Drive, Chip, Putt - Everything About Golf

Here it is, the update to the model that started the square head driver craze of last year! Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny that the square head driver is here to stay.

With the SQ SUMO 5900, Nike engineers have pushed Moment of Inertia (MOI), volume and impact efficiency to the USGA limits. The result is a driver that will hit the ball long and accurate off the tee. From last year’s model, the SQ SUMO 5900 has a deeper face, a convex crown, and redefined body shaping to increase ball speed and accuracy. Also, weight has been repositioned to the farthest corners of the Nike PowerBow design, optimizing head stability and delivering ultimate accuracy.

Whether you hit the ball of the toe, the heel, or the sweetspot, your drive will most likely go straight. This year’s model also has a more muted sound than last year’s “shotgun” sound. If you are used to working the ball of the tee, this club is most likely not for you. However, if you’re just happy to hit the ball long and straight down the fairway (sounds good to me!) this club will certainly work for you. If you pay the steep price for this 460cc driver you will really pound the ball. You know what they say - drive for show…

The Nike SQ Sumo Squared 5900 can be found retailing for approximately $400. If you’re interested you can get your own
here from Golf Galaxy.

According to Cobra, the LD (Limit Dimensions) driver has golf’s largest clubface. Pushing the limits of clubhead size set by the USGA help this club generate a massive Moment of Inertia (MOI) for faster ball speed and longer, straighter drives. The real benefit of a high MOI is reducing the dispersion of your drive from its intended target on a mishit.

The club’s high MOI, combined with Speed Tuned clubhead and shaft promote high launch with a slight draw bias for maximum distance and accuracy. This club also contains an increased Crown Slope which is responsible for moving the center of gravity lower and deeper in the clubhead for high trajectory and increased distance.

While this is a very good club, we feel that in comparison to the Cleveland Hibore XLS, it does not matchup in forgiveness and distance off the tee. Ultimately though, the decision rests with each golfer based on his or her own personal preference. If this club is the best driver that you have ever used, then great! The best advice we can give when evaluating different clubs is to try them all! There’s no harm in shopping around!

The Cobra Speed LD driver can currently be purchased here at Golf Galaxy for about $200.

The Cleveland Hibore XLS is the newest driver in Cleveland’s Hibore line of clubs. The club face is 17% larger than last year’s Hibore XL model. It’s Cleveland’s largest ever and among the biggest on the market. Cleveland’s Full Face Performance technology extends the “Hot Zone” across a larger area of the face creating more distance from both solid shots and mishits.

This club also features maximum USGA clubhead dimensions to push the currently allowed Moment of Inertia (MOI) limit. 5300 MOI represents a 13% increase from the Hibore XL. This higher MOI provides even more control off the tee for extremely straight drives even when the driver is off the heel or toe.

All of the technology that Cleveland has packed into this driver seems to have really paid off for golfers. It is one of the farthest and straightest clubs that we have hit. This club comes in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, and 11.5 degrees. Draw versions are available in lofts of 9, 10.5, and 12 degrees. The Cleveland Hibore XLS retails for around $300 at Golf Galaxy right now.

The new 460cc FT-5 Driver is the latest driver utilizing Callaway’s Fusion Technology. The larger, more robust Titanium cup face is designed to the legal limit, as defined by the USGA Characteristic Time test, resulting in increased ball speed, distance and forgiveness — even on miss-hits. This club is in the same family as the FT-i driver but it does not have the non-traditional square club head.

Callaway’s Proprietary Fusion Technology creates an unprecedented 50 grams of discretionary weight which is strategically positioned for a high Moment of Inertia and precise lateral location of the center of gravity. This provides exceptional stability on off-center hits, while enabling ball flight customization for optimal individual performance. The 25-gram weight located at the rear of the driver lowers the CG for optimal trajectory.

Some players complain about the loud noise created when hitting the ball with this club but I think this is a minor point of contention that most players can deal with especially for the performance benefits this club gives you. The only other negative we can think of is the price - $430 retail. This price may be steep for the weekend golfer, but for more serious golfers, you get what you pay for. If you are interested in buying this club, you can get it here from Golf Galaxy.

Round Robin is a golf variation that can only be played with a group of four golfers. Some people also refer to this game as Hollywood or Sixes.

In Round Robin, every group member will end up playing against each other player in 2 on 2 team match ups. Here’s the interesting twist - players rotate partners after every six holes so that each member of the foursome partners with every other member throughout the round.

Any scoring format for the 6-hole matches can be used, and each 6-hole segment is a separate round. If at the end of the 18 holes you’ve been on two winning sides and one losing side, you end up the winner. You can turn this format into a betting game or simply play for bragging rights. If you choose to place a wager on this game, you should bet on each of the 3 6-hole matches.

Round Robin only really works well when all of the players are of similar skill levels, or by golfers using full handicaps.

Here is a list of the golf courses that we have reviewed in Florida so far. If there is a course that you would like us to review for tips on how to play it correctly or if you’re a golf course owner that wants to have your course reviewed, just leave us a note in the comments and we’ll try our best to get you on the list.

• Beachview Golf Club - Sanibel Island, FL

Here is a list of the golf courses that we have reviewed in New York so far. If there is a course that you would like us to review for tips on how to play it correctly or if you’re a golf course owner that wants to have your course reviewed, just leave us a note in the comments and we’ll try our best to get you on the list.

• Ravenwood Golf Club - Rochester, NY
• Glen Oak Golf Course - Amherst, NY
• Audobon Golf Course - Amherst, NY

Ravenwood Golf Club is a great public golf course on the outskirts of Rochester, NY that was named one of the best new golf courses in 2003 by Golf Digest (read the article here). This course provides a reasonable experience for the casual golfer while being challenging even for low handicappers. It’s undulating greens, well manicured fairways, and deep soft sand traps make playing this course a great experience. If you’re a walker, beware, the course is very hilly and you will be in for quite a workout!

Have a look at our Google map or view it in Google Earth if you have it installed on your computer.

Hole Descriptions

1. This course begins with a par 4 that has a nice downhill tee shot. You want to aim for the right side of the fairway with your drive. Being near the large sand trap on the right gives you an opening to reach the green on your second shot. This green is large and most putts seem to move towards the front of the green.

2. This short par 4 is more difficult than it looks from the tee because the elevated green is surrounded by bunkers.

3. This par 4 is a dog leg left with a large pond along the left side of the hole. Play it safe and aim for the right side of the fairway off the tee.

4. Hole 4 is the longest par 3 on the course although it does have a large green. When approaching the green beware of the bunkers surrounding it.

5. This long par 4 is the most difficult of the course. This hole is entirely uphill and it has 3 fairway bunkers along the right side. When you finally get there, you will be faced with a relatively flat green.

6. This is the first par 5 on the course and it plays downhill with fairway bunkers on the right side. Your second shot will need to factor in a small creek and trees that help protect the green along with a large bunker.

7. This is another short par 4 playing only 289 yards from the Men’s tees. Be careful with your approach shot because the front left side of the green slopes off into a “catch-all” area and the back right corner of the green has a slight slope away from the green.

8. On this par 3, beware of the wetland area off the a tee and off the large two tier green.

9. Finish the front 9 with a dogleg left par 5 is a true test of length and accuracy. If you try to cut the corner with your drive beware of the fairway bunkers on the left. When approaching the elevated green, take care to avoid hitting over the green.

10. On the back nine you will start with this par 4. Avoid the large bunker on the right and you’ll have a clear shot at the level green.

11. On this par 4, you can really try to hit your drive because there is not much trouble off the tee. Just make sure to avoid going over the green on your next shot.

12. This par 5 is the longest hole on the course. After driving out to a large landing area, you’ll want to make sure your next shot clears the bunkers down the left side of the fairway. Fortunately, this green is large and forgiving to give you a reasonable chance of hitting it.

13. On this par 4 avoid the bunkers on the right hand side. There are no green side bunkers, but there are mounds to the left front of the green.

14. This par 3 isn’t too long but it requires a careful tee shot over the large lake. If you clear the water, you need to avoid ending up in the bunkers behind the green.

15. This par 4 is is very narrow and challenging. Your second shot will be long and uphill towards a large green protected by bunkers on the front left and right.

16. This par 4 is much shorter than hole 15 but still challenging. This hole requires your drive to carry over wetlands and a kidney shaped green is tucked behind a large bunker to the front left.

17. This par 3 has water to the front and right of the green.

18. Your day at Ravenwood will finish with a par 5 that doglegs right. The green is tucked into the woods with a hill behind it. There are also seven bunkers guarding the green and approach area. Once on the green, you will encounter a fairly level putting surface.

Ranking info:
Cost: 5
Maintenance: 8
Difficulty: 6
Scenery: 7
Originality: 6
Overall: 7

For official information visit www.ravenwoodgolf.com.

Have a look at the list below for reviews of some of the most popular drivers to come out for 2008.

• Callaway FT-5
• Callaway FT-i
• Cleveland Hibore XLS
• Cobra Speed LD
• Nike SQ Sumo Squared 5900
• Ping G10
• TaylorMade R7 CGB MAX

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Having a long and straight drive is one of the best ways to have consistently lower scores. However, many golfers have trouble controlling where the drive goes and how far the ball flies. Who wouldn’t want to be able to drive the ball farther and straighter? Have a look at this video with instructor Rickard Strongert giving you the tips you need to straighten out your drive.

How To Hit Long And Straight Drives