Official Golf Thread

[zalb916]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Ratings.

I'm fairly confident Corey Pavin could give a **** less about ratings. The captains and players just want to win the Ryder Cup and will do whatever they think gives them the best chance to win, ratings be damned. I'm sure Pavin will have external influences that care about the ratings, but I ultimately think his decision would be entirely independent of those influences.

 

[MrG]

According to UPS my new driver is out for delivery. Woot!

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by zbromer

I'm fairly confident Corey Pavin could give a **** less about ratings. The captains and players just want to win the Ryder Cup and will do whatever they think gives them the best chance to win, ratings be damned. I'm sure Pavin will have external influences that care about the ratings, but I ultimately think his decision would be entirely independent of those influences.

I agree with everything but your conclusion. I do not think his decision will be entirely independent as their very existence will weigh on his mind.

 

[dr.no]

I think many of the author's points are valid reasons why Tiger's presence should be based on performance rather than ratings.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26763019/

 

[bdeuce22]

Originally Posted by zbromer

I'm fairly confident Corey Pavin could give a **** less about ratings. The captains and players just want to win the Ryder Cup and will do whatever they think gives them the best chance to win, ratings be damned. I'm sure Pavin will have external influences that care about the ratings, but I ultimately think his decision would be entirely independent of those influences.

i honestly don't think it is ultimately Pavin's decision. my money is on the the PGA is dictating this pick.

 

[MrG]

My father-in-law is a huge golfer, and the last time I saw him he gave me a bunch of golf stuff he doesn't need/use. I'm a lefty, so he couldn't give me much, but he had this old putter laying around. It's an old Ping Karsten. He said he did some research when he got it, and there's a nearly identical putter to this that's worth a ton, but this one isn't worth much. The difference, apparently, is the location where it was manufactured, and this one isn't the right location.

When he gave it to me it needed to be re-gripped, so I took it in the other day. When I handed it to the guy at the golf store he immediately knew what type of putter it was, and he seemed surprised to see one.

I looked around a bit online, but I couldn't find much information. Since there seems to be a fair amount of knowledge flying around this thread, I thought I'd go ahead and see what kind of info you guys can give me on the putter. They seem to be kind of a collector's item, even though they're not all worth much.

One cool thing about it is that it literally "pings" when you hit the sweet spot. I haven't had a chance to take it out since I had it re-gripped, so I don't know how it plays, but it's in my bag for the next round.

So, pics are below. Even if no one has much info, I thought it would be cool to share a little piece of golf history.

Some pics:

From the bottom

From the side

The whole shebang

 

[UpperWestie]

It is midnight on Weds and I am banging out 4 footers on the Dave Pelz Truth Board. This thing is fantastic.

 

[imschatz]

Hit the links again today .. shot 88. Third round this year in the 80's .. definitely my best year on the course. Off to grad school next weekend so might only get in 2-3 more rounds this season.

Hopefully next year I can keep it up, as this game is finally starting to get fun.

 

[tjc4golf]

Originally Posted by MrG

He said he did some research when he got it, and there's a nearly identical putter to this that's worth a ton, but this one isn't worth much. The difference, apparently, is the location where it was manufactured, and this one isn't the right location.

Redwood City (i.e. made in Karsten's garage) models are worth the most. Scottsdale putters are worth less. Phoenix made putters are worth the least. Value is a function of rarity and Phoenix putters were produced in greatest numbers. Yours is Phoenix. If you wanted to sell it you could probably get about $90 on eBay. They still make 1As and you can get a new ones for $90.

It is an interesting putter due to the sound and the fact that Ping did a lot to change putter design. According to Wikipedia:
"The name "PING" came from the sound that Solheim heard as the metal struck the ball. The 1A and other PING putters to come would revolutionize the putter market with newly found "heel-toe" weighting.

That said, I would not recommend playing with this putter. Technology has progressed a lot since it was introduced in 1959. People tend to overlook the impact technology has on putting results because it is not as easily observed. Feel is also important but with the number of putter choices on the market, you can find a putter that has all the technology and feels good to you.

 

[Piobaire]

Range today. Maybe 18 tomorrow.

 

[Dburr]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Yup. The sport cannot survive, as a broadcast spectator sport, merely on the support of "true golf fans." Just like the Superbowl, etc., draws in millions of people that usually don't watch football, a big competition with Tiger needs to pull in millions of non "true golf fans." It's like this in any sport, the big name in the big competition pulls in the casual fans, not the currently hot players that only "real" fans know.
I respectfully disagree with the Pio on this one. The Ryder Cup attracts far more than hard core golf fans Anyone who's been around golf for even a short time knows that the Ryder Cup is bigger than any of the majors, and has been for years. For Pavin to pick Woods at this point would be as big a blunder as Hal Sutton made in 2004 when he paired Tiger and Phil and they got drubbed big time. This is the biggest event in golf. To pick Woods for a so called ratings increase would smack of a madness that cannot be tolerated in the last gentleman's sport left. I've counted a considerable number of PGA and Championship tour players as friends over the years (and know Corey Pavin as a casual acquaintance) and I can tell you that to the man, making the Ryder Cup Team is /was even more important than winning a major. It's a big, big deal. I hope Cory does the right thing.

 

[Piobaire]

^Dburr, you make some good points; time will tell.

I disagree about this still being a gentleman's sport though. Based on what I've viewed on the course, since I started this sport a few months ago, it is no longer populated by people I would refer to as "gentle." I can't describe the level of idiocy I have so far observed and figure I've yet to see the worse of it.

Today: progress! Grip is now a full on Vardon. I started with a baseball. Still feels odd to have that right thumb so far left, with the right life line over the left thumb, cupping it. However, it has straightened out my pull. Probably 40% of my shots were "true," 30% serviceable and 30% ugly. Even the serviceable ones were straight though.

Hit my driver really well a few times. No idea how far it went, but I honestly was able to track the ball until it traveled too far for me to see clearly. If I could just clear the tee box consistently like that, I would be a happy camper.

 

[Dburr]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

^Dburr, you make some good points; time will tell. I disagree about this still being a gentleman's sport though. Based on what I've viewed on the course, since I started this sport a few months ago, it is no longer populated by people I would refer to as "gentle." I can't describe the level of idiocy I have so far observed and figure I've yet to see the worse of it. Today: progress! Grip is now a full on Vardon. I started with a baseball. Still feels odd to have that right thumb so far left, with the right life line over the left thumb, cupping it. However, it has straightened out my pull. Probably 40% of my shots were "true," 30% serviceable and 30% ugly. Even the serviceable ones were straight though. Hit my driver really well a few times. No idea how far it went, but I honestly was able to track the ball until it traveled too far for me to see clearly. If I could just clear the tee box consistently like that, I would be a happy camper.
This gentleman's sport has attracted its share of miscreantes, it's up to the rest of us to maintain the purity. Seriously ! We must do that!

 

[MrG]

Originally Posted by tjc4golf

Redwood City (i.e. made in Karsten's garage) models are worth the most. Scottsdale putters are worth less. Phoenix made putters are worth the least. Value is a function of rarity and Phoenix putters were produced in greatest numbers. Yours is Phoenix. If you wanted to sell it you could probably get about $90 on eBay. They still make 1As and you can get a new ones for $90.

It is an interesting putter due to the sound and the fact that Ping did a lot to change putter design. According to Wikipedia:
"The name "PING" came from the sound that Solheim heard as the metal struck the ball. The 1A and other PING putters to come would revolutionize the putter market with newly found "heel-toe" weighting.

That said, I would not recommend playing with this putter. Technology has progressed a lot since it was introduced in 1959. People tend to overlook the impact technology has on putting results because it is not as easily observed. Feel is also important but with the number of putter choices on the market, you can find a putter that has all the technology and feels good to you.

Very interesting. Many, many thanks!

 

[Thracozaag]

Originally Posted by dr.no

Why Pavin would pick Tiger as a captain's pick given his lousy RC record and the potential to distract the other team members (due to his indiscretions) is beyond me.

Discuss.

His game is obviously off, but Tiger's RC record is actually slightly better than Phil's, and his President's Cup record is pretty impressive, going a perfect 5-0 last time.