The Downhill Lie

Carl Hiaasen is no longer the lean, spry fellow with a fine drive and a decent putter. Today he is a popular author of some 14 books of fiction and a widely syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald. He is at a point in his life with his career firmly established, but then a couple of years ago did a very foolish thing – he took up golf after a 32-year layoff. “I just wanted to be better at something at middle age than I was when I was younger.”

For those readers unfamiliar with Hiaasen, he holds a spot somewhere between Elmore Leonard and Jimmy Buffet, writers who have captured a slice of Florida’s quixotic criminal and reprobate culture. In this book, Hiassen brings along his signature irreverence with his reporter’s notebook. Readers can expect a realization or a solid laugh on each one of the book’s 207 pages.

More to the point, the book is an amusing archeological field study with a prodigious amount of research to frame the current culture of golf with the question:  How could someone who is completely alien to golf take up the sport?

Step by step Hiassen takes us through the lessons, the course design, purchase of equipment and gadgets galore. Hiassen, secure in his own right, is willing to ask all the dumb questions we’d like to ask. All this is infused with a sharp banter of a freshly minted golfer, but with a twist; he is also a highly regarded investigative columnist who has exposed criminal activity among many within Florida’s monied class who can afford to play golf and buy all the equipment they wanted. Not much evades his reporter’s eyes and ears. This means he often plays alone or with a close friend. It’s just as well, because Hiassen recounts his bouts with a Type-A temper that does not serve him well on a golf course.

Hiassen remains an objective observer of a game he has decided to reveal as much to himself as to his readers. With ample detail he writes about his selection of drivers, balls and putters and how he has attempted to trim his handicap - seldom breaking 90 and scoring a USGA handicap of 142 – all the while playing several times a week.

His frustration mounts as he must prepare for a true test: the club tournament.  Thrust into action he tries a variety of different hand grips, tries different forms of meditation to quell his need to toss a putter or driver into a pond with alligators. He reads every book on the swing and putt, takes first-class instruction and even talks to a mental coach. He ingests every potion pharmacology has to offer and just for good measure brings along vo-doo charms.

Pointedly, the author puts to rest that question many of us have: “How good a golfer could I become if I had unlimited time and money to devote to improving my golf?”

With aplomb, Hiassen delivers an answer most hackers could live with.

Eventually Hiassen is ready for the club tournament with the single aim of not embarrassing himself. As the pressure mounts he finds in a moment of epiphany that he is about the same age as his first teacher, his dad, when they played together. He also notes that his son’s game has surpassed a parent’s wildest dreams. Here, he finds, the tournament itself is but a metaphor. With candor Hiassen realizes he has reached a bittersweet maturity of being the father, the inheritor and teacher of lessons about golf.

—

Golfsmith and GolfTEC Giving Away $1 Million in FREE Lessons JULY 8, 2009.  Golfsmith is teaming with GolfTEC®, the world leader in golf instruction, to give avid and aspiring golfers an opportunity to get new golf equipment and improve their games with $1 million worth of free lessons from GolfTEC.

Starting today while supplies last, golfers who make a purchase of $299 or more at any Golfsmith store across the country will receive a FREE 30-minute GolfTEC Swing Diagnosis conducted by a GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach.  The swing diagnosis, valued at $85, is one of GolfTEC’s most popular lesson experiences as it isolates score-improving opportunities in any player’s swing.

“At Golfsmith our goal is to help golfers improve their games with great equipment and professional instruction through our partners at GolfTEC,” said Martin Hanaka, president and CEO of Golfsmith.  “This groundbreaking promotion is yet another example of how Golfsmith is helping to grow the game of golf by providing great value to golfers around the country.  More than 12,000 golfers will get free lessons with their purchase only at Golfsmith.”

Adds Joe Assell, cofounder and CEO of GolfTEC, “The timing is right for golfers who want to get past plateaus in skill and score – and who value the right equipment and Coach guidance.  I’d like to challenge players across the country to turn their on-course frustrations into positive action with this tremendous offer from Golfsmith.” 

June 27 - July 5th
Golf, Cart, Practice Facility and all you can eat - Only $142 per person + tax
Call 905-653-4653 to book

Summer Junior Golf Camp at InnerGolf

Looking for a great activity for your son or daughter this summer - InnerGolf Summer Junior Golf Camp is a great way to introduce your child to golf or nurture their love of this amazing game.  Camps are available for boys and girls, ages 7 - 17 from June 29th through September 4th. 

InnerGolf’s summer golf camp is focused on a blend or golf instruction, golf games and playing time.   But we also mix in some Wii games and other fun activities to ensure that campers have a chance to relax and socialize away from golf.  This is especially important for younger golfers for whom a full day of golf would be overwhelming.  Our stronger golfers get full advantage of on course play in our simulators and Big Break style contests that hone their skills and keep them entertained!

Camp runs from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm with before and after camp care available if requested.  Space in each week is limited to ensure that each camper has a great experience.  Camp fees range from $280 to $350 per week depending upon whether the week includes a holiday.  Booking is on a first come first served basis.  Please call 416-538-4653 to book today.

If not Derek, who is going to step up on the Canadian Scene?

The Bobcat has finally annouced the launch of his new sports web site www.Fadoo.ca. 

I have been fortunate enough to work with Bob on this site and am looking forward to bringing more great golf content to the site and to my blog readers.  There is a great new post by John Kawaja of Adidas TaylorMade.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts

I have recently developed an obsession with Mobile Applications…so when I received an email from friend Mary Beth Lacy regarding this new app, I had to post it.  You can now download Golf Rules to your IPhone.

Cool Stuff, would love feedback from any readers who download it:

The iPhone application brings to life the user-friendly “Golf Rules Quick Reference,” which provides instant help in clearing up hazy situations involving the often-confusing Rules of Golf. Ton-That spent four years developing the original “Golf Rules Quick Reference Stroke Play Guide,” which has won numerous awards. Golf Digest says that it’s “the best effort yet to decipher the Rules of Golf” and the golf industry awarded it “Best New Product” at its two largest golf trade shows. It’s no wonder more than 500,000 satisfied customers in more than 50 countries are using it.

Shortly after confirming his attendance in this year’s RBC Canadian Open, RBC has annouced they have signed Anthony Kim to a multi-year deal which will include advertising campaigns in both Canada and the US.

“RBC is proud to be associated with Anthony Kim, a highly recognizable world-class professional athlete who can help us grow our brand in the U.S.,” said Jim Little, RBC chief brand and communications officer, in a release. “From customer hosting to branded experiences for golfers and golf fans in both Canada and the U.S., we look forward to building on our successes in golf with Anthony.”

My last post was about InnerGolf in Toronto and how I have been using their facilities to improve my game.  It only makes sense that my next post is about the actual simulators!
 

While at the PGA Show in January, I had the pleasure of finally meeting Mary Beth Lacey, the industries finest PR person.  For months prior, Mary Beth had been raving to me about the new aboutGolf 3Trak simulators which would blow me away.  It was this statement which made me first stop in at InnerGolf to see the newest simulator.  Let me tell you, it wasn’t an exaggeration on her part!
 

This new simulator was like nothing I had seen before.  This new simulator, is as realistic as they come and with stats and feedback then I could handle.  It is to the point where InnerGolf actually had a seminar one night to educate golfers on how to properly interpret the statistics and how to use them to better their game.  As a training aid, the simulator also records your swing and allows instructors to draw lines on the screen, playback the swing against other players and even pros.  Pretty damn cool.
 

Rather than trying to fumble my way through an explanation of how the technology works, I will let Pierre Bourque from aboutGolf explain it to you.
 

Luckily a solution exists! I have started visiting InnerGolf, a downtown Toronto indoor golf facility. You won’t find any driving ranges here but you will find state-of-the-art aboutGolf Simulators, putting/chipping greens, first class instructors and even a licensed bar. InnerGolf is a great place to some and have some fun with friends but it can be more than that.

Owner Mark Walker invited me to try out the new simulators and see the advantages of training on them. I was pleasantly shocked at how realistic they were and how playing here all winter long will better equip me for the outdoor season.

More to follow on the simulators themselves and my exciting new project with Eva Kovacs, Director of Golf.