It’s been quite sometime since I’ve posted anything on QwowiGolf. After much (ok a little) thought, I’ve decided to close the doors on the Golf section of the Qwowi Network.  Several factors influenced my decision:

• As a small independent-minded site it’s increasing difficult to get access to the type of golf equipment people want to read about.
• As much as I love golf, I don’t much care about the day-to-days of the PGA, LPGA, and other tours – and I assume most people don’t care about my personal golf pursuits – which means when I don’t have equipment to post about, I don’t post.
• Golf affiliate programs suck. There’s zero money to be made for the little guy. While I’ve never been in this for the money, time is better spent elsewhere. I’m pragmatic, not bitter.

While you’d think I might be bummed, if anything, closing down QwowiGolf is cause for excitement. I’m not going away, I’m simply moving on. I’ve stumbled upon an opportunity that allows me, from a golf standpoint, to do exactly what I hoped QwowiGolf would allow me to do; write the most complete, detailed, and completely unbiased reviews of golf equipment you’ll find anywhere. How cool is that?

So with quick thanks to OGIO, PUMA, Sumi-G, Tour Striker, Columbia, and all the other companies who helped me grow the site along the way, I’m locking the doors…it’s time to move on.

As most Saratoga area golfers know, when the leaves start to drop, golf course prices almost always follow.  Although not every local course has announced discounts, some of my favorites in the area are offering some really great deals.  Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve found thus far:

Kingswood (Hudson Falls)
$25 – All the golf you can play
Includes cart
After 1 PM, Valid 7 days a week

Fairways of Halfmoon (Halfmoon/Clifton Park)
$25 – 18 holes
Includes cart, soup, and sandwich
Valid Monday – Friday anytime

Saratoga Lake Golf (Saratoga/Malta)
$18 – 18 holes
Cart is not included
Valid Monday – Friday

Hiland Park Country Club (Queensbury)
$30 – 18 holes
Cart Included
Valid Monday – Thursday ($40 weekend)

Airway Meadows (Saratoga/Gansevoort)
$32 – 18 holes
Cart Included
Monday – Thursday

Pioneer Hills (Ballston Spa)
$25 – 18 holes
Cart Included
Valid Anytime

These rates are directly from each course’s website.  I suspect other courses are offering similar discounts, but for now you’ll need to check fall rates.  Van Patten, for example, usually offers fall discounts, however; they have not updated their website since early May.

For those hoping for discounts at Saratoga National; I checked with the Proshop earlier this week, and unfortunately rates are holding steady at $150 (Monday – Thursday) and $130 (Friday – Sunday).  Twilight rates kick in at 2PM and are $105 (Monday – Wednesday) and $115 (Thursday – Sunday).  While golf rates at National could be better, a little birdie (twitter reference) told me that they will be offering a draft beer and sliders for $10 during any MLB postseason game.

Tark's Indoor Golf Club in Saratoga will feature the area's only SimSurround golf simulator. The SimSurround offers the most immersive, and realistic indoor golf experience available today.

While the bad news is that fall always signals the beginning of the end of the golf season, I couldn’t be more excited about the new indoor golf club opening for play on West Ave. in Saratoga this November.  Tarks Indoor Golf Club will initially offer 5 simulators (including the area’s only SimSurround system), each with 48 courses to choose from.  Leagues are already forming, so I’d recommend you reserve your spot now.  Tark’s is conveniently located just a Par 5′s distance from downtown Saratoga, Tark’s is just a short drive from Albany, Clifton Park, and all points in between.  In addition to their website, you can follow Tarks’ on both Facebook and Twitter.

In some respects 2009 has been a quiet year for OGIO as far as stand bags are concerned.  At the time I received my Anomaly for review, they had (in addition to the Anomaly) released the multi-functional Devolver, and an update Atlas.  Having only moments ago looked in on the OGIO site, I can tell you that my friends in Utah are going completely buck-wild this fall.  New to the cart bag roster are the PPK, Spry, Sultan, new Syncro, new Kingpin, and the sub-$100 Section.  I think my head is about to explode.  Seriously…bear with me here while I try and regain enough focus to tell you about the Anomaly.

Features (Shamelessly lifted from OGIO.com as usual)

• 10″ Uniter ™ 15 club top version 1 ™ 33 with integrated top grab handles
• Individual full length club dividers
• Lightweight exo skeletal frame
• Magnetic OGIO ball marker
• Integrated tee holders
• ZBP – Zipperless Ball Pouch ™
• Lift Grip ™ integrated trunk handle
• Internal Isolation Chamber wet/dry pocket
• Dual flip up pockets for easy on cart access
• Glove/putter cover velcro attachment loop
• Fleece lined valuables pocket with cell phone sleeve
• Easy access divot tool and pen sleeves
• Custom OGIO ergonomic 3-point handle
• Dual insulated hydration pockets Elastic oversized towel loop
• Full length umbrella containment
• Easy access top scorecard and pencil sleeve pockets
• Gripping rubber feet on base to prevent on-cart twisting
• Multiple accessory pockets (all front-facing for accessibility while on cart)

First Impressions

Clearly the designers at OGIO went to great lengths to include as many features as they possibly could into a single bag.  As I pointed out when the Anomaly was first announced, in many ways, this bag represents the culmination of everything OGIO has done thus far with its golf bags.  One can’t help notice the Uniter, which until the latest round of bags was announced, was the OGIO standard for larger cart bags.  The flip-up pockets are borrowed from the original Kingpin, the Exoskeleton design was taken from the Exo stand bag (the first OGIO I ever owned).  Many other standard OGIO features (wet/dry isolation chamber, lift grip, tee holders, fleece-lined pockets, etc.) have been integrated into the Anomaly as well.  Throw in the massive storage of the Atlas, and at first glance, the Anomaly appears to be the most complete cart bag OGIO has ever made.

Of course, almost nothing in this world is perfect, and I’m afraid the Anomaly is no different.  For all of its features, there are a couple of glaring omissions that will most likely disappoint OGIO fans.  The most obvious of these is without a doubt the patented (and I think popular) ball silo.  For whatever reason OGIO chose to leave the handy little external 3-ball storage device off the Anomaly.  I was also concerned about what appeared to be undersized hydration pockets (only 1 of them is actually insulated).   While both of those omissions are somewhat disappointing, in this not-so-humble reviewers opinion, the most glaring omission from the Anomaly is some sort of…heck…any sort of external clip, hook, loop, etc, for attaching things like brushes, cleansers, tags, GPS/Rangefinders, or anything else you might like to dangle conveniently from your bag.  I carry a fair amount of external…for lack of a better word, I’ll call it crap.  I carry a lot of crap on my bag (one could almost mistake it for a clumsy charm bracelet), and the OGIO Anomaly leaves me with no means whatsoever to secure it to my bag.  I’m totally bummed about this.

The right-side flip up pocket features a separate cell phone pouch. It's a cool idea, although I don't personally get much use out of it. I use my phone to keep score.

You’d also be hard-pressed to miss the exoskeletal plastic that surrounds the Anomaly.  To say it looks odd is a bit of an understatement, but it’s a small price to pay for the reduction in weight, and increase in storage capacity that results from it.  The integrated tee holder, and matching silver tees have a bolt-like appearance which gives the bag a sort of Shrek meets Frankenstein’s monster appearance.  It’s certainly not my intention to suggest the Anomaly is ugly…it’s not, but it looks like no other golf bag I’ve ever owned.  Let’s just say it’s appropriately named.

Storage

I’m not overstating it when I say that the Anomaly offers more storage space than any bag I’ve carried to date.  As I mentioned above, I carry a lot of crap.  And even allowing for the fact that OGIO neglected to give me anything to clip my crap to (which means I have to stuff it all into the bag), I haven’t come close to pushing the Anomaly to capacity.

I can live without the ball Silo as long as I have the Zipperless Ball Pouch which stays tightly shut, but can be opened with a gentle tug of a finger (my actual finger shown)

Large Side Pockets

The largest of pockets is found on the right side of the bag.  This primary storage area also features the internal isolation (wet/dry) pocket which can be used to keep wet and smelly things (like dirty socks, and rain soaked shirts) from things you’d just as soon not have stinking like a Fenway Park bathroom after the 8th inning.

The pocket within a pocket isolation chamber helps keep unpleasant things like wet socks away from the rest of the stuff in your bag.

As with other bags I’ve reviewed, the large pocket on the left side has been more or less designated by OGIO as the Hoode (clamshell rain hood) storage pocket.  In past iterations this was somewhat problematic insomuch as the Hoode top would fill almost the entire space.  In the Anomaly, however, the pocket has been cleverly designed such that the Hoode sits relatively flush against the structure that holds the club.  It’s essentially recessed, which means there’s room in the pocket for additional stuff.

In addition to the Hoode, I’m able to hold my rain gear, which includes an elaborate (and somewhat unwieldy) Mibrella Load-N-Go holder, gloves, and jacket (have I mentioned all the crap I carry?) without adding any external bulk or interfering with the bag next to mine on the cart.

The largest pocket on the left side of the bag is designed to carry the OGIO Hoode rain top. The slightly modified design of this pocket allows for Hoode storage, and plenty more.

Hydration Pockets

As first glance I was convinced that the hydration pockets were undersized, and dare I say, inadequate.  I was all set to write of the Anomaly (at least from a beverage capacity standpoint) until I actually got around to putting things like water bottles and beer cans into those hydration pockets.  Though they look small, the pockets are able to expand into the bag (a nice benefit of the exoskeleton design), which basically means that both pockets are bigger than they look.  I’m able to fit either a 32oz. water bottle, or two beer cans (depends on the kind of day I’m having) into either (or both pockets).

Though at first glance it seems small, the one actual hydration pocket on the Anomaly can easily hold this 32 ounce (1000 militer, Canadian) water bottle.

While both pockets are labeled hydration, only one of them is actually insulated, which means whatever you stuff into it, isn’t going to stay cold (or hot) for very long. OGIO’s description of the bag would seem to suggest that both pockets are insulated, but that simply isn’t the reality – and it’s disappointing.

Flip Up Pockets

Perhaps no feature of the Anomaly garners more attention that the two flip-up, magnetic, side pockets which are designed to sit over the top of the cart strap.  This design allows full access to the contents of the pockets, even when the bag is secured to the cart.  Of course, the design is only really cool if it actually works – and that’s the rub.  Whether or not the pockets behave 100% as advertised is a simple matter of positioning.  Depending on which side of the cart your Anomaly is attached to, one or the other of the flip-up pockets will work perfectly, the other…um…well…it kind of works…sorta.

Hidden underneath the left flip-up pocket is a handy little scorecard pocket and pencil sleeve.

I’ve had my Anomaly on a few different models of golf cart, and in every case, the results are the same.  The outside pocket’s ability to flip back down into place (after the strap has been run underneath it) is inhibited by the cart’s bag strap.  What happens is the pocket doesn’t sit completely flush with the bag (it flops loosely over the strap).  It’s still completely accessible (which means it’s a great place to store phones, keys, wallets, and snacks), it just doesn’t look as cool as the inside pocket which, without the restriction of the mechanism to secure the cart strap, sits flush on the bag as if the strap wasn’t even there.

On the carts that I've buckled the Anomaly to, the cart's strap fastener prevents the flip up pockets from sitting flush against the bag.

Small Accessory Pockets

The Anomaly also features 1 small, and 1 smaller still, accessory pockets located above the Zipperless Ball Pouch.  The Atlas has a similar pocket, which despite its diminutive size, was probably the most useful pocket on the bag.  The same is true of the pockets on the Anomaly.  The larger of the two is big enough to hold a small first aid kit, Callaway uPro GPS, Callaway I-MIX Wrench (I swear I’m not a Callaway guy…hmm…maybe I am.  Anyway…) and a couple, two, three gloves.  The smaller of the two is ideal for smaller items that might otherwise be difficult to locate in a bigger bag.  I generally keep a chapstick (Aveno lip balm actually), a small sharpie to mark my balls, a couple coins (ballmarkers), and divot tool or two.  They’re both easily accessible, and truth be told, I’d give up any other pocket on the bag before I’d give up either of these smaller pockets.  Every golf bag should have similar.

I absolutely love the two small front-facing pockets on the Anomaly. It may sound like a ho-hum feature, but they're absolute my favorite part of the Anomaly design. By the way, the two red circles above the pockets are the divot tool, and pen sleeves.

Other Features

There really isn’t much I can say about the 15-way Uniter top that I didn’t cover when I reviewed that Atlas a couple years back.  It’s functional, and allows for easy access to all of your clubs.  I like having the 15th slot as it allows me to bring a little something extra in the bag.  Some days it’s my TourStriker training club, some days it’s an extra wedge (Jim Furyk style), and some days it’s an extra I-MIX shaft (I’m still trying to figure out if the UST Proforce V2, or Mitsubish Rayon Fubuki is a better fit).  On no day has it ever been a ball retriever, but if that’s how you roll (or fish), well, that’s fine too.

There isn't much to say about the Uniter top that hasn't been said before. I think it's a great design as far as club organization goes. For 2009 the design has been updated with a handle that makes getting the bag in and out of the trunk a little easier.

Other useful features include a velcro patch for sticking your glove to when it’s time to putt, external divot tool and pen sleeves (I prefer the smaller pocket for such things), and the umbrella pocket.  The Hoode Clamshell rain hood is still not perfect, but I’ve never seen it done any better.

The umbrella socket, sleeve, whatever you want to call it, located beneath the towel loop, allows you to bring an umbrella along with you without sacrificing bag space.

The Good

There’s plenty I love about the OGIO Anomaly.  It has every bit the storage space of my beloved Atlas, despite being more than a pound lighter, and having a noticeably smaller footprint.  The exoskeleton design allows for more bag in less space, and that’s really cool…even if it looks a bit strange.  It offers an assortment of OGIO’s best features; including the zipperless ball pouch, flip up pockets, and an insulated hydration chamber.  The two small accessories pockets are indispensable.

A simple little patch of Velcro allows you to store (or air dry) your glove, while keeping it within reach.

The Bad

The Anomaly isn’t without its shortcomings.  Only one of its “hydration” pockets is insulated (the non-insulated one works great for snacks), and it lacks a ball silo.

From my perspective, the lack of any sort of anchored attachment ring has been an ongoing oversight on OGIO’s part, and one I would think is easily correctable.  Alas, not on the Anomaly.  Although it was several rounds before I noticed, them; a few of the zipper pulls do have a hollow design which allows smaller items to be clipped to them.  They’re borderline genius for most of the clip-attaching things that golfers carry, but for larger, heavier gear, however; a stable D-ring would be my preference.

Attaching to the zipper pulls works well for smaller items (brush, BallBrite, etc.), but for larger items, like my rangefinder, they're not ideal.

Esthetically, the Anomaly is…different.  My guess is it won’t appeal to everyone (even if I think it’s really cool).  It’s not exactly the Steve Buscemi of golf bags, but hopefully you get the point.

Finally, with a street price of just under $300, one (me anyway) wonders if perhaps the Anomaly isn’t priced a bit high when compared to other bags in its class.

As a bit of an aside…do you remember that episode of the Simpsons where a car company lets Homer design the perfect automobile?  Homer has free rein, fully creative control; and it turns out to be an unmitigated disaster.  I have this recurring fantasy where I get to design the ultimate golf bag, but it would probably turn out the same way as it did for Homer.  Still, I can’t help but think I’m on to something with this whole accessory clip thing.

Final Thoughts

The Anomaly comes with a magnetic ball marker that attaches to the outside of the Uniter top.

After weighing the pros and cons of all 3 (mostly in an email), I came to the realization that forced to make a choice between the 3, I’d take the Anomaly.  It’s difficult for me to explain why (especially after being so totally frustrated by the lack of an accessory hook, ring, clip, etc.), but I love this bag.  In fact, it’s my favorite among all the golf bags I’ve ever owned.  If anything it leaves me feeling optimistic about the next generation of OGIO bags, because as functional as the Anomaly is, there is plenty of room for improvement, which makes me think OGIO might just be getting closer to making the perfect golf bag.

For our 5th wedding anniversary, I let my husband choose the restaurant.  Given his love for the golf course, it didn’t come as any real surprise he chose Prime at Saratoga National.  For those unfamiliar, the space previously occupied by Sargos reopened its doors in May 2008 under Mazzone Management, which also operates, Angelo’s 677 Prime, the Glen Sanders Mansion, and the Hall of Springs.  Since it’s reopening, Prime has quickly become known as one of the best (and priciest) restaurant in and around Saratoga Springs.  Over the years, my husband and I have frequented numerous steakhouses.  Having lived in Boston for several years, we’ve been spoiled by the likes of The Capital Grille, Abe & Louie’s and Grill 23.  We’ve also been to both Flemming’s and Morton’s, and plan a trip to Peter Luger’s in the near future.  My point is this; we both love a good steak.  And for a good steak in Saratoga, there’s really only one place to go.

Atmosphere

We made our reservation for a Friday night just at the start of the Saratoga track season.  As expected, the restaurant was busy.  Music was playing outside on the patio and there was an energetic vibe.  With lots of dark wood and noise, the atmosphere at Prime is typical of any good steak house.  There is a main dining room, but we were seated in the lounge area near the bar.  On some nights, seating in the lounge might not be ideal, but for us, it worked out extremely well.

The lounge where all the entertainment is – it’s a great place to see the sights.  While we ate, Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings made the rounds.  At first, my husband wasn’t completely sure if that was Mayor Jennings, but when Governor Patterson showed up, the puzzle sort of fell into place.  In a moment right out of Saturday Night Live, Governor Patterson entered the room with two men (who I assume to be bodyguards or some such).  At some point, however, the two men left the governor standing at the bar by himself next to a group of people, including some dude in jeans and black tee shirt who remained totally oblivious to the fact that he was standing next to the Governor of New  York.  For his part, Governor Patterson stood, hands interlocked at his waist, looking a bit lost and confused until one of his guards returned to usher him upstairs (some big Democratic Party event was taking place above the restaurant).  To top off our evening, a gentleman wearing a trilby hat, navy blue sports jacket, and shorts kept walking through the restaurant and out the patio doors.  He must have walked through a half a dozen times during our meal.  What was amusing about the whole episode is that we never saw him reenter the restaurant through the patio doors.  It was one way journey, like he was running laps or something.

The one downfall about being seated in the lounge area was that we were also close to the bar where groups of people congregated, talked, and laughed.  Normally, this isn’t an issue, but while we ate there was one woman at the bar who had a voice that could only be described as nails on a chalkboard, or perhaps an ice pick stabbing your brain through your eyeball.  Not to be overly unkind, but I really wanted her to go away, or at least stop screeching.

Service

We had a team of waiters, along with busboys and runners, all of whom were friendly and attentive.  Our waiter was knowledgeable and guided us through the Prime menu, pointing out feature items.  They checked on us often.  The service was quick (but not rushed) and efficient.  We were left unattended for a spell while waiting for the dessert menu after our dinner plates were cleared.  We waited for about 10-15 minutes before one of our waiters finally stopped by to offer us dessert and coffee.  This was really the only service gap during our visit, and for what it’s worth, it gave us time to do some digesting, and watch the guy in the hat run a couple more laps.

Food

The menu offers a raw bar, a selection of appetizers, and caviar service.  The potential downfall of the menu is that if you are not a seafood eater (like my husband) you’re left with a somewhat limited set of options.  Since Prime is a steakhouse, the menu does feature an extensive choice of, well…beef; including Prime USDA cuts and Kobe beef (at $15 per ounce!).  If you’re not a steak person, the menu includes veal chops, rack of lamb, free range chicken, and pork chops.  If meat isn’t up your alley, then you can choose from a selection of seafood like Ahi tuna, seared diver scallops, or Chilean sea bass.

The specials menu also featured a Seafood Stuffed Lobster (2.5 or 3.5 lbs) .  My head was spinning and I was totally overwhelmed.  I could have ordered almost anything on that menu had would have been more than happy.  I love seafood, and order it almost every chance I get, but since we were in a steakhouse…well, when in Rome…

For starters, we shared the Heirloom Tomato and Burrata salad with Fresh Basil.  Although it’s a very simple stack of tomato, basil, and mozzarella, the flavors are amazing.  The tomatoes were fresh and sweet.  The burrata, described as a purse with your standard mozzarella on the outside and with curds and the equivalent of a cream on the inside, is without a doubt the best (and creamiest) mozzarella I’ve ever had.   The entire stack is topped with a drizzle of vinegar and olive oil.  It’s really quite delicious, and was the first time I contemplated licking my plate.

For our entree, we both ordered the Filet Mignon (cooked rare).   Before I met my husband, I used to eat my meat well done.  Over the years (last 12), he’s slowly pushed me towards shorter cook times.  Now, like my husband, I enjoy a nice steak with a cool red center.  Both of our steaks were thick cut, and cooked to perfection.   Our filets were seasoned just enough to allow the flavor of the meat to shine through.  Cliché as it might be, our steaks were so tender we could have cut them with a fork.  As all steaks at Prime are, our steaks were served with a side of their house steak sauce – not that it need it.  The sauce is flavorful, but definitely sweeter than I expected.

Like most steakhouses, the menu is a la carte, so you have to order the sides separately (it ain’t the Outback).  Prime offers a large selection of potatoes, vegetable, and grains (kinda like the Outback).  We had a hard time deciding between the lobster mac n’ cheese, parmesan and white truffle oil steak fries, and gnocchi with bleu cheese.  We finally decided to share an order of the creamed spinach with crispy shallots and a tasting of 3 mashed potatoes.

Sharing the sides is definitely the way to go.  First of all, the portions are far too big for a normal human to eat by himself.  Secondly, you probably won’t be able to decide on just one dish, so it makes sense to order a few and share them.  The creamed spinach was very good, and I would compare it favorable to the creamed spinach we’ve had at other elite steakhouses.  While there is plenty of fresh spinach flavor, the crispy shallots add a nice contrast to the texture, and crunch to the creamy greens.  The tasting of 3 mashed potatoes were smooth, rich, creamy, and heavenly (that’s because I’m sure they use real cream and butter).  The trio includes generous portions of their Sour Cream and Chives Mashed, Lobster Mashed, and Roasted Garlic Mashed.  The Sour Cream and Chives mashed had a nice tangy flavor topped off with fresh chives.  The Roasted Garlic Mashed featured a nice (but not overpowering) garlic flavor.  The Lobster Mashed had pieces of lobster mixed in, topped off with a lobster claw. My husband enjoyed the lobster mashed, which is surprising since he generally refuses to eat seafood.  I may visit Prime again and dine exclusively on sides.

You would think that we’d be full after all this food but we had our minds set on dessert long before we set foot in the restaurant.  We ordered the Famous Chocolate Gooey, which is a molten chocolate cake baked to order  When we placed our order, we were told that it would take approximately 12 minutes to make.  Since we were in no hurry (and since we decided long ago on this dessert) we were okay with the wait.  The cake was well worth every minute of that wait.  As the name suggests, it is warm, rich, and gooey.  The cake is complimented by vanilla ice cream and raspberries.  As we devoured the cake, my husband wondered, why do they always use vanilla ice cream. Why not chocolate?  I think he makes a great point, why not chocolate?  Once again, I thought about licking my plate, but the sight of our friend in the jacket and shorts brought me back to reality.

Price

Our entire meal for two at Prime cost just over $180 including tax and tip.  The tab included 1 glass of wine, 1 salad, 2 entrees, 2 sides, and 1 dessert.  No doubt Prime offers one of the more expensive dinners in the Saratoga area, but there’s also little doubt that it’s worth every penny (not that we’d eat there every night).  That baked stuffed lobster I didn’t order starts at $60, and don’t forget about the $15 per ounce Kobe beef!  Bring your wallet.

Overall Quality

We couldn’t finish all the food so we had to take home a doggy bag.  The mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and steak heated up nicely and tasted every bit as good the following day.  Our recent dining experience at Prime ranked as one of the best we’ve had since we moved from Boston.  Unless you’re a lottery winner, or a master at picking the ponies, chances are Prime at Saratoga National isn’t going to be your regular dinner spot, but for special occasions it is well worth it for the atmosphere, service, the food, and of course, the golf course itself (my husband made me add that).

Find out more about Prime at Saratoga National by visiting their website.

Admittedly, I had some very high hopes for Baywood Greens.  Let’s be honest, as golfers, particularly golfers on vacation, we love the idea of a novelty hole or two.  I’m not talking about windmills or clown heads, I’m talking about things like island greens, and in the case of Baywood, island fairways.  Couple that with the moniker “The Augusta of the North” and yeah, I was really excited about the last round of my trip.

Adding to my own personal excitement…As part of my last order from LostGolfBalls.com, I got some Bridgestone B330-RX balls to try out (as usual the balls I received were indistinguishable from new).  For those who don’t get excited about golf balls, the B330-RX is basically the hottest new ball on the market, and it took everything I had to hold off until my last round to put them in play.  Island Greens, island fairways, and new golf balls.  That’s basically as good as it gets for vacation golf.

Once again I was without my camera (I left it in the car and was too lazy to go back for it), so I don’t have any pictures of my own to share (I’ll do better with future reviews).

Course Information

• Baywood Greens (www.baywoodgreens.com)
• Par 72
• Yardage 3539 – 6983 – I played the Black tees (6491), the “men” I was with played the Greens (6088)

Description (From the Website)

An “Exclusively Public” 18-Hole championship course, Baywood Greens offers golfers the most scenic and spectacular golf on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Described as the “Augusta of the North”, at Baywood Greens you will experience the meticulously manicured woodside and waterside nines with eight timbered bridges and 27 acres of man-made ponds, two tunnels and over 200,000 flowers, plants, shrubs and trees.

Initial Impression

It’s absolutely impossible not to notice the attention the staff at Baywood Greens pays to the grounds. Having not stumbled upon that “Augusta of the North” description until after playing the course, I can tell you that I had settled on the idea of Baywood as a poor man’s Augusta. Meticulously maintained planting beds are quite literally everywhere. As we would learn through the course of our round, plantings can be found on nearly (if not) every hole on the course. A solid hour before teeing off, I found myself absolutely taken with the course.

The 18th, visible from the far end of the practice area, provides an excellent preview of the beautiful golf to come.

Practice Facility

Baywood Greens offers guests complimentary access to the driving range and large short game/putting facilities.  As far as the range is concerned, there are an ample number of well-stocked stalls, but I wasn’t overly impressed by the driving range mats (I expect higher-end courses to have natural grass ranges), nor was I impressed by the lower-end, bright yellow range balls.  The range itself is shorter than most, which, if anything, made me feel mighty while warming up, so I guess that’s a bonus.

The short game area features a large green exclusively for pitching and chipping.  Plenty of balls were available, as was the simple little tool for clearing the green.  It’s actually one of the better short game areas I’ve encountered. It provides the opportunity to hit a variety of shots, from a variety of lies; including the a large greenside bunker.

The range and short game area are complimented by two large putting greens.  While the range itself is a bit of a disappointment, the short game and putting areas more than make up for it.

Layout

Like other courses in the Ocean City area, in my opinion anyway, Baywood Greens plays as two different courses.  The front 9 is much more deserving of the “Augusta of the North” (boy, am I getting tired of typing that) designation.  For lack of a better description, it’s much more Augusta-like – at least from what I can tell on TV.  It’s more wooded, perhaps a bit parkland in style.  Compared the more links-like back 9, the front 9 definitely has more of an Augusta feel; although the back is not entirely unworthy of the Augusta comparison.

With that said, I must confess that I got more enjoyment out of the back 9.  The back features the island green (#11), the split island fairway (#14), an absolute bear of a challenging par 5 (#16), and #18; about as fine of a finishing hole as you’re likely to find.  Water is much more prevalent on the back, as evidence by the disappearance of my lostgolfballs, which are now, I guess, re-lostgolfballs.  The B330-RX were great while they lasted.

The island par 3 11th is the kind of hole every golfer looks forward to playing.

The grounds feature numerous environmentally protected areas, which, in a few places anyway, resemble unkept bunkers.  I lost balls in a couple of them, and had to play another just of the edge of one in full view of a basking snake, which is the excuse I use for the poor shot that followed.

Conditions

In a word; immaculate.  I really don’t have the superlatives to describe the conditions at Baywood Greens.  Clearly the staff works extremely hard to keep the course in outstanding shape, and the results of their efforts are on display on each and every hole.  You won’t find many other public courses that offer such superb conditions.

The greens didn’t play overly fast (once again I would attribute this to the early spring season).  That said, like the rest of the course, the greens were in outstanding conditions, and rolled true.  While to say I didn’t putt well would be an understatement, I don’t think it would be fair to blame the greens.  The 3 putts were on me.

Be forewarned, the rough is lush and deep.  As with most courses, you’ll find that Baywood Greens is kinder to the golfer that plays from the fairway.  The smart play from the rough is very often a short iron back to the fairway.  Gambling from the rough is a surefire way to make a big score – as I found out time and time again.

Pace of Play

Unfortunately, the pace of play at Baywood Greens is exactly the opposite of the conditions; deplorable.  Our 18 hole round lasted a hair under 6 hours, which is unacceptable in any scenario, but throw in the fact that we still had a long drive back to upstate New York, and well, it’s downright offensive.

With all the staff out and about on the course, you’d think there would have been a ranger amongst the crowd to encourage the pace.  Unfortunately we didn’t lay eyes on a ranger until well into the back 9, and by then it was way too late.

Perhaps no single event better illustrates the pace of play problem than the 15 minute wait we had to endure while waiting to tee off on the par 3, 6th.  Not only did we have to wait for the group in front of us to tee off, but we also got to watch the group in front of them hit their tee shots as well.  To be two full groups behind by the 6th illustrates a serious problem.  I’m certainly not the first to make this observation, as other reviews I’ve read also make reference to what is clearly a systemic pace of play problem at Baywood.

The long wait killed the par 3 6th for me. Besides, what kind of sadistic clown builds a bunker around a pine tree?

What I found most frustrating (apart from a 6 hour round), is that we sat in one place so long that the electronic scorecard on the golf cart reset itself.  Driving towards the green after our tee shots, we were again asked if we’d like to use the cart to keep score.  Our scores for the first 5 holes had been lost.  As most golfers will attest, long waits between shots can absoultely spoil your golf game, and sadly by time we teed off on 6, any feel for my swing I might have developed was long gone.

The Staff

Despite the absence of a ranger, the staff at Baywood was very good.  The bag attendants who greated us made us feel welcome, and let us know where we could check in and eat breakfast.  The starter who led us to the first tee was also exceptionally friendly and gave us a great overview of the course, and an explanation of local rules, most of which pertained to those environmentally protected areas I mentioned before, as well as instructions for playing (or not playing) out of the mulched planting areas.

Favorite Hole

One of the things I liked most about Baywood Greens is the tremendous variety of truly enjoyable holes.  I’m hard pressed to pick one as my favorite.  I could make a case for the Par 3, 6th (although I didn’t enjoy being stuck behind the large pine growing in the center of the bunker).  The 10th, with it’s downhill approach over a massive horseshoe shaped bunker is not without its charms.

The well-bunkered island green of the 11th is also a lot of fun, and despite being an island, doesn’t play like a novelty hole.  The par 4, 14th, which features a split fairway is probably the single most interesting hole on the course.  Golfers are given the choice between playing right to a large fairway that plays as a dogleg left, or gambling on an island portion of the fairway.  A precisely struck tee shot that finds the island will leave you with a wedge to the green.  Playing to the safety of the right fairway will leave you a mid to long iron into the green.

Gambler that I am, I played to the island (the decision was make easier when one of my partners offered me $400 if I could carry the 260 over the island and into the water).  The prospect of $400 caused me to overswing, resulting in a hook that caught the edge of the wooden bridge leading to the green.  The ricochet left me dropping at the edge of the water.  Without the hook I’d have been $400 richer, instead of one B330-RX poorer.  My partners both played the safe route to the right.  By the time they reached the green I had long since finished my double-bogey.

The par 4, 14th, featuring 2 choices off the tee, is one of the more interesting holes I've ever played.

I also enjoyed the water-heavy 18th.  You must carry water off the tee.  On your second you’ll face water down the entire right side of the hole (which I found), as well as water beyond the bunkers on the back side of the green.  While not my favorite on the course, it’s a finishing hole I’d be happy to play every day.

After much thought, I’ve decided that my favorite hole on the Baywood course is the par 5, 16th.  Once again the tee shot requires a carry over water.  That same water runs the length of the left side of the hole, and is in play on 3 sides of the peninsular green.  The 16th is among the most interesting and challenging holes I’ve ever played.  Because of the contours of the fairway, it’s extremely difficult to see the water that protects the front of the green.  Thank God for the on-cart GPS.

The par 5 16th offers a challenge I'd never tire of.

On the day we played, we were fortunate to have a front right pin position, which took the prospects of an approach over water largely out of play.  After a fairly long tee shots, I decided to take my chances at hitting the green with my 3-wood.  With an advantageous pin position, I elected to try and draw the ball into the green.  I aimed well right on the assumption that a miss right would leave a relatively easy chip onto the green, whereas a miss left would lead to another re-lostgolfball, and another lost stroke.  I didn’t quite catch the ball flush (I haven’t been hitting my 3-wood well all season).  I didn’t get much of the draw I had hoped for and ended up in the rough on the right side of the fairway.  I chipped down and two putted for par.

A par is always nice, but I can’t imagine there’s an easier pin position than the one we faced.  I’d love to play the hole agian, and see how a back left position changes the nature of the hole.

Overall Experience

For the time of year we played Baywood Greens, the published weekday rate for 18 holes was $105.  If not for the pace of play, it would have been worth every penny.  I’m all for getting my money’s worth, but once you cross the 5 hour mark you’re really looking at diminishing returns as the time spent golfing cuts into the other things you need to get done (like drive 6 hours back home).  Diminishing also describes the number of balls in my golf bags.  I definitely lost more than I would have liked, but no doubt I’ll be ordering more Bridgestone B330-RX balls from LostGolfBalls.com.  What a truly amazing ball for the average player.

If Baywood Greens was dropped into the heart of Saratoga, NY, I’d definitely play it again – and pace of play wasn’t an issue, I’d play it again, and again, and again.  As I’ve said, the conditions are stellar, and the layout is fun, interesting, and one hell of a challenge ta’ boot. The layout is definitely an A.  For value…let’s call it a B+.  Baywood definitely offers resort quality golf, unfortunately it took us far too long to get through it.

If you’re in the Ocean City area, I’d definitely add Baywood Greens to the list, but my recommendation is to play it on your way into town.  Get there early, but plan to stay late, as from what I gather, 5+ hour rounds are pretty much the norm at Baywood Greens.

Seinfeld fans will remember the Summer of George. George had plans to do things his way for an entire summer. Much like they have for me, things didn't quite turn out as planned.

I got 4 more rounds in over a 4 day trip to Ocean City, and suddenly 50 rounds seemed easily attainable.  Of course, I didn’t break 100 there either, but I still felt like my game was close…really…I mean really close.

Shortly after returning from Ocean City, everything came together.  I posted 9 hole scores of 38, 40, and 41.  I was hitting fairways, hitting greens (or at least coming really close), my short game was solid, and I was putting extremely well.  For a three week stretch, I was playing the best golf of my life…and then it happened.  I hit a repulsive little hosel-knocker that ended up in the woods.  I dropped a ball and hit another…and then another.  Before I knew it, I had a full blown severe case of the shanks.

The shanks aren’t like a cold or the flu.  There are no early symptoms, no warning signs.  They’re more like a lightning strike.  One minute your fine, the next you’re frazzled and fried.  For a golfer they’re more debilitating than the yips.  What I learned from my first two bouts with the shanks is that for all the recommended cures, the only way to actually cure them is to play through them.  So play through them is what I tried to do.  After the better part of a month, well over $100 in greens fees, and $50 worth of golf balls, I still had the shanks.  I couldn’t sink a putt from outside 4 feet, and to make matters worse, it was raining…and raining…and raining.

This little guy may not look like much, but his bite is the only thing I've found that can actually cure the shanks. Unfortunately he put me on my ass for the better part of a month too.

Now I generally wouldn’t recommend Lyme disease to anyone.  Between the chills, the body aches, and the fatigue there really isn’t a ton of fun to be had.  While Bell’s Palsy might be the perfect tool for the aspiring pirate (or for those who simply enjoy scaring small children), it’s a condition that makes it extremely difficult to eat and even speak (truth be told, I think my wife enjoyed the quiet).  The combination did, however, keep me off the golf course for nearly a month.  Just so I’m clear, I am not advocating for Lyme disease, but I must admit, it’s the only thing I’ve found that can actually cure the shanks.

Even with Bell's Palsy I tried to stay positive and keep a smile on my face.

I’ve started a new fitness program inspired by Jaacob at Swingman Golf.  I’ve got some great new toys like The Original Putt Trainer, and the Swing Fan (thanks to Dane over at GolfTrainingAids.com), to supplement my TourStriker.  I’ve got a sweet new set of Mizuno MP-52 irons that I won over at MyGolfSpy.com.  The Callaway Tour Van will be in town in a couple of weeks as well, so I’m starting to think it might be time for a new driver.  Most importantly though, I’ve committed to playing and practicing more (even if it is still raining).

If there’s a bright spot it’s that I’m less than a month away from what I hope will be the Ultimate Golf Staycation.  I’ve got tournament scheduled.  I’ve got rounds tentatively planned for Saratoga National and Turning Stone.  With some luck I might even get up to the Sagamore.  I’m hoping to supplement those rounds with some more affordably priced rounds at courses like Orchard Creek and the Fairways of Halfmoon.  I’m totally convinced it’s going to stop raining – if only because it has too.  I’ve missed out on a far too much golf this season, and I’ve got some catching up to do.  I don’t know if I can reasonably make up nearly 2 months of  rain-shortened, tick-infected, golf in one week, but I’m damn sure going to try.

The SUMI-G Headcover opens wide to accept most conventionally shaped clubs.

I keep my headcovers on because I don’t want to risk angering my clubs.  I mean, I have enough trouble hitting the ball straight without having to worry about whether or not my driver is vexed because I couldn’t be bothered to put the cover back on.  It might sound superstitious, but a covered club is a happy club.  At least that’s what I believe.

So if you’re one of those guys who drives around with a bag full of naked clubheads, well, this review isn’t for you.  If you’re like me, at least in the sense that you can appreciate a well designed headcover, by all means, read on.

While I was recovering from an unfortunate run-in with a tick, I received some product samples (I’m come to think of it as a care package) from a company called SUMI-G.  SUMI-G is relatively new to the golf scene, but their collection of high end golf accessories (which debuted at the PGA Merchandise show last January), has already earned the company a devoted following of style-conscious golfers.  In addition to the headcovers, the SUMI-G lineup features a variety of on-course accessories including a divot tool, money clip, club brush, towel, hats, totes, and a couple of really sweet belts (review coming soon).  Today though, I’m focusing on the headcovers.

Before we get into the details, here’s a quick rundown of the SUMI-G headcover features, which, as I so often do, I shamlessly lifted from the company website:

• Unique mechanical closure
• Convenient one-handed operation
• Rigid exoskeleton protects both club and shaft
• Easy to pick up from ground with club
• Fits right-handed clubs only
• Fits 460cc drivers (not all square clubs)

Before SUMI-G, like most golfers, my bag featured a hodgepodge of unattractive, and largely ineffective headcovers.

Here’s a clear case of where a little bit of research could have saved me a ton of trouble.  I spent a good bit of time trying to track down both left-handed, and square clubs to see if the headcover would fit, and all along the info was right on the SUMI-G page.  I swear, sometimes I’m a complete hack off the golf course as well.  Anyway…

SUMI-G sent me one each of their driver, fairway, and hybrid (a bit of a rarity in the aftermarket world) covers.  The three are functionally identical with size being the only distinguishing characteristic between them.  The covers are different from most others in that they don’t rely on foam or stuffing to protect the club.  Instead, they use a rigid, yet ever-so-slightly-plush material to protect the face and sole.  It’s good design because, not only does it effectively protect the clubhead, but it also reduces unnecessary bulk in the bag.  The same mechanical closure that makes the cover so easy to pop on further protects the crown of the club.  The exoskeleton provides additional support and protection while functioning as the mechanism to allow the cover to snap securely to the shaft.  It’s also worth mentioning that the covers themselves look really, really good in my golf bag (no reason I can’t look good, even while playing poorly).

Ahh...that's better.

What I find really cool about the design is that the exoskeleton provides an appendage which extends long enough into your bag to keep the headcover firmly planted in the divider you just pulled your club out of.  It’s a minor thing, but at upwards of $40 for the cover, you won’t have to worry about losing your SUMI-G cover because your playing partner decided to take your cart off-roading.

Perhaps it's a small thing, but I really like the way the SUMI-G headcover sits down in my bag when the club it protects is in use.

Minor Gripes

As SUMI-G plainly states in their feature list, their headcovers won’t fit left-handed clubs.  This isn’t a problem for me since I’m right-handed.  Besides, lefties completely freak me out.  It’s like they’re swinging backwards.  When I see one on the fairway in front of me, I always think he’s hitting at me.  Quite frankly, I don’t think left-handed clubs should even exist.  They also don’t fit square clubs, which I found out for myself while trying to squeeze my SUMI-G cover on to one of those 460cc panini makers Nike is passing off as a driver.  Again, not a problem for me since I don’t play square clubs.  In fact, I don’t think any respectable golfer should either (I’m going to get hate mail…).

The headcover has a pair of fabric covered clips which won't damage the shaft while holding the headcover securely in place.

For me the biggest potential issue is the fact that there is absolutely no identifying mark on the cover.  No tag for 3, or 4, or 5, or even X.  There’s absolutely no way to distinguish one club from another without looking at the club.  I carry two fairway woods.  Some people carry two hybrids. I could definitely see where the lack of a tag or any other sort of identification could cause some annoyance.

One other thing…the SUMI-G headcover is too pretty.  The SUMI-G headcovers are the end product of a complete devotion to craftsmanship, but that causes its own set of issues.  Yeah, as they claim, and as Tony over at HookedOnGolfBlog has illustrated, it’s easy to pick the headcover off the ground with your club, but in my mind, tossing a SUMI-G headcover to the turf is an act of blasphemy.  It’s something no deserving owner would ever consider doing.  I’m not alone in my thinking either.   I showed the covers to my buddy Wee Mike (I call him “Wee Mike” because he’s small…he’s actually not all that small…he’s like 5’8″, but he’s skinny, and something about him projects the illusion that he’s only about 4’9″, but I digress).  Mike took a look, said that he thought they were really nice, and then asked if the headcovers came with covers.  Seriously, headcovers so nice they ought to have a cover of their own…and I’m supposed to toss them on the ground?

Final Thoughts

My feeling is that when you spend $400 on a club…heck, even $200, is should come with a nice headcover.  The problem is, they never do.  In the relatively short time I’ve been playing I’ve owned 4 drivers, 4 fairway woods, and 2 hybrids.  All of them came with headcovers.  None of those covers were worth a damn.  Don’t even get me started about putters (the headcover on my Bettinardi BC-1 popped off.  Mizuno wants $35 to replace it.  The irony is that if the cover weren’t complete crap to begin with, I wouldn’t be in a position of having to buy another nugget of the same).  The covers that have come with my clubs have been a mix of the ugly, the poorly constructed, the too difficult to put on, and the too hard to get off.  Thankfully, SUMI-G headcovers are none of those things.  They look great, and I can all but guarantee they over better protection for your new club than the garbage headcover that came with your new FT-9 (not that I’m singling anyone out – there’s plenty of blame to go around).

SUMI-G Headcovers retail for $38 (driver), $32 (fairway), and $28 (hybrid).  For more information, or to place your order, visit www.sumi-g.com.

I’ll save the full review of Saratoga National for a later date.  For background purposes, I’ll just say that Saratoga National offers the finest public golf in New York’s Capital District – actually probably the finest golf between New York City and Canada (although one could certainly make a case for the Donald Ross designed Sagamore in Bolton Landing).  Saratoga National is on par with the 3 outstanding Turning Stone courses just 2 hours to the West, but for the trouble of a 15 minute car ride, there’s nothing near me that even remotely compares.  National is where I like to play when friends come to visit from out of town…even if it does cost $185 a round during the peak August season.  Rest assured, as soon as I come up with $4500 I don’t know what else to do with (or that my wife doesn’t know about), I’ll sign up for one of their preferred customer programs.  In the meantime, I play when I can.

So now that you know about my wife and I and our shared lack of sentimentality, and a bit about my favorite local golf course, here’s what happened:

I was checking out the Saratoga National website (my college roommate is coming to town in August, and I’ve got that anniversary dinner past due) when I noticed Saratoga National was on Twitter.  Hoping they might use Twitter to offer ridiculous discounts (a boy can dream), I started following them.  Not long after that I got to thinking about that gift card my wife bought me back in December (as I said, my roommate is coming into town, so I’m going to need it).  I searched high and low in all of my usual stashing places.  I checked the junk drawer, the gift certificate pile, even my workbench in the basement where miscellaneous golf stuff sometimes piles up.  After more or less ripping my house apart I came up empty.  My wife got in on the action; checking file cabinets, folder, envelopes, and the stacks of papers that we probably should have dealt with months ago.  She too came up empty.  $100 towards a round of golf (or dinner) at Saratoga National was gone.  Frustrated, I posted on Twitter, “If you were my Saratoga National gift card, where would you be”?  You know…just in case my gift card had its own Twitter account.

Much to my surprise, Kristin, who handles all things social media related for the golf course, sent me a tweet asking about my gift card, and offering to help.  By help, of course, I don’t mean she offered to show up at my door to continue the search (that would have been weird, but given my level of desperation, I wouldn’t have turned her down).  Nope, instead she asked me for some basic information (purchase date, last 4 or the credit card, etc.).  It took a little bit of time (mostly because the search on their involved the Director of Golf, and Claire from the billing department), but much to my awe, a replacement gift card did arrive at my doorstep not too long ago.  How awesome is that?

Here’s the thing.  I’m an idiot (or maybe my wife is an idiot).  One way or another one of us (probably me) lost the gift card.  I certainly wasn’t about to call Saratoga National to see if they’d replace it (why would they…they mailed it to me, and then I lost it), so I was completely blown when Kristin reached out, on Twitter of all places, and offered to replace the card.  They already had my money.  There was absolutely no reason why anyone at National needed to do me any favors.  They’re sitting on the best golf course in the area.  They’ve got one of the best restaurants in town.  And it certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re sitting on the prime real estate that is just about anything in Saratoga come August.  Simply put, they’ve got the goods – and they’ve got it regardless of whether or not they replace a gift card that some moron misplaced.  And yet despite having every reason do do nothing, Saratoga National made it better than right.

So whether you want to chalk one up to the power of Twitter, or simply comment that customer service isn’t dead after all; color me more than impressed by the staff at the most impressive golf course in town.  I’ve commented numerous times on my not so warm and fuzzy feelings towards a few local golf courses where the staff  has made me feel like they’re doing me the favor of a lifetime by allowing me to play their $30 a round goat pasture.  Having the exact opposite experience from a golf course where it actually feels like a privilege to play, well…wow. 

In the past I’ve struggled to find the superlatives to describe the course, and now the same is true of the staff.  So to Kristin, Claire, and everyone else at Saratoga National who does more than needs to be done to keep their customers happy, let me just say thank you.  I’ll be visiting soon.

Find out more about the golf course and Prime Restaurant at www.golfsaratoga.com

Now I’ll grant you that black and white is often boring (there’s a reason why your TV’s got color), but this is PUMA we’re talking about, and as PUMA fans know, PUMA doesn’t do boring.  What PUMA tells me about the Special Edition Collection is that that each piece is “done up in premium fabrics, luxe finishes, and an attention to detail that’s second to none”.  Now once upon a time I thought spandex was a premium fabric (it’s so stretchy), and I still couldn’t tell you what a luxe finish is, but what I do know is that the Black & White collection from PUMA is hotter than Tiger Woods after a double bogey -- and I want it -- All of it.

Did you watch the US Open?  Did you see Geoff Ogilvy?  How about Johan Edfors?  Actually, if you did, you’ve seen some of cornerstone pieces of the SE collection. You’ve gotta love the new Invisibonding Polos (see Ogilvy & Edfors), the new Cut Out Belt, and of course, the Swing Crown GTX White (my personal favorite from the collection).  Also worth an immediate mention are a handbag for the ladies, and two seriously sexy golf bags (even if it they are $800).  Yeah…that’s right, I think golf bags are sexy.  Again, what’s it to you?

PUMA apparently thinks you can have too much of a good thing, so the Special Edition Collection is available in limited quantities and only from FairwayStyles.com (my new favorite golf apparel site), as well as in a select group of retailers nationwide, including Olympic Golf (Los Angeles, CA) and Golf Headquarters (Reno, NV).

I’ve attached the full press release below, but before you get to that, check out the PUMA Brigade in action at the US Open.  How do I get that job?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=quX-G901nIk

PUMA^® GOLF GOES FROM THE GREEN TO BLACK AND WHITE
Black Meets White On and Off the Green

Westford, Massachusetts – You’ve seen gold in 2007, you’ve seen chrome in 2008, and, in 2009, PUMA^® Golf is stepping it up again.  The 2009 Golf Special Edition Collection makes a bold statement in pearlized black and white.  Classic and simple, the collection has an “all or nothing” approach when it comes to style.  

A study in contrasts, the black and white details of each piece give the collection a luxurious touch.  Using premium fabrication and intricate detailing, PUMA Golf continues to produce the lightest and most versatile golf products for on and off the course.  With the mix of texture and surface finishes and matte and shine fabrications, each piece transitions easily from the clubhouse to the club.  

Key Highlights from the 2009 Special Edition Collection

Footwear
Power through the course with speed and edge.  The Swing Crown GTX White features all the benefits of the original Swing style – Smart Quill technology for ultimate traction, comfort and a more lightweight feel – but with an added advantage: the powercage.  This extra medial arch support will help shore up your swing; but with its sleek, minimalist design, you’ll barely know it’s there.  You can tell your competitors, it must be the magic feet!

Apparel
Play like a pro in the Golf SE Invisibonding Polo, available in styles for both men and women. Featuring PUMA’s innovative new seamless technology, the polo’s unique color contrast is sure to turn heads.  

Early morning tee time?  Don’t forget to grab the Golf Special Edition Sweater to ward off the chill.  The comfortable yet stylish cotton sweater is ideal for layering.  Never bulky or cumbersome, it’s ideal for layering with the PUMA Golf Polo. The sleek, stylish lightweight design allows for ease of movement.  Ribbing along the hem and cuffs and a PUMA Golf 18-hole graphic tee creates a relaxed but sophisticated look on or off the course.  

PUMA’s Golf SE Invisibonding Polo for women offers a longer length body form that creates a streamlined silhouette, allowing for increased comfort.  Pleated puff sleeves add a feminine touch, and the top’s bold color contrast will turn heads up and down the fairway.  

Accessories
Happy clubs equal a happy golfer.  With the bold SE Staff Bag, even the rustiest of nine irons gets a facelift.  This Special Edition collection centerpiece commands attention on the course, with a sharp black and white block print and exceptionally durable construction.  The bag features a 14-way, full-length divider system with a velvet lined top.  With the SE Staff Bag in tow, you’re sure to develop a reputation as a fashion-forward golf guru.

Ladies, get ready to look good on and off the course and push style to the limit with the Golf Handbag SE. This versatile and inclusive design features a two-way zip opening into a main compartment, slip-in pocket and mobile-phone pocket inside.  The traditional silhouette is constructed from soft leather in black and white contrasting colors.   It’s the perfect accessory for going from the clubhouse to the club.

The bad economy has been good for golfers with money to spend, and for those of you who still have a little something left in your pockets, the deals keep coming.  Take, for example, Cleveland Golf, who has just announced the latest offer to qualify as the best damn golf deal I’ve ever seen.  Simply buy a set of Cleveland irons, play those irons for up to the next two and half years or so (you don’t have to wait that long if you don’t want to).  When a new Cleveland model catches your eye (or when your game has improved to jump from the Tour Launchers to the CG Tour irons), simply mail Cleveland your old set and they’ll mail you a brand new set.  Oh, that new set…yeah, there’s no charge for that.  You don’t have to deal with all that trade-in value crap.  You’re old irons get you new irons.  How awesome is that?

As with any good deal, there is a little bit of fine print, although I must admit, I’m impressed by how simple and straightforward Cleveland has made all of this.  First, you have to buy a qualifying set (which is pretty much every iron – both men’s and women’s – that Cleveland makes).  The deal starts now and runs through December of this year, so you have some time.  Second, that set has to consist of at least 7, in-line (contiguous) club.  Third, you have to register your clubs online, and provide Cleveland with a proof of purchase.  Cleveland will send you a confirmation number, which you’re going to want to hold on to.  All of this seems reasonable enough to me.

As far as getting your new set is concerned, that process is pretty simple too.  When you’re ready for some new clubs, give Cleveland a call, tell them your confirmation number, and provide them with the specs for your new set.  They’ll send you a box for your old irons, along with a pre-paid shipping label.  Once you’ve got the box, mail your clubs off to Cleveland for verification and inspection.  Assuming everything checks out, you’ll have your new clubs in 5 to 7 business days.

The redemption period starts 1/1/10 and runs through 12/31/11.  The offer is good only once, so don’t expect to swap out your clubs every six months.  Nevertheless, this is an awesome deal, and I wish more manufacturers would offer something similar.

In my day job as an IT professional I find myself constantly purchasing software and hardware assurance contracts.  Costs run about 20% of the original purchase price annually, but our agreements entitle us to “free” upgrades every time a new version is released.  I’ve always thought it would be cool if the golf industry offered something similar.  Would you be willing to spend an extra $300 on a set of irons if it meant you could trade in your old set after two years for a new set at no additional charge?  Just thinking out loud, I guess.

Cleveland has become the latest golf equipment manufacturer to offer up an almost too good to pass up deal.  If I didn’t have a new set of Mizuno MP-52 irons in my immediate future, I’d be all over this deal.  More information and specifics can be found on the Cleveland Golf website.