How to Grow Golf in the Philippines
When we get around to discussing golf over a few drinks, one topic inevitably comes up; how do we grow the game of golf in the Philippines?
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When we get around to discussing golf over a few drinks, one topic inevitably comes up; how do we grow the game of golf in the Philippines?
I came to golf late in life at the ripe old age of 36. I wasn’t a junior golfer, groomed by my parents to be the next big thing in the game. I spent my childhood playing every sport that my parents would allow. It didn’t much matter what it was as long as I was outdoors running, sweating and having a good time.
In the realm of golf clubs, particularly with irons, there is one name above all others. That name is Miura. Miura irons have always been a unicorn in golf. They are renown for their beauty, ease of use and unmistakable feel. They are also quite rare and famously (or infamously) expensive, which adds to their mystique. Everyone speaks reverently of them, but few know the brand’s real story and the level of commitment that it takes to produce a golf club of this quality.
We previewed Callaway’s new Epic Flash drivers a couple of issues ago and noted that it was the most compelling driver in a year that every manufacturer introduced their best drivers ever. Think about it. Cobra came out with the F9, arguably their best driver ever. Mizuno introduced the ST190 and ST190G which, in addition to being Mizuno’s best drivers ever, now have a win on the PGA Tour. The last time that happened was 19 years ago. Of course, TaylorMade’s updated M-twins are always in that mix and Ping updated the formidable G400 and gave us the G410. This year, there’s a bumper crop of drivers.
Story & photos by Mike Besa
Story & photos by Mike Besa
Iron manufacturing used to be a simple, straightforward operation. The respective alloys were either forged or cast, then hand finished and sorted to form a set. The year 2018 saw huge gains in irons, particularly in high-performance irons or what the market now refers to as “players’ distance irons.” These irons, in the recent past, were made from two or more types of metal joined together in multiple processes.
Story & photos by Mike Besa
The driver wars are always the most heated in the golf industry and 2019 has produced a bumper crop of big sticks. Given the sophistication of the available technology, the drivers of 2019 are the best that the industry has ever seen. Not only is the most advanced science used to design and build the heads, but the most exotic shafts are now available, nearly across the board, from every company.
Honma golf clubs have enjoyed legendary status in local golf circles but more for the exotic metals and stratospheric price that they commanded than for performance. Honma’s TW747 line of golf clubs are here to change our perception about the storied Japanese company.
Dominance in the driver market has traditionally been the bailiwick of the Carlsbad biggies—Callaway and TaylorMade. It’s been this way for what seems like decades. But parity seems to have caught up with golf club manufacturers. Perhaps the restrictions placed on the performance of the clubface combined with improvements in manufacturing techniques have served to make substantial gains more difficult, but last year saw some new names at the top of the driver hit parade.
Golf clubs are being released at almost the same rate as mobile phones these days. While this creates sheer delight to the golf geek, it gets downright frustrating for the regular guy that doesn’t want to get too far behind the curve when it comes to his equipment.
The Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x have been the most popular and arguably the highest performing golf balls across all skill levels, and Titleist wants to keep it that way.
The New Year is more like Christmas for golfers because it’s at this time of the year that golf equipment companies start rolling out their new products for the new golf season, just in time for their world introduction at the PGA show in Orlando, Florida.
A few days ago, a series of videos showing two unconscious caddies being carried off to seek medical attention and scuffles in the caddie locker room after one caddie was allegedly physically abused by the Korean supervisor at Clark Sun Valley were shared on the Pinoygolfer Facebook group.
A little over six months ago, this column ran two articles detailing the troubles that the Orchard Golf and Country Club had experienced, including the deterioration of the condition of both golf courses, the firing of the entire management team and the conflicts and legal action taken by Orchard President Conrad Benitez against a number of members for comments made on social media.
It’s that time of the year where we look back at the year that was and prepare for the year before us. Part of that process is setting goals for the New Year. Many refer to these goals as resolutions; behavior modification desired for the advancement of our greater good. Goals work better.
Since the ’90s, Filipino golfers have become even more spoiled than usual. Not only are we attended to by caddies and umbrella girls, but we have become accustomed to immaculately manicured sandcapped fairways and lightning quick microbermuda greens. All well and good but, the great majority of golf courses in our country use carabao grass on the fairways and zoysia matrella (commonly called Manila grass) on the greens and fairways.
The driver is the most technologically gifted golf club made today. Ultra-precise CG placement, variable face thickness, adjustable hosels, graphite shafts all got their start in drivers and tricked down to the rest of the clubs in the bag.
As 2018 draws to a close, it is but fitting that we look back on the season that was and examine the new equipment releases that made the biggest impact this year.
SUSTAINABILITY has become a buzzword of the golf industry these days. There’s no way around the fact that golf needs a lot of resources. Golf courses use a lot of land and golf holes need to be maintained to a certain standard to remain faithful to the shot values envisioned by the course designer. To maintain an environment using imported turf grass species requires all manner of artificial means to protect the club’s precious investment—fertilizers, herbicides and other additives, as well as aggressive manual weeding in certain instances.
In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.
Callaway drivers have always been a source of fascination to me. Every one that I’ve owned was, at the time, the longest most forgiving driver that I had in the arsenal. Callaway drivers seem to have that home-run ball in them. When you hit it just so, the ball goes further than you believed you could ever hit a golf ball.
The story of Cleveland Golf goes back to 1979 when Roger Cleveland founded the company (then called Cleveland Classics). The company made a full set of clubs but was universally acknowledged for its wedges. Its most popular model was the 588 (introduced in 1988). It was so popular that the 588 is still one of the best-selling golf clubs of all time.
Story & photos by Mike Besa
Bob Vokey is one of the true household names in golf. He belongs to a select group of individuals who is recognized by golfers around the world for his marvelously efficient wedges. He mixes a wealth of knowledge, years of experience working with the best players in the world with boundless enthusiasm to produce arguably the best wedges on the market.
ECCO is a Danish shoe company that makes some of the most comfortable shoes in the world. Its line of golf shoes is extremely well regarded in the sport and are renowned for their comfort and durability. Ecco is so passionate about its products that it processes its leather in its own tanneries to ensure the highest quality materials for its products.
YOU have to admire a company like Titleist. No company in golf is more dedicated to elite and aspirational golfers. It has pursued that market segment relentlessly, regardless of what the rest of the golf industry is doing. As a result, they are sometimes a bit slow to adapt new technologies, taking more time to properly evaluate the developments and how to properly integrate them into their product line, keeping sight of the preferences of its core users.
Story & photos by Mike Besa
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