Golf Sports News Blog

F1 Racing Issue hots up with the increasing violence in Bahrain

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:21:47 +0000

The world has been witnessing the increasing violence in Bahrain, and with that F1 needs to make a decision as to whether the Bahrain GP should still go ahead. Bernie Ecclestone has stated that he thinks it should go ahead on the 22nd April 2012. I immediately thought this was highly insensitive, but on closer reflection there are strong arguments for both sides. At present, there is no betting online for this event, so one can’t even go there to gauge public opinion.

On the one hand, it would seem the most obvious thing to cancel the event on the 22nd April 2012. Bahrain has been the centre of attention for us all, and we have all been concerned over the news reports and images being shared. It would be no surprise to the online sports betting world if that race was cancelled. F1 could easily take to the view not top be associated with type of country.

One the other hand, one can argue that issues like these, are precisely what huge sports like F1 should get involved with. It has been noted that Bahrain has showed no willingness to change, with regards to human rights and democracy etc. There is a strong argument that with all the publicity, media, and visitors that will be present for the F1 racing, the Bahrain Government will be forced into fast forwarding changes the world wants to see. Although I am betting online traders will be expecting the race not to ahead, if public opinion does not change soon.

Personally, I would cancel the Bahrain GP. The government has been ruthless so far and have made little or effort to make changes promised for months. They have disregarded the United Nations and calls from Western Countries to stop the violence against their own people, so I have very little hope that Ecclestone and F1 will be able to change anything. Online sports betting for the Drivers and Constructors Championships remain the same at Bet365, with Red Bull remaining favourites.

Love Valentine’s Day – Love Bingo

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:09:19 +0000

It seems that almost every Online Bingo site is jumping at the chance to join in with the Valentine’s Day buzz, and one of the most highly-talked about ones, appears to be 888ladies £180 ‘True Love Tuesday’ giveaway, where one lucky player will win a cash prize with just a 1p stake at 9pm. This game has been going since the 10^th February in their ‘Jiggy Jackpots’ giveaway to celebrate the most loved-up day of the year.

However, it isn’t just 888Ladies that is throwing some fantastic Online Bingo Bonus offers out to players in an effort to get their rooms heaving on what, one would imagine to be, the most deserted night of the year. There are tons of other sites queuing up to post their latest Free Online Bingo bonuses to the world.

BingoCams are hosting Speed Dating from 7pm till 8pm tonight where you could meet Mr or Mrs Right and get free bonus money just for choosing your own Avatar. They are throwing two big Jackpots out at £250 each starting from 5pm today; although to qualify for these Jackpots, you need to have made a deposit in the last 14 days and cards cost just 5p each.

So with loads of top offers going on, it seems that the world of Online Bingo is braced for yet another crazy Valentine’s Day rush and hopefully, another profitable day for some lucky players. So far we have counted over £5,000 of prizes being given away to celebrate Valentine’s Day over several key bingo sites, and on top of that, an additional £800 in Free Online Bingo bonuses to pay homage to Cupid.

So for those of you who are out tonight, have a great night and for those of you who are staying in or have yet to find Mr and Mrs Right, check out BingoCams and see if you can get lucky.

Golf Sports News :181 – Bitten By The Bug…

admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:51:38 +0000

Well, it has been five months since I updated this little corner of the web, the reason being it has been five months since I even looked at my bats (other than to move them out of the way when trying to get to stuff in the spare room that is). All that changed today though.My lovely,

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Well, it has been five months since I updated this little corner of the web, the reason being it has been five months since I even looked at my bats (other than to move them out of the way when trying to get to stuff in the spare room that is). All that changed today though.My lovely, lovely fiancée bought me a lesson at a local driving range for Christmas. Bag of balls, hour lesson, tea and coffee – all very civilised. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it but I’ll hold my hands up and admit I enjoyed it a lot more than I should.The day started with mission Gok Wan would have loved, picking the perfect outfit to wear for such an auspicious occasion. I forgot just how much kit I have bought over the last couple of years. 20 minutes later I was bedecked in white Oakley polo, black Oakley pants and an ace Puma jumper (below). I looked the part if nothing else.Time to dust off the bats (literally). I took my driver, 5 iron, 7 iron and 52* wedge – a pretty varied selection for the Pro to assess me on I thought. I removed the massive, fluffy kangaroo head cover from my driver incidentally, replacing it with the standard Mizuno one. Big coward.Richie and me arrived at a shoddy looking site that looked like it was in serious need of a makeover. We learned later from the Pro that the place had just been taken over and had been stripped ahead of a complete renovation and expansion planned in the next couple of months.The accommodation may have been poor but the instruction was very good. The Pro recorded my swing as I went through my paces with the 7 iron and spotted immediately why I sliced the ball so much and why my distance is restricted. Apparently I have noisy hands and an active left foot. 5 minutes of instruction later I was bombing balls straight and true. Result.I spent the next hour watching the ball mostly sail where I wanted it. I wasn’t completely cured but I was hitting the ball straighter, further and more consistently. That hour has just rekindled my desire to play and improve, I’ve definitely been bitten by the bug again…

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Golf Sports News :176 – Big Winners…

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:31:20 +0000

So the Ryder Cup was eventually won by Europe. Well done Monty and the boys, you did the continent proud (well most of you – yeah I’m looking at you Molinari brothers – grrr). Not trying to sound too cheesy here but the big winner in my opinion was the game of golf itself.When

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So the Ryder Cup was eventually won by Europe. Well done Monty and the boys, you did the continent proud (well most of you – yeah I’m looking at you Molinari brothers – grrr). Not trying to sound too cheesy here but the big winner in my opinion was the game of golf itself.When Celtic Manor was chosen as the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup a lot of eyebrows were raised. Was Europe playing into the hands of the USA by selecting a course with a distinctly American feel to it? Surely it would have been more beneficial to select a gnarled Links course that the American’s would struggle with?I hindsight Celtic Manor was a fantastic choice as it gave both teams the opportunity to win making it a contest worth watching…once the rain had stopped, obviously. It was a brilliant idea to hold a major sporting event in Britain in October, brilliant idea. The torrential rain on Friday meant that the competition finished on Monday – the first time this has happened in its history.Some of the golf that was played was stunning, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Rickie Fowler and of course Tiger Woods played brilliant shots at various times throughout the weekend. Woods produced a vintage round on Monday to remind us all why he has been the world number one for so long. After all the games, all the drives, approach shots and putts the competition came down to the final game on the final day (but not quite the final hole). Graham McDowell (above) held his nerve, Hunter Mahan fluffed his lines and the trophy returned to Europe with a hole to spare.Queue scenes of elation in South Wales echoed around Europe by golf fans and new converts alike. Twitter was throbbing with messages starting “I don’t usually like golf but…” as none golfers got caught up in the emotion and excitement of the spectacle taking place at Celtic Manor.Colin Montgomerie was humble and reserved as the celebrations started; Corey Pavin looked on the verge of tears. The passion and excitement of the final day did so much good for the game, especially here in Europe, we love winners in Europe!!!

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Golf Sports :177 – Starting All Over Again…

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:31:20 +0000

I received a text from a mate last night asking what clubs I owned as he was thinking of taking up golf. I was excited naturally – another lost soul to trudge around a muddy field with, both of us aiming with perfection but settling for a decent lie in the rough or a favourable

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I received a text from a mate last night asking what clubs I owned as he was thinking of taking up golf. I was excited naturally – another lost soul to trudge around a muddy field with, both of us aiming with perfection but settling for a decent lie in the rough or a favourable bounce on a frozen green.I explained to him that what he should do is get a budget and then buy the best he can afford. I asked him how much he was hoping to spend and was told he would go up to around £200. I know in his head this sounded like a substantial amount but we all know that it is a pittance in the real world of golf.I told him he would struggle with such a small budget as he needs a driver (or fairway wood), a utility club/hybrid, a half set, a wedge, a putter, a bag, a trolley and a pair of shoes for starters. I know he could probably save a few quid by ditching the hybrid, wedge and trolley but it is still a lot of equipment without a lot of cash.I suggested a starter or a second hand set would probably be the way to go until he committed to the game whereupon he could invest in some serious golf porn. A quick look on eBay shows all manner of clubs in various conditions and a few starter sets from companies I’d never heard of (although I did see a set from Wilson which ticked all the boxes).He asked for some club suggestions so he could do some ‘window shopping’ so I sent him links to some of the wilder super game improver clubs. He was impressed by the Nike SQ Machspeed, the Callaway Diablo and TaylorMade’s new Burner set (in fact he commented that the clubs looked too good to use – a good sign?) If he gets into the game he will no doubt be looking at a set of super game improver clubs unless he is a bit stupid and buys a set of blades like I, erm, did. In my defence, they were the most forgiving blades that Mizuno produced at the time with a cavity back, great workability and movie star good looks. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…I might see if I can get my mate on board the Mizuno Express too. The Japanese club wizards have just brought out the stunning looking JPX800 aimed at the high handicap player which would be perfect for him. Another member of the Mizuno Mafia would be more than welcome.

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Golf Sports :178 – It’s Yer Money I’m After Baby…

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:31:20 +0000

After the last article about my mate having around £200 to spend on his new obsession I got thinking about what he could buy if money were no option. I realise that there is probably no limit to how much that could be spent so I decided to have a poke around my favourite online

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After the last article about my mate having around £200 to spend on his new obsession I got thinking about what he could buy if money were no option. I realise that there is probably no limit to how much that could be spent so I decided to have a poke around my favourite online emporium; www.onlinegolf.co.uk to see what my mate could get without a lottery win.Driver: TaylorMade R9 SuperTri TP – £340. This driver, which combines Moveable Weight Technology and Flight Control Technology with 3 moveable weights in a 460cc head, marking the ultimate unification of TaylorMade’s major driver technologies with maximum size to deliver enormous distance and forgiveness from the tee on the golf courseFairway Wood: TaylorMade R9 TP Fairway Wood – £215. This fairway wood has a new classically shaped clubhead, similar to the R9 Driver, which looks fantastic at address, and with TaylorMade Flight Control Technology, you can change the club into 8 different positions to optimise your performance on the golf course.Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue TP 2009 – £165. A shot into the rough can be saved with this essential addition to your golf bag. With an extremely low centre of gravity for an easy launch, and Ultra Thin Wall technology for greater weight distribution, this is a club every golfer needs to recover from a misplaced tee shot.Clubs: Yonex Golf 3I Nanospeed (right) – £783. By incorporating the Isometric Face and 3D Power Weight system across the iron set, these irons now offer a greater sweet spot and substantially increased forgiveness from the clubface. The long irons feature an innovative wide cavity and long sole which pushes the centre of gravity deeper into the club head for a higher launch. In contrast, the centre of gravity is progressively shifted closer to the club face across the mid and short irons to provide a more accurate feel and enhanced distance control.Wedges: Callaway Golf X Series Jaws Wedge (below) – £85 each. This astounding wedge benefits from aggressively-sized MACK Daddy Grooves, which have been designed with maximum conforming width and depth grooves to give you shot-stopping control and spin, and enable you to take aim from virtually any lie on the golf course.Putter: TaylorMade TP Agsi Kia Ma Putter – £225. This marvellous putter is 100% milled from 304 stainless steel to ensure every detail is rendered beautifully and perfectly; has adjustable Micro-Moveable weights to change the putters’ weight and customise the feel to suit your preference; and an AGSI+ Titallium face insert to negate backspin and promote forward spin to provide great roll and control, as well as a soft and solid feel.Bag: TaylorMade TMX T2 Cart Bag 2010 – £180. A total of 10 pockets, including dual accessory pockets and a velour-lined valuables pocket, give this bag space to store everything you could possibly need on the golf course, from spare golf clothing to a number of golf balls in case your round doesn’t go quite to plan! With a golf towel clip, integrated golf umbrella sleeve, and Fast Action Snap Technology accessory compatible, this magnificent golf bag ensures your golf accessories are always within easy reach.Trolley: Clicgear Cart Trolley Version 3.0 – £180. Clicgear offers a full sized three wheel golf pushcart that glides smoothly down the fairway and yet still folds up incredibly small. At only 13 x 15 and 24 when folded, it won’t take over your car trunk or garage.Balls: TaylorMade Penta TP Dozen Golf Balls – £35 per dozen. This is the first Tour golf ball to feature 5 solid layers, with each layer engineered to optimise performance in five key shot categories that skilled golfers need. The 5 layers of Penta TP golf ball include the core, inner mantle, middle mantle, outer mantle and cover, and each of these plays a critical role in optimising the performance of each of the five key shots.So there you have it, driver, fairway wood, hybrid, clubs, wedges (x2), putter, bag and ball. Total for that admittedly pretty awesome kit? A whopping £2,293! That doesn’t include clothing, an electric trolley, rangefinder/GPS or a brolley!!! My friend’s £200 looks even more pitiful now.

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Golf Sport News :179 – Manga Ads And Sk8erboi Bags…

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:31:20 +0000

I’ve been looking at Mizuno’s new marketing and I’m a little confused. Their latest adverts depict a Manga-like, cartoon character playing like a hero with their stunning new JPX800 clubs. The advert is very cool, really interesting and will make no sense to anyone over 40

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I’ve been looking at Mizuno’s new marketing and I’m a little confused. Their latest adverts depict a Manga-like, cartoon character playing like a hero with their stunning new JPX800 clubs. The advert is very cool, really interesting and will make no sense to anyone over 40 which is a risk seeing as this is probably Mizuno’s core market.Kudos for the Japanese wand maker for having the stones to fly in the face of convention and produce a marketing campaign that doesn’t feel like it has been bought off the shelf from an expensive London advertising agency; I’m just worried that it may be money wasted.Mizuno look like they are trying to tap into and actively encourage the emerging young golfers market which can only be a good thing in my opinion. Making golf cool will draw in the next generation of Ryder Cup stars and might even force a bit of change in the local clubs. I believe that the sooner the stuffy Pringle Set lose their overbearing control over golf the better as some of the hoops that new players need to jump through to play on a half decent course are too much like hard work.I have a niggling doubt about this advertising campaign though. I doubt that enough kids will see the adverts and be persuaded that far from being a game played by fat, middle-aged men in BMW’s, golf is actually a really enjoyable sport that requires skill, mental toughness and stamina. I think Mizuno agree which is why they have a secret weapon; a new bag!Actually it is a range of Limited Edition Aerolite X bags that look like they have been designed by Avril Lavigne and Tony Hawk. They are very loud, very colourful and almost guaranteed to cause a heart attack on the first tee at Private Members only courses up and down the country.The change of direction in terms of advertising and producing more ‘yoof’ oriented equipment gets my hearty seal of approval, I just hope that Mizuno don’t alienate its core demographic and get its fingers burnt as a result.

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Golf Sport News :180 – Oh So Right…

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:31:20 +0000

The regular reader of this crappy little blog will know that I have a thing for Mizuno. For me they are a perfect blend of technology and design yet don’t fall into the trap of appealing to the club captain at the local private course. I like the fact that they aren’t as popular

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The regular reader of this crappy little blog will know that I have a thing for Mizuno. For me they are a perfect blend of technology and design yet don’t fall into the trap of appealing to the club captain at the local private course. I like the fact that they aren’t as popular as the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway and Ping, makes me feel smug owning a set.I realise that by getting all smug and elitist about my gear plunges me into the depths of golf snobbery, something I rant about often on these pages. Yeah, I can be a hypocrite as well as a bit of a pompous bastard. Anyway, I digress, Mizuno are my current object of desire and their new range is trouser tighteningly good.The JPX800 and JPX800Pro are latest in a long line of great looking ‘game improver’ clubs from Mizuno that work as well as they look. Mizuno made their name by producing beautiful grain flow forged blades and the new MP53 and MP63’s continue this tradition with ease. It is fair to say the new high end clubs so pretty they could be on a teenager’s bedroom wall.The new MP-630 range of drivers and fairway woods aren’t quite as stunning at the new clubs but what they lose in looks they make up in performance. Mizuno have honed the Hot Metal face technology to make the new big sticks the furthest and straightest ever produced by the company.MX-700 hybrid is now joined by an all new direct long iron replacement in the shape of the MP Fli-Hi designed to fit the shape and flight characteristics of the other clubs in the MP range. The all new MP-630 CLK compliments the rest of the 630 range of woods to complete the hybrid line up.Another area where Mizuno traditionally excel is in wedges. The Japanese company are famed for producing buttery soft feeling chippers that provide plenty of spin and feel around the green. The latest offerings include the updated MP T-11 with its quad cut grooves and the JPX Series wedges designed to complement the rest of the JPX range.Also available are two different ranges of putters, the traditional MP range and the more contemporary Line 90 range. Mizuno decided to produce their own putters after working closely with Bettinardi in the past and now offer something for everyone. The MP’s come in three classic shapes while the Line 90 employ five designs names after volcanoes! Finally there is the new range of limited edition Aerolite X bags (above) which come in a number of loud designs and colours. One thing is for certain about this range, you will not be missed on the course, definitely one for all the Ian Poulter wannabes out there.Overall I think that Mizuno have got it spot on once again. Their equipment is primarily designed to work on the course but they have the knack of making their kit look so good. The new blades are stunning, the putters a revelation and the bags an eye opener. Why don’t all the other manufacturers get it this right more often?

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Golf News :160 – The New Silver…

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:03:15 +0000

It seems that white is the new silver when it comes to putters. TaylorMade have produced a new family of ‘Ghost’ putters that are earning rave reviews in the golfing press and are being used to great effect by the tour pros, most noticeably Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose. McDowell

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It seems that white is the new silver when it comes to putters. TaylorMade have produced a new family of ‘Ghost’ putters that are earning rave reviews in the golfing press and are being used to great effect by the tour pros, most noticeably Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose. McDowell used the new putter to help him win both the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor and the US Open at Pebble Beach recently with Rose picking up his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial Tournament, which took place at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio, USA.The Rossa Corza Ghost (to give it its full name) is a stunning thing to behold, from its glorious white finish to its three alignment lines and innovative hole in the head it certainly stands out. Rumour is that TaylorMade have plans to extend the range to produce a Ghost for every player.One player who obviously likes the idea of a white putter if not the design of the Corza Ghost is Sergio Garcia (right) who has had his usual putter ‘blancoed’. The Ryder Cup star was spotted at the US Open using a white blade putter sparking rumours that TaylorMade were about to release a white Anser type wand.According to the manufacturer that isn’t really the case. Garcia, as a TaylorMade/Adidas staff player, asked for a specially produced white version of his normal Rossa Daytona putter and the company duly obliged.Golf Whine Monthly reviewed the Corza Ghost as part of a 42 club round up and it received a Gold Award, finishing third in the mallet section behind another of the company’s putters, the child scaringly ugly Spider Vicino and the pretty Nike Method 003 (incidentally, the TaylorMade Daytona favoured by Garcia was runner up in the blade review). The reviewers were impressed by TMaG’s “outside the box” thinking when it came to design and who can argue? Both the Corza and the Spider Vicino are stunning looking creations that work in the real world which is what a lot of us want.

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Golf Sports News :161 – Won’t Go Blind…

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:03:15 +0000

I love playing in the sun but I’m not a fan of being blinded by it. To save my retinas I decided to invest in a pair of decent sunglasses, which inevitably meant looking to one of the best names in the business, Oakley. If you are going to do it do it properly eh?I went for a

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I love playing in the sun but I’m not a fan of being blinded by it. To save my retinas I decided to invest in a pair of decent sunglasses, which inevitably meant looking to one of the best names in the business, Oakley. If you are going to do it do it properly eh?I went for a pair of Oakley Fives Squared (below) but was wary of buying expensive eyewear as sunglasses are just sunglasses right? Wrong. The difference between the Fives Squared and my old glasses from NEXT was like chalk and cheese. Oakley has a long tradition of designing and producing exceptional eyewear and this heritage can be felt in the relatively modestly priced Fives Squared. The Oakley’s seem to fit better than the fashion glasses as they wrap around my face as opposed to sitting on my nose. But the design isn’t the best part of the glasses, that honour goes to the lenses which block out the harmful, distracting rays providing a brilliant view of the course ahead. Taking them off after wearing them for a while left me dazzled for a couple of seconds, a tribute to the quality of the optics. The only minor niggle I have with the glasses is the feel of the materials, they seem more plastic than premium but I guess there has to be a compromise somewhere at this price.Oakley produces a lot of different styles of glasses but what drew me to the Fives Squared was the fact that they look the part both on and off the course. In my opinion some of the more focused designs make the wearer look like a Tour de France competitor missing a bike!So am I happy with the Oakley’s? Definitely, they work perfectly and are cool enough to wear every day. They also have the smug factor about them that appeals to the anti-snob in me who likes to rub the establishment up the wrong way – always a good thing in my book!

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