"It's just a bit of a mess,” said Rory McIlroy.

A very accurate quote by the world number one. The mess he is talking about is putter anchoring - the hottest topic in golf right now. Following the decision, a couple of months ago, by the USGA and R&A to ban anchoring the putter in 2016, every golfer on the planet seems to have an opinion. The governors of the rules strangely allowed a 90-day window to hear opinions from professional tours, amateur bodies and anyone who could type or write. It's almost as if they didn't have the strength of their own convictions and this hesitancy has opened a huge can of worms.

With only a few days to go before the 90-day window expired, the politically trained Commish, Tim Finchem came forward with the views of the PGA Tour. There has been much discussion on the pro tours amongst the players, including those guys like Tim Clark and Carl Petersson who have used anchored long putters for years. Some are opposed and some are for it, but is seems the majority are against the ban. Cue The Tim!

And when did The Commish choose to announce the defection - yes, that's right on the NBC telecast during the final of the Accenture World Matchplay. Oh, the sponsor must have been thrilled at that decision, but clearly Finchem was making a big statement and on live TV. He knew what he was doing and the coming days and weeks are tantamount to a stand off between the organizations. The governing bodies on one side, perhaps joined by The European Tour, Augusta National and on the other side The PGA Tour and the PGA Of America who are supporting the Commish. Could this really be the start of bifurcation? But not as anticipated - this would be bifurcation between tournaments!

So, potentially a player couldn't use an anchored putter in the Masters, then back to the Tour with a different anchored stroke, over to The Open Championship and no anchored stroke, onto the PGA Championship and anchoring again....if he couldn't putt well before, this will really get in his kitchen! Clearly, some kind of solution will emerge, but I don't see the Commish backing down any time soon, so this is the first real test of Mike Davis' leadership at the USGA. Watch this space!

Streamsong - First impressions of Red and Blue (and the gorgeous clubhouse)

The first thing I noticed on arrival at Streamsong, near, (actually, not near anything) in Florida was the magnificent clubhouse. Contemporary, but not over bearing, the architect has made gorgeous use of natural materials and created a stunning building. It is located between 3 massive dunes and Alberto Alfonso's building is befitting of this new development that may well be the first serious contender to Bandon resort in Oregon in many years. Of course they will need more than two courses, but with thousands of acres available that is surely a matter of when, not if.

Inside the building is warm, inviting and service levels are first class, in keeping with everything Kemper Sports (the managers of the property) does in golf. Check in was great and our caddie for the day, Rich was a gem. It's somewhat disconcerting having a mini-tour player as a caddy, but he calmly and kindly put up with our tops and shanks and really made the day. The new 216-room hotel is under construction in the distance. The hotel is quite a way from the clubhouse and the red and blue courses and begs the question "Why build it so far away unless one or two more courses are on the way?" There are currently 12 guest rooms in the clubhouse, but securing one of those requires an advance reservation many months out - we tried!

So, the real reason we traveled 84 miles south of Orlando was to play golf. We began on Coore and Crenshaw's Red Course. The first tee is 30 yards from the back door of the clubhouse, right next to the large putting green. The condition of both courses was exceptional, with the greens stimping at about 12, which with the sloping greens was perfect. The superintendant and his team have done a remarkable job growing the golf course in and it's hard to believe Streamsong has just opened. On the way to the first tee we walked by the "Bye Hole", which a nice glimpse of what is to come. Here it is:

I have been fortunate to play many Coore and Crenshaw courses from Bandon Trails in the west to Hidden Creek in the east and I am a big fan. I suggest you add "Red" to their growing list of must play golf courses. There is plenty of room from the tee and I used every club in the bag. That said, prepare yourself, because this is also the hardest golf course from C and C I have ever played. My golf game these days is what I call fragile, so bring your game! Missing the wide fairways you will still find the ball and have a recovery shot from the sand. If you move the ball back a couple inches in your stance it really is not a hard recovery shot. Here's one example of a journey I made into the sand!

The greens complexes are fair and a number of holes are reminiscent of their opening design in Nebraska, the majestic Sand Hills. Here's a memorable and much photographed hole on the Red, the tough par three, 16th.

Following a quick (and excellent) lunch in the clubhouse we ventured up a huge dune to the first tee of the "Blue". This is a Tom Doak design. I'll start by saying I am a Doak fan and his Ballyneal course in Holyoke, Co is one of my top 10 courses in the world. So, I guess you know where this is going. You're right...this is not his best golf course and I suspect the main reason is he didn't have the best land to work with - most of that seems to have been used on C and C's "Red". For me the only stand out hole is the par three, 6th and even with this hole an awkward routing necessitates a walk back and forth across a wooden bridge to access the green. It also seemed to me that the left side of the green will require some work. The caddies said players regularly putt into the water hazard from the green...mmm, not good. That said this will be the most photographed hole on the course. The course is by no means easy, but it is much more forgiving on a player's game and I recommend playing "Red" and then "Blue" as we did - playing the closing nine on the Red with a tired swing will be very tough! Don't get me wrong, the "Blue" is a very good golf course - it's just not as good as the"Red"

Streamsong is a wonderful addition to the Field of Dreams philosophy of "build it and they will come" started by Mike Keiser at Bandon. It's miles from anywhere and a brave decision by the mining company, Mosaic to commit to building a first class resort. It provides great golf and a much easier travel alternative to Bandon and based on my observations of operations, the owners have a real winner on their hands. I expect more courses are in discussion on the property and Streamsong is going to provide the perfect winter destination for those from Chicago to New York looking for world-class golf and sunshine.

Here are another couple of photographs - looking at the clubhouse from the "Red"

We were blessed with gorgeous weather - 50 degrees warmer than D.C!

MacDuff Monthly News

As more and more of you are reading our blog, perhaps you would like to receive our monthly e-newsletter. We talk about golf, cool products, books and much more. Just email us at nick@macduffconsulting.com with MacDuff News in the subject line and we'll add you to the list. You can see the February Issue that came out today - here.

The Romance of Golf Ball Names

Take a look at the picture above and observe the wonderfully inventive names used by the manufacturers back in the golden age of golf. The Ace, The Nimble Shilling, Tee Me and more. All romantic and fun names for the white orb. As a kid playing and growing up in the 70's some of these cool names were still in existence and I regularly played the Spalding Dot, Penfold Ace and the ubiquitous Dunlop 65 (named after Henry Cotton's remarkable score of 65 in the second round of the 1934 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges.) At that time my choice of golf ball was mainly dictated by what I found in the various ditches at North Hants Golf Club! I remember the sheer joy of finding a brand new Titleist in the trees and saving it for a special round - happy days! But I digress. In the last couple of decades the romance of golf ball names has all but disappeared - Pro V1, E5, B330, Tour iX dont conjur up much magic to me - as good as they all are technically.

It's interesting that TaylorMade, who have come up with many crazy names for their products in recent years have recently launched a golf ball with a name rather a mixture of consonants. It is called Lethal and though I haven't tried it, the name alone makes me want to give it a shot. Callaway also has their Diablo - a great name in my opinion. Let's hope that more of the manufacturers opt to add some more colorful names to their golf ball offerings - from a marketing perspective it's easier to build the brand with a name, rather than a bunch of numbers and letters. Consumers can then make an emotional connection to the name and build an affinity to a specific and interesting name.

Once more thing while I am on the subject - when will one of the golf ball manufacturers go old school and individually wrap the balls and package them in threes - what will that add to the cost - a couple of pennies? For those of you who don't remember wrapped golf balls - it was a special sensation unwrapping a new ball for a big game. It would be a great marketing differentiator and add some golden age romance to the game!

Slow Play - Keep It Moving People!

The USGA's new President, Glen Nager has been vocal recently about the curse of the game in America, namely slow play. It was the main topic in his recent speech at the USGA annual soiree and he was quoted as saying:

"Slow play has now become one of the most significant threats to the game's health" and "six hour rounds threaten to drive players away from the game"

Well, let's ignore the fact that new players are not coming to the game, so presumably he is talking about existing golfers leaving the game. But his point is well made, that slow play in America is an epidemic within club golfers. A recent experience highlights this fact - A group of us were at a wonderful golf course in the Pinehurst area, Tobacco Road. Now, we are all reasonable players and in front of us were two groups who literally could not hit the ball and despite our protestations with the clueless marshalls no one was asked to leave, no one was let through, no action whatsoever. And so after 5 1/2 hours for 13 holes we walked off. We raced to the airport, likely never to return.

This is fascinating on many levels.

1. How does a golf course not kick off players who can't actually play?
2. How does a golf course allow guys making $0 manage the golf course?
3. How does the Pro not know what is going on when his 0730 is still not in the clubhouse at 130?

Growing up playing golf in England and Scotland, it was the norm to walk the golf course comfortably in 3 hours. During tournaments (in the days when I could actually play!) rounds would creep up to 3 1/2 hours. This is still the case in the UK, the land of fewer carts, cheaper golf and less GPS devices.

So, the question is what happened and when did times start creeping up and up and is anyone to blame? And what can be done about it? Well, here are some random musings on these questions.

There's no doubt the professional tours are in part to blame - Tour players continue to take an age and the Oxford shirts at PVB just will not discipline anyone, even though everyone knows who the culprits are. Can you believe the last guy to get fined a shot was Glen Day (also known as All Day!) in 1995. Twenty years and no one has been out of position, not one...amazing!

I didn't grow up playing in a cart and for me it is THE worst possible way to play the game. I get it - they generate revenue and some people do need them. But if you have 2 good legs, get off your xxxx and walk - it's quicker and healthier. More and more clubs are giving players the option to walk or take a pull cart. And don't tell me carts are quicker than walking - they aren't!

I would posit that US golfers have considerably less knowledge of the etiquette of the game than those in other countries and this impacts the speed of play dramatically. No one is questioning your manhood if you let some one who is playing faster - everyone wins and yet is really happens here.

Maybe the "clubs for profit" model is to blame? Squeezing more tee times into an hour just to drive incremental revenue. Again, that model doesn't exist at most clubs in the UK as they are private member clubs without tee sheets and designed to end the year with $1 in the bank. They will gladly accept outside play, even at the very best, such as Muirfield, but you better keep up with the group in front or you really will be politely asked to leave.

Some organizations in golf have been trying for many years to address the problem addressed by Mr. Nager. Namely the American Junior Golf Association who have a strict tournament policy of ready golf, move onto the next tee when finished, tee off when you are ready regardless of who won the hole - all of which have contributed to them cutting 30-45 minutes from playing times and made for a more enjoyable game. I wish clubs would adopt a similar model - maybe the AJGA should rollout their tournament model in conjunction with the USGA to clubs across the country?

I think we all know there is no silver bullet here - it is going to take a concerted effort from everyone to speed up play and to make the game more enjoyable for playing partners and those behind you! It's great that Mr. Nager has chosen to highlight this huge problem during his tenure and use some of the USGA's considerable resources to create greater awareness and hopefully some practical solutions.

I have been vocal on this subject before - You can read my slow play blog from April of last year - The Curse of the Game and 5 Culprits here)

MacDuff's 3 Best Products at "The Show"

It's all over for another year and all the walking and talking is done until we descend on O Town again in 2014. There was certainly a positive energy in the room on the back of solid "rounds played" numbers last year - but don't be under any illusions, this "growth" was all about the weather and not about new players to the game. It was a busy show for MacDuff, but I did find the time to look at some cool new products and here are my Top 3 Best New Products for 2013.

1. G-Fore

Once again, fashion designer Mossimo Giannuli has created a stir with color. Last year it was his gorgeous leather gloves and this year he has turned his attention to golf shoes. Available in a several vibrant colors including these green ones with blue and white detailing - they have my name written all over them! You can see the gloves here and the shoes are on the way shortly.

2. Swingbyte

There were a proliferation of small devices like Swingbyte at the show. Confusingly, they all seemed to have "swing" in their brand name. I looked at them all and for me this was the best. Inside the Swingbyte are gyroscopes, accelerometers and other extremely long words. Through bluetooth the device pairs with your iPhone or iPad and generates masses of data and very cool graphics showing swing plane, swing speed, clubhead speed and much more. The Swingbyte 2 comes out in April and features a slightly different way of attaching to the shaft, as well as a software update. See more here.

3. Stitch Golf

I have been a fan since I first saw these woolen and leather head covers last year and I think 2013 is going to be a big year for Stitch. Made in North Carolina and already stocked by many of the leading clubs in the country these guys make beautiful products. The owners are industry veterans and already they have developed a reputation for great service as well as cool products. You can see them here.

7 Tips for a Successful PGA Merchandise Show

I have been going to "the Show", as everyone calls it, since 1989 and yes, it is golf's Groundhog Day but I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's an opportunity to meet old friends, make new ones and see the latest and greatest equipment from the big manufacturers and from those one man bands who just might strike gold with their latest product. So being an old hand here are my Top 7 tips to make the most of the show.

1. Wear comfortable shoes...this is no time to break in your FootJoy teaching shoes.

2. If you want to do business, dress appropriately. Smart casual is perfect and don't dress like you are on Tour...you're not, or you would be in La Jolla or Qatar and not schlepping around Orlando like the rest of us.

3. Eat a good breakfast at your hotel because the food in the Orange County Convention Center is like a hot dog in a movie theater...overcooked and overpriced.

4. Be very specific about where to meet your appointment. Pick a booth, preferably a small one so you can't miss the person you are meeting. Confirming your 1030 at the TaylorMade booth will almost certainly guarantee you'll still be looking for one another 20 minutes later. And remember there is nowhere to sit down in the Hall, so be prepared to stand and talk.

5. Give yourself time to move about the floor. It's a long way from the 1000 aisle to the 6000 aisle so don't make three appointments in 60 minutes in three locations. It's like trying to get from uptown to downtown in Manhattan at 4pm with no cabs - all the stars need to be aligned and it still takes twice as long as you think.

6. Be patient. Everyone is busy and often running a few minutes behind. Whether you are buying or selling they will come - see above!

7. Take some time to wander the floor. Go see the new products section and marvel at the craziness of this business of ours. 

Three Big Golf Stories in 2012

It's the final day of 2012 and the perfect time to take a look back at some of the pivotal moments of the year. It's been a great year, particularly in the professional game, though the continuing decline in participation in the amateur game continues to be a cause for concern. And for all the talk of The First Tee and its $100 million spend, there is precious little to show for it.

1. The Rules of the Game. The governing bodies, The R&A and the USGA introduced the belly putter rule - well they talked about introducing it - the actual change comes in 3 years and just like the groove change a couple years ago, this will ultimately have little to no impact on the game. They continue to ignore the golf ball and the manufacturers have the upper hand as each year the golf ball travels farther and makes the great golf courses of the world relics from the past.

2. The Men's Pro Game. Continues to go from strength to strength. The best events of the year were once again non PGA Tour events, which must drive them crazy! European dominance of the 2 big Tours with Rors taking both money titles was a site to behold and McIlroy really stepped it up again this year. I think Tiger will add to his majors tally in 2013 and Rose will win his first.

3. Shots of the year. There were many contenders and here are my top 3:

First - Bubba's second shot in the playoff at The Masters. He was a long way into those right trees on #10 and somehow hooked the ball 50 yards with a wedge onto the green and set up an easy 2 putt par to win. Truly an amazing shot.

Second - Not one shot, but a series by Ian Poulter on Day 2 of the Ryder Cup that led to 5 birdies on the bounce to give Europe a glimmer of hope going into the singles on Sunday. The grit he showed was remarkable and alongside the memory of Seve as motivation, the Europeans once again proved that they relish Ryder Cup victory more than the Americans.

Third - It's still fun to see Louis Oosthuizen a couple hundred yards out from the 2nd green at Augusta National standing over his 4 iron. The ball seems to take forever to make it to the hole as it sweeps over the crest in the middle of the green. We all know where it is going, but it's great to watch again and again!

Happy New Year to you all and thanks for reading. 2013 should be a great year at the majors - the roster of Augusta National, Merion, Muirfield and Oak Hill will create drama around classic golf courses. Cheers to that!

Perfect Last Minute Christmas Golf Gifts

Several of our golf clients have products and services that would make ideal holiday gifts for the golfer in your life. Here they are at different price points and just in time for Christmas!

Club Champion

I was recently at one of Club Champion's Chicago locations and an extensive iron fitting proved one thing - I'm getting older and needs slightly more forgiving shafts. CC have a great deal running through February 28th, 2013 with 30% off individual fitting prices and a whopping 70% reduction for three of more golfers if purchased at the same time. Read More Here.

Joshua C.F. Smith Golf Landscapes

Josh produces incredible golf landscape paintings. One of his most recent paintings is of Cabot Links, the critically acclaimed course that opened this year. The Cabot clubhouse features this painting in the clubhouse. Josh's giclees on canvas regularly retail for $750 and through Christmas he is offering these for $650. Have a look at his website and if you see something you like contact me here.

Lee Wybranski Art & Design

Lee's new shop on his website now features more of his work than ever before. Lee is known for his iconic U.S Open posters, but have a look through and you will see there are many strings to his artistic bow. In 2012, he

added a contemporary piece of the 7th and 11th greens at The Old Course - it's really cool. Read More Here.

Mackenzie Walker Golf Bag Company

Todd Rohrer's company produces the best golf bags in the world. Period. I can personally attest to that and his new line featuring waxed cotton is already flying off the shelves. It will be the best investment in a golf bag you will ever make and likely be the last one you will ever need to buy - that's why I just bought another one! Read More Here.

Tin Cup

Tin Cup has had an incredible year of growth and is now in over 1,000 stores nationwide. They have a great deal for the holidays - Free shipping is included for all orders over $39 and they are a host of cool packages available including the perfect gift for all your buddies in the Foursome Package. Read More Here.

Zen Golf

Dr. Joe Parent is offering his "Listen, Watch and Learn Package" for $49.95 (a saving of $30). This great deal gives you lifetime access to his audio books and videos. Dr. Joe's Zen Golf book continues to be one of the best selling books in golf - and we hear a new book is coming in the spring. Read More Here.

Cobra's Baffling New Campaign

You should know I like Cobra. I worked with Tom Crow (the original owner) and various players on the European Tour many years ago. I also like John O' Hurley, though I don't know him. He seems like a good chap and as a huge Seinfeld fan his portrayal of Mr. Peterman in the iconic show was always a highlight.
But, put them together in the name of golf and what have you got...an almighty mess. Who ever thought this would help sell golf clubs in this economy? It's called "Mankind's Greatest Achievements" but doesn't really mention any of note. The 4 minute video, which I am sure Cobra hopes will go viral contains unnecessary seaside postcard humor and a bizarre script that defies belief. The Baffler was a great innovation and Cobra sold them by the truckload, because they worked. This "ad" doesn't! This will be 4 minutes of your life you will never get back and at the end I guarantee your jaw will be on the floor! See Mr. Peterman do his best here.