i3 O-Size 4-PW, regular flex Cushin JZ.
I started off the year using some TaylorMade rac LT 3-PW irons, but they just weren't very forgiving at all. They were great, but I couldn't hit the longer irons. With the Pings (which I started using in May or so), I gained about 5 yards per club and a LOT of forgiveness. The only club that I have trouble with is the 4 iron. I may buy a 4 hybrid in order to make up for the yardage gap.

Wedge: Cleveland CG14, wedge flex Dynamic Gold/Ping ISI wedge, Ping graphite shaft (can't remember name).
I started out the year using a 56* CG14 wedge which I loved. It was an overall great feeling wedge with good spin and I loved the feel chipping around the greens. I lost it during a golf match about a month ago so I then started using a 55* Ping ISI wedge. I like this wedge better on full shots. It delivers better forgiveness and better spin, but I don't like chipping with it. There is just a little too much bounce. I need some more wedges!

Golf Balls: Just the balls that I have used this year that I really like and have positive things to say:
Callaway HEX Chrome
Bridgestone e7
Bridgestone B330 RXS
Srixon Q-Star
Srixon Z-Star
Nike One Platinum (top of the line ball a few years ago, found a dozen)
TaylorMade Penta TP3
TaylorMade Penta TP5

Possible Future Purchases:
Cobra Baffler irons (haven't actually tried yet but I want to)
Cleveland CG16 irons
Cobra Baffler T-Rail 4 hybrid (before the irons though)
Cobra Trusty Rusty wedge (51, 55, 59)
Cleveland CG16 wedge (52, 56, 60)

For the possible purchases, I have demoed many different clubs and I just like trying new things and those are the ones that have really stood out. I really don't plan on making any real changes with my clubs, I just would like to fix my yardage gaps.


I obviously use these clubs and balls because they work for me so I obviously have positive things to say. What works for me might not work for you. It all really has to do with feel.

Back...Been Very Busy!

Hey viewers. I apologize that I haven't been updating for the past few months. School has started back up and so has the golf team which is in the fall. I have been very preoccupied with that. I haven't had the chance to update about the FedEx Cup, Ryder Cup, or anything. Golf season is now starting to come to a close. It is still relitively warm where I am (Massachusetts) so I bet that I will still be golfing until November. Last year in November, my friend and I went "Arctic Golfing" (what we called it) when it was about 10 degrees out. For whatever reason courses were still open. I remember I shot a 45 and he a 47 which wasn't bad considering that we froze our asses off. We plan to keep that tradition. When was the latest in the season that you have golfed?

Els Won The Open from the Behind

I didn't get a chance to watch a whole lot of The Open, but Ernie Els ended up winning his 2nd after Adam Scott fell apart at the end. I was actually pulling for Els since the start and he came through! Every time I see him golf, it just amazes me at how softly he swings, and how he hits so far. He got the nickname "The Big Easy" for a reason. Ernie Els jumped from 33rd to 7th in the FedEx Cup standings with his first win in 2012

Haven't Posted in a While

I just noticed that I haven't posted in a while. Haven't had a chance for the past week, been super busy. I plan to get back into the blog this week for the John Deere Classic. Looks like a good field.

What this means for Tiger Wooda

As we all know, Tiger Woods became the first golfer in the 2012 season to have 3 wins under his belt. Bo van Pelt really challenged him right to the finish in the at&t National. I think this has really helped boost Tiger's confidence and will help him along the way in the FedEx Cup, which he is now currently in first place for the standings.

Woods had a few great scrambling opportunities and shots from behind trees and in the woods where he manged to save par. I will admit I was impressed with his play this weekend.

He hasn't been very consistent this year. One week he will win, and the other he will be +7 or so. Tiger is really either one of the extremes. I have noticed that he also rarely hits his driver, but when he really  needs that shot, he will deliver. Tiger Woods has come a long way since the start of this season, and he is always interesting to watch when the game is on the line.

Prediction for AT&T National (Bethesda, Maryland)

I have to go with Jim Furyk this week. I realize he gave away the U.S Open in his previous start, but Furyk is a fighter and he isn't the one to give up. Furyk has been successful because he doesn't let emotions get the best of him on the course. He also has been working hard to get past his 2011 season and I doubt Furyk will allow a bad performance get in his way. Jim Furyk also has had some sucess at Congressional Country Club over the years with a a handful of top 10s. The only thing that could possibly hold Furyk back is the fact that he has struggled to close this season.

Golf Digest Tip of the Week

"TIP: SQUARE AND SOLID ON SHORT PUTTS        

You need to hole short putts to post a good score, so here are a couple of keys. First, hit the middle of the ball with the middle of the putterface. To help you do that, align the stamp on the side of the ball with your putter's alignment aid (left, inset). Next, when you stroke the putt, keep your head down for a count of at least one after the ball is gone (left). You might want to think to yourself One-thousand-one, especially on a must-make putt. As Sam Snead used to say, listen for that sweet rattle of the ball in the bottom of the cup.
—Tom Watson / Golf Digest Playing Editor"

You should really do this on all putts, especially hitting the middle of the ball with the middle of the putterface. Some people don't use the alignment stamp on the ball, but I recommend it especially if you have a hard time sinking putts. You are also going to want to have the ball on a straight line down from your eyes as it will help you with the line. A tip from me: when you mark your ball, use the alignment stamp at first to line up the putt when you replace your ball. If it is a big breaker, forget about the hole and just find the point that you need to putt to in order to get the ball in the hole. Then when you are putting, just have confidence in your line and forget about alignment. Use the line on your putter for your line and putt with confidence Just worry about the stroke now. It helps when you break it into 2 parts

Davis and Thatcher Lead While Jacobson was Stagnant in Round 3

Today there were plenty of people who had -6 and -5 rounds and surged towards the top of the leader board. Brian Davis and Roland Thatcher currently have the lead at -12 at the end of round 3 of The Traveler's Championship. There are a few at -10 including Stuart Appleby, and then a lot more at -9 including Padraig Harrington, Matt Kuchar, and Fredrik Jacobson, last year's champion.

I would like to see Padraig Harrington, Matt Kuchar, or Camilo Villegas win this tournament. Villegas hasn't really played any decent golf since 2010 or possibly earlier. Even though he is a relatively big name, you tend to forget about him now that he isn't mentioned and is at the bottom of the leader board.

As for top shots go, I am really going to have to take my hat off to Marc Leishman on the 15th hole where he birdies by hole-ing a pitch/chip shot.