tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88461851351238527152024-03-13T17:19:15.957-07:00Professional Turf ProductsProfessional Turf Products has been serving Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas as a distributor for TORO, ClubCar, Watertronics, Ground Logic, and Harper Turf Equipment for 20 years. Come to us for your Sports Field, Golf Course, and Municipal needs.
From Source to Course.Professional Turf Productshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17099707869938496656noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8846185135123852715.post-46904197626784330852017-04-04T12:47:00.002-07:002017-04-04T12:48:49.934-07:00The TORO Infinity STEALTH - the Ninja of Irrigation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfltu1yZgNtF9Iex32so33eE5HEGwQOmp7PytEWceiI8wmOftMcgyCFFtYZWHjJT0LKjEaFUnaZpuYZffIaPJxYoKBNDsKfmB41_zAVlu3M1G4BMpZIwmrrmj8JZK-d_YNtQtVbzdiTTQ/s1600/01_caddyshack-gopher.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfltu1yZgNtF9Iex32so33eE5HEGwQOmp7PytEWceiI8wmOftMcgyCFFtYZWHjJT0LKjEaFUnaZpuYZffIaPJxYoKBNDsKfmB41_zAVlu3M1G4BMpZIwmrrmj8JZK-d_YNtQtVbzdiTTQ/s400/01_caddyshack-gopher.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, not this ninja, Mrs. Esterhouse...a different ninja. A good ninja.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Given a long enough golfing career -- be it professional, amateur, or hobbyist -- everyone does it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Everyone takes a dreaded <i>bounce</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Now, we're not talking about a bad hop off of a hard berm, or a kick off of a rock, or even a jump from a cart path. No, no, no, no, no. We're talking about that one, singularly special kind of bounce...the bounce off of a sprinkler head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />It's the absolute worst when it comes to luck, because you can have a picture perfect drive or approach completely <i>ruined </i>because, well, dagnabbit, that lousy irrigation designer just had to put the head <i>right there</i>, didn't he?! <b>You </b>didn't do anything wrong, it was <b>all them</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />You're not the only one, trust us. It even happens to the pros, and it can imperil championship play.<br />Let's take a look at a case study, and let's begin by setting the stage.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lJByCsaOf7OzlJEFdaYo2ohjVVzFIU6sbb52dE3mRl9E7kW4WNtx5i3nJi6QFp6QMppCWRrmHK4-TA2sHEv-fxWbA3R9a9uviCcijTMNOavniVRhZw3O4M-VFFbWWGxiRJxLjAoTuT4/s1600/02_augusta-national-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lJByCsaOf7OzlJEFdaYo2ohjVVzFIU6sbb52dE3mRl9E7kW4WNtx5i3nJi6QFp6QMppCWRrmHK4-TA2sHEv-fxWbA3R9a9uviCcijTMNOavniVRhZw3O4M-VFFbWWGxiRJxLjAoTuT4/s400/02_augusta-national-13.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you recognize this hole, then you already know what's coming...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a beautiful Friday afternoon in April of 2014, 66° F with an 11 mph southwesterly wind. You're on one of the most lovingly tended courses in the world at Augusta National, and you're in the top tier of one of the most prestigious competitions in the sport...the <b>Masters</b>.</span></div>
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Let's reiterate that...<b><i>the Masters</i></b>.</div>
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The leader has already closed out his second-round day with a string of five back-to-back birdies <b>(!!!)</b> to finish seven under with a three stroke lead.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aAwcTDATRURzpFXOpNDfuUPRML4LCaLJOTrnxdlm8XnwsBXGRWvwPMYw6IL_Ne3NM7ZE-i_WoxNRuA3TWMqyic0rQTKdGWe1OkC_F2ixFMEo4-iEJJWGT2HoT_ptTMZCzkQSZvCxdds/s1600/03_bubba-watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aAwcTDATRURzpFXOpNDfuUPRML4LCaLJOTrnxdlm8XnwsBXGRWvwPMYw6IL_Ne3NM7ZE-i_WoxNRuA3TWMqyic0rQTKdGWe1OkC_F2ixFMEo4-iEJJWGT2HoT_ptTMZCzkQSZvCxdds/s400/03_bubba-watson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's be honest...it only hurts worse that his name is "Bubba."</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, you've already had a rocky start by overshooting on the short 4th, leaving you with a bogey. Then on the 10th, a chip onto the deck went a little sideways, and you bogeyed again. You weren't able to get it out of your head on the 11th, and bogeyed again. All of a sudden, that cut-line is looming very close, and casting a long shadow over your every stroke.</div>
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<i>It's fine, though</i>, you think to yourself. You've already won this two years ago, you can do it again. It's all in your head, and the game is already 90% mental. You've got a good lie right in the fairway, and <i>you know you can do this</i>.</div>
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You take a two practice swings, the second better than the first. You can see it in your head...the ball landing on the back of the green near the fringe, and yanking back towards the hole to leave you a kick-in for a crisp par. <i><b>This </b></i>is where you put it all back together.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You swing. Contact is good...follow-through is beautiful. Oh, it's in the air, and <i>it is looking good. </i> Oh, baby, <b><i>it is looking good!</i></b> There she goes, there she goes, oh, it's pretty, <b>it's so pretty!</b> She's coming down, she's coming down, right on target. And then....</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsmr02fNCKTmKMYtj7NWq_yQp0TSqPOmm-U_0JKv9U6zvplKFSfmg5q07dJujCLF-1s7OpYjnhKlYxhOnGCriS4s5OHnviie4eFQJOU4NXV_nuSMsAgyI6j5W_SjiLCBArPExDyXx9iQ/s1600/04_OH-SNAP.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsmr02fNCKTmKMYtj7NWq_yQp0TSqPOmm-U_0JKv9U6zvplKFSfmg5q07dJujCLF-1s7OpYjnhKlYxhOnGCriS4s5OHnviie4eFQJOU4NXV_nuSMsAgyI6j5W_SjiLCBArPExDyXx9iQ/s400/04_OH-SNAP.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....................well, then.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your name is Rory McIlroy, your next shot is nigh unplayable from those...<i>pretty</i>...azaleas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although Rory would make the cut for round three with a par on the 18th, he would not go on to take home a green jacket that year. And, although it was not that single error that sank his bid for that year's verdant vestment, it set the internet alight with discussions about rules, conditions of play, and just sour luck at even the professional level. Thousands upon thousands of golfers worldwide went to Twitter, Facebook, Message Boards, and Blogs to share their own opinions and personal stories of the heartbreak of that approach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">TORO took a <i>different </i>approach. Rather than duel with established rules, opinionated viewers and fans, or superintendents who had no recourse, they just figured out a way to eliminate the issue entirely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;">Available as of Spring 2017, TORO released the Infinity</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">®<span style="font-size: 16px;"> STEALTH</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">™</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlJY4KSj5EOknMt5XW9wIHskaZzdZjsM5rPyOuGHDlnassg-bG7q1z_9uSH6tAAauMFK4altXP6PSnLP54VCkmG25vMaoS-EqprPTeqMKzX6ycMxfuW4sLyzyQg9HStIGy5Nxx2fE2Ug/s1600/05_peekaboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlJY4KSj5EOknMt5XW9wIHskaZzdZjsM5rPyOuGHDlnassg-bG7q1z_9uSH6tAAauMFK4altXP6PSnLP54VCkmG25vMaoS-EqprPTeqMKzX6ycMxfuW4sLyzyQg9HStIGy5Nxx2fE2Ug/s400/05_peekaboo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peekaboo.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The STEALTH</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is a kit manufactured and released by TORO that attaches to any existing Infinity</span> body, right on top of the riser head. This kit isn't just a bit of artificial turf sitting on top of your lid like a top hat, either. It's a cup that not only allows for 1 1/2" of root growth for natural turf, but also aids drainage to prevent root rot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Placing the turf in the cup is easy enough; just take a piece of sod that matches the desired turf, cut it close to shape, fill in the gaps with sand, and then just walk away. Just walk away. Keep watering as normal, keep cutting as normal, keep playing as normal. There will be no need to isolate the turf from the surrounding grass for any reason, and it will not impede the normal function of the head.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyIfVzqP8mt-Ou5FkoUwBBd3N7KMqlj6RASYhwPdDlZgwXbRyf7lHOAvDNDFoXMWjC5g8CJqIyRbRLh5u_sySE8tbctR1Q_lQPzsDGvNf05uACxkEfC-kp1pcEcrnDY0srMs6XcQ3G18/s1600/06_stealth-head-spraying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyIfVzqP8mt-Ou5FkoUwBBd3N7KMqlj6RASYhwPdDlZgwXbRyf7lHOAvDNDFoXMWjC5g8CJqIyRbRLh5u_sySE8tbctR1Q_lQPzsDGvNf05uACxkEfC-kp1pcEcrnDY0srMs6XcQ3G18/s400/06_stealth-head-spraying.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's Waldo? THERE he is...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're worried about access to the head, don't be...like any other Infinity</span> Series product, the STEALTH Series kit includes the Smart Access® feature, which allows easy access from the top to make adjustments and reach critical components. The Smart Access feature also makes it easy to add new technology in the future.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cjDlX12EhvmeZIDc6l0NWHDDKm3jpwUOiWwxj00uRcRmUcrUFh7Lh6jNT73t3qvVpkRd70IhI-z47-Met3wPcU6XOxlj88u4-GxV9_gfuQGvYl-YhLg6c4jineoYGMq0L2b3VXiSJUI/s1600/07_smart_access.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cjDlX12EhvmeZIDc6l0NWHDDKm3jpwUOiWwxj00uRcRmUcrUFh7Lh6jNT73t3qvVpkRd70IhI-z47-Met3wPcU6XOxlj88u4-GxV9_gfuQGvYl-YhLg6c4jineoYGMq0L2b3VXiSJUI/s400/07_smart_access.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As simple as looking under the hood. Maybe even simpler, if you drive a Chevy.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not only appearance and ease-of-play that are improved by the STEALTH</span>. As TORO discovered during their beta testing of several hundred installed units throughout the U.S. over the last year, the STEALTH also showed that it reduced labor (in the form of trimming around lids), the risk of tripping (by crew and members/guests), and improved the maintenance and cutting experience (by providing a seamless and continuous contour of turf).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The tech has been developed, and the tests are in, and now the Infinity</span> STEALTH has realized its complete launch.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSzYEcyySR4TKUVfdPDKkenuYQMcq9SR013NNZ4TSEzv1koY0zD6NpuPtnMl8pnt1YjfBxsUj0Hc_JtXhSRhaeKQOypE5oVXzM-1t-U1E3H4Zovt4zJ9GaulZUUu3DGj3sx45RDxarWQ/s1600/08_pain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSzYEcyySR4TKUVfdPDKkenuYQMcq9SR013NNZ4TSEzv1koY0zD6NpuPtnMl8pnt1YjfBxsUj0Hc_JtXhSRhaeKQOypE5oVXzM-1t-U1E3H4Zovt4zJ9GaulZUUu3DGj3sx45RDxarWQ/s400/08_pain.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This doesn't have to be you.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Call Professional Turf Products at 1-888-PRO-TURF (776-8873) today for even more information, and don't forget to follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/proturfprod/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/proturfprod" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</span></div>
Professional Turf Productshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17099707869938496656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8846185135123852715.post-19862911516224890602017-02-01T10:59:00.000-08:002017-04-05T07:38:38.540-07:00A (Somewhat) Brief History of the Golf Ball<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s talk about something really interesting today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let's talk about something that doesn't have anything to do with Irrigation or Turf Maintenance.</div>
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Let’s talk about the golf ball.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HpYhJMSgklJW1QUXRuw90fJu3syS7ddfJSkB0djp4OVGSsUpqoiCbIlxRMGl-0TiSRQkWo6j8RNOCrHylAn3WYt4ML5hgOGH5RW1jy6YKmHnEthy2T1mSxc1BanbefSQH8bPmSZqe1k/s1600/history+of+golf+ball+lift+dynamics_1_1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HpYhJMSgklJW1QUXRuw90fJu3syS7ddfJSkB0djp4OVGSsUpqoiCbIlxRMGl-0TiSRQkWo6j8RNOCrHylAn3WYt4ML5hgOGH5RW1jy6YKmHnEthy2T1mSxc1BanbefSQH8bPmSZqe1k/s320/history+of+golf+ball+lift+dynamics_1_1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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This will be a slightly longer post than usual,<i> but trust me</i>, this is deceptively
interesting, and involves a lot of history – ranging from economics to
industrial manufacture and development, cultural boundaries and influence,
capitalism, and standardization of both production and regulation processes. If nothing else, it can make for ice-breaking
conversation for your next Pick-Up-Group (what we weekend warriors
affectionately call PUGs).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfi9p2VyfpRYkFgpa5kiGkChfoxnQO2QvMAtCkGM-KdTyL3v81bJ7f9eNh0jG-rac8nZU0gC6Bheq27AKIPUiUtyczJjhCxWMFE-9lL71pERhi2SaMywMfvGfrVVLqnwTU8Vwenh10Cg/s1600/01+-+PUGs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfi9p2VyfpRYkFgpa5kiGkChfoxnQO2QvMAtCkGM-KdTyL3v81bJ7f9eNh0jG-rac8nZU0gC6Bheq27AKIPUiUtyczJjhCxWMFE-9lL71pERhi2SaMywMfvGfrVVLqnwTU8Vwenh10Cg/s400/01+-+PUGs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill...Bill...Bill...Steve. Nice to meet you all.</td></tr>
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It’s actually a little difficult to talk about the history
of the golf ball itself without getting lost in the weeds of heavily-contested
Golf History; there is actually a lot of quiet conflict within the very narrow
circles that profess to be the true historians of golf. We’re going to do our best to skirt outside
of those weeds, and restrain the conversation to that little devilish orb
itself…we’ll leave the much-disputed history of the sport for another day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The history of the golf ball can be traced back to Holland
and before. It began when Julius Caesar
led the Roman Empire into the Lowlands of Gaul in 57 B.C. The Legions brought with them their own brand
of sport, designed to be adaptable and mobile (because the legions were always
on the move). That sport carried the
name Harpastum (which was itself an evolution of the Greek game Harpaston,
roughly meaning “to seize,” or “to snatch away”), and was noted for the small,
softball-sized globe that any soldier could carry with him in his
saddlebag. It was a small leather skin
stuffed to the gills with the hair of various beasts of burden that the Legion
took with them along their expeditions.
It was a full-contact sport and in modern society could be more closely
compared to Rugby or American Football.
But, it’s the <i>ball</i> that is
important here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCsJ-7fchsND8ZP7_J296cGovMm-_vWBhVFKcpJSK6FO1liviWOHvGPj7DSoasVS_OXplescRqY-kkS6mNOGc5O_PJnzYg4yCQ0CnrZgi14wwWqLmOrT99LV02T8XLDBufiz-8-DzrqU/s1600/02+-+harpastum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCsJ-7fchsND8ZP7_J296cGovMm-_vWBhVFKcpJSK6FO1liviWOHvGPj7DSoasVS_OXplescRqY-kkS6mNOGc5O_PJnzYg4yCQ0CnrZgi14wwWqLmOrT99LV02T8XLDBufiz-8-DzrqU/s400/02+-+harpastum.jpg" width="367" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent form, I say! Excellent!</td></tr>
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The natives of regions occupied and invaded by the Legion would
take this little ball and incorporate it into their ball-and-stick sport of <i>colf</i>, and the ball itself would evolve
into the first form that we have physical record of. This little hand-crafted wooden ball would be
carried north of Hadrian’s Wall past the 2<sup>nd</sup> century A.D.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Through the next millennia the sport itself evolved into the
various offshoots of Crosse and Mail (what we now know as hockey, croquet, la
crosse, and jai-alai), but the now-wooden ball itself remained the same across
most of the areas in which the games were played. They became a pastime of the military and
shepherds alike, looking to both exercise their accuracy and prove their mettle
to their contemporaries with stakes being bragging rights and rounds at the
local tavern. The noble Scots themselves
would import these wooden balls handcrafted of elm or beech from across the sea
by the barrel-load as late as 1496.
That’s over a thousand years that these balls saw use <i>unchanged</i> across Europe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaG0-dyCrFSbU_vUUxN1NVGdm29udxEiq_Cb712Nk9DcQSwgna_UhMvrkv8ij0TzfZ6s3JhEh24Luhigb20nGwZ_m-9ob9I20-68PLQwN-8ErQjOgSBGuF8wEioyfJpufQumf3X7rIkA/s1600/03+-+dutch+colf.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaG0-dyCrFSbU_vUUxN1NVGdm29udxEiq_Cb712Nk9DcQSwgna_UhMvrkv8ij0TzfZ6s3JhEh24Luhigb20nGwZ_m-9ob9I20-68PLQwN-8ErQjOgSBGuF8wEioyfJpufQumf3X7rIkA/s400/03+-+dutch+colf.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I could putt from a kneeling position, I'm sure I could shave at LEAST four strokes off of my game.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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Yet, within the lands of the Dutch, the stuffed-ball still
held sway. Technological advances made it
easier to work leather and stitching became tighter. Water became more readily accessible, and
with it an increased understanding of the science that would come to be known
as thermodynamics. Different skins were
used, different sizes experimented with, and different sports applications were enjoyed (from the “futbawe” to the “golf” first outlawed by James II). Just before the 15<sup>th</sup> century, the
“Hairy” from the Roman days of yore was replaced with an upgrade – the
“Featherie.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Introduced in 1618, the Featherie was made by stuffing wet
feathers (preferably goose) into an also-wet pouch of leather (usually cow- or
horse-hide), measuring about an inch-and-a-half in diameter. Then left out to dry in the sun, the feathers
inside would expand while the leather outside contracted (thermodynamics!). Then, the ball would be painted and stamped
with the Maker’s Mark. This yielded a
ball that was quite stiff and reasonably round.
This allowed for a softer and more controlled stroke during
stick-and-ball games; balls played with foot and hand remained stuffed with cow
hair for some time. The Featherie would
remain the single greatest evolution of the golf ball for the next two-and-a-half
centuries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbOlX8qyg8bausvCtNtkZ4ZNoTYEZ6JrF8LM2H1w5IoPw-aOkB_hVSOySwYbrE06sX2gPvSLnMcCVT0r5rbkOxWEh5vVA86uIAXSoDIkuYy3OR0tiqM8SvzT_7jE8g3XF6Al29GxrwIU/s1600/04+-+top+hat+featherie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbOlX8qyg8bausvCtNtkZ4ZNoTYEZ6JrF8LM2H1w5IoPw-aOkB_hVSOySwYbrE06sX2gPvSLnMcCVT0r5rbkOxWEh5vVA86uIAXSoDIkuYy3OR0tiqM8SvzT_7jE8g3XF6Al29GxrwIU/s400/04+-+top+hat+featherie.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard unit for stuffing a Featherie was considered a single top hat's worth of feathers. Hats off to you, sir.</td></tr>
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The Featherie was actually extremely expensive to make, and
became the first historical example of economic exclusivity in the sport
itself. The price of a ball could
actually exceed the price of a club...apply that to modern playability and your
decision to take the safe shot! In this
day and age, conservative play was a matter of economics rather than end-of-day
score, as a shot in the drink could put you out of the game for a considerable
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkS4dnlGh1atvHMXY_LmvoCM3VOrGGpddAFbdrHcMirigMZLLJTS8trnyUG2IO0ND6IL5t_eq5x4DGFVHJeO8WKTCClbjShmOWJoJQL4y8ZmoXoLA9fme_tQdjCMAujCab48I1vIjILQ/s1600/05+-+gourlay+featherie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkS4dnlGh1atvHMXY_LmvoCM3VOrGGpddAFbdrHcMirigMZLLJTS8trnyUG2IO0ND6IL5t_eq5x4DGFVHJeO8WKTCClbjShmOWJoJQL4y8ZmoXoLA9fme_tQdjCMAujCab48I1vIjILQ/s400/05+-+gourlay+featherie.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">An example of a John Gourlay Featherie from the 18th century; made in Scotland and recently sold at auction for <i><span style="line-height: 115%;">£5,000 (!!!). These balls would have sold for 5 shillings each, or about $65 per ball in today's money (ALSO !!!).</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of the side effects of using such a malleable ball was
that the Featheries would become dented, scratched, and oblong after extended
use. It was cheaper to re-stuff and
re-stitch an existing hide that was already scarred and scuffed than to make a
new one, so a side-industry came about – Featherie Refurbishment. Notable makers and refurbishers in the 17<sup>th</sup>
century were Andrew Dickson, Leith and Henry Mills, and St. Andrews. And so, in this process of pocket-pinching
sustainability, an accidental discovery was made:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Although the ball
needed to remain as spherical as possible to have the best carry in the air and
roll on the ground, the scratches and dents actually <b>improved</b> ball flight and control.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Fast forward two centuries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In 1848, Reverend Adam Peterson of St. Andrews introduced
the Gutta Percha, or “Guttie.” As the Industrial
Revolution continued during this Pre-Victorian era, methods of production changed
across the globe and shifted the resources used in that same production; this
new type of golf ball was formed from the rubber sap of the Gutta tree found in
the tropics of the world. Trade routes
were established and secured to solidify access to similar products. Along with the Industrial Revolution came the
Railroad, which not only changed the method of transportation across the world
much in the same way that travel by horse had done millennia before, but also
directly contributed to the spread of golf and the ease of manufacture of
equipment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The new Guttie could be made for a fraction of the price of
the long-reigning Featherie; not only was the initial investment cheaper, but
when it came to refurbishing, the ball could simply be re-heated and re-shaped
in a mold. Thanks to the advances in production,
Golf crossed backwards across the economic boundaries of luxury and disposable
income, and became again available to the <i>Everyman</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>But, there was a
catch.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Gutties still did not travel as far as the Featheries,
and did not represent the same level of control. To mitigate these factors,
producers began to deliberately score and shape their molds for the Gutties to
better simulate the scratches and dents found on long-lived Featheries. The Maker’s Mark of Allan Robertson was most
prevalent during this period, and by the 1880-90’s, shape-molding Gutties was a
standard in the industry. By the time
Dunlop came in to become the major mass-production engine right before the turn
of the century, the hand-crafted ball industry had been essentially killed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKa70XeNYc3Mw7p-G4ZJ7pFrvKEWSZVEyucWn0_QizILIqlhZ_pt4G805sw-OHuaDExJh_kVRXKk6vFzgC-PvoFKqHKEZBnRAjS35_zQgNQiQr6rk2Vl9B0Sk-NrKkaQvk7mWTDbnfGc/s1600/06+-+gutties.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKa70XeNYc3Mw7p-G4ZJ7pFrvKEWSZVEyucWn0_QizILIqlhZ_pt4G805sw-OHuaDExJh_kVRXKk6vFzgC-PvoFKqHKEZBnRAjS35_zQgNQiQr6rk2Vl9B0Sk-NrKkaQvk7mWTDbnfGc/s400/06+-+gutties.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of molded Gutties, including wear-and-tear.</td></tr>
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The pattern during this transitional period that found most
popularity was the “Bramble,” which today can only be found at special-interest
mini-golf courses or “aqua ranges” as floating balls (although developments in
the 20<sup>th</sup> century would find the latter floating balls able to be
manufactured with the more traditional modern dimples).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVd2CK8GPeJ9ChC4WP5ZLfqYSIzGKcSrg-SRbARoVQOHXslkRoSr3qkKr8fmp8pTP_ZJK3G45JHh8eoaCCdR3noVNujAmz1wbJ8ghbnYgaaJ7uxTvEYl5vkwdcQBf4NXWx9Y2cMwFSVo/s1600/08+-+bramble.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVd2CK8GPeJ9ChC4WP5ZLfqYSIzGKcSrg-SRbARoVQOHXslkRoSr3qkKr8fmp8pTP_ZJK3G45JHh8eoaCCdR3noVNujAmz1wbJ8ghbnYgaaJ7uxTvEYl5vkwdcQBf4NXWx9Y2cMwFSVo/s400/08+-+bramble.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today, you'd likely only find the Bramble at Scottie's Indoor Putt-Putt.</td></tr>
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In 1898, Coburn Haskell accidentally made another change by
introducing a golf ball with a core made from a single piece of rubber; when
waiting at the B.F. Goodwrench factory to be received by Bertram Work for a
lunch date, he began to play with idle and unattended machines on the factory
floor. The core for that ball was wound
with rubber threads (the winding process developed by W. Millison) and encased
in a tight leather wrap, and by 1901, the “Haskell” became universally accepted
as <i>the ball</i> to use for play. Not only was it affordable and reproducible
on a mass scale, it had effectively demolished the competition in the British
and US Opens for three years running.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7IAiOn5QNkWWxfxbXo383x7JHIhiqxCrtbMroc14yy1df0YCq8m4ZrUMrrTqxXSA09bN3BQBDTN5EaeB_rDXMzDeJmE4kwfUfXSjLs3RaunWCxvUO_kqYU98XfwbakEa6u0JLx7S__k/s1600/13+-+haskell+ad+02.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7IAiOn5QNkWWxfxbXo383x7JHIhiqxCrtbMroc14yy1df0YCq8m4ZrUMrrTqxXSA09bN3BQBDTN5EaeB_rDXMzDeJmE4kwfUfXSjLs3RaunWCxvUO_kqYU98XfwbakEa6u0JLx7S__k/s400/13+-+haskell+ad+02.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kid points out the absurd price of $6 per dozen...today, that is equivalent to $163.47!! Well, I guess it's still better than $65 per ball... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At this point, the production method had been solidly
established, and the new realm of exploration became what patterns would be
imprinted into the surface. In 1905,
William Taylor developed the dimple pattern that is still the standard today,
maximizing lift and minimizing drag.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbbx1Tdxx-8kstPPuze333bt6nEou8IJztpflC3cAkG-U6zKbj8D6ie3ZK3bfGYqUeZIvw0jL5qVCoTIPQWW4G1ymV6Og2CnQdFyQ_ZTDkWxLjQJklBZYUanObhMo1ih3M__5DDqv3Vc/s1600/history+of+golf+ball+ball+types_1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbbx1Tdxx-8kstPPuze333bt6nEou8IJztpflC3cAkG-U6zKbj8D6ie3ZK3bfGYqUeZIvw0jL5qVCoTIPQWW4G1ymV6Og2CnQdFyQ_ZTDkWxLjQJklBZYUanObhMo1ih3M__5DDqv3Vc/s320/history+of+golf+ball+ball+types_1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There were also experimentations with the core of the
Haskell; as it was air-injected rubber, it had the tendency to <b><i>explode</i></b>
upon impact after long-time exposure to higher temperatures…imagine teeing off
in the US Open with the leading score going into the third round only to have
your ball explode off of the tee!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SbC1RFaX3D4p1FLq03lWp7GLJvN65HVoDtisgTjFTM6R4ALJcD-czj8vT3B0zmNVGSx-TtCHFai9L2Z1blDmuaPwHRnin2yJ9tGbEtVNXQSnww7mxhOm68uTYc3nwL3lKj0j2p2e8rI/s1600/09+-+exploding+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SbC1RFaX3D4p1FLq03lWp7GLJvN65HVoDtisgTjFTM6R4ALJcD-czj8vT3B0zmNVGSx-TtCHFai9L2Z1blDmuaPwHRnin2yJ9tGbEtVNXQSnww7mxhOm68uTYc3nwL3lKj0j2p2e8rI/s400/09+-+exploding+ball.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Hawaii, "aloha" means hello AND goodbye.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Other manufacturers would experiment with the core
throughout the 20<sup>th</sup> century, using cork, various metals, and even
mercury; but the first significant improvement on the design wouldn’t occur
until 1972, when Spalding introduced the two-piece “Executive,” which was
itself an evolution of a ball patent purchased in 1967 from Jim Bartsch (this
patent revised construction of the skin of the ball, switching to an artificial
resin developed by <i>du Pont</i> named
Suralyn). Bartsch’s original design was
sound, but could only be realized by Spalding’s chemical engineering team to
remove the need for previously used layers with their new resin formulae.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Even through today, all innovations on the Executive are
simply variations of the dimples patterns on the surface and the makeup of the
core, to maximize airflow and compression upon the stroke of impact.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawFzLCTfKPQnn6UXyjJTQkHOFdG2Cx-DIfjumZRchh2-9iUsSin_9CgOOB1v4SNynBs-Xn9gxCMh3CuaRKW9jwAQb-B0dpTelD9v_ff8GlsP3M1OrmE0RxkGGuVpzPSSKoqdAMRdn_I/s1600/10+-+varied+innards.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawFzLCTfKPQnn6UXyjJTQkHOFdG2Cx-DIfjumZRchh2-9iUsSin_9CgOOB1v4SNynBs-Xn9gxCMh3CuaRKW9jwAQb-B0dpTelD9v_ff8GlsP3M1OrmE0RxkGGuVpzPSSKoqdAMRdn_I/s400/10+-+varied+innards.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of the different cores of golf balls throughout the 20th century.</td></tr>
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Even though the technological imperatives didn’t change
until the late 20<sup>th</sup> century, regulatory bodies had been establishing
standards for balls in professional play since the 1920’s. Both the Royal & Ancient Golf Club os St.
Andrews and the United States Golf Association agreed that any ball approved
for regulation play would weigh no more than 1.62 ounces and have a diameter of
no more than 1.62 inches. In 1931, the
USGA broke away from this agreement to introduce the “Big Ball,” which raised
the diameter to 1.68 inches, but lowered the weight to 1.55 ounces. Less than a full tournament year later, they
raised that weight to the previous limit of 1.62 ounces. In subsequent years, all attempts to arrive
at a compromise diameter of 1.66 inches failed. It took an official stance from
the Professional Golfer’s Association of Britain that insisted the American
dominance of the sport was directly due to the standards of the size; in 1968
they established that they would be experimenting with the larger balls. By 1974, not only had all three organizations
established the <i>Big Ball</i> as the
standard, but made it <i>and only it</i> the
mandatory ball to be used…the smaller sizes of yore were outlawed altogether by
1988.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEjb4HVrzmbscrEx5NnzIiG-kR3IPkZ4EDjra7Cv5uFjybbtsbfOe3Gry90L1Yo7NfAdsE971qejU-N356eJRlOlb4QCF7i_q9d3FT4FklR-Ff4_LbSfhn7nonJcRLl0YYHJTv-Owwio/s1600/11+-+big+ball+vs+little+ball.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEjb4HVrzmbscrEx5NnzIiG-kR3IPkZ4EDjra7Cv5uFjybbtsbfOe3Gry90L1Yo7NfAdsE971qejU-N356eJRlOlb4QCF7i_q9d3FT4FklR-Ff4_LbSfhn7nonJcRLl0YYHJTv-Owwio/s400/11+-+big+ball+vs+little+ball.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of COURSE we Americans wanted it bigger...</td></tr>
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Very few changes have been made since then, and most of them
are proprietary secrets among the ball designers and developers. Looking at patents for future balls that
haven’t yet hit the market, we can see that very complex mathematics are
beginning to be incorporated into design.
The amount of geometry, aerodynamics, and general science that are going
into the “ball of the future,” are astounding, and one would have to have a PhD
to understand the complexities involved.
In fact, most of the designers listed on the patents actually have PhD’s
in physics.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO-8eMTXTZzT_0KcCDRROV4tzHbblI8gXqO3CMQtimPUb_Mjt8Q8H2Ekrf0JffaYXFohFuRAUlTRw7IZUlF95tyZw90VldR6m8ejeppAM9J9jSqBE2pm-lcglbpRJOcgegZndHZaKhCk/s1600/ball+patents+montage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO-8eMTXTZzT_0KcCDRROV4tzHbblI8gXqO3CMQtimPUb_Mjt8Q8H2Ekrf0JffaYXFohFuRAUlTRw7IZUlF95tyZw90VldR6m8ejeppAM9J9jSqBE2pm-lcglbpRJOcgegZndHZaKhCk/s400/ball+patents+montage.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes. I understand all of this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are plans to incorporate GPS tags into balls, gyroscopic stabilizers that float inside the ball even while it spins at hundreds of RPM’s as it traverses through the air. Think of the technology that already exists in televised broadcasts to track a ball in flight and overlay that flight path <i>live</i> as the competition is being sent out to the world. Now think about how that visualization would change if the Golf Channel had access to all of the GPS coordinates for each competitor’s ball on file while filming the event…how would that change the passive act of <i>watching</i> professional golf?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
All in all, the history of the golf ball is incredible. It crosses borders, cultures, economic boundaries, and practices of industry and trade. Few sports can trace one of its simple elements back 2,000 years across Legionnaires, shepherds, local lords, and captains of industry…but this deceptively devilish game that so frustrates and rewards us can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaj21OrFiAgnH-mmLk_MVGTrVr5HR4jl5Ie3s2iaexrZfyFKZbHTfG-BY69EARJRxEax_WLCcn4O9CNhyC2hJ9GucBnnGKjRG9oBmFwIR2lNuKUqlCHavqPmpoYYazDlunGxUSU3-rgQ/s1600/12+-+ball+of+tomorrow.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaj21OrFiAgnH-mmLk_MVGTrVr5HR4jl5Ie3s2iaexrZfyFKZbHTfG-BY69EARJRxEax_WLCcn4O9CNhyC2hJ9GucBnnGKjRG9oBmFwIR2lNuKUqlCHavqPmpoYYazDlunGxUSU3-rgQ/s400/12+-+ball+of+tomorrow.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold...the Ball of Tomorrow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Who knows exactly what the future of the golf ball will look
like? It’s a sure bet that the sport
will last another 2,000 years, and future writers will be able to write
articles just like this about the next phase of the evolution of the golf ball.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Professional Turf Productshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17099707869938496656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8846185135123852715.post-23814419229182184632016-11-07T07:33:00.001-08:002016-11-08T12:48:05.871-08:00Drive For Show, Putt for Dough.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Everybody buckle in, I’m about to
tell you something that we all already know, and have heard a million times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Are you ready?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Drive for show, putt for dough!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I warned you…I <i>did</i> warn you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We all intrinsically understand
this age-old maxim, even though most of us don’t spend much time thinking about
it ahead of time. You know what I’m
talking about – you get on the course, you strike out two solid bags of balls
onto the driving range, you loosen up practicing your putting while waiting in
line for the Starter to call out your name…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">…and then as soon as you get on
the #1 teebox, you completely forget about putting.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xS8vZDmXD3ikL4RAjLDQMf0fzp7uGj1Gx46zjbI3aqXA7ZThcx3OUGUndC0EOXqMp2xRsap_dJtT0ShJABp5f25XyavrEthtD_dlCTvIrRrfrcsA9IP-5LS_l6ElvUM1kEEfcCl2Xuw/s1600/teeing_off_cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xS8vZDmXD3ikL4RAjLDQMf0fzp7uGj1Gx46zjbI3aqXA7ZThcx3OUGUndC0EOXqMp2xRsap_dJtT0ShJABp5f25XyavrEthtD_dlCTvIrRrfrcsA9IP-5LS_l6ElvUM1kEEfcCl2Xuw/s640/teeing_off_cropped.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feels good...feels good.......nope, it's in the woods. Two off the first! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe your personal casual rules
allow for “two off the first tee” – with the heavily-leaned-on addendum: <b><i>“…if
needed</i></b> (and it will be your golfmates who ultimately tell you whether
it is needed or not…you know the drill)<b><i>.”</i></b>
Maybe your personal serious play involves playing every single shot as
it lies…<b><i>no matter what.</i></b> All of
these personal inclinations and degrees of severity aside, the simple truth always
remains the same:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>As soon as you tee off, putting is the furthest thing from your mind.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And we all know how that first
hole goes, too. Your best friend and/or
your regular golfmate and/or the guy that the Starter paired you off with all
play slightly differently. One of you
shanks into the woods, just ‘cus your swing speed was a little too high in your
zeal to get to the short clubs. One of
you drives it clear down the center, with a backswing smooth as butter. One of you takes a more strategic play and
lays up into an area that is primed for a precision strike towards the hole,
emboldened from your experience with the course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And none of that is a problem,
because you know that your own game is your own game, and your own game is in
your head – after all, <i>the game is 50%
physical and 90% mental</i>. Sir
Shanks-a-lot makes a brilliant recovery shot from the woods, and that is okay…<i>his game is his game</i>. The Straight Shooter slightly flubs the
second shot, but is still in good shape, and that is okay…<i>his game is his game</i>. The
Specialist makes the safe shot with accuracy, but is still a long way out from
the green, and that is okay…<i>his game is
his game.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At this point, every one of us is
totally within our own minds, in our own headspace, and we’re exclusively focused
on the singular process of <i>getting to the
dance floor.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And that is totally okay…<b>our game is our game</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And then…the oh-so- satisfying <i>plunk</i> of the ball of our choice –
Bridgestone Tour B330, Callaway HEX Diablo, Nike RZN Black, Titleist DT
Trusoft, Srixon Q-Star– landing on that immaculately tailored surface. We can hear the hollow <i>thud</i> of the deck being struck as we roll out to our next future
stroke – it doesn’t even matter that we’re not physically close enough <i>to actually hear it,</i> because that sound
has played itself in our minds over and over and over for years...we <b>know</b> what that sound sounds like, and
we hear it in within our skulls. We look
forward to repairing our divot with our trusty tool as we approach the fruits
of our labor and look forward to the next challenge.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8guRxolknq0pOyjct5LK-pBEnJ26nKE8RFcYh5i3BcNDQO9JniuYVwgMsDq30xz-uRsZyKOf-mpTgEkoVhuC0R-4iPwV1GJfLJkPQPnzpr2WPDLl0fyepjwj93ZE_DPtEAfMx3nku0g/s1600/long_putt_cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8guRxolknq0pOyjct5LK-pBEnJ26nKE8RFcYh5i3BcNDQO9JniuYVwgMsDq30xz-uRsZyKOf-mpTgEkoVhuC0R-4iPwV1GJfLJkPQPnzpr2WPDLl0fyepjwj93ZE_DPtEAfMx3nku0g/s640/long_putt_cropped.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to put on your dancing shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That’s right, we’ve landed on the
green… we can put away everything else, take our glove off, and pull out ye
olde Texas Wedge, safe and secure that we won’t be using it to punch through
any long stuff. Now we go into <i>Dancing Mode</i>; the Green has extended its
right hand to us, and we we’re ready to grab it with our left and lead in the <i>Tango of the Worthy</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We’re thinking about the
undulation of the deck. We’re thinking
about where the sun is in the sky so we can know which way the blades of grass
are bending to reach the light and how that will affect our next stroke. We breathe in and out in metered and
practiced movements as we practice our pendulum – some of us both before and
after we ever even take a look at our lie.
We’re ready for battle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then, invariably, it happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We hear the echoing clatter of
someone else’s ball bouncing about in the cup.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJp1J5DdX35MBlIh7_j-A55rDEnGmon_Do4NwzKwyL_XJ7oFdAlIa3_XQBypqrMlEyFyBTIXR6HT9JC05tw-UD5xw-OvpmPXHpKnCcrrXeeOJKWogj6OV64WVSziTjgAOQKssbrTh76MA/s1600/sink_putt_cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJp1J5DdX35MBlIh7_j-A55rDEnGmon_Do4NwzKwyL_XJ7oFdAlIa3_XQBypqrMlEyFyBTIXR6HT9JC05tw-UD5xw-OvpmPXHpKnCcrrXeeOJKWogj6OV64WVSziTjgAOQKssbrTh76MA/s640/sink_putt_cropped.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fistpump.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whodunnit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sir Shanks-a-lot managed to
recover and pierce the heart of the green like it was a dartboard. Straight Shooter pulled just a little bit,
and found himself leaning on his back foot with his sandwedge. The Specialist played as was his plan, and
still has two putts to close out for par.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, <i>Whodunnit? </i> Who is the
mystery man who plugged the cup and nailed the early par? We pop our heads up like gophers to see which
one of us is pumping his fist in victory.
And, at least in our minds,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>It is always the one who least deserved it.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As if to twist the knife after it
has already been driven home, the words we all know are coming actually come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">“Drive for show, putt for dough, babeeeee!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And we breathe deep, and remind
ourselves…<i>his game is his game.</i> Then we close out the hole on our own terms,
as much as that is possible.
Congratulations are extended amongst the participants, we shove our
short sticks back into their holsters, record our (most-times)honest accounting
of the incursion to the unforgiving arbiter of The Scorecard, pull our gloves
on tight, and accelerate our cart in such a way that doesn’t spill our beverage
from our Styrofoam cup.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We console ourselves with the
knowledge (or listen to others actively explain to us) that “the greens weren’t
rolling right,” or “did you SEE that ball jump right there on the way to the
hole?” We consistently give in to our
own regret and listen to our golfmates’ lamentations of <i>“…if only...”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And we do everything we can on
the next teebox to believe that the previous hole never even happened. This is a new hole. A new future.
A new chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The truth is that we have all
been on both the giving and receiving ends of this experience – be it on the
first hole or the fourteenth. We have enjoyed
the jubilation when it is our own personal victory, and we have endured the
jocular celebration of another that is the equivalent of a Running Back or a
Wide Receiver spiking the ball into the End Zone. Depending on who we are, there a no stakes,
low stakes, or high stakes – whether we are our own greatest opponent or we’re
playing for drinks at the 19<sup>th</sup> hole or whether we’re playing a
high-dollar game for skins. In every
case, hole by hole, our challenge is the same: we have to not let it go to our
heads, and we have to <i>stay within our own
game</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And that is the beauty of the
sport. In no other sport are we our own
referee. In no other sport is there an
accepted and accredited “par excellence,” to which we strive to both conform
and exceed. In no other sport are we
expected to keep track of our own statistics so that we might best understand
how we stack up, and where we need to improve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is the glory and the pain of
the sport known as <i>Golf.<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuAdz_C2lx1vW-3PjTB9jfU5Vxh6gSTl2UWgtD0vSFykau2__McdRg-i6Q_s1XsP4sHcZ5aI0_QzgROJCaZ5ktVDTw5aM25EroCZgJXFBehsiApWsQ5ZK6O3epeoHYEmDHgM8a2GNhqs/s1600/golf_cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuAdz_C2lx1vW-3PjTB9jfU5Vxh6gSTl2UWgtD0vSFykau2__McdRg-i6Q_s1XsP4sHcZ5aI0_QzgROJCaZ5ktVDTw5aM25EroCZgJXFBehsiApWsQ5ZK6O3epeoHYEmDHgM8a2GNhqs/s640/golf_cropped.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Although we may either
from-time-to-time or regularly enjoy the spirit and experience of competition –
after all, it is only in the face of competition that we may spread our wings
and grow – in the end, it is always <i>Us versus Ourselves.</i> It is
ourselves against ourselves when we are not on the course, and it is ourselves
against ourselves when we are on the course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is no other truism so
absolute in Golf as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Drive for show, putt for dough.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What have been your experiences
on the golf course?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/proturfprod/?fref=nf">Facebook </a>to learn more about Greenskeeping, and what it really takes
scientifically and artistically to provide us all with the landscape that
facilitates the most honest battleground that exists:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Us Versus Ourselves.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
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