GolfSpy Barbajo

Not for nothing, here's the video cousin Paul took of my stroll up 18 our first round at the Old Course. Left my birdie just a tad short...

Arranged the trip with Jack Sallis from Halcyon Golf Travel - I met him at the PGA Show in 2019 I think. He arranged the trip my cousin Paul and I took that year. Paul is also on the trip this year. Jack is a terrific kid - I call him a kid, he's what, 26, 27? - and put together a nice itinerary for us. He doesn't have Old Course Tee times, unfortunately. And we did get some bad news this week. We're going to be in St Andrews May 5-7 (Leaving Sunday, the 8th), and just found out the Old Course will be closed down the 5th for Open Championship work, and there's a tournament on the 7th, so there's no ballot that day. So our only chance will be Friday, the 6th. All those plans were made long after we booked the dates, so what can you do... So if we're miss out on the ballot, we'll be camping out at the starters shack Thursday night. I'll bring snacks.

Alive, well, still hitting the ball a mile and still looks like the bass player in a ZZ Top tribute band. Can't wait to see what his 125 mph swing speed will do in Scotland.

Two weeks away, baby!!! Heading to Scotland with a group of 8 for the first week of May. Will join longtime MGS Forum member @MGoBlue100, along with @evershady and several other old friends. Here's the itinerary: April 29: I arrived in Edinburgh after spending a week in Northampton and London on day job business and spending a little time with the Mrs. April 30: Morning round with Gavin Dear and Jenn Saxton of ShotScope. Rest of the group arrives in Edinburgh - spending the day and night downtown. May 1: Travel to East Lothian - warm up round at Kilspindie; check into the Duck Inn in North Berwick May 2: Round at North Berwick - which remains maybe the most fun golf course I've ever played. May 3: Round at The Renaissance, where they played the Scottish Open last year. This one will very likely kick our ass. May 4: Round at Dunbar, then hop in a van and head to St Andrews. May 5-7: Day passes at St Andrews-which means we can play as much golf as we want and any St Andrews course that isn't The Old Course. Tee times already set We don't have tee times for The Old Course but will enter into the ballot process. If that doesn't work, well, there's camping out at the starter's shed overnight and hope. Cousin Paul and I have already played it, but the other 6 guys haven't - so I hope they get the chance. It's special. May 7: Four of us will play Dumbarnie on our last day there - it's new and is supposed to be spectacular. They were just finishing it up when we were there last and is said to rival Kingsbarns - can't wait to give it a go. The group will be providing plenty of social media. Follow us on Twitter and/or IG for all kinds of fun Twitter: @golfspybarbajo @MGoBlue100 Instagram: golfspy_barbajo mgoblue100

I'd say your odds are better to walk on at the New, Jubilee or Eden courses - Castle may be more difficult only because it's not at the same complex - it's about a 10- minute ride outside of town. If you're planning on doing the overnite thing, dress warm. It gets mighty cold there, even in the middle of summer. Last time I went we got there at around 2:30 AM or so. The first night we were #'s 11 and 12 in line, the second night we were #s 35 and 36 in line. It's a crapshoot. Make sure you bring your handicap card. They check.

I think I need a moment alone...

Awesome picture! Going with a group of 8 guys May 1-8, including @MGoBlue100. We're going to spend the first part of the week in East Lothian, playing Kilspindie, North Berwick, Dunbar and the Renaissance. Then it's up to St. Andrews with tee times at the New, Jubilee and Castle. We'll be in the lottery for the Old Course and will probably pull at least one all-nighter at the starter's shack to see if we can get on. Also have a tee time at Dumbarnie, which I hear is special. Will post a ton of pix!

Bingo. That's pretty much it.

We're playing Kilspindie in May - can give you an overview afterwards. If you take the train south, it'll go all the way to North Berwick. I've played it once and it is maybe the most fun golf course I've ever played and it's definitely a links course. YOu can walk from the train station to the golf course - it's about 5 minutes. The clubhouse is great - you can eat upstairs plus there are a bunch of great restaurants in the area. There are also several good parkland type courses right in Edinburgh. Played Prestonfield four years ago and enjoyed it very much. And if you want a different experience, the Old Course at Mussellburgh is an adventure - the only 9 holer to have hosted 2 Opens. It's in the middle of a racetrack, and if you're so inclined you can rent a set of vintage hickory shafted clubs and go old school.

"...more forgiving than Mary Poppins on kite day."

August 5-7 you say? Hmmmmmm.....depends on many things, but would love to make it. Depends on schedule and SWMBO.

Wrote a blog post a couple of years ago on Quantix and another DTC company (Seed). Quantix is a Texas company and what I found fascinating is its owner was only 21 at the time - so that would make him a still youthful 23 today. Ean Martin is a very interesting and motivated young man - it's been a while since I tried the balls, so I can't say where they are now - will anxiously await your thoughts. Here's a link to the article... Quantix and Seed - Two New Faces in Direct-To-Consumer Golf Balls | MyGolfSpy

`Not many, as in none. Mati is based in Italy - custom orders only. I've known Seliano for several years, and he finally took the plunge to participate in Most Wanted. Here's the kind of guy he is - I don't think he'll care if these results in even one more putter sale. The most important thing to him is validation of his life's work. Don't know of too many people who truly love what they do like he does. There's a lot of amore in each putter...

Wanted to give this a bump based on the Mati Synchro's performance in today's Most Wanted Blade Putter testing. Talk about your Cinderella story, outta nowhere. Bravissimo!

Story just dropped on the blog: Jason Day Joins Bridgestone | MyGolfSpy

So you've probably seen this all over social media, but for SQAIRZ, Sepp Straka's win at the Honda is a certifiable big deal. Some do find it annoying when equipment companies promote the fact their players win using their gear - the worst I ever saw was a press release from a water bottle company congratulating a player who just won with their water battle in his bag. But that's the way of the world. And as Tim Clarke from Wilson once told us - Majors move product, but regular Tour wins validate your equipment. I'd say that's especially true for challenger brands or brands outside the norm like SQAIRZ. I've known Bob Winskowicz for two years now (he lives about 30 minutes from me), and find him to be a smart businessman and a passionate believer in his product. And the fact he's taken his company from nothing to a Tour victory in two years is something he can rightfully be proud of. I have a pair of the original SQAIRZ - not bad shoes at all but I found them to be on the heavy side. I bought a pair of the pink shoes for the Real Men Wear Pink promotion last fall (wife is and father was a cancer survivor, so it was a cause near and dear). Haven't had a chance to try them on the course, but that will come. They are noticeably lighter than the first edition and--- they're pink. I can say the wider sole had a totally different feel when you wear them. I can't put a better word on it than you feel....stable. Anyway, here's the press release. What are your thoughts? WINDHAM, NH, February 28, 2022 -- SQAIRZ, the fastest growing golf shoe company, congratulates SQAIRZ Brand Ambassador, Sepp Straka, for winning his first PGA Tour Event. The Honda Classic is the first PGA Tour Event won by an athlete wearing the new SQAIRZ golf shoes. Straka made birdies on holes 14, 16, and 18 to shoot 66 and best Shane Lowry by a single stroke. Straka ranked first in strokes gained off-the-tee and gained nearly five shots on the field. His combined distance (310-yard average) and accuracy (a field-leading 83.9% fairways hit) led him to his inaugural PGA Tour win. After his massive 334-yard drive on the 18th hole, the longest drive of the week, SQAIRZ served Straka well as the rain began to fall, allowing him to nail his second shot and putt to secure the birdie and the win. SQAIRZ’s traction, waterproof material, stability, and comfort all came into play during that 18th hole. When asked about his victory, Sepp Straka responded, “I can’t believe what a difference my SQAIRZ made on the 18th hole. Even with the poor conditions I was still able to get great traction to hit that great drive and nail that six iron, setting up the winning birdie.” After hearing Sepp’s comment, Bob Winskowicz, the Founder and CEO of SQAIRZ responded, “That’s great testament to the performance of our new Speed golf shoes and we’re so glad to have been a part of this tremendous moment. All of us at SQAIRZ would like to congratulate Sepp on his amazing come from behind victory.” For his win, Sepp Straka took home the winner’s share of the 8-million-dollar purse, $1.44 million. Not only was this Straka’s first PGA Tour Event win, this is also the first time an Austrian has won a PGA Tour Event. Straka has moved up to 14th on the current FedExCup points list and has secured his place in the Masters Tournament in April 2022. This first PGA Tour Event won by an athlete wearing SQAIRZ golf shoes comes on the heels of John Daly and son’s Champions Tour victory at the recent PNC Championship. About SQAIRZ: SQAIRZ is the fastest growing golf shoe brand and the first golf shoe designed to increase distance, balance, stability, and speed. SQAIRZ®’s patented toe design, spike positioning, specially placed comfort padding, Sta-Put laces, and other performance innovations have been proven to improve golfers’ positioning, biomechanics, comfort, balance, and stability. These innovations help golfers to consistently achieve greater accuracy as well as increased ground force connection and swing speed for greater distance. For more information, visit sqairz.com or connect with the company on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube .

Will echo what others have said about PXG fitting. Was in Scottsdale in December for the Day Job and scheduled a fitting and tour at the PXG HQ. My fitter was very thorough, and while he wanted to get me into the Gen 4 irons, it was pretty clear there wasn't all that much difference between those and the 0211 irons. I told him "you guys made these too good!" He agreed. We tried but couldn't come up with a combo to beat the driver I brought with me (new XXIO X), but I did get a Gen4 2-wood and hybrid, along with the irons. We tried every shaft imaginable but couldn't come up with anything better than the no-upcharge Elevate. As for business, since it's Parsons owned, he doesn't answer to anyone, so he can run his business the way he wants. I will tell you the assembly area was running like a finely tuned machine. They had 12 work pods and each would build up 8 custom orders at a time - very well organized for maximum efficiency. One area would pick the materials for the orders and place them on carts, which would then be wheeled to one of the 8 pods. There a team would build the order in an assembly line. They wouldn't let me take pictures in the warehouse, but Parsons read the pre-lockdown tea leaves perfectly. He saw that one result of the pandemic could be a global supply chain mess, so he stocked up on damn near everything - and his warehouse is still packed. That's why PXG can turn around a custom order in about a week or so, while others are 3 to 6 months out. And pricing? When you have high-end product like the Gen4, you don't have to have big market share to make money. Let's say they have a 15% margin on both the 0211s and the Gen4s (I don't know what the margin really is, just making a point), would you rather have 15% margin on $600 or $2500? In Bob's case, he'll take both, especially since he doesn't share any of it with retail accounts. Additionally, their PR/Marketing person told me PXG will be opening up several new fitting centers in major cities in 2022. Basically they'll be PXG branded stores where you can get fit and buy other PXG accessories and apparel. Even more are planned for 2023. So yeah, I'd say they're doing okay.

So I have 5 rounds (well, 4.5) in the books with Triad. They say it's for golfers trying to break 80 - and out of those 5 rounds, I've broken 80 three times. Haven't done this since before my knee injury, so it's good to feel like a golfer again. I've found it low-ish spin off the tee, but with enough spin around the green. It can't be low spin/high spin, but they've done a nice job of balancing the two spin areas. At 85 compression, it does have a nice feel - not DUO squishy by any stretch, but not a rock, either. Best shot was a 7-iron from 155 that hit and stopped dead about a foot and a half from the pin. And no, I didn't miss the putt The breaking 80 thing is spooky - three times in five tries (79-76-78 - all at courses I've never played before). The other two rounds were just bad - 86 and 87, but hey, it's winter. The cynic in me says it's not the ball, and that correlation isn't causation - but the ball is predictable and I'm hitting fairways with it. I'd say the Z-Star XV and Diamond are both longer (higher compression), but it seems very comparable to the standard Z-Star and the new Bridgestone Tour B RX. Maybe there is something to that balanced layer density thing after all. Right now, there's no reason I can see to change to something else. No more golf for me until late March, so we'll see how the next rounds go. But bottom line - so far, I like it.

Hmmmm.... Have to play in Indianapolis and Buffalo to pay off bets (the Patriots picked a bad time to play bad football) - maybe, just maybe....

Second article I ever wrote for MyGolfSpy - this distance thing isn't a new phenomenon. It's been that way forevah! Back to the Future: It has ALWAYS Been About Distance! | MyGolfSpy

There are a ton of great courses all over Wisconsin, as @DaveP043 points out. Have never played Lawsonia, but hear nothing but great things about it. Sentry World in Stevens Point is less than an hour away from Sand Valley, and there are a ton of excellent courses within an hour or so of Milwaukee - I believe one of them hosted a major event this past fall...

In our case, the customers were from central Wisconsin, so it was a day trip for them. Indiana is a hike, no doubt about it. And while flying may be less taxing, it'll probably be just as long if not longer if you can't find a direct flight to Madison, which is another hour and a half drive to Sand Valley. If you're there for a few days, it's definitely worth the drive. Like Streamsong, it's in the middle of nowhere so you're kind of isolated - it's about an hour drive to Wisconsin Dells where at least there are restaurants and hotels with water parks if you're so inclined. Otherwise, get a lodge at the facility and do some customer-vendor bonding.

Just pulled the trigger on the 0211s @fozcycle - and I swear THIS is the year I'm going to fully commit to one set of clubs for the entire season. Really.

All old stuff: '99 Hogan Apex blades, 2002 or 2003 Hogan Apex FTX progressive set, 2002 MacGregor VIP 1025 MC/MB set and the coveted 2010 MacGregor VIP cavity backs. And a really old set of Burke Tommy Armour Silver Scot irons with aluminum shafts - collectable but not playable. I tried - it didn't work at all.

I was very pleasantly surprised with the Hy-Wood - it's very easy to launch and the glide rails work as advertised. There have been a couple of shots that is swear were fat but still went the full distance - Cleveland has a solid club there. And not for nothing, the driver ain't bad, either. Sounds more than a little tinny, but it goes like hell and is VERY forgiving.