“Scalping", often defined as reselling tickets for higher than face value, is illegal in many parts of America. It’s illegal much like “happy endings” at 24-hour massage parlors. So long as its done discreetly, you shouldn’t have to worry about being locked up. The problem is that scalping isn’t what it used to be, thanks to websites like StubHub, which was recently bought by eBay. The good thing about an online ticket brokerage or auction site is that if you don’t feel like camping outside a stadium for 72 hours or don’t know the “guy behind the guy", you ...

My fellow colleague Tim McDonald is right: if you’re trying to pick up girls by banging away $500 mega-drivers on the indoor testing facility at the PGA Merchandise Show, you’re playing to an empty house. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, even if the women’s segment of the game is on the brink of a very exciting era. Men dominate the testing facility for the same reason we order the “blazin’” wing sauce when the “medium” will suffice. It is in our DNA to validate our manhood through bizarre outlets. Periodic hormonal imbalances often cause us to revert ...

Drivers are big, sexy and expensive. We are lured to them like bats to darkness. Long lines of blinded souls abound at the PGA Merchandise Show as they eagerly wait for a tee, where they will be fitted with the driver that will give themselves a perfect flex, length, even kick-point with the help of the club rep. As this blog board’s guardian angel, I am here to remind you the importance of putter-fitting, which was brought to my attention thanks to equipment guru Frank Thomas, USGA Technical Director for thirty years. Today, he offers honest advice to golfers on ...

If you are like me, you like banging balls on the range. Just call me a monkey. The problem, is while we feel like we’re putting in the time and effort, we’ve actually become mindless robots as we bash 20 7-irons in a row, then dedicate an entire small bucket to the driver. It can be difficult to stay focused and taking too many shots can cause bad habits. I notice especially that I can often have an entirely different ball flight on the range than the course. It’s frustrating to say the least. At the PGA Merchandise Show, Eye ...

As a first-time attendee to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, I would have to describe the massive show room floor as “Organized Chaos". Less pushy than main streets in the Caribbean islands but more bustling than a morning on the Vegas Strip. It can be a golf junk sensory overload. You could walk by a single merchant six times before noticing it. With such a wide variety of products and budgets, there are varying philosophies on how to stand out from the crowd. This is where the industry’s marketing people earn their paycheck. Generating traffic and turning heads is ...

Click here to watch. Video Blog: Demo Day at the PGA Merchandise Show. Couldn’t make it to Orange County National’s Demo Day? Here’s a little of what you missed:

It’s impossible not to run into Nike gear at the PGA Merchandise Show this week. Not only do they have an extensive equipment pavilion, they also have one of the largest apparel displays. Not only that, they have separate space dedicated entirely to their line of designer belts. I’ve seen at least two large walls featuring an image of a stone-faced Tiger , complete with bulging muscles in a sleek black Nike shirt and cap, resembling billboards depicting political leaders in Tehran’s town squares. Anyways, this whole Tiger/Nike thing worked out a little too perfect, especially the timing in which ...

I’m not the biggest of golf equipment gurus. That isn’t to say however I’m not out for clothing that will make me look stylish no matter how my swing parts clash. I’ll let fellow bloggers Tim McDonald and Chris Baldwin scour the floor for the biggest and baddest drivers (or maybe Baldwin is busy hunting for B-list celebs) on day one of the PGA Merchandise Show (after all, their game needs it way more than me anyways). I’ve darted past the Sharpie exhibit and poorly stocked press lunch buffet line for the apparel. What first comes to my attention is ...

When a teenager’s 20th place finish is the only thing to get excited about regarding U.S. golfers under 30, you have a colossal problem. As the only writer on this blog board in tune with the pulse of young golf in America and most likely the only one who isn’t eligible for the Champions’ Tour, I feel it is my duty to acknowledge why my generation has pulled up so very, very lame on the PGA Tour and is being lapped by the Europeans in both wins not to mention personality and on-course fashion. Here are some theories: 1. ...

I’m all for a little fun at the office. Heck, I’m always first in line at our annual Krispy Kreme Day around the WorldGolf HQ, and the boss-man is starting to get a little annoyed with my zest to catch him with a Whoopie Cushion (never gets old, by the way). Even so, what the heck is going on in congress passing bills, yes, the same thing designed to fund our nation, fight our wars, end injustices and run our country, when we pass something that “commends the Florida Gators for winning the BCS". Yes, time was dedicated on Capitol ...

I wasn’t entirely cool with Tiger jumping into golf design, and I’m flat-out AGAINST Phil following suit with his new design ventures, albeit for completely different reasons. With Tiger, my beef was basically that he’s a sell-out who will do nothing but drive up greens fees while the game needs more affordable options. For Phil, my problem is simple: He’s left-handed. It doesn’t take a genius to realize Phil’s design strategy (or conspiracy) is going to pander to left-handed golfers, all five percent of them. Us righty’s have enjoyed countless generations with a monopoly of courses designed by those who ...

It doesn’t make much sense to me why so many airlines today are cutting the little things like pillows and snacks out of most domestic flights. My consultant buddy who travels from Detroit to San Francisco every week tells me NWA offers him no meal on a five hour flight. That is about the same distance as New York to London - with no grub. This makes AirTran’s new installment of XM Satellite Radio on their planes that much more of a nice surprise. These little things can do wonders to any weary traveler. Jumping on AirTran in Atlanta for ...