Even casual Masters viewers have heard the CBS theme music countless times, but may not have known that there are words that go with the soft tinkling piano melody to "Augusta"
Dave Loggins, wrote the song around 1980, with lyrics help from photographer Frank Christian. They then took it to CBS, which now uses the instrumental version extensively. The words are an ode to every thing Augusta:
Payment Data Systems, Inc., recently announced an agreement with Natalie Gulbis for a Natalie Gulbis Gift MasterCard.
This athlete marketing, of course, is nothing new but a facinating science nevertheless.
Natalie is now one of the top five of Advertising Age's most marketable young athletes. I believe she has over 25 marketing/advertising deals. You can see how these marketing deals EASILY eclipse their tour earnings.
I mean, what does it REALLY matter who or what is on your plastic credit card. Soon I am sure you will be able to put your family picture or favorite pet but having a world renknown athlete on it does add a certain cliquish quality.
And, if *I* were given the choice between a nice landsape or Natalie It would be a pretty easy choice.
I love these vintage golf ads and hope to display more of them here.
I especially like the headline: "Stay Out Of The Rough - Smoke Chesterfields Like I Do!"
I guess they are saying if you smoke Chesterfields you can magically stay out of the rough.
Actually Chesterfields are still being made today.
Too bad, if only I smoked.
The Correct Sight is a simple but VERY effective training aid. Helps immensely to hit solid golf shots. Give the Correct Sight a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised!
I wanted to share a few of the new products AceMagnetics has available.
First, if you are not familiar with the VERY popular Rally Band™ I would check these out. They are very cool looking, have a ton of benefits and are great gifts for friends, work associates and as tournament giveaways - oh, and of course, get one for YOU.
There is also the recently released Tungsten Carbide Magnetic Bracelet. This space age magnetic bracelet measures 7/16' wide. Tunsten Carbide is reputed to be be the hardest metal on the planet (and the highest melting point). A tungsten carbide bracelet will remain polished forever, and is virtually impossible to scratch. We dare you to try!
This is a one-of-a-kind product and is only available at AceMagnetics. For the complete lowdown and some additional amazing information check out the product here. Supplies are limited so get one while they are still available.
Finally check out the new The "Ocean" Hematite Necklace. Because magnetic hematite clings to hold a single strand together it needs no clasp so you can wear this as a bracelet, anklet, necklace or ornamental hair tie.
Additionally, this beautiful magnetic hematite jewelry has thirty five neodymium iron boron hematite magnets at 1300 gauss each. Another great gift!
AceMagnetics is THE leader in Magnetic bracelets, copper bracelets & magnetic jewelry. If you want QUALITY don't waste your time on other cheap imitators. Head on over to AceMagnetics.com now!
I've just finished playing two more beautiful desert courses - Silver Rock and Desert Willow. Silver Rock will be the site of next year's Bob Hope. It's a brand new course, built in the middle of desert rock and sand next to the base of the mountains. Within a couple of years the place will be surrounded by new million dollar plus homes and a sister course. Apparently this whole area will double or triple its population in a matter of only a few years.
The course itself is quite spectacular, as most of the high end plays are out in this neck of the woods. The back tees are all but unplayable if you're not a card carrying PGA professional. There are plenty of tough traps, filled with something that's a close cousin of kitty litter - but very playable. There's little in the way of rough that's grass, most fairways being surrounded by the desert - more aptly labeled giant waste bunkers. To make matters worse, these bunkers are filled with small plants that act as ball magnets. Bottom line; hitting a ball into these areas is a double penalty. First take an unplayable lie and then try to hit a 200 yard shot out of the sand to a green that has water on at least one side.
The good news at Silver Rock is we saw some beautiful bighorn sheep. They come down to the course to 'graze' in hot weather. Watching them climb near vertical rock with ease was the real treat of the day. Back to golf - the course was in great shape, but the greens were not as good as at The Classic.
Desert Willow is owned by the town of Palm Desert. It may be the most beautifully planted course in this whole area. It looks much like the other courses, but because of the landscaping you never really feel like you're playing in the middle of a desert. The course personnel are all very friendly. For some reason, the speed of play was much better. At Silver Rock we had to wait on almost every shot. I suspect this is because the course is more difficult than most players are capable of handling.
The bottom line after playing 5 courses, they are all too similar. After awhile you can't keep them straight in your mind. It's as if the course architects are all working off one master plan. Maybe you can only do so much in the middle of the desert.
If you've read any of my blogs before, then you know I don't like carts. Out here they are mandatory. I've never seen one person carry or pull a cart yet. I'm not sure what hitting a golf ball while driving a cart is called, but it sure isn't golf. Give me my old pull cart and the simple plebeian courses back home and I'm a happy camper!
Thanks to friends, my wife and I are spending a couple of weeks golfing in the southern California desert.
First let me say that this area, from Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs to the Palm Desert and Indio is packed with golf courses. This may be the highest concentration of golf courses anywhere in the US in such a small area. I don’t have the statistics, but I it’s every bit the equal of Phoenix. Second, everybody I’ve met so far uses Standby Golf to book tee times at reduced prices. With this service you call anytime after 4 pm to get low cost tee times for the next day. From what I can tell, most every first rate course in the area uses this service.
The first 3 days here we played Terra Lago - the old Landmark Golf Club and home of many skins games, Desert Dunes and The Classic Club - site of this year’s Bob Hope Classic. All three courses are in the middle of the valley that sits between two desert mountain ranges. Where there isn’t a watering system, you see only dirt, sand, stones, and scrub brush. All these courses sit in the middle of the valley. You definitely know you’re in the desert.
All 3 use lots of gentle undulations to sculpt the holes. In many cases the fairways are banked on at least one side by earthen berms. Bunkers are everywhere, but in general the sand is course and compacted. I was particularly surprised by the traps at The Classic. I heard the sand was soft and fluffy during the Hope, but somehow it’s developed a hard crust in many areas since then. Terra Lago has a little water, Desert Dunes a bit more and at The Classic water is everywhere – to the left, right and sometimes straight ahead. It almost seems out of place in the desert, but the many waterfalls and flowing streams are a welcome counterpoint to the surrounding desert.
Terra Lago had recently aerated their greens, as a result they were slow and not predictable. Desert Dunes looked like they were cutting back on their watering. The greens were true, but definitely not top notch. The Classic Club, on the other hand, had beautiful greens that were lightning fast. Get above the hole and you’re going to add at least a shot to your score.
All of these 3 courses are somewhere between links and parkland style. I guess you could call them desert links. The Classic Club had very few straight holes, many of the fairways trace shoreline arcs. At times, this puts water into play on almost every shot. If you can’t control your direction, make sure you bring plenty of balls!
On all 3 courses we played the gold or white tees, which seemed pretty fair for male golfers with handicaps between 10 and 20. Playing the back tees at The Classic radically changes the course. If you can’t carry your drive 289 yards, don’t bother even trying.
The Classic Club is definitely the hardest, which can mean it’s less enjoyable if you don’t have your A game. Desert Dunes was my least favorite, the upkeep just wasn’t where it should be. I enjoyed Terra Lago a lot. It’s not overly penal and has an interesting links type feel to it. All of these courses grow serious fangs when the wind blows, almost to the point of being unplayable.
