Lazy Golfers Rejoice at the Release of ScrambleScoop

I get a lot of media releases sent my way. Most tell me about a new club, a course opening, a special event. But I also get releases highlighting the occasional wacky gadget. Today I got one of those in an e-mail:

It is being called the first-ever "drive-by" golf 
ball retriever. The ScrambleScoop allows any golfer to easily scoop up 
grounded golf balls while in a moving cart — without bending, leaning or 
stretching. Originally designed for use in golf scrambles or "best ball" 
games, the ScrambleScoop is proving popular for any golf outing.

You have to be kidding me.

Okay, I realize this may be useful for some golfers who have aching backs or medical conditions that make bending over painful. But if you aren't one of those people and you buy one of these, you may as well walk around the clubhouse wearing a t-shirt that says, "I'm the laziest guy here."

The ScrambleScoop is a simple device, a net on the end of an aluminum stick that sells for $16.95. It's designed to pick up the ball as you drive. To see it in action, click here.

The device's "inventor" said in the release: "I've played many golf scramble 
games and when I leaned from the cart and nearly fell out trying to pick up 
the ball, I knew there had to be a better way."

True. I've got one. Stop your cart, get out and pick up the ball.

The Web site for the device claims it will speed up play, but scrambles, and golf in general, are slow because people insist on lining up  two-foot putts, aren't ready in the fairways and refuse to pick up after making their 10th swing. Grabbing stray balls is not the issue.

If you have back or knee pain that makes bending over painful, you get a mulligan on this one. But still, it's this sort of gadget that makes people debate whether golf is a sport.

Golf Pride's Patriot Grip Supports Folds of Honor Foundation

CHASKA, Minn. – I had a chance to eat lunch today in the media center with Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and a PGA professional. Major Rooney is also the tireless face of Patriot Golf Day (Sept. 4-7) and the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children and spouses of members of the military disabled or killed in service.

Rooney is an inspiring guy who, after serving a few tours in Iraq, said he's looking forward to not only playing more golf this fall but also to watching football from his sofa.

"It's like I missed the whole season last year," he said with a laugh.

Golf Pride recently created a special red, white and blue grip, the Patriot (right), and will donate a percentage of the sale of each all-rubber grip to the Folds of Honor Foundation. Buying them will give you good feel on the course, and a good feeling off it.

Click here for more information about the Patriot grip, and to make a tax deductible contribution to Folds of Honor, click here.

Scotty Cameron 2009 PGA Championship Putter Headcover

CHASKA, Minn. -- Titleist staff players, as well as a few other prominent members of the field at the 2009 PGA Championship who use Scotty Cameron putters, found a very interesting memento in their locker this week.

Cameron designed a commemorative headcover for this year's final major that's made of canvas. The fishing lures (as a fly fisherman I recognize both dry- and wet-flies) and log font used in the words "For Tour Use Only" are meant to inspire a campy feel.

A few players decided to use the new headcover right away, including Geoff Ogilvy, Darren Clarke (who is playing a new Scotty Cameron California Del Mar), Davis Love and David Toms.

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Scotty Cameron 2009 British Open Putter Headcovers

As he does for all major championships, Scotty Cameron, Titleist's putting guru, has designed a special headcover for this year's British Open. Titleist-endorsed players will find one of these special covers -- white with Union-Jack-covered scooters -- in their lockers by Tuesday evening. For collectors, the headcovers will be available for $72 in the Studio Store area of Cameron's Web site later this week.

 

Evolve Vireo S3 Golf Tees

Today marks the 39th annual Earth Day. If you are going to be playing golf and want to do your part to make our world a little cleaner, think about using Evolve Golf's Vireo S3 tees.

Like other Evolve tees, the Vireo S3 tees are made from a combination of renewable and recycled materials. Evolve claims they are more durable than traditional wooden tees, but if they do break, the tees are completely biodegradable.

In addition, Vireo S3 tees are designed to help you hit the ball in the sweet spot more often. To do that, golfers are encouraged to go to the company's Web site and select the specific driver they play. A tool then shows how many gray dots on the side of the tee should be above the ground to ensure the ideal teeing height.

For example, players swinging a Titleist 905R or a Cleveland HiBore XL Tour driver are encouraged to sink the tee into the ground up to the second dot from the bottom (photo).

You can buy a 35-pack of Vireo S3 tees for $5.95 at intheholegolf.com.

Ping's 50th Anniversary Bag Debuts at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Eight golfers at this year's Masters were given new golf bags that commemorate Ping's 50th anniversary. Angel Cabrera, Hunter Mahan,  Bubba Watson and other members of Ping's staff will carry the bags for the rest of the season.

(Photo by Rubin Yorio/Getty Images)

Scotty Cameron Masters commemorative headcovers sell out in one day

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scotty Cameron, Titleist's putter design guru, has been selling t-shirts, hats, ball markers and other accessories for years. To commemorate this season's first major championship, he made a unique headcover, themed "Augusta Georgia … Sweet Nectar of Golf."

All 2,009 headcovers were made in the United States from brown leather, foam and shearling wool. Over 90,000 stitches were made to create the pink and white flowers and the Cameron logo.

When I asked Cameron if he had one for each Titleist player in this week's Masters, he told me he didn't bring any. All but a handful were made available on scottycameron.com, and they sold out, at $116 each, in about a day. The few that remain will likely be given to VIPs like Davis Love, who collects Cameron headcovers, but Cameron said no more will be made.

You can see a video of the headcover being created here.

Video: Adjustable golf cleats

Learn more about the adjustable Black Widow Tour golf cleats in this video:

The Radar shows how far you really hit your shots

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Standing just six inches high and four inches wide, The Radar might be mistaken for a chunky BlackBerry. You can't check your e-mail on it, but this portable Doppler radar unit will tell you the ball speed and carry distance of any shot you hit.

"Most people who are practicing on a range have no idea how far they are really hitting the ball," says Jon Leven, CEO of National Golf Products, the makers of The Radar. "And certainly at any indoor facility, when you are hitting into a net, you wouldn't know how far your shots are going either."

The Radar solves this problem, and it's easy to use. You simply select the radar band that matches the club you're swinging, and the device measures the ball's speed at several points immediately after impact. Using algorithms, The Radar then determines the spin rate and launch angle of your shot. The ball speed is displayed on the screen, as well as the distance, which is computed using the information The Radar has collected.

To be fair, this is not a true launch monitor. Leven says that it's accurate to within a yard on shots hit up to 150 yards. More than 150, and The Radar is accurate to within three to five yards.

The Radar requires one 9-volt battery and retails for $229.

(Photo by David Walberg/SI)

12 Things I Can't Play Without

A lot of us unwrapped golf-related presents during the holidays. Books, clothes, DVDs, club cleaners — the kind of stuff we enjoy but would rarely buy for ourselves. It made me start to think about what I absolutely, positively never want to play golf without. Here are my essentials:

1. Properly Marked Balls. For me, this means six that are marked and ready for play before each round. I use a green Sharpie and make a single dot under the ball's number, then a line along the seam of the ball so I can align putts on my intended target line. If I'm playing on a course with lots of high rough or water, I'll bring three extra.

2. Free Tees. I think white look the best, but honestly, whatever is free at the starter's hut works for me. I hate the idea of buying tees.

3. Coins with good years. In pursuit of positive karma, lots of pros use coins minted in the 60s as ball markers. Pennies are fine, but nickels, dimes and quarters work too. Like tees, I can't bring myself to pay for a ball marker.

4. A divot repair tool. If everyone repaired his pitch mark, and another nearby, we'd all be putting on smoother greens. (I put one in my pocket, along with a coin, on the first tee.)

5. Pencils. I'm constantly losing the pencil I start my round with, so I stock several.

6. A towel. I keep one corner damp to help me keep the grooves of my irons and wedges clean.

7. A water resistant top. If the forecast calls for steady rain, I'll wear a water-proof top to the course. If the forecast calls for the possibility of rain, I rely on a compressible, water-resistant, breathable top that I keep in my bag at all times. My RLX Stratus V-Neck Wind Shirt is perfect for the job.

8. Sunscreen. Playing golf in the sun is great. Skin cancer is terrible. Coppertone makes a great spray bottle of SPF-30 sunscreen that is sweatproof and non-greasy.

9. Granola bars. When it's hot, energy bars melt and get sticky. Nuts make me thirsty. Granola bars are easy to store, provide lasting energy and taste good.

10. Two gloves. One to wear, another as a back up.

11. A water bottle. There is nothing worse than getting thirsty on the course, and I never depend on either a beverage cart or a cooler to be just around the corner. I fill a Nalgene bottle with ice at home and fill it with water before starting my round.

12. A laser range finder. Yes, this is a splurge, but instead of finding a sprinkler head and pacing off yardages, my laser range finder tells me exactly how far I am from the flag or a hazard in about two seconds. It only weighs a few ounces, and on the tee box on par 3s it's funny how everyone looks to me to see what the magic number is.