In Product Reviews by Rob Spellman

(January 29, 2021)

There is no doubt in my mind that COVD-19 has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the golf industry. Feel free to drop me a note if you disagree, and I will be happy to tell you why you’re wrong.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said when it comes to the 2021 PGA Merchandise Show. With social distancing, restrictions on travel, and plain ole common sense, it just wouldn’t be right to conduct the ordinary in-person people on top of people PGA Merchandise Show.

Enter the Virtual 2021 PGA Merchandise Show! Sherry Major and the team of professionals that work year long preparing for the most significant event in the industry did a stellar job making sure the show went on.

Click HERE to see complete article...

This Is The Fifth Operation The 45-Year Old Woods Has Had On His Back And The First Since A Spinal-Fusion Surgery In April 2017 - Image Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

By Daniel Rapaport / Golfdigest.com

Tiger Woods’ 2021 season is on hold after he announced that he underwent a microdiscectomy procedure on his back to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve.

He is expected to be sidelined through at least the first two-plus months of the year and will miss both the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Invitational, where he doubles as tournament host.

Click here to read the full story...

EDGA (formerly known as the European Disabled Golf Association) have worked hard over the last two years to create this inspiring film, which recently aired on Sky Sports Golf.

With the valued support of partners, including The R&A and the European Tour, the film tells the stories of six wonderful people – Monique Kalkman, Marcus Malo, Adem Wahbi, Juan Postigo Arce, Stewart Harris and Mike Gays – who refuse to be defined by their disability.

A Happy, Smiling, Maddox Hadwin Celebrated Her 1st Birthday Last Week - Image Courtesy Jessica & Adam Hadwin

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Adam Hadwin and his wife Jessica recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter Maddox, a day in which they reflected on not only the joy she has brought to their lives but the struggle they faced bringing her into the world.

Adam and Jessica went through many ups and downs, including two failed pregnancies, in their attempts to start a family.

With the help of in vitro fertilization (IVF), Maddox arrived on January 8, 2020. The struggles they endured and the fact they were in a financial position to use IVF led the Hadwins to think about trying to help others facing similar challenges. Late last year they started The Hadwin Family Foundation.

Three-foot putts shouldn't be complicated, but some golfers put too much pressure on themselves when standing over short putts.

In this latest Morning Golf Read series from the shores of Maui, Claude Brousseau says to stop thinking of three feet as a "puking zone," and start using this simple mental trick to give yourself a jolt of confidence.

image courtesy georgetakei.com/www.picpedia.org

Just a friendly reminder to all golfers in British Columbia that as much as this is the time of year for giving and celebrating, there are unfortunately also those who will look to take advantage of the 'seasonal goodwill' that flows during this time. 

We received a reminder of this from our friends down south at the Arizona Golf Associaton who shared a scam attempt sent to their members with a fake GoFundMe campaign. We've pasted the warning they shared with us below and wish to remind all of you to always be on the lookout and be aware of this type of communication.

Abbotsford, BC's Nick Taylor Has His Eye On A Return To The Masters After His First Experience At Augusta - File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Taylor’s first Masters experience included 17 birdies, a four-putt, an anxious Friday night and Saturday morning sweating out the cut and countless great memories of his week at Augusta National.

He hopes to do it all again someday soon.

“I was hoping for a really low one today to maybe sneak into that top 12, but I will do everything I can to get back here, that’s for sure,” Taylor said over the phone after Sunday’s final round.

In Flanders Fields...

BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

Augusta National - Image Used With Permission Creative Commons License

By
Rex Hoggard/Golf Channel.com

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The silence will be deafening. A Masters without patrons is going to stand alone in the history of a tournament with no shortage of history, but beyond the lonely landscape, the challenge for players will be playing a course that has become as familiar as an old friend in the spring... in the fall.

READ FULL STORY HERE.

This is one of the most upbeat and inspiring videos we've seen in a while. Erik Anders Lang, who does the 'Adventures In Golf' Vlog for Skratch, visited Buhl Park GC in Pittsburgh, PA and discovered a 9-hole golf course with a very rare twist. It's free.

There's a fascinating story behind this course with no green fees or tee times and Lang does a great job of delving into and updating that story with several of the people who frequent the layout, have played it for years and make up the unique community brought together through golf in this region. 

Courtesy Golf Canada

As the golf season begins to wind down across Canada, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the educational opportunities available to you as a Golf Canada member.

RULES OF HANDICAPPING
With the release of the World Handicapping System (WHS) in January, it is important to understand the changes and how it impacts you – the golfer!

For those that are interested in learning more about the World Handicapping System, we have created an online presentation that highlights the major changes to the Rules of Handicapping.

With the Masters tournament having rescheduled from its traditional 'rite of spring' date in April to November this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a 77 second promo marvelously narrated by NBC Sports’ Jimmy Roberts was released recently.

And like almost all things Masters...it is sure to give golf fans goosebumps.

Watch the video below: 

bigsky_hole_5_chomlackphoto

Courtesy Golf Business News

BASEL, Switzerland — New members at golf clubs say stress relief has been an important reason to join during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahead of World Mental Health Day (October 10), a snapshot survey of 250 golfers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, indicated that more than half (55%) of those who had joined a club in the past six months cited ‘mental wellbeing’ as their primary reason for joining.

image courtesy Golf Canada/R&A 

Written by The R&A/Courtesy Golf Canada

An international research study backed by The R&A has found new evidence to suggest golf can provide significant health benefits to older participants in the form of improved muscle strength and balance.

Muscle strength and balance exercises form an important part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended guidelines to tackle physical inactivity in older people about which little was previously known for golf.

The Strength and Balance Study, carried out with two sample groups over two years by Professor Maria Stokes OBE at the University of Southampton and Dr George Salem at the University of Southern California (USC), has indicated that older golfers have and develop strength and balance benefits.

Ruby and Pals is a fun read where children, parents and grandparents can relate to different characters. This series is for children of all ages. Ruby and Pals has 25 Book titles with different concepts in each. Of course, golf lingo, golf rules and etiquette will be described and explained.

This book not only teaches the values of etiquette, manners, and sportsmanship, but also demonstrates conflict resolution and instills problem solving techniques that readers can use in their everyday life.

The creators/writers of this series believe that learning to be a good friend and competitor is just as important as learning the rules and options of golf.

BY: JOSH BERHOW / golf.com

Sure, your golf game is good. But chances are it’s even better — or maybe worse — than you actually thought. We’ll let you be the judge.

The USGA updated its handicap index statistics — compiling the millions of official handicaps registered with the governing body — to create a treasure trove of golfy nuggets and facts. You can dig into all of it here, but we decided to highlight what we thought was the top water-cooler fodder — the most common handicap index in golf.

Click HERE to see full article...

Merritt's Roger Sloan Is The Lone BCer In This Week's Season-Opener On The PGA TOUR - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

One season ends and another begins. There really is no off-season anymore on the PGA TOUR, which tees off its 2020-21 season with this week’s Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.

It is the first of a record 50 tournaments, including six majors, scheduled over the next year in what the PGA TOUR has dubbed a ‘super season.’

The U.S. Open and Masters, both postponed due to COVID-19, will be played twice over the next year.

Free Image Courtesy Pixnio

By Shawn Allen/Morningread.com

Parents naturally take pride in their child's accomplishments as a golfer, but experts say the goal should be to develop the skills needed to form a well-adjusted adult. And if the kid happens to become a good golfer along the way, then consider it to be a bonus

This has been anything but a typical year in golf. Not just on the PGA TOUR, which resumed play in early June and only recently held its first major championship. The junior-golf season has been turned inside out, as well.

Around the country, young golfers got a late start on their events and are preparing for the new school year amid the uncertainty of the global coronavirus pandemic. Golf is a safer sport to play than contact sports, but the question is begged, What is the goal of pushing juniors into competition so early? The answer reveals a pernicious side to the junior game.

See full story here...

By DANIEL RAPAPORT, GolfDigest.com

A 22-year-old Irishman made history becoming the first golfer with disabilities to compete in a European Tour event. 

Click here to read the full story...

Women’s Golf Day is an event for females of all ages and skill levels to participate in golf and help us grow the game. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the original day for this International Event was postponed from June 2nd to September 1st.

There are celebrations around the world with golf facilities putting on special events and clinics. To find out what is happening in BC click on the Find A Location tab on the Women's Golf Day website.