The Super Bowl has been played, which means the calendar has officially turned to February. The focus of us that are golfers now turns to first early signs of spring. Nothing gets us more focused on that fact than the Philadelphia Golf Show, held this past weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.
To me, the Golf Show represents the unofficial start to our golf season. It provides us with the opportunity to dream about warm summer days, manicured golf courses, and the camaraderie of our golf buddies. The Golf Show gives us golfers a chance to shake off winter's rust and experience a cornucopia of golf equipment, courses and travel possibilities.
This year's Golf Show featured much of the usual: retailers such as RockBottomGolf.com, Dallas Golf, and Greater Golf Express; golf getaways to locales both far and near, such as Lancaster, Pa., Atlantic City, N.J., the Poconos, Ocean City, MD, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Florida; free lessons from local PGA professionals and a chance to demo the latest equipment from TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra and others.
For me personally, the Golf Show is a chance to seek out that elusive bargain on a new club or clubs that is going make my golf season one to remember. Or maybe just stock up of essentials like golf gloves.
This year, I was able to find a really good deal on Wilson Staff wedges from Greater Golf Express. Most of the clubs in my golf bag are Wilson Staff and even though they make top equipment that is used on the professional golf tours, it is difficult to find at golf retailers. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a Wilson Staff 52- and 58-degree FG Tour PMP wedge. They have already replaced the wedges I had in my golf bag.
The calendar may still read February and the weather may still be cold, but thanks to the Golf Show, my mind is ready to hit that first bucket of practice balls of the season.
This golf season has been a struggle, especially with the driver off the tee. I have put myself in more bad positions off the tee this year that in recent memory. It has led to many frustrating rounds. Earlier this summer, I switched from my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver to a TaylorMade Aeroburner, but I had trouble finding the fairways with both.
Hoping to change my fortunes, I recently purchased a Cobra Golf AMP AMP Cell-S Driver from RockBottomGolf. I got it at a great price since RBG was having a sale in conjunction with the PGA Tour Championship. The driver is 46-in in length and has a loft of 10.5-degrees. Unlike other versions of Cobra's AMP drivers, this one has a fixed hosel, while the others had an adjustable hosel that allowed you to change the ball flight.
The reviews I read before making my purchase were very positive from most of the players who used this driver. Most were very pleased with the distance and accuracy it delivered. I am hoping this driver will help as much in the accuracy department for me as it does in distance. Unfortunately, due to last weekend's rainy weather, I was not able to take my new driver to either the range or the course, but I'm hoping to give it a workout tomorrow night at the practice range.
Last weekend was the annual Greater Philadelphia Golf Show. Despite all the snow, ice and freezing temperatures we've had, the Golf Show is a time to let our minds, bodies and souls begin to focus on the fact that in another 4-6 weeks, we will be able to again roam the fairways and greens of our favorite courses.
I have not been to the Golf Show in a few years for various reasons, but I was determined to make it this year. I usually attend on Sunday, which is a time when vendors begin discounting what is already significantly discounted deals on clubs and equipment. But this year, Saturday was the only free time available, so off I went. Admission is only $10 and with that you get a year's subscription to Golf magazine. So even if you don't buy anything, you still come ahead.
Shoppers at RockBottomGolf.com's booth
The Golf Show attracts a wide variety of vendors offering everything from discounted clubs, apparel and accessories, to golf vacations, to golf courses, to golf memorabilia, to financial services, to even home improvement services. Some of this year's vendors included Golfsmith; RockBottomGolf.com; Golf Galaxy; Tee Time Golf Pass; Ocean City, Md.; Myrtle Beach; Mad Golfer; and the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association. The show also features a Demo Range, which offers the opportunity to try some of the latest clubs from TaylorMade, Callaway, Cleveland and Ping. Plus there are always golfing celebrities that make appearance, and this show was no different with the likes of golfing legend Chi Chi Rodriguez, The Golf Channel's Michael Breed, "The Putting Doctor" Joe Bermel, Jr., and PGA Nathional Teacher of the Year Lou Guzzi.
Golfing legend Chi Chi Rodriguez delighted with stories
My strategy for the Golf Show is to pick up information about interesting courses that I might be able to play and potential travel destinations, while also shopping for a specific thing, whether it be a golf club or accessory. This year, I had my eye open for anything from Wilson Staff. To that end, I picked up information about golfing trips in Ocean City, the Lehigh Valley, and Atlantic City, and yardage books for Fox Hollow Golf Club and Skippack Golf Club.
As for golfing equipment, my favorite online golfing retailer RockBottomGolf had Wilson Staff Fybrib RS's on sale, so I picked a 24-degree hybrid to replace my Wilson Staff Ci-7 4-iron. I also wanted to get a 21-degree, but all they had were models with a stiff shaft, which would not suit my particular swing.
Golfers could try the newest clubs at the Demo Range
My other purchase was an Orange Whip Trainer, a golf swing trainer designed to create rhythm, tempo and balance in your swing, as well as you with flexibility. The Orange Whip consists of a weighed orange ball on the end of a very flexible golf shaft, with a counter weight that looks similar to a golf ball attached to the shaft. The Orange Whip comes in three sizes and I chose the 44-in model, which is the equivalent to the long iron. The Orange Whip's inventor Jim Hackenberg a PGA Teaching Professional was at the show selling the trainers. Here is a video which demonstrates how the Orange Whip works:
Numerous PGA Tour golfers use the Orange Whip and if you ever see pictures of their bags on the driving range at various tournaments, you will see the distinctive orange ball protruding from their golf bags. One of the main reasons I picked up an Orange Whip was so few courses have driving ranges anymore, I thought this would be an ideal device to use to warm up and establish a a swing tempo prior to teeing off. I think will also complement any practice session on the driving range.
So now I have my new golf toys, my course information...c'mon Mother Nature, lighten up, get rid of this snow and give us that golf playing weather.
Last Sunday I attended the final day of the Greater Philadelphia Golf Show. The show was held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. The show returned to Philadelphia after a several year absence following the closing of the Fort Washington Expo Center. There were numerous golf vendors at the show, including such retailers as RockBottomGolf, Edwin Watts Golf and Wheat Road Golf. There were plenty of bargains to be had on both new and used golf clubs. TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, and Cleveland seemed to dominate the club offerings, with a few also offering Mizuno, Srixon or Bridgestone. There also a few exhibitors offering information of golf packages and golf travel to places such as Myrtle Beach; Florida; Ocean City, Md.; and Williamsburg, Va., but there were fewer representatives from area golf courses and country clubs as I have experienced at past golf shows. The show also offered the opportunity to try the latest equipment from the major manufacturers at an indoor Demo Range, and there were contests for closest to the pin, longest drive, and putting. One of the neatest things I saw at the show was the Arnold Palmer Indoor Golf Game, which The Muni Golfer actually received as a kid from Santa in the late 1960s. A miniature Arnold Palmer is attached to the end of what looks like a club shaft, but by pulling on a trigger on the underside of shaft, you can make The King swing one of several clubs--Driver, 4-wood, two irons, a wedge and a putter. Arnold hits small styrofoam balls to a felt green, around which you can place plastic replicas of a water hazard and two sand bunkers. Once on the green, you putt a marble into the cup, complete with flag, which fits into a small round cut-out area on the green. Watching the man who brought this game back to the marketplace hit balls brought fond flashbacks to my childhood. I went to the GP Golf Show, not looking for clubs, but for accessories, particularly Wilson Staff products. I was very disappointed that so few vendors carried anything from the Wilson Staff line. I did, however, find a slightly used Wilson Staff FwC 7-Wood at one vendor for $19.95. The club needed a little cleaning and re-gripping, but it was a bargain too good to pass up. It was my only golf purchase of the day.
My friend Ken and I attended the Victory Golf Show at the King of Prussia Convention Center this past Sunday. The show was just what any golfer needed to begin shaking off the winter blues and rekindle the excitement of the coming season. It was like being a kid in a candy store as hundreds of vendors offered discounted golf equipment, as well as information, discounts and bargains on golf courses and golfing destinations. There was also hitting bays in which you could test the latest golf equipment from the leading manufacturers such as TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, Adams, Cleveland, and Mizuno; instruction from some of the area's top PGA professionals; contests, entertainers like comedian and impressionist Billy Finch and local sports celebrities like Eagles play-by-play broadcaster Merrill Reese.
One of The Muni Golfer's favorite stops was Rock Bottom Golf, an online discount golf retailer from which numerous clubs and other equipment. One of the advantages to visiting the golf show on Sunday is many vendors are slashing their already discounted prices. With that in mind, The Muni Golfer went looking a new 4 hybrid. I managed to pick up both a 4 AND a 5 hybrid from Nickent Golf. I got the newer 3DX DC Ironwood model to replace my 4 iron, and the older 3DX Ironwood to replace my 5 iron. They will make nicely complement the Nickent 19 degree 3DX DC Utility that's already in my bag. The guys from Rock Bottom Golf were even nice enough to credit an online $10-off coupon which I forgot to print out and bring with me. I got both hybrids for $100. Ken also picked up a Nickent 3DX Ironwood 4 hybrid at Rock Bottom Golf.
Another fun aspect of the golf show is seeing a lot of the unique golf products that you don't necessarily find in the golf catalogs or stores. One interesting item that Ken and I both bought was the Dry Grip Rain 'R' Shine golf towel from Golf Duck. This unique product is a microfiber golf towel that you clip to your golf bag to keep your clubs clean. But it has a water-resistant outer shell and flips over your clubs to keep them dry like a rain hood in wet weather. A neat little dual-purpose golf accessory that was being sold for $20. Ken also picked up a pair of winter golf gloves from Valley Forge Gloves, a local golf glove manufacturer, and a long-sleeve mock polo for $20.
All-in-all, it was a fun time, almost as fun as being out on the fairways. And by the end of the day, when it was time to leave, it sure felt like Ken and I had walked 18 holes...
I ordered an Adams Redline RPM 4 Wood from RockBottomGolf.com last week and it arrived today. It has 17 degrees of loft and will be replacing my 3 Wood in the bag. I talked with my Brian, the husband of wife's friend Noreen, tonight about golfing on Sunday at Fox Hollow in Quakertown, Pa. They are having a barbecue for Memorial Day and Noreen's birthday, so timing might be tough. Brian is going to call to try and get a tee time for around 11 a.m., so we'll see what happens. I might have an opportunity to play in Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday, since we are going to visit my wife's sister overnight. They have a great public course in Bethlehem, as well as a very good short, or executive, course, which is what I would probably play. I have found the short course to be great for practice, and at this point in the season, some practice rounds certainly wouldn't hurt.
