148 - Fake Update...

In February I wrote about a guy called Gary Bellchambers who, along with a couple of other people, was responsible for the biggest counterfeiting scam ever uncovered on eBay. Bellchambers and his gang were responsible for over 96,000 golf related transactions through the auction site between June 2003 and March 2008.

The whole enterprise came to a halt after a pensioner reported Bellchambers to the Trading Standards Institute after not receiving a full refund for some tat he had tried to sell to her. The TSI then leapt into action and started Operation Augusta to try and catch Bellchambers and his cronies in the act.

The operation was a success and seven people were arrested. Bellchambers (below) was jailed for four years and three months with his bookkeeper Keith Thomas getting 16 months after they admitting conspiracy to sell or distribute fake goods. A third man, Roy Cottee received 12 months after being found guilty of the same charge with four others receiving suspended sentences.

Bill Adams, Havering Council principle trading standards officer, said: "We are pleased that this gang have got what they deserved.

They made millions of pounds from their operation, selling tens of thousands of fake clubs to people all over the world. Each customer was ripped off by up to £100 per club.

"I've been an investigator for 35 years and never heard of such a massive counterfeiting operation - it was of a scale that has never been seen before."

As I said when I first posted about this, I had a picture of a Del Boy Trotter character, a lovable rogue selling hooky gear from a shed but the truth of the matter is that Bellchambers and his team brought more than six tons of golf equipment into the United Kingdom from Asia before selling it for a massive profit.

Here is another thing, because they have brought so much second rate rubbish into the country it is almost certain that there will still be an awful lot of it doing the rounds on eBay. Keep that in mind the next time you see that ‘too good to miss’ Odyssey Two-Ball putter or TaylorMade R7 driver.

147 - Going It Alone...

After discovering that Mizuno have been developing golf balls behind my back (naughty Mizuno) I decided to see what else they had been up to in the Land of the Rising Sun. Interestingly they have been creating a new range of forged putters after ending their exclusive partnership with Bettinardi.

Over the last four years Mizuno and Bettinardi have worked closely to produce some of the best precision milled putters on the market but they decided last year to go their separate ways. The decision to split was amicable and Bettinardi have started releasing putters under their own name.

Without the experts at Bettinardi producing their wands, Mizuno returned to what they know best and have now created a range of forged putters.

The partnership with Bettinardi has convinced the Japanese company that a CNC milled face is ideal for producing feel and roll and the new putters are finished with a precision cut front edge.

The new line of putters goes under the MP name to signify they are part of the Mizuno Professional range. There are currently three models, the S101 that is a blade putter, the S102 which is an L type putter (above) and the S103 which is a center shafted small mallet.

As with most products created by Mizuno the new putters look amazing and I’ve got no doubt they will perform impeccably. It looks like there is life after Bettinardi after all.

146 - Only In Asia...

I’ve noticed that all the big manufacturers produce balls with the exception of the lovely Mizuno…or so I thought. I stumbled across an article announcing that Mizuno’s new Tour ball had already bagged its first win. I beg your pardon, what new Tour ball? Hang on, it sounds like there was an old Tour ball! Why wasn’t I made aware of this?

It seems those clever chaps in Japan have come up with a ball they hope to rival the likes of Titleist’s Pro V1. Mizuno’s new MP-801X ball is a four piece designed for cack handed clowns like myself and tour pros alike thanks to the clever technology integrated into it.

A Mizuno spokesperson said: "In September, Mizuno released its second generation Tour Ball, the first to use the MP or Mizuno Pro pre-fix. Two models have been released - the MP 801 and the MP 801x both with a focus on soft feel, distance off the tee and maximum spin control around the green.

"The MP 801 ball has a soft impact, high resistance cross-ribbed inner core (1) matched with an additional soft high resistance Outer core (2).

The Inner cover (3) is made of soft Ionoma to help control the shape or deformation of the core at driver impact and create the proper amount of spin. The Outer cover (4) is a newly developed rubber elastomer that helps regulate spin and deliver soft feel.

"The MP 801 is the softer of the two tour balls and is aimed at players with a 90+mph swing speed demanding soft feel and spin on their approach shots. The outer cover of the firmer MP 801x ball is a newly developed rubber elastomer that claims to reduce energy loss for those with higher swing speed (98+mph) and faster tempo."

The balls are only available in Asia and Mizuno has admitted there are no plans to sell them in the rest of the world as there are legal and patent issues that have been clarified first (we don’t want another Titleist/Callaway situation now do we children?) I hope that Mizuno pull their fingers out as if their balls are anywhere near as good as their clubs I think they could be on to a winner.

145 - Quote/Unquote...

If there's a faster way to turn a Jekyll into a Hyde than by handing a man the driver, we don't know of it. - Lew Rushman

Water creates a neurosis in golfers. The very thought of this harmless fluid robs them of their normal powers of rational thought, turns their legs to jelly, and produces a palsy of the upper limbs. - Peter Dobereiner

Putting allows the touchy golfer two to four opportunities to blow a gasket in the short space of two to forty feet. - Tommy Bolt

If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf. - Bob Hope

A Lorena Bobbitt: a nasty slice. - Gary McCord

Lee Trevino is the only man I know who talks on his backswing. - Charley McClendon

The Coarse Golfer is one who shouts 'Fore!' when he putts. - Michael Green

Until you play it, St Andrews looks like the sort of real estate you couldn't give away. - Sam Snead

The only time I talk on a golf course is to my caddie. And then only to complain when he gives me the wrong club. - Seve Ballesteros

(After her tee shot bounced off a tree and nestled in her bra) I'll take a two-shot penalty, but I'll be damned if I'm going to play the ball where it lies. - Elaine Johnson

144 - Belt Up...

As the strange bloke from Bangkok who reads this little blog will tell you, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to my golf gear but not in the way you might be thinking. I like playing golf but don’t necessarily like looking like the archetypical golfer; I start to physically heave if I see argyle for example. I try to pull off the ‘smart/casual’ look but with little success.

In the pursuit of fairway cool I have found myself looking at the poncy Golf Punk/Bunkered/Trendy Golf type websites scanning the latest and greatest from the catwalks of Paris, Milan and erm St Andrews to help me stand out from the crowd. Presently the only thing that makes me stand out from the crowd is the ferocity and variety of swear words I employ when I have a club in my hand.

While checking out this seasons must haves for skinny male models who have never swung a wrench in their lives I noticed a fascinating trend; it seems that no outfit can be complete without a white belt. I therefore need a white belt. To be honest I needed a white belt as I went out and bought one much to the amusement of my fiancée who thought the whole thing was hilarious.

Now, I wasn’t brave enough to buy a ‘bang on trend’ J Lindeberg belt so I settled for a snazzy Adidas number.

It is one of those webbing type belts that are thankfully one size fits all as I’m not a skinny male model who has never swung a wrench in my life, far from it as a matter of fact. Just to be on the safe side I ordered a black one too which looks almost as good.

Once I had decided to buy a golf belt I did a bit of obsessing and found that the market for a piece of material for keeping your kecks up is massive. Almost every manufacturer produces a belt ranging from boring black leather to those that glow in the dark with massive, gem encrusted buckles for the golfer that absolutely, positively must look a twat.

I’m keeping my eye on this sector of the golf market as it genuinely intrigues me. I like the idea of standing out a little but I’m not sure about paying over £70 for a strap of plastic with a polished chrome logo from a Scandinavian clothing manufacturer that even some golfers haven’t heard of. “J Lindberg? Wasn’t that an airship that blew up in New York?”

Who knows, I might embrace the fashion completely and get me one of those custom made buckles with my little kangaroo on it made up from Swarovski crystals. Or maybe not...

143 - The White Putter For You?

I was watching the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor over the weekend (great golf and great result for Graeme McDowell) and noticed one of the Pro’s using what looked like a white putter. After a bit of digging I found club being used, and what a club it is.

It turns out that it is called the Corza Ghost (cool name) and is made by TaylorMade. The white finish has been used to help golfers aim the club easier and comes as a result of experiments TaylorMade did with Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry.

Dr. Hitzeman said: ”The white putter head stands out so clearly against its background because of the high contrast between white and green. That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head's shape and features. The contrast would be lower if the putter was black or grey.

“Many golfers use the leading edge of the putter as part of their alignment strategy, so this high contrast for the leading edge gives the golfer the best chance of squaring up the putter face at address.”

But the help doesn’t just end with the delightful hue chosen by the engineers and the good doctor, there are three black alignment lines on the top and a circular hole in the back giving multiple options when lining up a shot.

"You can focus on the topline to aim Ghost, or you can focus on the alignment lines to visually connect the circular hole and your ball to lock in your aim. The point is that you've got options, each one highly effective." said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development

If you are interested in this stunning looking piece of kit then hurry to your favourite online emporium and part with a reasonable £129. If this style isn’t quite to your liking then TaylorMade have announced that more Ghost models are scheduled to become available later in the year.

Sometimes the best ideas are the most simple and that is certainly so with the Corza Ghost. Take a mallet putter, make it white and suddenly it becomes easier to use. It’ll be interesting to see how many other manufactures suddenly come up with the revolutionary idea of painting their putters…

142 - Shots Of The Week - 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational...

141 - Quote/Unquote...

The difference between a sand trap and water is the difference between a car crash and an airplane crash. You have a chance of recovering from a car crash. - Robert T. Jones

The nice things about these golf books is that they usually cancel each other out. One book tells you to keep your eye on the ball; the next says not to bother. Personally, in the crowd I play with, a better idea is to keep your eye on your partner. - Jim Murray

The number of shots taken by an opponent who is out of sight is equal to the square root of the sum of the number of curses heard plus the number of swishes. - Michael Green

On his proposed book titles - The first one is called How to Get the Most Distance out of Your Shanks and the other is How to Take the Correct Stance on Your Fourth Putt. - Lee Trevino

Of course, Nick Faldo is as neurotic as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and pretty much no fun...you wouldn't want him for a brother-in-law, but he won the Ryder Cup. Total Sport

There is one thing in this world that is dumber than playing golf. That is watching someone else play golf. What do you actually get to see? Thirty-seven guys in polyester slacks squinting at the sun. Doesn't that set your blood racing? - Peter Andrews

I enjoy the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the gallery when I hit my drives. But I'm getting pretty tired of the 'aaws' and 'uhhs' when I miss the putt. - John Daly

Seve Ballesteros goes after a golf course the way a lion goes after a zebra. - Jim Murray

When Bill Clinton played golf... he wore jogging shoes, and his shirt was hanging out over painter's pants. Golf needs Clinton like it needs a case of ringworm. - Rick Reilly

140 - What Have I Started...

The reader of this crappy little blog will know that over the last couple of weeks I’ve received some tuition on golf fundamentals from two mates Terry and Richie. Both of them have given me really useful tips and both were really impressed with me, and by me I mean my clubs.

In the first session with Terry he had a few shots with my Mizuno MP57’s and went all quiet before mumbling something along the lines of “these feel great” over and over again. He then had a few shots with my MP-R wedge and my F-60 3 wood and there were yet more mumbles from him.

Next I went to Kirkby Golf Course for a session in the bunker and around the green with Richie. I only took my MP-T wedge but it was enough to produce quiet utterances of pleasure from Richie as he attacked the pin from the sand and light rough surrounding the green.

The upshot is that both Terry and Richie are now the owners of new clubs!

Both of them were debating about getting new clubs but after a few balls with my Mizuno’s Terry was convinced he needed some new bats which in turn made Richie’s mind up.

Terry scoured the Internet and picked up a set of Mizuno MP62’s (right) for a ludicrously low price (less that £200 I think – not bad for a set that are going for £400 today) and Richie plumped for a set of MP57’s like mine for about the same price. Richie is now looking for a MP-T too now and a bag too!

Those two were already fans of Mizuno and both have vintage sets (that I think they are going to get on eBay as soon as possible) but now they have shiny new sets like mine. I’m worried about what we will look like if we all turn up to play at the same time.

Is there anything worse than seeing a group of beuts decked out in all the same gear on the tee? The three of us will look like we read a magazine and bought the latest fashion – actually we won’t, we will be using Mizuno not Nike…

139 - Sand Blasted...

I mentioned in my last post that the bunker had the beating of me; another thing that took a beating was my wedge. The club comes with what Mizuno call a Raw Haze finish, which is a sort of dark bronze coating designed to come off over time leaving the face covered in spin producing rust. After today the face is shinier than an airhostesses’ grid.

The sexy little 58* baby was fantastic at getting the ball up and over the lip of the bunker but wasn’t tough enough to resist the power of sandblasting. With every shot I could see the coating being stripped from the metal leaving the face looking almost polished in certain places.

I’m hoping that with the protective layer now gone the face with oxidise nicely leaving it nice and rough, ready to shred the cover off my Srixon AD333’s as I chip my way towards the pin…or more likely out of the rough towards the fairway then the pin.

Richie kept joking that I was more concerned with the damage to my club than where the ball was going and to a certain extent he was right.

Although the wedge was relatively cheap (£30 from onlinegolf.co.uk – a bargain frankly) I’m not about to wreck a perfectly good club just for the fun of it.

I did a bit of snooping to see what the club would eventually look like once the rust really starts to take hold and the condition it is in now is pristine compared to how it will end up. Eventually it will look like the bodywork of a 1973 Austin Allegro that had been stood in a fjord for 20 years.

The snob in me is appalled at the thought of having this manky club sat next to my delicious MP57’s in the bag but the geek in me can’t wait for the oxidisation process to engulf the face and make it rougher than a night out in Brixton.

I’m expecting epic amounts of bite from the MP-T, which in turn should result in a fair amount of spin (if the right balls are used but that is a whole different topic). If the face decays and my game improves then the little practice session will have been worth it on many levels.

138 - Sand Trapped...

Richie offered to help continue my golfing education this evening with a crash course in escaping the evil sand trap. I have a pathological fear of the dreaded Adolf Hitler (two shots in the bunker) and was keen to learn so it was off to Kirkby Golf Course for some early evening instruction.

We arrived at the course at around 19:30 confident that we would be able to wander up to the bunker protecting the first green (below) and get a bit of practice in but it didn’t turn out that way as wave after wave of late players teed off behind us.

At first we were courteous and waited for them to play through but it didn’t take long for us to get bored and head into the perfectly kept (ahem) bunker - I suppose you get what you pay for and seeing as we paid absolutely nothing we couldn’t really complain.

Anyone who has spent time in a bunker will tell you that it is difficult to get the ball out and onto the green with any real degree of accuracy - unless you are blessed with some talent or put some serious graft in.

Richie went through the subtle art of smashing the ball from the bunker and making it flop gently on the green with irritatingly ease.

After a number of what can only be described as horrible shots I finally got the hang of popping the ball up to escape the sand but getting it to land anywhere near the pin was a completely different story. Occasionally I would get the ball within putting distance but more often than not I would be miles away.

I did hit an absolute peach that trickled agonisingly close the hole but overall it wasn’t a great performance, I know that I need a lot more practice on this part of my game. After my lesson with Terry I could see improvement but the bunker had the beating of me today.

Overall it was a good couple of hours and a real eye opener. Before today I had only been in the sand a couple of times and on those occasions I just smashed the ball as hard as I could and hoped for the best. Now I know there is a technique to getting close, a technique I need to nail.