Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Canoos Shoes
Have you ever seen a golf shoe like that? I mean, that is one beautiful shoe. I love me some golf shoes but they have gotten away from the classic black leather of FootJoys past and have trended more toward racing stripes and other technical colors that look ok on the course but definitely not in the bar.
Cannos is a brand based out of Massachusetts that tries to bring back some classiness to golf shoes by modeling them after docksiders. I really dug the concept and recently tried out their special Walker Cup version with canvas tops.
The real superstar of these shoes (as you can tell I have worn them a bunch) is the mix of soft nubs and softspikes. It gives you the best of both worlds, strategically placed softspikes for stability, nubs for on and off course use.
The shoes work just like normal golf shoes even if they don't look like golf shoes and that is fantastic. The styling is subtle but classy with some great scripting details from Cannos.
The sizing is spot on (at least for me) and I appreciate that the shoes have a slightly wider toe box which fits my ever growing (apparently?) feet really well.
The rawhide laces do take a little getting used to and definitely are not your traditional shoe laces. Also, I have not tried these out in adverse conditions so I can't tell you how the canvas holds up on rainy mornings but I look forward to trying them out!
Overall, if you are looking for a different look on the course that is also at home in the bar or the boardroom, definitely check out these shoes!
For more information about Cannos, check them out here: https://www.canoos.com/
Disclaimer: These shoes were provided to me as part of being a Cannos Ambassador. That being said, above is my honest review of the product and this is the internet. Take everything with a grain of salt and learn from it what you will.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Silver Oak Golf Review
Welcome to Carson City, a true rugged, western town in Northern Nevada which is home to several world class golf courses including Clear Creek Tahoe and Montreux.
I had heard tell of a great public course in Carson City, Silver Oak, a course where the front 9 and back 9 were two totally different experiences and boy, they weren't wrong!
The front 9 side might be short but what it lacks in length it makes up for in elevation. Every hole seems to use the severe terrain to its advantage and while you might laugh at playing a sub-500 yard par 5, when you see the mountain you have to climb, you start sweating.
The course was in fantastic shape. The fairways were running fast, the greens were in excellent condition and the views were outstanding.
Speaking of outstanding, I don't think I have ever played a hole quite like the 337 par 4 5th hole.
The hole is a severe dogleg right but don't go too far right or you do down into the canyon. You aren't quite sure how much room you have to maneuver around the dogleg as you are partially blocked out by trees. Your best bet to stay far left and hit about a 200 yard shot.
The downside of that strategy is then you are faced with one of the most severe second shots I have ever seen.
Hmm, that doesn't quite show the craziness, let me see here...
ah yes, there we go. Basically I hit 3 iron, 8 iron, and prayed to the golf gods I hit my SW close (I did) and I escaped with a par. Of all the holes at Silver Oak, I would love to play this one over and over again.
Upping the craziness factor after that par 4 are back to back par 3s one, set on top of a plateau
and the next one going down a wild and wooly mountainside
Alas, the crazy front side cannot last and the course settles down into somewhat normality for holes 8 and 9.
Eventually all good things must come to an end and you come to the disappointing backside. I am not a huge fan of Palm Springs because most of the courses feel wedged into a housing development. Silver Creek takes that concept to the extreme by putting houses not just on one side of the fairway, not just two side of the fairway but rings the houses around all sides.
Especially when compared to the front 9, I have never felt like I had been playing in a fishbowl until I played the back 9 at Silver Oak.
After slogging through the claustrophobic back 9, 18 brings it home with a fantastic par 5. A blind tee shot (with no houses!) leading to a risk/reward second shot to an island green. Walking over the bridge to the green and looking back over the course, it gets you energized to play Silver Oak all over again.
Overall, Silver Oak's front 9 is a crazy, hilly ride which is almost completely marred by the back 9 until the last few holes brings it home. If you ever wanted to play the definition of a schizophrenic course, Silver Oak is it.
For more information about Silver Creek, check out this link: http://silveroakgolf.com/
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