Golf Blog by The Orlando Golf Blogger

I found BirthGolfDeath.com through twitter and Joseph Coonick (Creator/Owner) was kind enough to send me a shirt to demo. I was sent one of the “Life is Short. Play Golf Daily” Tee and I must say, it fits really well with my perspective on life! (now if only my wife could see the light!)

Now in order to make this work, I had to find the the highest paid clothing model I could find…. Look at that pizazz!

The shirt is very comfortable and stylish (at least as far as I can tell), but keep in mind, this is coming from a man who used to wear button down silk shirts with fish designs on them… (Sigh…. I miss those shirts, but thanks honey! )

It’s made out of 52% Cotton & 48% Polyester and it fits really well. It’s a lighter material so it’s, in my opinion, perfect for the summer heat. There’s a couple things I hate about a t-shirt, excess fabric (a dress t-shirt) or really heavy fabric (a t-shirt sweater) and this is neither.

As for the logo, I’m not really a big fan of skulls, skeletons, the undead or anything associated with bones. So, for me, the logo was not terribly impressive. But having said that, it’s not so in your face “badass sporting skulls” that I feel uncomfortable wearing it.

Now, I’m not saying skeletons should not be on golf shirt, they’re just not really my style. Take old John Daly for instance, I also don’t have much interest in loudmouth golf pants, but he (and others i’ve seen) pull them off …..well.

I would like to say that I think the logo is a very accurate representation of the company. Now this is probably my crazy left field deduction, but I interpret the logo like this… The cigar is representative of birth (IE “It’s a boy celebratory stogies), the golf clubs represent death…… hah! j/k, the clubs obviously represent the addiction we all crave and the skeleton golfer represents death, or atleast some persona of the end of the road. I suppose it’s also a safe interpretation to say that the cigar he’s puffing on, could also symbolize death or the pursuit of the afterlife……

Well, I suppose, enough of my ramblings. Below is the press release announcing their new spring/summer line 2009.

B.G.D. (BIRTH. GOLF. DEATH.) LAUNCHES
SPRING 2009 GOLF APPAREL COLLECTION
May 12, 2009 (Denver, Colo.) – Denver-based Birth.Golf.Death. (“B.G.D.”) has just released fresh new designs for the spring/summer 2009 season. The new designs include T-shirts, long and short sleeve polo shirts, windbreakers and jackets, each featuring B.G.D.’s signature logo of a skeleton golfer.

Many of the pieces are designed with an alternative flair, while others reflect a Zen-like golf experience, with Buddha and planet Earth featured in the designs.
“B.G.D. is golf apparel with an edge for today’s modern golfer,” said Joseph Coonick, B.G.D. creator and owner. “A unique and hip alternative to classic golf apparel, B.G.D. T-shirt designs are thoughtful and eye-catching, while the clothing is made from innovative modern fabrics to assist in keeping cool and dry on the course.”

Two recent showings by B.G.D. at the Denver Golf Expo in Denver, Colo. and the North Texas Golf Expo in Dallas, Texas have also emphasized the growing success of the company. Several designs sold out and numerous requests by pro shops, golf stores and tournaments were made to carry the B.G.D. line. Coonick, an avid golfer with a single digit handicap, personally creates the designs and is passionate about each and every new design he creates.

I was given a 15% off coupon code to pass on to you guys, it’s OB15. If you get a moment, check out their website and see if there’s anything you like.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter! Many cool things to come from it.

-Dave

Manhattan Federal Court Judge Denny Chin threw the book at Bernie Madoff, he gave him the maximum penalty, 150 years in prison.

“Here, the message must be sent that Mr. Madoff’s crimes were extraordinarily evil,” Chin said. “This kind of manipulation of the system is not just a bloodless crime that takes place on paper, but one instead that takes a staggering toll.”

Bernie Madoff, engineered a $65 billion dollar fraud scheme that rocked the financial world to its core.

Madoff’s sentence will be little consolation to his many victims, who include Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, Mets owner Fred Wilpon, talk show host Larry King, studio exec Jeffrey Katzenberg, actor Kevin Bacon and famed director Pedro Almodovar.

Madoff also ripped off millions from major Jewish organizations, including Yeshiva University, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and the Gift of Life Foundation, a Jewish bone-marrow registry.

As one victim put it, Bernie Madoff stole from the rich, the poor and the in between, he even stole from a Nobel Prize-winning Holocaust chronicler Elie Wiesel.

Here’s a link to the NY Daily New’s article ” Bye, Bye Bernie.”

Today’s Orlando Golf Lesson is “How to Hit a Punch Shot” or “Knockdown Shot.”

A punch or knockdown shot is a shot played with a very low trajectory, usually to avoid interference from tree branches when a player is hitting from the woods. Similar to the knock-down, it can also be used to avoid high winds.

The setup is relatively simple.

• Place the ball towards the back of your stance near your back foot
• Shift your weight forward
• Move your hands forward so that you decrease the angle of the clubface
• Choke down on the club close to where the grip meets the shaft
• Take a normal swing, stopping about 3/4 of the way to the top
• Keep your hands ahead through impact
• Stop the follow through 3/4 way to the top

I’ve often read that this is an “advanced” shot and mid-high handicappers don’t need to focus on it. I completely disagree I think for us hackers this would be a great addition to the arsenal. Think about it… Who spends the most of their time in the trees?

Here’s a couple videos I found to help illustrate the shot.

I really like this shot for a couple of different reasons…although typically, you’ll use 3I-8I for a punch shot, you can use pretty much any club in the bag.

It’s a shot that has significant room for error. What I mean is, if your body is aimed at the target and you hit a bad shot, there’s a good chance its still heading in the right direction and you’re still going to be moving the ball in a forward direction.

Hope you’ve learned something useful today!

What’s your take on the punch shot?

-Dave

Holy busy Friday!

I’m going to change the format a bit today and instead of a long post on a single topic, I’m going to a long post a couple of different topics.

First things first. Everyone’s Favorite Golf Ball, the Top Flight Gamer Ball is on sale at GolfSmith. They’re running a special 2 for $35! Not a bad deal at all! You can pick em up in the store or online. If you’re looking to buy, click the image below so I’ll make like $.20 cents from it

If you haven’t heard about this ball, it’s a super sweet, relatively inexpensive Golf Ball. It received a gold rating on the Golf Digest 2009 Golf Ball Hotlist. Click the link below to read about it.

Golf Digest Golf Ball Hotlist 2009 – Top Flite Gamer

and here’s a slightly dated, yet still relevant review of the ball.

Top-Flite Gamer Golf Ball

If you play or if you’ve played this ball, I’d like to hear what you think about it.

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I’ve just started reading Carl Hiaasen’s newest book called “The Downhill Lie.” I’m not very far into it, but I can tell already it’s going to be an interesting read. Within the first couple pages, there comes a scene where two guys are using golf clubs to hit toads off their front porch!

Stay tuned for a full review!

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Golf Tip of the Day – Be mindful of the leading shoulder

Recently, I’ve been hitting an unusually high number of fat shots. The divot was starting about two inches behind the ball instead of infront of it. With a little help from the world famouns Brendon Elliott, I soon realized that I was dipping my lead shoulder during my back swing.

This bad habit started when I was attempting to hone my weight shift. By emphasizing my weight shift to my back foot on my back swing I was inadvertantly dipping my lead shoulder which lead to some seriously screwed up shots. I’ve thus begun correcting this oversight but it did cost me some strokes.

So, if you’re experiencing some fat shots and can’t figure out why, you might be dropping that lead shoulder on your backswing. When you’re on the range, concentrate on keeping the shoulder up and twist more with your upper body.

Just my two cents.

Happy Friday!

-Dave

If you are a golfer and you are planning a family vacation to Orlando to visit the attractions, you need to schedule a little time to play one (or all)  of Disney’s five golf courses. Every course on the property offers a different experience for golfers of all skill level.

Osprey Ridge, rated 4 1/2 out of 5 stars by Golf Digest and rated one of the “best courses you can play” by Golf Magazine,  takes you through a wilderness-like setting where you’ll encounter all types of local wildlife. This Tom Fazio-designed course will take you through forests of scrub oak, pine, palmetto, cypress and bay trees. From the tips, Osprey Ridge is 7,101 yards and boasts a whopping 74.4 course rating.

Lake Buena Vista, rated 4 out of 5 stars by Golf Digest, is, as expressed by course architect Joe Lee, “exciting, challenging, yet fun to play.” The course has more of a “country club” feel to it, everything is expertly manicured and there are some absolutely beautiful holes to experience.  Holes #4 and #16 are my two favorite on the course, both play over water and are quite appealing to the eye. On hole #16, you can sometimes catch the ferry boats taking the park goers to and from the attractions and if you aim your tee shot just right…… Hole #7 is a Par 3 to an island green, very similar to a certain TPC Sawgrass hole. While not as back breaking as Osprey Ridge, you’re still faced with a 73.0 course rating and 6802 yards of pastel villas, pine forests, palmettos, sparkling lakes and a lighthouse.

The Palm Golf Course, also rated 4 out of 5 stars by Golf Digest, strangely enough features many strategically placed palm trees. Quite the opposite of Osprey Ridge, this Joe Lee design comes equipped with tropical sand and shimmer lakes to give you the feeling of playing golf in an oasis. There are 94 bunkers on the course and hole #18 is considered one of the most challenging holes on the PGA Tour. The Palm is a part of the annual Children’s Miracle Network Classic, offering plenty of challenges for players of all skill level. From the tips, the course plays 7010 yards with a 73.9 course rating.

Disney’s Magnolia is by far, my favorite Disney course to play. It features the famous Mickey bunker on the Par 3, 6th, which, I was 2 inches away from my first Ace… Magnolia is a tough course, from the tips it plays a fearsome 76.4 course rating and 7516 yards. Designed by Joe Lee, the course was named for it’s many fragrant Magnolia trees. This course is also home to the final round of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic. Last time I played this course, I saw no fewer than 20 deer, a dozen turkeys and one alligator. In this bloggers humble opinion, if you had to choose one Disney course to play, I’d strongly recommend Magnolia.

Last and least (regarding the number of holes…tee hee) is Oak Trail Golf Course. It’s a pleasant family course that is a walking nine hole. It’s a fun course with something for everyone and it’s a great relaxing round.

Back in February, Golfnow.com, started offering discounted tee times for all the Disney golf courses, sometimes you can find rounds discounted as much as 75% off. So if you’re looking for a good way to save some cash, I recommend checking them out.

Among some of the best places to stay in the area are the Omni Orlando at Championsgate, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and the Ginn Reunion resorts, which all feature golf courses designed by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus among others.

Enjoy!

- Dave

For great golf deals sent to your mobile phone, simply text orlandogolf to 69302. There is no charge to use this service, but standard text rates apply. Please contact your cellular provider for details on these rates.

Here’s a pretty crazy story about one group of golfers who faced a near death experience while pursuing the amazing sport we all know and love.

On January 15th, 2009, a mixture of childhood friends and family; Dave Carlos, Rick Delisle, Jeff Kolodjay, his father Rob Kolodjay, Jorge Morgado and Jim Stefanik, who I’ve labeled the U.S. Airways 6 (Circa the Oceanic 6 from everyone’s favorite TV show, Lost) boarded a plane bound for Myrtle Beach for their annual golf trip.

Filled with excitement and thoughts of a week long adventure of golf, beer, camraderie, competition and good fun, the U.S. Airways 6 never considered what happened next.

Midflight, the plane ran into a flock of geese and after a heartpounding struggle, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 plunged into the Hudson River.

All 155 passengers of the flight survived due to the  skill of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who is the only pilot to ever successfully dump a commercial aircraft in water.

The survivors stood on the Airbus A320’s wings, framed by the New York City skyline serving as a backdrop on a brutally cold, winter day. The inauguration of a new president and the 24-hour news cycle make the months since the crash seem like an eternity for most people, but a man’s memory of facing his own mortality doesn’t fade as quickly.

Needless to say, the trip was postponed and all their gear was lost.  True to any golfer’s indomitable spirit, three months later, they were on their way back to Myrtle Beach, this time opting to drive..

A crew from the new Golf Channel show, “Golf in America” filmed the group at True Blue and Heritage for a segment that will run at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23. Despite the media attention, the group enjoyed a golf trip like so many others – razzing each other about bad shots, jokingly walking away as Carlos, the (self-proclaimed) worst golfer of the bunch, was about to tee off on a par 3, and enjoying life.

Here’s the link to the original article Miracle On the Hudson.

-Dave

One of my good twitter friends @AliceJam is celebrating her birthday today!

Check out her Happy Birthday Blog Post!

She’s one of the most sports-savvy ladies I know and I’m embarrassed to say, but she’s probably forgotten more about sports than I’ve ever known!

So do me a favor, drop by her blog, take a read, leave a comment and add her to your RSS feeds, she writes great stuff and is a wonderful person to know!

-Dave

MYSTIC DUNES GOLF CLUB TO PARTICIPATE IN

“TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE COURSE WEEK”

CELEBRATION, FL (June 22, 2009) – Mystic Dunes Golf Club has announced plans to participate in “Take Your Daughter to the Course Week” being held July 6 – 12, 2009.

“Mystic Dunes is proud to once again participate in an initiative encouraging family interaction on the golf course,” said Rick Smith, Mystic Dunes Director of Golf. “I have always encouraged parents to get their daughters involved at an early age.”

Mystic Dunes Golf Club will offer free greens fees to young ladies when accompanied by a paying adult during the week. In addition, a one-hour clinic for girls will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. A registration fee of $10 is required for the clinic.

To book a tee time or for more information, call the Mystic Dunes Golf Club Pro Shop at (407) 787-5678.

Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, now in its tenth year, was developed by the National Golf Course Owners Association and is part of Play Golf America, an industry-wide effort to grow the game. Take Your Daughter to the Course Week hopes to shrink the gender difference while promoting golf as a family activity.

Take Your Daughter to the Course Week 2009 is presented by The National Golf Course Owners Association, in cooperation with The PGA, LPGA, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, and EWGA. For more information, go to www.ngcoa.org or www.playgolfamerica.com.

About Mystic Dunes Golf Club

Mystic Dunes Golf Club, a high-end daily fee course, is open to the public and is located at Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida, which is owned and operated by Tempus Resorts International, Ltd. Designed by Champions Tour player and NBC Golf Analyst Gary Koch, this premier Central Florida course is a par 71, 7,012-yard golfer’s dream. The course is ranked a 4 ½-star facility among Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play”, has been honored as a Course of Distinction among Golfweek’s “Best Resort Courses”, and is ranked #2 among “Orlando’s Top 5 Golf Courses” by TravelGolf.com. Tee times can be booked online at www.mysticdunesgolf.com or by calling the pro shop at 1-866-311-1234 or 407-787-5678.

About Tempus Resorts International, Ltd.

Established in December 1997, Tempus Resorts International, Ltd. is a customer-focused vacation ownership development and management company based in Orlando, Florida. Tempus is a multi-faceted enterprise comprised of ten distinct companies which support its resort and golf development, hospitality operations, and marketing, financial and technology services. Built on a solid foundation of strong and experienced management, industry-leading systems and technology, compelling products, and a diverse team of talented, committed employees, Tempus has delivered memorable vacation experiences to over 650,000 owners and guests. Tempus is an active member of the American Resort Development Association and the Interval International exchange service network, which has designated Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club, Tempus’ flagship Orlando resort, as a “Premier Resort”, its highest level of recognition.

A woman of many talents, Morgan Pressel, whenever she isn’t chasing the little white devil all over the links, she enjoys a bit of surfing in Hawaii and then scrapbooking about it..

She posted this image up on twitter for our viewing pleasure.

You can follow her updates @morganpressel.

One can’t help but sympathize with some of the hardships these pro golfers have to suffer through…

- Dave

For those of you working stiffs who are cooped up in the office all day and are unable to watch the U.S. Open on the big screen, worry not! The official site of the U.S. Open is streaming live video of the tournament all day! Here’s the link.

Watch the 2009 U.S Open Live

It’s limited to the Marque group of the day and today (ofcourse) it’s Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington. ….bummer….

There’s some other cool features that you might enjoy like a real time leaderboard and fan commenting. Fan commenting is like a chatroom for everyone who’s watching online and you can comment on whatever strikes yer fancy.

Just in case you were curious, this week I have a sneaky suspicion that Paddy Lucas Glover is going to win it all.

Thank god for the internet!

-Dave