GolfSpy Barbajo

Love it, and if you keep that same set up in the bag for the next 5 years, you get a free round at Firestone! Talk to me in 2024...

Some pics from the South Course at Firestone... I think this is the third hole - short par 4. This is taken from the right rough - it's a harrow hole - I hit a 3 wood off the tee to the center and had about 130 to the pin. Pulled it significantly left, hit a tree guarding the green, pitched up and two-putted for a very lucky bogey. This is the view of #16 from the fairway. This is the second shot -- already hit a pretty good drive to get to about 380 yards. The play was to hit to where the group in front of us was standing, near the shadows on the right hand side, leaving about an 8 or 9 iron into a tiny green. I pull-hook-scruffed a 3-wood into the rough to the left of that fairway bunker. Had to hit a 9-iron just short of the pond in front of the green... Cut it kind of close, don't you think? The pin was cut pretty close to the front - about 50 yards from this spot. This is one tough golf hole... The plaque on the bridge crossing the pond to the green... This is the approach to 18 - it's a deep, narrow green and they put the pin way in the back. The trees are crazy - it's like kicking a field goal. And yes, I pulled it into the tree on the left and dropped into the front bunker. Solid double-bogey finish! View of the first tee for the South Course, and the Lodge. They have 30 double rooms you can rent up in the Men's Locker room, plus a ton of villas along 16, 18 and across the street on the North Course overlooking the lake. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Had a blast Matt! Always good to tee it up with you. Played the South on Friday - it's a bear of a course and it had a sizable portion of my ass for a snack. Did lip out a par putt for bogey on The Monster, #16. We played it at about 630 yards - it's a great golf hole (I'll post some pix later). We played the Member tees at about 6500 yards, which is a bit over my limit these days, but it was a hell of a lot of fun. The greens on the South are pretty small, with lots of false fronts and subtle - and not so subtle - breaks. The West was a lot of fun to play. Some say of the three courses at Firestone, it's the weakest, but one guy Thursday night said it well - the West has two major problems: the South and the North courses. If it was all by itself it would be considered a hell of a course.

Now THAT is a very cool prize!

Most of the tournaments I play in are charity events, usually sponsored by the Oil Heat Service Managers, the PHCC or other industry group, although I have played in straight charity outings, such as for the Boys and Girls Clubs, etc. The industry events are to raise money for scholarship funds or other worthy causes, and they're a hell of a good time - never really worried much about what they gave out, as that's not the reason I played in the first place. Last one I played in, the Oil Man's Invitational, was a blast - included a scramble, on-course contests, a big raffle and a steak dinner. Sponsors donated the prizes and funded the dinner, so a large portion of the intake went to the designated charities - which seems common with a lot of these tournaments. I won't paint with too wide of a brush, as it's always wise to only comment on what you know as opposed to what you think you know, but pretty much every tourney I've ever played in had sponsors pick up the tab for giveaways, prizes and meals, and the entry fee went to covering use of the facility with the balance going to the charity.

Have rolled each model and I gotta say, they're interesting feeling putters. The extreme forward CG definitely feels different. I'm not a blade guy, but I did sink 5 of my first 6 eight to ten footers with the 4.0 on the practice green. During the round, however, my issues with blades came back and I had trouble lining it up consistently. The Cero - with the rounded backside - was my favorite, although I do prefer a mid-mallet. As advertised, distance control is exceptional, it's just a matter of finding a head shape that you can square up consistently. None of the shapes do it for me personally - if they come out with a Cleveland #2 in this tech, tho, I am all over it!

Lynx literally is a mom and pop organization, with Steve and Stephanie reviving the brand in Europe and the UK several years ago, and ultimately getting control of the brand globally (except for Korea/Japan) after Dick's bought out GolfSmith. They made a bit of a splash at the PGA Show with their Switch Face Driver, but from what we hear it's still not ready for Prime Time. We can give them credit for innovative thinking, but whether the concept is doable and whether it's actually any good remains to be seen. Another interesting note that for a relatively small company, their booth at the last two PGA shows seems outsized compared to influence and sales in North America. I know they've been struggling to find a way to get to market here, and it appears the Direct-To-Consumer approach - a la Hogan and Sub70 - is the avenue they've chosen, and it's probably the best one for them. There's really no room in retail for another small brand.

Ditto on the Nuun - that stuff is a lifesaver!

Hi Best.... I reached out to Hogan on your behalf. From what they've told me they're been scrambling due to an overwhelming demand for the new PTx PRO irons (backordered!) and were down one customer service rep. They've been adding staff to meet demand and need over the past few weeks. Let me know via PM if you need any help.