Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Goat Hill Golf Review


Golf companies often want you to buy as much as their gear as possible. Irons, hats, balls, sure you benefit and the company benefits but what about the game of golf istelf? It is very rare when someone in the golf business puts their money where their mouth is by helping rescue a golf course from oblivion and then takes it upon themselves to get the course into great shape.

John Ashworth, titular head of Ashworth and now head cheese of the great Linksoul, is based out of Oceanside and when Goat Hill was on the chopping block to become soccer fields, he took it upon himself to lead the charge to save the course and now to improve it. I have been following Goat Hill for several years, buying shirts to help promote saving it, getting the word out to SoCal'ers and so it was a great day when I hit up Oceanside to actually PLAY the course.

The first hole lays out all that you are in for during a round at Goat Hill.


The landing area is blind. There is a lot of dirt outside the fairways and greens. The greens are elevated.


The course is TOUGH! The course is only 4,500 yards but the ups and the downs are many. Goat Hill really leans on the hill and if you hoof it you are going to earn your spurs on this course.

There are so many par 3s but they are also tough. So many of them are uphill and if you miss the green, good luck to you. The hill will take your ball and say "screw you ball" as it goes bounding somewhere.


Even though Goat Hill can be befuddling (the front side seems to be routed AROUND the back side which is interesting), I really enjoyed the round. There needs to be more courses like this, cheap, fun and challenging. There are fascinating flourishes everywhere like a double green!


The vistas can be really great to look at.


The greens of this course are really the superstars. They roll true and fast and are firm but will hold a spinning shot. You could really become a great putter putting these greens!


The only downside to the course is the crazy amount of dirt and lack of turf on the course. However, John is committed to bringing the course back to amazing shape and I don't doubt his resolve http://www.maderasgolf.com/john-ashworth-a-and-a-part-2.html

I am so happy I finally got to play the course. It is challenging, inspiring and a whole lot of fun.

Here is the link for more info about the course: http://www.goathillpark.com/

Morning Golf Links


1) Torrey My Torrey

Torrey Pines North course is re-open and raring to go. So far the reviews are great and it will be interesting to see how the pros take to the course for the Farmers Insurance Open coming up in a few months.

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/11/29/weiskopfs-torrey-pines-north-re-opens.html

2) Going Their Separate Ways?

An unbylined article from GolfNewsNet makes the compelling case for the European Tour to split into two tours, one for the successful/American-focused Euros and one for the rest. It may be that eventually we have one world tour but for now, I really like the European Tour, moreso than the PGA and whatever it takes to survive I say do it.

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2016/11/29/split-baby-european-tour-tours-101445/

3) St. Andrews Day

For all fans of Scottish golf, today is St. Andrews Day. Check out all the festivities by following the hashtag on Twitter (such a 2016 thing to write).

https://twitter.com/hashtag/StAndrewsDay?src=hash

4) Podcast

Sean Zak from Golf.com is up with a new podcast talking all things Tiger, worth a listen!

https://soundcloud.com/golf_podcast

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Morning Quick Links



1) Rio oh Mio oh Myo

News about the Olympic course continues to come and it continues not to be good. I agree with the commenters on Geoff's site, it is incredibly wasteful to have built the course for two weeks of play. Hanse's design is beautiful and reminds me a lot of Rustic Canyon but it looks like it will be returned to nature.

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/11/28/rio-golf-brinkmanship-and-the-future.html

2) Walker Cup Update

I am so stoked that the Walker Cup is coming to LA next year. In that vein, I am always on the prowl for stories and here is one I ran across.

http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/28/walker-cup-practice-session-maverick-mcnealy/


3) New Podcast

The guys at Talking Golf Getaways have a big two part episode starting today with Mike Keiser!

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/podcasts/

Monday, November 28, 2016

New GolfChat Article!



I love writing articles for GolfChat and this month's article focuses on the lousy job golf courses do when it comes to the Internet and information. Check it out!

http://www.golfchat.org/information-underload/

Morning Quick Links



1) Rules, What Rules?

Oh that Driver vs. Driver show I haven't been watching? Well they picked a winner but whoops, the driver hasn't been blessed by the USGA! Most golfers will never play in a USGA sanctioned event but still, Wilson needs to get that ol stamp of approval.

http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/26/driver-error-wilson-triton-weeks-away-from-usga-approval/ 

2) The Odds

GolfNewsNet breaks down the odds for the Hero World Challenge. Tiger has a better shot than Brandt Snedeker? I'm not so sure about that.

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2016/11/27/2016-hero-world-challenge-betting-odds-101386/

3) Tour Confidential

The Golf.com website may be a mess but certain articles can get through and the best is the weekly roundtable. As long as they do it, I will keep linking to it here!

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/tour-confidential-what-should-we-expect-tigers-return

Friday, November 25, 2016

Morning Quick Links



1) One Of Us

PGA players are just like us, celebrating Thanksgiving and such. Check out some photos here:

http://mygolfdaily.com/pga-tour-players-celebrating-thanksgiving-day/

2) Bert It

Iliac Golf is one of the most interesting golf brands to come out in the last few years. I really like their stuff and their founder/visionary Bert answers some questions for us.

http://www.threeguysgolfblog.com/10-questions-with-iliacs-bert-lamar/

3) Denmark Is In Control Of Australia

The headline speaks for itself: http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/25/world-cup-round-2-denmark-australia/


Thursday, November 24, 2016

Morning Quick Links



Happy Turkey Day everyone!!! Eat lots of turkey and read some great golf articles!

1) Holiday Gift Guide

Have you read my Holiday Gift-stravaganza post? Need still more gift ideas? Check out GNN's list!

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2016/11/23/the-18-days-of-golf-best-holiday-gift-guide-is-here-101338/

2) Aussie-fied

Kingston Heath is one the best courses in the world and is currently hosting a very cool tourney. Results in the link.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/golf/world-cup-of-golf/world-cup-of-golf-day-1-live-scores-updates-video-tee-times/news-story/31da71df0c2cd2b6a9db5d6f4522befc


3) Golf Thanksgiving Style

Golf Digest serves up all the information you need to get through the holidays playing as much golf as possible :)

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/our-insiders-guide-to-the-proper-thanksgiving-golf-outing


Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Morning Quick Links




1) Leona Staying

The top amateur in the woman's game looks like she is staying at Duke to finish her degree. A real rarity in today's world and given that the LPGA's winners are mostly sub-25, definitely an interesting choice.

https://www.golfnet.ie/news/ilgu/1948/degree-from-duke-prime-focus-for-maguire

2) The Winner Is

Honestly, I haven't watched a second of Driver vs Driver on the Golf Channel but I do think its an interesting concept. If you want to check out the winner, click the link below!

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/triton-named-winner-of-wilsons-driver-vs-driver-golf-channel-reality-show

3) Kingston Fever

Geoff is getting me PUMPED UP for the golf event at Kingston Heath. Be sure to check out the 2 minute video at the end, it will make you want to book airfare to play that course!

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/11/22/getting-in-the-mood-for-kingston-heath-2016-world-cup.html

4) New Podcast

The Golf Getaways crew keeps pumping them out, here is today's latest episode about family golf travel.

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfgetaways/2016/11/23/talking-golfgetaways-episode-8-eric-hart-put-fun-family-golf-vacations-101308/

Holiday Gift-stravaganza!


Do you like golf? Do you like presents? Well gather round ye ol yule log and let Uncle ReGripped fill your stockings with great holiday gifts for one and all!

1) T-Shirts From Swing Juice! 




Swing Juice has some of my favorite shirts in all of golfdom. Most shirts are clever logos and slogans and I have been rocking my Golf & Tacos shirt and my Augusta Power Lunch shirts. The shirts are super comfy and I have had many a people compliment me on each shirt. This year as you will see above, Swing Juice is rocking the holiday gear and for those of you in cooler climes, they are finally rolling out hoodies of some of their most popular designs. I could say so many nice things about SJ but really buy a shirt or hoodie for yourself and you will see for yourself!

For more information on Swing Juice, check out this link: http://www.swingjuice.com/

Extra Bonus, use this code SJCYBER40 for 40% OFF!

2) Bullz-I Belt!


Bullz-I has some of the most colorful and unique golf clothes in the business. Every golfer needs a belt and Bullz-I has some really classic and solid belts to keep your pants up. Put a bull on your belt, you won't be disappointed!

For more information on Bullz-I, check out this link: https://bullzisports.net/

3) Golf Travel Bag From Holderness & Bourne! 

Let's face facts, sooner or later you are going to play most of the courses in your neck of the woods and you will want to travel to other courses. Whether you are going across the US or across the world, you want a a quality bag, something that you can throw your stuff into and forget about it because the bag will hold up. H&B makes high quality gear that checks all your golf travel boxes and you should definitely check em out!

For more information on Holderness & Bourne, check out this link: http://holdernessandbourne.com/

4) Donate To Fairways Fund! 

Golf is a singular sport. You spend money on clubs for yourself, greens fees for yourself, golf balls for yourself but often there aren't many opportunities to give back to the sport we all love. Enter Fairways Fund that gives you a way to donate money to help young golfers pay for range balls, green fees and all the other costs that go into playing golf. These kids need our help and donate if you can!

For more information on Fairways Fund, check out this link: https://fairways.golf/


So there you have it, get to shopping you golf-a-holics!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Morning Quick Links



1) Olympic Fever, Catch It! 

It looks like golf will keep sticking around the Olympics for at least another 8 years. That gives the IOC 8 years to try and figure out a better format than the one they had in Rio!

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/11/21/guardian-ioc-likely-to-extend-golf-to-2024-games.html

2) Furyk Ryder Cup Captain?

You always have to wonder when an article comes out like the one from GolfWeek speculating if Jim Furyk will be the next US captain and also having an interview with him on the very subject. Does GolfWeek have the inside track and this is laying the groundwork or is Jim politicking for the position in a subtle way? Only time will tell.

http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/19/jim-furyk-next-u-s-ryder-cup-captain-asked-hed-say-yes/

3) Golf's True Cost

MyGolfSpy does a great job breaking down what it actually costs to put your driver together. Infographic style!

http://www.mygolfspy.com/infographic-the-true-cost-of-your-500-driver/

4) Podcast Alert

No Laying Up has a new podcast out, this time talking to Mid-Am player Todd Mitchell. Check it out.

http://nolayingup.com/2016/11/15/episode-4-todd-mitchell/

Monday, November 21, 2016

Morning Quick Links



1) Monday Golf

The RSM Classic went from a field of 156 golfers to a 5 man playoff. One golfer rose up on Monday after darkness took hold on Sunday to win it. Congrats to Mackenzie!

http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/21/pga-tour-wins-rsm-classic-in-4-man-monday-playoff/


2) Lydia to PXG?

Buried in yet another Jamie Diaz "what's wrong with golfer x" article is an interesting tidbit, the best golfer in the world Lydia Ko is moving to PXG. I am fascinated by this company; who is buying these clubs and is the price actually justified?

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/11/21/diaz-what-went-wrong-for-ko-can-she-get-it-back.html

3) Finally The End

Its finally the end of the various tour's schedules with the European Tour and LPGA Tour ending their seasons. Meanwhile the PGA Tour continues to torture us with a wrap around schedule which provides us with golf (pro) but most golfers skip the tourneys or are exhausted come Sunday (con). For those that have ended, Stenson and Jutanugarn are your winners!

http://www.golfpunkhq.com/news/article/stenson-wins-his-second-race-to-dubai
http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/20/lpga-ariya-jutanugarn-wins-1-million-bonus-race-to-cme-charley-hull-first/

4) New Podcast

Talking Golf Getaways is on fire recently. Debuting a new daily podcast and partnering with GolfNewsNet, Darin and Mitch bring great golf insight daily to your ears. Check out today's latest:

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/talking-golf-getaways/

Friday, November 18, 2016

Morning Quick Links


Here are some links to the golf interweb to check out today!


Everything Is Coming Up TM:

The guys at GolfNewsNet have video of Tiger hitting some Taylormade woods as part of his comeback. Tiger aside, its interesting to me that when guys are switching between clubs (Rory from Nike, etc.) that they are all switching to Taylormade M1 and M2 woods. There is something in the water with those woods for the world's best I guess.

http://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2016/11/17/video-tiger-woods-hitting-taylormade-series-fairway-wood-medalist-101247/

Crowdfunding A Career:

Golfweek does a deep dive into Natalie Sheary's attempt to qualify for the LPGA tour through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding platforms have been very successful for entertainers in funding their movies, albums and TV shows and I think we will see more sports people get into the action to fund their dreams. Go Natalie!

http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/17/lpga-hopeful-natalie-sheary-uses-gofundme-to-pay-for-golf/

Mo Money:

The LPGA and LET are joining forces for the Ladies Scottish Open by offering even bigger purses than in past years. I am a huge fan of the LPGA and glad to see the purses increasing!

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/1-2m-cash-boost-for-ladies-scottish-open-1-4293291

New Podcast:

I love Ru's Scottish Golf Podcast and this one packs a punch when Ru interviews No Laying Up. Something to definitely check out!

http://scottishgolfpodcast.com/episode-106/ 

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Rams Hill Photoessay



I am a huge fan of Rams Hill located in Borrego Springs California and became a true believer after my first trip there. I recently went back and took a couple more picture that I thought I would share with you guys that really highlights the beauty of the place, enjoy! 


The practice facilities are top notch!


The use of water on the course is strategic and beautiful!


Green grass versus desert brown.


One of my favorite par 3s.


No one wants to be in the bunker but if you are, its often a work of art.


Sunset on the 18th.

For more info on Rams Hills, check them out here: http://www.ramshillgolf.com/

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Shorecliffs Golf Club - Review


California has 840 miles of coastline and yet very few golf courses reside on that line. Those that do are often very expensive so if you want to marry the sea and golf, you have to pick your spots. Shorecliffs is a course that is NEAR the sea but close enough to give you those nice sea breezes at a very affordable price and I recently checked it out.


The above picture is a par 4 that plays 353 yards from the back tees. The play here isn't taking a driver with major danger in a streaming looming to the right and houses up on a cliff looming to the left. Instead, you should take your 3 wood and do a gentle fade into the fairway. That is basically Shorecliffs in a nutshell.

The course is short but has a lot of teeth due to the severe doglegs (many holes you can't see the green from the tee) and your driver is placed in your bag for a lot of the day. Still, there are places to bail out and it is not as tight as DeBell or other similarly constricted courses.


The course meanders its way on top of cliffs, down cliffs and through cliffs. Between the houses and the cliffs, there wasn't much land to place a course but the few spots of land they found, they wedged it in there and I was constantly marveling on where the course might go next.

The superstar hole is certainly a downhill par 4 at about 300 yards in length and while the smart play is to lay up with a 200 yard club, once you get on the tee box, you HAVE to go at it with driver.


Shorecliffs also shows its teeth around the greens by having greens that are elevated and have choke points so you better miss correctly or you are going to have insane chips over bunkers and in tall grass. Shorecliffs is also unusual as it seems to be smack dab in the middle of a drainage system so to access many parts of the course makes you drive through aqueducts to get to the next tee.


Shorecliffs isn't going to set your golf world on fire with its routing or conditioning but it is a fun course to play and my round on a Sunday morning only took four hours which can't be said for most courses. If I could make one suggestion to the course, don't overwater the fairways. Sure they might turn a bit browner but let the ball run a bit more if it catches some short grass.

Overall, if you want golf and a sea breeze on a budget, definitely check out Shorecliffs. You will be puzzled at times by the course but I bet after playing you will say that you had fun. And when is the last time you could say that after playing golf?

For more information about Shorecliffs, check out the link: http://www.shorecliffsgolfclub.com/