News
FTF: A lawyer’s hot take on the Dustin Johnson ruling and Machine putters galore
The GolfWRX forums exist so golfers have access to the latest equipment releases, hottest discussions, real equipment reviews, best instruction, new technologies and everything golf you can imagine.
So if you love golf, the GolfWRX forums are your sanctuary.
In the From the Forums weekly feature, we bring you the hottest, most buzz-worthy topics from our forums for your convenience. I’ll be your trusty tour guide to navigate the latest buzz.
Here’s a peek behind the curtain into golf’s sanctuary.
Is PXG “bad for golf”?
User Shipwreck raises an interesting question: In an environment of “grow the game” initiatives and a fixation on making the game more accessible, PXG has entered the marketplace with an ultra-high-end club offering.
Shipwreck writes: “Parsons even said it himself that he wants to be the Ferrari of golf. Now I am not saying there is anything bad about this, he is a successful capitalist and the beauty of capitalism is that you can charge what you want and the market will decide.”
So, is the “Ferrari of golf” good, bad, or neutral for the game? Good arguments in this thread for the different readings.
Machine Putters love
219 pages and going strong! The pictures in this thread of some of Dave Billings’ incredible putter work are worth much more than any words dedicated to describing them. WRXers share their Machine M1s, M10s and more in this buffet of beautiful flatstick imagery. (titleistgolf_nirvana’s putter in the featured image)
Olympic golf discussion
Ahh. Golf in the Olympics. Are you sick of hearing about Zika and the other elements of this dumpster fire yet? Considering the competition is yet to begin and more player withdrawals are imminent (Jordan Spieth just said he’s on the fence), you need a refuge of sanity amid an increasingly nutty situation.
With this in mind, bookmark the official GolfWRX Olympic golf discussion thread.
Who wins first: Rahm or DeChambeau?
Great talk here following Jon Rahm’s impressive showing at the Quicken Loans National and Bryson DeChambeau’s series of strong performances on tour this season: Which of these two big-time rookies wins first?
A lawyer’s take on the USGA’s Dustin Johnson ruling
Applying the USGA’s “weight of evidence” standard, OTE200 presents three exhibits to find Dustin Johnson not guilty of any infraction at Oakmont. Even if you’re sick to death of the U.S. Open-marring rules fiasco, you have to read OTE’s take.
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News
Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos
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News
Four books for a springtime review
One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.
There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.
Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.
Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.
My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.
Decision: Buy It!
The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor
Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.
Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.
My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.
Decision: Buy It!!
Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal
Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.
One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.
Decision: Buy It!!!
Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie
Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.
Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.
My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.
Decision: Buy Them!!!!
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Christosterone
Jul 2, 2016 at 9:29 am
I can afford either and if I wanted a sports car I would buy a 2016 corvette hardtop….that is the most beautiful car on earth and 5X cheaper than a Ferrari…
As it is, I prefer the mom-car Lexus line of SUVs with air conditioned seats!!!
-Christosterone
300 Yard Pro
Jul 21, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Corvettes are for old divorced dudes who think they are still 18.
don d.
Jul 2, 2016 at 1:39 am
PXG’s too expensive for me. But so is a Ferrari. The latest and greatest. I was going through a deceased golfers garage recently and found a set Hogan Directors. circa? God they were fun to hit. E thru 2 iron. I have yet to buy a golf game and have tried for 40 yrs. Do you really want to get better? Learn how to play hickory.
M Smizzy
Jul 1, 2016 at 5:46 pm
usga got it right leave it alone
Steve
Jul 1, 2016 at 10:21 pm
No, they didn’t.
pL
Jul 1, 2016 at 11:41 am
If PXG wants to be the Ferrari of golf, why did they make the clubs so ugly and feel like crap? We already have Ferrari of golf clubs in limited edition high-end Japanese clubs. We don’t need PXG
Pete Petersson
Jul 1, 2016 at 11:19 am
How much did Dave pay to get his Machine thread a plug? That thread has been dying for months and is only full of retracted messages of customers chasing an update on their putters as no one responds to any emails or answers the phones. Not surprising when it takes months past agreed project delivery to get anything.
Dave Billings
Jul 3, 2016 at 7:28 pm
Pete Petersson,
Thanks for taking time to post about my company and our picture thread here. However, I really wish you were more accurate and fair in your criticism. I don’t think you’ve ever ordered from us, so I’m not sure why you feel the need to disparage our business.
IN any event, I’d like to set the record straight for all our other customers, collectors and our staff.
First, I didn’t pay a single penny for the article, didn’t ask for it or have anything to do with it. We’ve been very fortunate that so many people have enjoyed our main picture thread here, including writers here and other sites and magazines, etc. Personally I think Golfwrx writers are some of the very best in the business, and their journalistic professionalism is beyond reproach. I think you owe Ben an apology for that insinuation at the very least.
Regarding recent posts in the picture thread: Have some customers posted asking about updates on their orders? Yes. The last one had an update waiting in his email inbox from the day before. He realized his error and deleted his post. So you know, I’ve never redacted any post in our picture thread, and never asked any mods to either. I think it stands as a great record of our work, and I’m very happy to let it stand on it’s own merits.
I’m also proud of how hard we work to make sure each and every customer is totally happy with their purchases. Often the custom work we do takes additional time, especially when their are change-orders in the middle of the process. The last order referenced about changed his neck three times. Those changes take time, especially when we have to mill something from scratch mid-stream, and with all the detailed back and forth, updates, etc,.
You say no one responds to emails or answers the phones. I have thousands of customers who know that’s absolutely not true. Chris has also recently rejoined us after taking time off for a move and to spend time with his family and newborn son. So our capacity for customer service has improved again dramatically, as Chris is one of the best in the business, and we’re thrilled to have him back.
We’re currently going through a reorganization so we can best move the business forward and handle the demand we’ve been so fortunate to receive, even through a very challenging golf marketplace.
As part of our new operating plans, we elected to slow down the development of new models and also the photos and posts of orders going out to customers. We’ve elected to do this out of respect for the customers waiting so patiently, and also as it just created more demand, more backlog and longer delivery times.
However, we are working very hard and now very close to catching up to our estimated production times, and we will be catching up on posts in the picture thread when we do. I think customers and fans will appreciate the work we’ve done the past six months in particular, and see some really cool work.
So thanks to the 99% of our customers and fans here that have been so supportive and helpful. To the naysayers and critics, I hope you can find something that makes you happy and spend your time and efforts focused on whatever that is.
Sincerely,
-Dave Billings