Scruffy's Word

The Back Nine

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 +0000

If you have ever thought,.."If I had a coach and the time, I could become a professional golfer"...you must watch this movie! Armed with a drive and desire to achieve his dream, my pal Jon, an above average golfer, takes on the challange to make his dream a reality. His journey to becoming the best golfer he can be, leads him on a path that changes his life forever.

THE BACK NINE, It's Time To Take Your Shot

is a must see for all golfers!

CLICK HERE for details.

Issue 7 of Universal Golf Magazine

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Have you taken advantage of you free subscription to Universal Golf Magazine yet? My pal Bobby Nicholson and his innovative and creative staff have developed a golf magazine designed for the Internet packed with videos, current articles, live links to advertisers and a heck or a lot more.

I am honored to have been asked to be UGM's exclusive cartoonist. If for no other reason, you need to subscribe to the magazine just to see my cartoons...CLICK HERE and view this and past issues. There is a subscription form there...go ahead and sign up, Bobby will start sending each new issue to your email box monthly.

999 Questions of The Rules of Golf

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:05:00 +0000

Hello, Niles here to talk about the rules of golf...it has been quite sometime since I have been asked to appear on Scruffy’s Word and on this occasion, I am quite happy to tell about my pal Barry Rhodes. Unlike me, Barry is an enthusiastic golfer.

As you know, I dislike the silly game and have yet to strike at a ball in hopes that it will sail off into the wild blue yonder landing precisely where I hoped it would, and then upon opening my eyes realize, it in fact, landed in amongst a grove of trees.

On the other hand, much like myself, Barry is obsessed with the rules of golf. Firstly let me say that given the fact he resides in Ireland should not be recorded in the debit column of his ledger. Barry’s obsession for the rules of golf has driven him not only nuts…it has inspired him to write a book called 999 Questions on the Rules of Golf.

It should come as no surprise that the average golfer gives up several strokes per year merely because they do not possess sufficient understanding of the Rules of Golf. 999 Questions is a fun and easy way to learn them.... Barry has come up with a way of explaining rules situations that will not only entertain the reader...it will educate him or her and help make them a better golfer.

I highly recommend your purchase a copy for yourself and one for your golfing pal, it makes an excellent gift. I assure you that it will pay for itself in the first few months after reading it. Keep a copy in the grill room at your Club...in fact purchase two or three...they will get worn out from use.

Barry has promised me he will send you a personally autographed copy of his new hit book. All you have to do is CLICK HERE to visit his site and send him an email. Be sure to tell him Niles sent you.

Cheers!

Take a look at this Automated Business earn money while you play golf!

Divot Tool/Key Ring

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:47:00 +0000

Scruffy knows how danged particular I am about knuckle dragging fat heads that won't fix a gull darned divot if their mother's honor depended on it...so when he was asked to do a review on this little gadget, he gave me a call.

I gotta tell ya...this is the first divot tool key ring I have ever seen and I bet you haven't seen one either. If you own a business or if you direct a charity golfing event and you're lookin for something out of the ordinary to give to your clients or supporters, this is the perfect gadget.

Take a look at this photo and you will see exactly where your logo can be.
Every time your customer goes to fix a divot, [his or some other meat head made and did not fix] they will be reminded of your company or event! Plus you will be making me happy, because I get about as angry as a bull at the color of red when I see a dang divot left by some thoughtless hack who has no respect for the golf course or other golfers!

So here's what I need for you to do. Go over to my pals over at Forte Promotions and ask them to set you up with your promotional Divot Tool/Key Ring with your company's or charity's logo. They are good people and will be happy t0o help ya. You will also be doing your part in helping those knuckle dragging meat head never fix a divot hacks break their nasty habit!

NOW GET GOING! Don't make me have to tell you twice!

Knothead's Product Reviews

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:28:00 +0000

It's me again...Knothead.

Scruffy told me he had been asked to do product reviews for some golf stuff. He knows how I like anything new or different that has anything to do with golf, so he asked if I would mind doing the reviews. I said “are you kidding…heck yes, bring them on!”

So he hooked me up with my new best friend...Teresa. She’s a marketing specialist who, among other things, offers a line of golf related promotional products. I got in touch with Teresa and she shipped me a package with some really neat stuff to test.

Now, first thing I ya’ll to understand is that these items are not designed just for functionality, they are also perfect for promoting your business or charity, because each item has space where your logo and slogan can be imprinted too. How neat is that?

When I open the package, the first thing I looked at is the one I am going to do my first review on.

It is their All In One Golfer’s Caddy.

As you can see this The Golfers Caddy will hook real easy on your golf bag using the little mountain climbers clippie thing. Now here a couple of things I like about the caddy. I don't know about you but I hate putting my hand in my pocket to get my ball marker and gouge my danged finger with the sharp end of a gosh darned tee...ya know what I mean? Well on the back of The Caddy is a little mesh pocket where you can carry you tees...no more gouging!

The next thing is if you play like I do, you loose a few balls during a round, and have to go to you bag...unzip a couple of pockets trying to find out which one you keep your golf balls in and by the time you find them, your pals are yelling at you to hurry up! Well take a look at the bottom of The Caddy...see that ball peaking out? Well instead of having to unzip a dozen pockets on your golf bag to find a dang ball, all you have to do is squeeze the bottom of The Caddy and out pops a ball!

I live in the south...and it gets pretty danged hot down here in the summer, which means we tend to sweat a lot, at least I do. I hate trying to keep my score on a sweat soaked score card I have been carrying in my hip pocket. Bingo! The Caddy has a easy to access pocket right in front where you can keep your score card dry!

Ya gotta take a look at The Golfer's Caddy...especially if you are a company or a charity group who's looking for something different as a "golfers gift" at you next golf outing. Here's what I want you to do...CLICK HERE and go over to Forte Promo's place and get yourself one of these! I'll tell Teresa to keep an eye out for ya.

Check out this Automated Business earn money while you play golf!

Pure Ball Striker

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Hey there...this is Knothead! I haven't been doing much around here, mainly because I haven't been seeing too many training aids since Short Game Solution's "The Golf Ring" that really tickled my fancy. Now, you folks who know me, know that I spend a lot of money...A LOT OF MONEY on any dang thing I can find that I think will improve my game and help me take some bucks from Hoss.

The other night I got a call from Jeff Evans. He introduced himself saying he was referred to me by my pal Partick who is the marketing genius behing The Golf Ring. Patrick told Jeff I was pretty interested in new stuff and new ideas that will help my game so he figured he might as well get to know me.

Anyway, let me tell you something...Jeff's simple little carry in your pocket gadget will change your life! No crap! Stick the Pure Ball Striker on your the shaft of your club and it will force you to strike the ball pure! Like The Golf Ring, Pure Ball Striker is so danged simple it's kinda scary.

Watch this video, and give my pal Jeff a call, he will fix you up with your very own personal Pure Ball Striker, and you will start taking money from your pals too!

Automated Business earn money while you play golf!

Caddy Golf Tours

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:02:00 +0000

My pal John Boyne, is a caddy at The Old Course at St. Andrews. This video was put together from his collection of photo taken over the years of walking the course.

If you are planning a golf outing to Scotland...be sure to contact John at his Caddy Golf Tours website. You will be treated to an experience unlike any other...a golf holiday organized by a professional caddy!

Hoss' Update on HOSS

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:38:00 +0000

OK…it’s time for a long drive update. It’s been a while since we have had an update for all you GRIP & gRIPe guys. [No, that is not a typo.] Most of us like to think we can GRIP & RIP, but in reality, we usually GRIP then GRIPE about how we don’t seem to be able to hit it far enough or straight enough.

My name sake, Mat “HOSS” Vilade is Scruffy & Pals resident long drive professional. HOSS is a member of 2009 Alpha Long Drive Team where he will be competing on the Long Drivers of America tour to be the world’s longest driver of a golf ball. You might remember, he hit one of Scufffy & Pals “Series I” golf balls during a charity event a while back over 380 yards.

Hoss is the owner of Hosspower Golf where he offers his Professional Long Drive’s experience to put a little “horse power” in our corporate or charity event. HOSS will bring a fully operational professional long drive format to your outing and conduct a long drive clinic and contest. Visit his website and get in touch with him…he will make a “big impact” on your event.

Now…about the tip. When you get up after sitting at the bar for about an hour after your round…do you have trouble moving? Well…it is probably because you are not doing the right if any flexibility stretching before you tee it up. Look at this...if you think he does this without being flexible...you are nutts.

CLICK HERE FOR LESSON TWO

Scruffy's Dad Featured in Art of Golf Directory

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:42:00 +0000

I am honored to be included in the Art of Golf Directory, a growing list of golf artists, cartoonists and photographers from around the world. The directory gives a short bio of the artists, shows an example of their work, plus links where you can learn more about their talents and purchase their art.

Steve, the founder of Art of Golf, provides a directory where you can find golf art. Through his love of the game of golf, Steve recognized that golf reaches beyond playing the game. At the Art of Golf Directory is THE resource for golf art, providing a convenient way to research different styles and mediums of various artists, making it easier for buyers and sellers of golf artwork to connect.

A must visit for all lovers of the game of golf.

GOLF 4 A CURE

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Mammaries In Motion is a group of women who promote awareness about breast cancer and a healthy life style. They hold various events through out the year to raise money for breast cancer.

One such event is the annual "Tee It Up for TA TAs" charity golf tournament to be played at The Raven Golf Club in Phoenix, AZ on the 30th of May, '09. They are looking for sponsors and donations.

Visit their website Mammaries In Motion for further details.

Exclusive Cartoonist of Universal Golf Magazine

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:20:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I wrote the article you see below this post to help my pal Bobby Nicholson promote his new magazine, Universal Golf. He liked what I wrote...he loved Scruffy & Pals and asked if I would do a series of cartoons for his magazine using Scruffy and his pals.

Of course I happily accepted his offer. The magazine is digitally published for Internet circulation and is now being received in 26 countries worldwide. I will be submitting new cartoons monthly featuring Scruffy and his pals. To view the current issue with my first cartoon, click here.

You don’t have to subscribe to view the magazine but you should, because Bobby will be sure your personal issue is sent your email box every month. That way, you follow the antics of Scruffy & Pals, plus keep up on all the latest happenings in the golf world.

Did I mention it is FREE!

So, tell all your pals about Universal Golf Magazine, they will be glad you did!

Sand, Google, Golf = Magazine

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:48:00 +0000

The method of transferring information has changed drastically in recent years. I used to sit waiting on Johnny postman to bring my monthly golf fix. Now, I just sit at my computer…where more information than “you can shake a stick at” is at my finger tips and just a click away.

This is particularly true when it comes to golf related subjects…if you don’t believe me…just Google Golf...there are over 65 million possibilities! Now if that’s not more that you can shake a stick at…I don’t know what is!

I don’t know if you can remember what it was like back before Al Gore invented the Internet, but folks who wanted to get their ideas or products noticed by the public had to rely on the print or broadcast media. The exposure was limited and costly. Now, we literally have the world at our finger tips…and it is cheap.

If you are reading this you are most likely a golf junkie and every once in a while you find a site like Scruffy's Word, that just sort of hits the spot. You find that unique one of a kind grain of sand. And when you do you are so happy, you can't wait to tell all your pals. Well I am happy to tell you, I have found a really neat grain of sand and I want to share it with you.

My pal Bobby Nicholson has successfully launched his dream, Universal Golf Magazine. His very impressive high quality golf magazine has the look and feel of reading a printed magazine. But its not...it is a free, digital, fast loading publication that has everything the old fashioned magazines had, except for the smell of ink and all of those danged aggravating inserts that always fall out on the floor!

If you see an ad you like...just click on it and BAM!...you are are on the advertisers website. Did I mention it is free and they will deliver it to your computer each month…how about that?

All of the “pals” love Bobby's magazine, you will too. So, click here to start your free subscription of Universal Golf Magazine...it will delivered right to your virtual door...you will be glad you did!

OH...one last thing...if you want to make money while you are on the golf course...learn how me and pals are doing it...click here!

Seeitgolf ...My New Bestest Friend

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Hi, this is Knothead, a few years back, I was pretty fed up with my putting, [I still am actually]…anyway, I owned every danged putter made my man and had bought and read every dad-blamed book ever published and watched every video ever produced to improve my putting. None of that crap worked!

I figured, I would have to solve the puzzle myself. So,I designed the Zig-Zag-Ztick, the perfect [illegal] putter that assures the putter head is always square to the ball when they meet. I still could not put worth a plug nickel, ‘cause I couldn’t aim! Or, was it I could not read the blamed greens…whatever…Hoss kept taking my money!

Then, one rainy Saturday, I was fiddling around in my basement and started working on an aiming device…and came up with the “Arch Aimeny” putter. An ingenious invention if I must say so. As far as I am concerned it is the perfect putter…but, besides being illegal, the gull-darned thing is awkward to carry and I feel like folks are watching me putt, which makes me nervous and guess what…I still can’t putt!

I had given up…thinking there is no perfect way to put…especially for those of us who just cannot get a feel for the greens or read the breaks…you know…see the line. But, what do you know...low and behold along comes a break through in modern technology that is the answer to all my woes!

Danny Orr over at Seeitgolf and his pals are my new best friends, ’cause they have developed the most effective, innovative danged putting video you have ever seen! I mean this thing ROCKS!

I reckon most of you know who Aron Baddeley is…a hot young PGA tour player from “down under”. Well, Mr. Aron and a team of who’s who experts in the golf industry teamed up with SeeItGolf and produced a distraction-free, zone-like training environment that can be easily downloaded from your computer to your little personal media gadget.

I can’t tell you exactly how this works…you have to see it for yourself…all I can tell you is I am danged impressed and I think you will be too. It only costs about thirty bucks…so, go over and take a peek. You can download it right from their website to your computer then to your personal media thingy and take it to the practice green this afternoon!

So, what are ya waitin’ for? Hey... you can get your money back the next time you and your pals play. Just don’t tell them about it until you have thumped them for at least thirty bucks!

Thanks Danny Orr and SeeItGolf...Now I can putt!

I play golf while my Automatied Business makes me money...learn how!

PGA Needs Some High Octane

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:19:00 +0000

My britches are all wadded up and here’s why; I saw a headline on another blog on another blog...“NASCAR” in the driver seat; PGA in the rear view mirror.” The subject was how NASCAR is winning the race (excuse the pun) in the negotiations for television contracts, causing the PGA to fight for their scared TV “tee times”...enter the revised, re-revised FedEx Cup.

That got me to thinking. The PGA Tour’s TV coverage is really only exciting to real die hard golfers and then only if Tiger is not in the hunt. No offense to Tiger, but I just want to vomit at the media’s obsession of Tiger. Hey, he’s to golf what Mahmoud Ali was to boxing...OK? Now, get over it!

Watching a PGA event on TV anymore is about as exciting as watching your mother-in-law come through the front door with here luggage in drag; on the other hand...watching a NASCAR event on TV or at the track, on the other hand, is like seeing her ass disappear in the rear seat of a taxi heading out for the airport.

The TV Golf has become so boring even us die hard golfers are having a tough time tuning in. The in-the-booth anchors sound like they are funeral director dropouts and the annalists come across as self appointed psychics who pretend to know every golfer’s intended or unintended execution of any given shot. They are annoying critics, who think only they can analyzes any and every swing flaw of every golfer who has ever wrapped his fingers around the shaft of a nine-iron.

To me, they come across as a bunch of blow hearts who think that every nanno second of every minute must be filled with splattering their verbal graffiti through my surround sound speakers! Talking about that, why in the name of auditory senses do they put microphones on the players then paint their oratory graffiti over the very conversations the fans strain to eaves drop on? Shut up already!

I say let’s have Gary McCord, David Feherty, and John Madden do and be in charge of announcing and directing all TV coverage. Put John Daily in charge of analyzing swings and the beer commercials put Scott Hoch and Rory Sabbatini in charge of public relations and Ian Poulter in charge of dress codes. Or, even better, let’s have a CSPAN golf channel, it could be called GSPAN, where all we could hear is balls being spanked (thanks Srixon), birds singing in the trees, the splash of turtles diving for cover following a sudden and painful thud on their shell from an unsuccessful attempt to skip a ball across #16 pond at Augusta and the occasional passing of gas by the old farts on the Champion’s Tour. GSPAN, could be the golf channel of the future….hey, don’t get me started on the Golf Channel.

Some folks think NASCAR is just a bunch of fancy painted cars going fast and making left turns. They’re right, except those fancy painted cars are traveling at 180+ miles an hour, door knob to door knob, bumper to bumper, gas cap to gas cap while trying to avoid being slammed into a concrete wall head long at a high velocity and being catapulted into the air, flipping end over end down an asphalt race track strewing expensive parts all over the place while other very expensive cars swerve and scatter to avoid the same fate as the driver of the car in flight clinches his teeth and hangs on for dear life. Now that is exciting!

If you are a race fan and have been to a track, you know one of the neatest things about attending a race is to have a scanner and listen to the conversations between the driver, his spotter and his crew chief during the race. Even if you don’t attend a race in person, you can still, via the wonders of cyber-scanners, listen to Earnhardt cuss, Gordon whine, and Steward swear revenge Goodyear right in the comfort of your worn out sweat stained Lazy Boy.

Why don’t we wire up the golfers and their caddies, rent scanners at a PGA events and listen to Fuzz ask Jim “why don’t you just tighten up your belt one more notch so you don’t have to keep hitching up your pants before every shot?”

Yeah, that’s what we should do and then we could listen to the real thing instead of having to listen to a booth full of crows sitting up in the deer stands squawking their oratory blabber all over our expensive Bose surround sound speakers.

I enjoy watching the Champion’s Tour because the guys playing have already carved their initials in the Eisenhower trees of golf, or are club pros that are finally getting a shot at their life’s dream. Plus, these guys realize and appreciate the value of the fans, and are not afraid to look someone in the eye and actually speak to them! I also enjoy the European Tour’s announcers...they are far more respectful of the game and the fans than their American counter parts.

We die hard golfers need to rise up and let our feeling be heard. Golf is not meant to be a spectator sport, it’s a participating sport. So, quit watching golf on TV, give that old Lazy Boy to the church, wipe the cob webs off of your dried up golf bag, call your pals and get out there and play. Oh, by the way, don’t forget to stick a few extra sleeves of Scruffy & Pal golf balls in your bag.

We can’t all be race car drivers, but we can swing and curse at a golf ball while having a few beers with our pals as we pretend we can hit a eight iron 200 yards over a stand of trees onto a green the size of the trunk of a ’57 Cadillac. And, we can celebrate a 100 yard cart path bounce that gives us a career driving distance or the topped chip that goes scalding across the green, catches the pin dead center jumps straight up in the air and falls in the cup for a birdie.

If we must have it, spectator golf desperately needs some high octane infused into it, especially the TV coverage. How about a little more attention and respect to the fans, a whole lot less talk, player/caddy microphones with scanners, and a great big dose of get-over-yourself!

A very wise and thoughtful man once said: “If you don’t change your direction, you will end up where you are heading”.

Did you hear that Mr. TV producers?

Have a nice day!
Crash

GOLF - MARTINIS - SEX

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:11:00 +0000

My pal Andy has developed a very unique product that combines Golf, Martinis and Sex! Not only is it fun, it has a long and deep history.

The following is an excerpt from his website:

The history of man is a tale of a quest- the Promised Land, the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, Nirvana and, most recently, to be on American Idol.

The Perfect Day Club is the fulfillment of such a quest.

The history of the modern version of our club goes back to the mid-1980’s. At a time when most of us were recovering from the excesses of the earlier part of the decade, which included a demented interest in beer, wine and, of all things, TENNIS,...(CLICK HERE for the rest of the story)

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:08:00 +0000

Of all the great golfers, Ben Hogan’s swing and his ball striking have been the most illusive to mimic. When Dave Hamilton called to ask if I would write a review of his book, my first impression was…”Oh boy...another Ben Hogan How-To Book.”

Countless words have been meticulously placed on endless pages about Hogan and his ball striking. The most famous is Mr. Hogan’s first book Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf published in the 1950’s.

But, V.J. Trolio’s and co-author Dave Hamilton’s book is different...this is not just another “Hogan” book! As soon as I opened the book and read the first chapter, it was obvious that V.J. and Dave were on to something no one else has detected in the “Great Hogan’s” swing. Most times the solution to a puzzle is so obvious it is easily overlooked and so subtle it is nearly impossible to detect.

After hours of watching videos of Hogan’s swing and applying geometry, math and physics, V.J. and Dave discovered the subtle yet obvious single move Hogan never revealed in any of his books. Now, the puzzle is complete. This book is a must read for any golfer who wants to put the final piece in their puzzle of becoming a better ball striker.

About the authors: V.J. Trolio is Class A member of the PGA and a teaching professional at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point Mississippi. He played college golf at USM. As a pro, he struggled until he added the missing piece to his own golf swing. He won the 2007 Mississippi Open (Farm Bureau Invitational) He is the co-inventor of the Putting Arc® along with Dave Hamilton. Dave is holds a degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University and has seven golf-related patents, including the Putting Arc® and the putting robot, Iron Archie™. V.J. and Dave are the co-developers of The Putting Arc, a revolutionary putting training aid.

THE GOLF SPACE...The Best Golf Networking Site on The Web!

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:57:00 +0000

If you are looking for a place on the web that is all about golf…TheGolfSpace (TGS) is it. Tony Korologos, the brains behind TGS says “It’s the MYSPACE of Golf without the strippers.” Coming up on its second year, TGS now has over 3100 members from all around the globe…all of them are golfers from every walk of life.

If you Google golf, you get 551,000,000 results, which far ahead of any other sport in the world. 1.6 million...that is how many visitors TGS has had since it was launched and the numbers just keep climbing. Tony’s idea is to provide a free place on the web where golfers can network, meet and have conversations with others who share in their passion.

Members of TGS are given their own URL address…(mine is www.thegolfspace.com/Scruffy) where they can build a personal golf profile, post their favorite golf photos, videos, and write blogs about their golf. Members join in discussions on just about every subject in golf in the forums or they can communicate through private messages or chat with other members.

The game tracker gives members a free place where they can post their scores, give reviews of their favorite courses. Up to date golf news is just a click away and members are encouraged to contribute articles and reviews.

Tony is a golf fanatic, who plays in a rock band, loves heavy metal music and is a self proclaimed computer geek. Besides TGS, he authors one of the top ranked golf blogs on the Internet…Hooked On Golf Blog (HOG) where he writes about golf and life in that order. Another of Tony's sites is The Golf Server, offers web hosting/design.

Tony tests various golf products for companies all around the world and posts his reviews on TGS and HOG. Members of TGS who own a golf business are encouraged to promote their companies…a separate section in the members profile is devoted to business. I have met and done business with several TGS members…it is truly a golf business friendly site.

TheGolfSpace…check it out…make it your “home course” on the web!

GOLFERS OF EVERY AGE CAN BENEFIT FROM THESE SIMPLE BUT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TRAINING TOOLS!

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:48:00 +0000

I found out about GetIn2theRing’s short game solutions on The Golf Space. One of the most important parts of scoring is being able to save strokes from 50 yards in. Many of us do not like to practice short shots…we would rather pound golf balls to see how far we can make them fly.

You cannot win a golf tournament with long drives alone, you know that. Short Game Solution’s golf rings will bring excitement back to your practice time around the green. Having a visual ring defining the target zone around the pin is an excellent way to develop feel, speed and distance for those short shots that drive you nuts!

My pals Jason and Patrick have developed the solution…GetIn2theRing has helped their sons reach championship status in junior golf. Recently, Payton, Patrick’s son, was competing in a tournament and Patrick over heard several parents grumbling at their sons about how they never practice around the green. The kids grumbled back saying it was boring!

Patrick took the Golf Ring out on the practice green and put it down around one of the pins. Almost immediately the, the boys started chipping towards the ring. In a short time, they were having fun and enjoying the challenge of trying to keep their ball inside the ring.

The parents were amazed at how fast their sons picked up on the concept and how much fun they were having with one another as they practiced.

No matter your age…your short game will be more fun to practice and your score will improve if you use GetIn2theRing’s short game solutions golf rings! PGA Teaching Professionals are learning about the rings and recommending them to their students.

The pals and I love ours, and we love competing with one another during our practice time…the rings have improved Knothead’s game, believe it or not!

We strongly recommend you get these rings and start enjoying and improving your short game.

HAS YOUR GOLF SWING EVER GONE ON VACATION AND LEFT YOU AT HOME?

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000

A few years ago, mine did. It seemed that no matter what I did, every iron shot I hit, no matter which club I used, went the same distance! I went to our Pro and asked if he could watch me “try” to hit a few balls and get me straightened out.

After a few shots, he said "tempo" and left me standing on the range pondering tempo as headed back to the club house. In a little bit, he returned with two labels that said "TEMPO". "Your tempo is all out of whack, he said...stick these on the toe of your shoes; when you look down at you feet during setup, you will be reminded to think tempo".

To my amazement, those simple labels worked…my swing returned. Those shoes still have the label on them and I am still reminded to think “tempo”.

One of the many challenges most of us golfers face is having too many swing thoughts. When we are going through our pre-shot routine we have so many thoughts rolling around in our mind by the time we strike at the ball we have no idea what the heck is going to happen!

My pal Scott Jessee is the Head Golf Professional at Turquoise Valley Golf Course in Naco, Arizona. He woke up in the middle of the night with his mind flooding with swing reminders. The thoughts were so vivid he got up, found a pad and pencil and started writing…the result is a new product that is sweeping across the golf world called Swing Reminders.

Swing Reminds are hardwood tokens about the size of a fifty-cent piece. Each token is imprinted on both sides with simple swing reminders using lazar technology that imbeds the ink to prevent wearing off. They come packed in a normal 2-ball box which contains 25 tokens…50 swing reminders.

The Pals and I use Swing Reminds and urge you to visit Scott’s website and start simplifying your game!

Long Drive Professional Joins Scruffy & Pal's Staff

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:20:00 +0000

I am really happy that Scruffy has agreed to bring my pal Mathew “HOSS” Vilade on the Scruffy & Pals staff as our long-drive-tips expert. If you are like me and most other guys, hitting it long is fun. Hoss and I have a special bond because we kinda look alike, well we think we do, and we share the same name. “HOSS” has joined our staff to bring you tips and pointers on how do drive your golf ball a long ways.

CLICK HERE for his first lesson...Striking the Ball.

Operation Gratitude

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:12:00 +0000

Hey you bunch of golfers out there who want to express your gratitude to our soldiers around the world who are serving our country, listen up!

Operation Gratitude needs your help!

Especially during this time of year when our troops are away from their family and loved ones.

Here's what you can do...Click on the banner below which will take you to their website...they will give you your next set of orders.

Your help will make a difference!

Thank you for your support...Dismissed!

Long Drive Professional Mathew “HOSS” Vilade Sends Scruffy 385 yards!

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:49:00 +0000

Mathew has sort of adopted me as his new best “cartoon character” friend...he has my mug shot hanging in his office and has even had some folks thinking it is a caricature of him...can you imagine that? Anyway, Scruffy sent Matt some Scruffy & Pals golf balls and asked if he would test drive them. He agreed and, during a recent Shriner's Children's Hospital fund raising event in which he participated, he teed up Scruffy and sent him screaming 385 yards! Here is what he had to say...“Scruffy spun a little bit more than I would have liked, but I got him out there at 385 and change.”

CHECKERS AND GOLF

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:07:00 +0000

Checkers and golf may seem a strange combination, but tools required for both games were originally made from wood. Language for play uses similiar terms, such as shot and stroke, and both involve rules, intense competition and strategies, while maintaining a degree of sociability. These similarities have kept them popular even in an age of complex video games and colorful board games.

When my father was a boy, he made a golf club out of a special piece of a hickory limb. In his day, (1920’s) all golf clubs were made with hickory wood shafts. His club was a solid piece of wood with the head resembling that of today’s hybrid clubs. Sometime in the 1950’s, I found Dad’s old club and started hitting apples, walnuts or any other object that fit the purpose. Having never seen a golf course or a golf ball at that time in my life...I was just having fun trying to see how far I could hit something. I would have little competitions with myself, trying for accuracy or distance, and not realizing that this little competition would follow me the rest of my life. Other than this, the only competition I was familiar with was Checkers. CLICK HERE for more....

HOSS POWER - Professional Long Driver

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:35:00 +0000

If you just look at me you can see why they call me Hoss. I have known a few other guys named Hoss, but none like the HOSS I am about to introduce to you!

Scruffy has been hanging out over at The Golf Space quite a lot lately…incidentally, if you don’t know about TGS, it is worth a click. From what Scruffy tells me, there are over 2,000 golf fanatics that network, promote their golf businesses, track their scores, give course reviews, win prizes and all sorts of stuff over there…so check it out! Tell them Hoss sent you!

Ok, let’s see where was I…Oh yeah, my new pal HOSS (Mathew “Hoss” Vilade)…he is the real deal, just listen to this; he lives in Texas, because New Jersey wasn’t big enough. He can hit a golf ball real dang hard and real dang far! Just between you and me, with a swing speed of 150 mph and a ball speed of 215 mph and all that meat…what would you expect!

Hoss holds the Remax Mesquite Grid record with a drive of 473 yards!! That’s right I said 473 yards! That is 1,419 foot long hot dogs all lined up end to end! (I got that little tidbit from Count.) He is a Professional Long Driver, a Professional Sports Entertainer, and a member of UST High Performance Driving team, an ALPHA staff player and a member of Team Power Tech, and he finished 19th overall on the 2007 LDA tour and earned a spot in the World Finals to be held in October 2007.

The best thing I like about HOSS is he has a heart bigger that he is! He coaches Special Olympics and had been highly supportive of Christ’s Haven, The Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Children’s Miracle Network. He is accomplished at martial arts and is the former TKD State Champion.

If you know of anyone having a fund raising or charity event and wants to add a lot of power and some exciting entertainment, Power Tech Golf and book my pal HOSS!

From one Hoss to another…YOU DA MAN!!

Putting Tips From St. Andrews Caddy

scruffysdad@gmail.com (Thanks For Dropping By!) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 18:19:00 +0000

Hi there, I’m Looper, Scruffy’s pal who occasionally gives tips on things having to do with being a caddie. I have a good pal over in Scotland who is a registered caddy at St Andrews Old Course…his name is Boynie. Not only does he loop, err I mean caddy; he is also the owner of Caddie Golf Tours.

If you are going to Scotland to play golf, contact my pal Boynie, he will set you up with tee times, take care of your transportation, arrange accommodations and see that you have everything you will need to make your Scottish golfing experience unforgettable.

As you can imagine he sees a lot of different styles of golf swings and methods of trying to get the ball around the course. Here are some tips Boynie has to help you practice putting on the coursed in Scotland.

I watch a lot of golfers on the putting green next to the Old Course prior to their round over the Old Lady and I am constantly amazed at how lackadaisical at least 70% of the golfers approach this 3 or 4 minute 'putting practice' session. It is essential to understand what you are trying to get out of the putting practice. Remember it is a pivotal part of the game....and is generally where the money shots are!

I have a couple of tips which I wish to pass on, I hope they read OK.

1) Start with finding the flattest area of the putting green, one with no obvious breaks from 3-5 feet. Place x3 golf balls in a line the first 2 feet away from the cup, the second 3 feet and the fourth 4 feet O___o___o___o

You then have to putt the first ball in, then step back and putt the second ball in and finally step back and putt the third ball into the cup. Simple no breaks and they are all short 'makeable' putts. Repeat this drill three or four times until you consistently knock all three golf balls into the hole then move the three balls further out > 4 feet, 5 feet and 6 feet all on the same line and knock them into the hole as well! You now know the line so it should not present any problems! Repeat this 3 or 4 times until these three putts are consistently going into the hole.

I once did this drill at Turnberry's practice putting green and eventually found myself 20-25 feet from the hole and still had not missed one. The pressure got too much and I eventually collapsed!

2) Another drill I occasional use is to make the cup look bigger by increasing the size of the hole. Imagine a clock face and place 5 tee pegs 1/2 an inch around the cup 12, 2, 4, 8 & 10 o'clock. This will increase the diameter of the cup and give you a larger 'target' to aim at. Once again use three golf balls and start from 2 feet away, increasing the distance as you consistently knock the ball into the hole.

I hope these two tips make sense to you all and that you find a smooth stroke that will stand you in good stead for the summer of golf that lies ahead.

Cheers, Boynie.

Boynie will be back on Scruffy’s Word from time to time giving his perspective and wisdom on playing golf in Scotland. So, don't forget to check back. In the meantime, go over to Caddy Golf Tours and book your next golf trip to Scotland.

Oh, I almost forgot, Scruffy wanted me to be sure you take a look at the photos of he, Knothead and Hoss playing St. Andrews...click here.