Trading Up to New Irons

Yesterday I took 21 old clubs that I no longer used, or used very sparingly, to the Golf Galaxy in Mount Laurel, N.J., and traded them in for a new set of irons. The clubs I traded in were a set of TaylorMade RAC OS2 irons (3-AW), a TaylorMade R510 driver, a TaylorMade R5 Dual 3 wood, a TaylorMade R540XD 5 wood, two TaylorMade RAC chrome wedges, an Adams a2 hybrid, a Nickent 3DX ironwood hybrid, an Orlimar Trimetal Plus hybrid, a Cleveland 691 sand wedge, a Wilson Dyna-powered sand wedge, a Ping Zing sand wedge, and a Precept Tour Premium driver.

I have had very good experiences doing trades with Golf Galaxy to upgrade my clubs. In fact, the RAC OS2s that I traded in yesterday were acquired during a previous trade-in at Golf Galaxy. And, they made the process of trading in your clubs even easier. You can go to their Web site and click on the Global Golf Price Book Web site, which allows you find out the value of the clubs you want to trade in. The Global Golf Price Book quotes you the purchase value of the clubs, not just the marketplace value.

After Golf Galaxy agreed on the price stated by the Global Golf Price Book, I had a decision to make on what to get. I was going back and forth between a set of TaylorMade's r7 irons or Tour Burner irons. The sales associate at Golf Galaxy allowed me to hit both into a net and on the golf simulator. Both irons felt really solid, but I settled on the r7 irons, getting a set of 4-iron through gap wedge. According to TM's Web site, the r7 irons are "Engineered for a wide range players who prefer an iron that's easier to launch high and straight while also offering excellent workability. Inverted Cone Technology provides higher COR and increased average ball speed for greater distance. Exceptionally deep cavity design creates a low and deep CG, making it easier to launch the ball higher for the optimum combination of carry and control." The specs are almost identical to the irons I've been playing, and I like the fact that the irons have a medium sole width and moderate offset. I have put them in my bag and relegated the TaylorMade 200 irons into a backup set. I look forward to trying the new irons out tomorrow on the course.

Also yesterday, my wife and I went to the Oxford Valley Mall, where we shopped for our mutual birthday presents. I settled on adding to my golf wardrobe with four new golf shirts from the PGA Tour collection, which I picked out at J C Penney. I also bought myself three additional PGA Tour shirts at Boscov's and two from the Champions Tour line they sell at Macy's.

Shirts Photo by The Muni Golfer

BubbaGolf: New Apparel

PGA Tour Pro Bubba Watson has come out with his own line of golf apparel that is being sold through the Steve & Barry's stores. Almost everything in the line, which includes golf shirts, shorts, pants, wind shirts/vests and headwear, retails for $14.98. Saturday night I stopped in the Steve & Barry's located at the Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia. I picked up a Dry Performance Texture Polo and and a pair of Double Pleated Golf Shorts. I wore both yesterday during my round at Juniata Golf Club, which was played in very hot and humid conditions. Both products worked extremely well. The shirt kept me dry and comfortable, while the shorts, although a little longer than I'm used to, were also comfortable and functional. At those prices, I think I might pick up a couple of more shirts and another pair of pants.

Trying to Get My Season Started

Well, I didn't get a round in again this weekend, which is not helping my game. So far, I have had a tough time getting out on the course on a consistent basis. I feel like a PGA Tour player who has just graduated from Q School and is having a hard time getting into the fields of the early tournaments. But hopefully, I'll start being able to play on a more regular basis, which will bring some needed consistency to my game. In the meantime, I will continue to take advantage of opportunities to practice. Wednesday night I hope to work a bit on my short game--chipping and putting--at Juniata Golf Club.

Speaking on my short game, I have never been a good player with a sand or lob wedge. I recently read about the Solus Wedges and they sounded like a piece of equipment that could help my short game. Today I order two Solus Wedges: 53 and 59 degrees. These wedges have a unique sole design that allows higher handicapped player such as myself to open the blade a little more with the skulled shots that result from trying this with more conventional-soled wedges. The milled grooves also impart extra spin on the ball more easily, making it easier to stop pitches and chips. They are also perimeter weighted, which is a plus. I should receive the wedges tomorrow and look forward to testing them out Wednesday night.

Saturday night, I continued to expand my golf wardrobe. I love Father's Day because all of the men's clothing is on big-time sales. My wife and I stopped at the Cherry Hill Mall, where I went to JC Penney's. I picked up three pairs of St. John's Bay khaki shorts, which I love wearing on the course, as well as a PGA golf shirt with Dry Fit. I had previously picked up a PGA Mock Polo with Dry Fit. These shirts should be pretty comfortable to wear during a round now that the humid weather is here.

No Golf Today...

Well, I was going to play golf today, but we're having our kitchen remodeled and we really needed to purchase the appliances (stove, microwave/convection oven and dish washer). The weather forecast was iffy at best, so I bagged golf to go appliance shopping with my wife. I think, if I get home early enough from work on Monday or Tuesday, I will try to head to Juniata Golf Club for a quick 9 holes or some putting/chipping practice.

While we were at Sears this afternoon, I did purchase another golf shirt--An Arrow polo shirt with a reddish floral design. Guess it reminds me a bit of what my favorite golfer, Duffy Waldorf, wears.

No Golf Today...

I started with a cold on Friday, which really has me feeling blah. Still I was determined to play today. I figured I could at least grind out nine holes at Juniata Golf Club. But, I guess it was a good omen when I arrived and found the course closed for an outing. I came back home and slept on the couch for a few hours, then watched the Phillies and the final round of the AT&T Classic, which Zack Johnson won in a playoff. I am really disappointed that I didn't get to play, but the rest probably did me good. I vow to try and at least go one night this week to practice on the putting green.

Last night, however, I did add a few new pieces to my golfing wardrobe. My wife and I went to Boscov's in the Neshaminy Mall. They were having a nice sale, so I picked up two pairs of PGA Tour shorts (white and blue) and PGA Tour mock polo shirt in red, which is made from Dry-fit material to help you stay dry and cool when playing in sumer heat and humidity. I really like wearing the mock polos when I play, and I think I might have to try to pick another before the sale ends.