Nine Days Of Christmas: State Apparel Fairway Pants

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I know what you're not thinking, last Christmas he said the ABC Pant is the greatest thing ever created. And now? I still think they are in spite of the steep price. Pure comfort, brilliance and ingenuity.

But durability for golf?

That's where the ABC Pant may be imperfect. Not that I've found Lululemon's pants to fall apart, but I do wonder if they can handle the rigors of repeated use for a golfer.

It's that concern about durability that has warmed me to the merits of State Apparel's Fairway Pant as the better golf option. The combination of design cleverness, Made-in-California values and an overall stronger fabric makes them an ideal gift to yourself or a golfer.

When I first tried them on, State's heavier and tougher fabric seemed too weighty compared to the Lululemon's. But after trying them out on a course and twice at the range, I realize the toughness stitched into the slacks makes them a better long-term investment for golfers, especially younger players who are more active.

Initially the black, almost-velvet black lining of the pockets and cuffs struck me as an odd design touch. But remembering how quickly pockets turned dirty and frayed, the design touch adds a whiff of brilliance that makes you feel good putting on the slacks for golf.

You can read the State Apparel story here and here for the explanation about one last pre-shot wiping option. The $135 Fairway pant in white is found on their pants page.

Even better, as a courtesy, State Apparel is offering site readers a 30% discount using the code: HOLIDAYGOLF

Seminole ('21) & Cypress Point ('25) Land Future Walker Cups

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We had an inkling on Seminole, but the Cypress Point announcement is wonderful news. Though I can't fathom how either course will be very testing given their lack of length, unless everyone's ok with lots of driveable par-fours?

The Walker Cup is played at Los Angeles Country Club's North Course in 2017. Tickets are now on sale for that event and a rare chance to watch competitive golf (big bias here) played over an architectural treasure.

For Immediate Release:

USGA ANNOUNCES 2021 AND 2025 WALKER CUP MATCH SITES

Seminole Golf Club and Cypress Point Club Will Host Biennial Team Competition

FAR HILLS, N.J. (Dec. 15, 2016) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced Seminole Golf Club, in Juno Beach, Fla., and Cypress Point Club, in Pebble Beach, Calif., as the host sites for the 2021 Walker Cup Match and 2025 Walker Cup Match, respectively.

The 48th Walker Cup Match is scheduled for May 8-9, 2021. It will mark the first time that the biennial team competition between 10 amateur players representing the United States and 10 amateur players representing Great Britain and Ireland will be held in the spring on U.S. soil. The dates of the 50th Walker Cup Match are Sept. 6-7, 2025. The international competition will return to Cypress Point for the first time since 1981, the club’s only previous USGA competition.

“The selections of Seminole Golf Club and Cypress Point Club as Walker Cup venues are emblematic of what George Herbert Walker intended when he helped create the first Match in 1922,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “To have two of the United States’ greatest courses as host sites will not only produce memorable competitions but reinforces the stature of amateur golf in this country.”

Seminole Golf Club will host its first USGA event and the first Walker Cup Match in the state of Florida. The course was designed by Donald Ross and opened for play in 1929. The course’s routing encompasses two dune ridges, one that peaks to the west and another along the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Members have included U.S. presidents, business and industry leaders and golf elite. Ben Hogan, a four-time U.S. Open champion, practiced and played there, while Henry Picard, who won two major professional titles, served as club professional for 26 years.

Seminole Golf Club has also been a friend to amateur golf and annually hosts the George L. Coleman Invitational. USGA champions and USA Walker Cup Team members Michael McCoy (2015) and Tim Jackson (1995, 1999) are recent Coleman champions.

“Seminole Golf Club is honored to host the 2021 Walker Cup Match and the best amateur players from both sides of the Atlantic,” said Jimmy Dunne, club president. “The club and its membership are proud to showcase Donald Ross’ architectural masterpiece to a worldwide audience.”

Cypress Point Club was designed by Alister MacKenzie in collaboration with Robert Hunter and opened for play in 1929. Beginning in coastal dunes, the course then enters the Del Monte Forest before remerging to rocky coastline along the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the 28th Walker Cup, the club hosted “The Match,” a 1956 four-ball competition between professionals Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson and amateurs Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward, and was one of three courses used for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for more than 40 years.

The Walker Cup Match will be held in California for the third time and west of the Mississippi River for the fifth time. In 1981 at Cypress Point, the USA defeated Great Britain and Ireland, 15-9. Jodie Mudd, a two-time USGA champion, and Corey Pavin, who went on to win the 1995 U.S. Open, were the USA’s top point producers. GB&I’s Roger Chapman, the 2012 U.S. Senior Open winner, won twice in singles play and one foursomes match.

“The members of the Cypress Point Club are honored to give back to the game of golf and share our wonderful treasure with one of the world’s greatest amateur competitions,” said Peter K. Barker, club president. “We have been proud to host a number of notable match-play events throughout our club’s history. In all, the course and the competitors performed superbly. We enthusiastically look forward to the 2025 Walker Cup.”

Tiger Finds His Ball, Other Nike Guys In Hoarding Mode

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In reading Doug Ferguson's story reporting Tiger's golf ball endorsement deal with Bridgestone, it's fun to read just how neurotic players remain about the ball they put into play.

I'm enjoying the thought of Brooks Koepka parking his cars outside the garage because of his Nike golf ball hoarding now that they are out of the business...

By choosing a new golf ball, Woods went a different direction from two of Nike's highest-ranked players. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka said they have asked Nike to set aside as many golf balls as possible.

"I have about two to three years' worth," Koepka said in the Bahamas.

David Dusek's Golfweek.com story on the signing of Woods says Bridgestone ran the numbers, Japanese-style.

Corey Consuegra, Bridgestone’s senior director of marketing, said Monday evening that his company has an internal philosophy based on a Japanese phrase, Genbutsu-Genba.

“What that means is that we make fact-based decisions, decisions that are based on data,” he said. “So when we looked into the opportunity to be a partner with Tiger Woods, we studied closely and learned (in focus groups) that our brand perception increases by 50 percent when he is connected to our brand, and the purchase intent of our consumers goes up based on the nature of his credibility.”

Old Course Hotel Takes Better Shelter From Road Hole Tee

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I'm not sure why I found this roofer quote so funny given that he's been tasked to eliminate the £1,500 each week spent by the Old Course Hotel to replace damaged slates, but I will certainly cite this as my reason for hitting the hotel roof twice in 2015.

From an unbylined Sunday Herald story:

Euroshield owner Henry Kamphuis said: “I was stunned when we got the call because it was St Andrews. I was up on the hotel and the gutters are just full of golf balls. It’s very easy to hit the hotel. It’s right in the middle of the fairway.”

Costco's Kirkland Golf Ball "Out Of Stock" Until December 20th

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Thanks to reader Steve for Erik Matuszewski's Forbes follow-up on sales of Costco's knock-off ball zooming from shelves large crates for $29.99 per TWO dozen. A date of December 20th is listed as the earliest re-stocking of a ball that has tested well.

Even more remarkably, folks are trying to resell them at a premium price.

The balls, not surprisingly, have popped up on auction sites like eBay, with listings of $48.99 for a dozen, $90 for two dozen or $189.99 for 48 balls. Those aren't wholesale club prices there, folks. Costco has declined to say how many of the Kirkland balls have been sold since the launch or generally give any detailed information about the balls at all. It's actually not a bad approach; the company is letting (positive) word of mouth speak for the ball, the same as it has for, say, its high-quality wines.

It will be interesting to see how long this phenomenon continues until (or if) the lack of elite-player usage undermines some of the excitement.

Wilson Submitted (Non-Conforming) Driver To USGA Four Days Before It Hit Shelves

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From reality show winner to rocky retail road, the Wilson Triton driver did not pass USGA conformity testing in all but one model.

More fascinating for those of us getting to see the difficulties of bringing a product to the marketplace quickly, Martin Kaufmann's latest Golfweek follow-up on the saga notes the USGA seeing trouble the moment samples arrived in Far Hills, and includes this:

Spitzer said the USGA did not receive Triton test samples until Nov. 21, just four days before the product went on sale. He said the turnaround time for testing products is “about 14 days.”

Spitzer described the modified Tritons it received this week as “a separate submission.”

“We have to go through the full test, and we have not completed the full test,” he said. He added that under an expedited review, the modified Tritons could be placed on the Dec. 19 list if they’re determined to be conforming.