Opinion & Analysis

GolfRedefined aims to make club swapping easier

Published

11 years ago

Apr 21, 2013

There is a fair chance that the average GolfWRX reader has a few drivers hidden in their closets.

Maybe they are tucked away so the wife doesn’t find them and then have the nerve to ask you why you have four different drivers that say “Superfast” on them, yet you still refuse to buy anything but discounted detergent while buying groceries. Or maybe that is just me. But if you have more Callaway Razr’s than disposable ones, GolfRedefined thinks it has the solution for you.

GolfRedefined.com is a new exchange-based website offering golfers the option of signing up, paying a monthly fee and then requesting and trading for their choice of a large selection of fairly current drivers (just drivers for now). The selection and monthly fees are dependent on one of the three different packages you choose.

The monthly pricing starts at $24.95 per month or $69.95 per quarter for what is called the “birdie” program, and this, like all membership levels, allows you to request any driver that falls into that package, and then trade it for others basically an unlimited amount of times as long as you are a member. There is a shipping fee of around $12 to $15 as well that gets tacked on for each new driver you receive, while sending them back included pre-paid shipping.

Stepping up a notch in terms of driver selection, there is a “hole in one” plan as well that will bill you just under $100 quarterly and give you access to the newest drivers on the market. Then there is the “eagle” plan that will set you back just under $40 a month and is targeted at seasonal golfers.

Annually, the “eagle plan” would cost more than the “hole in one plan,” while offering an older selection of drivers. But it gives golfers the option of paying monthly, while the “hole in one” plan mandates that golfers make a quarterly commitment.

Obviously the idea with this site is to capitalize on the fact that many golfers like to tinker with a lot of drivers. Its target market is likely the guy who is tired of buying a $399 driver and then seeing a commercial promising him more distance or forgiveness, and not really being able to afford shelling out more money to try it out. Or of course the guy who loves his driver one day, and then wants to wrap it around a tree the next when he misses 10 fairways.

With GolfRedefined, you could change your current driver for another without paying full retail. And with an “eagle” package, you’d have access to basically any big name driver on the market including the new ones. Sounds great on paper if you are an obsessive tinkerer, and the website touts its merits in its FAQ section. But the math does make for some interesting things to ponder.

First off, there are a couple of reasons I couldn’t join. The service is only offered to the continental U.S. and it currently does not offer left-handed clubs. So while GolfRedefined is not a possibility for me right now, I wonder if it would be if I happened to be a right-handed golfer from say, Minnesota (I like people from Minnesota, they pronounce their “o” like we do, and thus they are all honorary Canadians in my book), would this service interest me?

Well, the “birdie” package costs roughly $300 a year and the drivers offered to those consumers is a mix of relatively new but not current models (Ping G15, Cleveland TL310, Taylormade R11, Diablo Octane to name a few). The website’s FAQ also says the average client makes about four trades a year which would bring the total to roughly $360 if I factor in shipping charges. So would I pay $360 for this service, to use four drivers in 2013?

To be honest, probably not, as I actually already own three of the four drivers I listed above (a G15, Tl310 and Octane) and my local golf store still has all of them new for between $95 and $150 factoring in U.S. conversion. I just bought my Cleveland TL310 for $95. You could buy two or three brand-new drivers offered in the “birdie membership” for less than the price of a year’s payments. And they are yours, you own them and can trade them in later for credit. You can’t do that if you have to return them to the site. So the price point of that program is maybe a bit of a concern.

The top-of-the-line “hole in one” program might make a bit more sense to a hardcore club-swapper. If you keep your membership for a year you’d pay roughly $400 plus the shipping dues. That would bring you to roughly $460 a year if you are an average member making about four trades. That is more expensive than almost any premium driver on the market but if you planned on using three or four a year, as well as upgrading every year, I could see how that might be appealing to someone who always wants to try something new, and maybe have a status club in the bag. But I could also see how if you ever found something you really liked and wanted to stick with it, you’d feel you were spending a lot to use it. Though I suppose people who stick with drivers is not really GolfRedefined’s target audience.

Speaking of target audience, I also wonder about whether the obsessive tinkerer has much use for a completely stock driver. For example, he site does not reference an ability to change the grip, adjust the length, or hot melt/lead tape the head for swing weight purposes. This might not be a problem for 99 percent of the golfers out there, but obsessive tinkerers seem to comprise the main target market of this website. I wonder how many players out there switch drivers four times a year but also want to play them all completely stock?

I would also be interested in hearing reviews of actual members. While the FAQ section seems to be geared heavily at customer satisfaction, it is also pretty vague in regards to stocking levels and damage policy. The site does promise to try to have all new drivers in stock at all times, but there is no guarantee of turnaround time. There is also no guarantee that the shaft flex of your choice will be available either. Do they stock more regular then stiff? Any X flex? These also might be concerns for the compulsive tinkerer. As far as the damage policy goes, you are covered for “everyday” wear and tear but I’m not sure what that is. What about skymarks? The site promises all clubs are in “new” or “new like” condition. If I skymark a driver do they throw it out? Do I get charged for it?

OK, I’ve been a bit tough on GolfRedefined, but in all fairness, with any program you are never tied in to anything long term (the longest commitment seems to be three months) and you can quit at any time. In the end, spending $25 to $40 a month to try out a bunch of drivers and see where it goes could be fun. The site does say that if you decide you want to keep a driver, they will sell it to you and allow you to cancel when your term is up. So there is that. I could also see this being of value to someone who only plays a few months a year, wants to use a $350 driver, but doesn’t want to pay for one. If you take the “hole in one” membership and pay $100 for three months, you could use a Ping G25 this golf season for only $100. That isn’t bad.

Feel free to check out the site for yourselves and form your own opinions (click here). Worst case you have another option of how to go about acquiring clubs, and for any golfer, that is a good thing.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again

Published

3 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.

Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.

Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”

Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.

“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.

Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.

“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”

“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”

As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.

“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”

Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.

Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:

Fairways Hit

1.) Louis Oosthuizen

2.) Anirban Lahiri

3.) Jon Rahm

4.) Brendan Steele

5.) Cameron Tringale

Greens in Regulation

1.) Brooks Koepka

2.) Brendan Steele

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Cameron Tringale

5.) Anirban Lahiri

Birdies Made

1.) Brendan Steele

2.) Dean Burmester

3.) Thomas Pieters

4.) Patrick Reed

5.) Carlos Ortiz

LIV Golf Individual Standings:

1.) Joaquin Niemann

2.) Jon Rahm

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Louis Oosthuizen

5.) Abraham Ancer

LIV Golf Team Standings:

1.) Crushers

2.) Legion XIII

3.) Torque

4.) Stinger GC

5.) Ripper GC

LIV Golf Singapore Picks

Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)

Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.

This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.

Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)

Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.

This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.

It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.

Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)

Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.

Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.

Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.

Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)

Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.

Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.

If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.

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Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Lessons from the worst golf instructor in America

Published

3 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Brendan Ryan

In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.

While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.

Here are some of my key takeaways.

Method Teacher

It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.

Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.

The Cult of Stack and Jilt

The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”

Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.

These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.

Fooled by Randomness

In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.

Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.

Practice

One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”

Sunk Cost

The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.

Cliches

Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.

The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.

This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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