Golf Refugees: I Love These Guys & Their Multi-chromatic Balls

We've written about Golf Refugees numerous times over the past few years, which isn't surprising as they tend to come up with innovative, exciting products quite regularly. In addition, their unyielding commitment to environmental sustainability is remarkable... and "making golf greener" is something that anyone who loves the game should be thinking about.

The UK based indie eco golf brand produces an awesome, edgy collection carbon neutral organic cotton polos and t-shirts,  and recently introduced a gorgeous line of hand-dyed, striped polos that one can customize to create a beautiful, bespoke golf shirt.
Golf Refugees also produces the BinBag, my favorite golf accessory... ever.

It was their elegant black balls, however, that first caught my eye several years back, making me an instant fan, and now in the spirit of multi-chromatic awesomeness come spiral graphic golf balls.

"These are golf ball designs from Golf Refugees, I want these more than I want anything" 

That was the immediate response from one of their Facebook fans.  I second the emotion... and their awesome looks are the only things these kaleidoscopic orbs have going for them. According to the ball's designer, the line that's created where the clockwise spiral on one side meets the counter-clockwise spiral on the other, serves as a natural alignment aid. How cool is that?  I'm guessing these balls would be easier to find than less brilliant balls... and I'm hoping the double spiral design may just have a hypnotic effect that'll help me get "into the zone" when I'm standing over it.

Visit Golf Refugees' Facebook page and let them know which of the color combinations you like best.

Awesome Infographics - PGA Championship Visual Overview

Infographic by BlueClaw for Direct Golf UK

Before the final major of the PGA Tour's 2011 season is relegated to the golf history books, you'll want to have a look at the attached infographic, created for specialist golf retailer, Direct Golf UK by the creative folks at Blueclaw Media. 


If you read this blog you know about my obsession with infographics... and golf infographics in particular.  Professional golf is all about stories and statistics, so it lends itself perfectly to engaging data visualization.


Here, a brief history of the PGA Championship is presented in a graphical style that's fresh and whimsical. It includes some of the tournament's more remarkable players, venues and records, and takes us right up to Sunday's Keegan Bradley win. 


Next week the Fedex Cup playoffs begin, and I think we can look forward to seeing some more infographic creativity as the four event series unfolds.  

Here's the full sized version.

New York City Golfers Start Season at Chelsea Piers

An awesome golf event for the entire family!

Those in and around New York City are waking up this morning to a picture perfect Spring day. After a winter that broke snow fall records and seemed to go on forever, the urge to get out and enjoy is inevitably going to be rather strong overwhelming. Happily for golfers... and aspiring golfers... the stellar Spring weather coincides with the 8th Annual Golf Fest sponsored by the New York Golf Center and Chelsea Piers.
  
In the center of a city not known for a myriad of options when it comes to golf, this event is a comprehensive celebration of the sport with activities for all ages and ability levels. The biggest names in golf equipment, apparel and travel will be there with their latest products... and professional instructors will dispense tips, offer instruction and conduct group lessons.  There'll also be prizes and raffles, plus a Kid’s Corner that promises golf fun for the little ones.

The venue is Chelsea Piers, home of Manhattan's only multi-tiered, year-round, outdoor driving range. If you're in the area and in any way golf-inclined, it's definitely where you'll want to be today.  Additional info and details are available on the website.

Musings of a Golf Newbie - The Old & New

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By Jordan Farr
We all love change... don't we?

Well, maybe not when it's just change for the sake of change, but there's something to be said for "keeping up with the times".

Golf... more than many other sports... sometimes struggles with this concept. A small but vocal group of traditionalists would prefer to see the game played the way it was a century ago... and they're not particularly receptive to the idea of change. But for everyone else, it's definitely happening, and some of the most noticable changes have come in the areas of fashion, technology, equipment and instructors.

There's clearly a lot less formality in golf apparel than there once was ... a lot less boxiness and a lot more variety too. Amazing fabrics are being used. They keep golfers warm in the winter, cool in the summer and ultra-flexible in multiple layers. We visited Ralph Lauren Headquarters last month for a preview of their awesome 2011 line. The styles were gorgeous and perfectly designed for golf. There was even a bluetooth enabled wind shirt!

Technology is now used way beyond what a mid-20th century golfer could even dream of. Today you can do things like... read distances on your BlackBerry or play a full scale round at Pebble from your corner pub like I did last weekend. World Golf Tour, my favorite online game, lets me compete on championship course with golfers from all over the world... virtually! The graphics are stunning. BTW WGT is nominated for best online game at the Mashable Awards this year... I just voted for them.

The way the sport is taught has also changed quite a bit. Maybe golf's not a game of speed and agility per se... but rather a game of strategy, stamina and technical ability. That doesn’t mean a golfer shouldn't be trained like an athlete, and nowadays golf fitness has become an essential part of becoming a golfer. Techniques and drills and training aids have all evolved as well.

As a beginner, I can't speak too authoritatively about all the changes that have taken place with equipment... I'm still fine with my starter set... but according to my uncle... who buys a new driver every couple of months... they've been epic.

I like the way golf is evolving and I'm quite sure the advances that have taken place have made it easier... or at least more fun... to learn. Also there's no denying the game is more open and accessible than it once was. However, a part of me would love to go back to a simpler time, where golf was just... golf... free of technology, unaffected by the fashion runways and devoid of those very annoying, very vigorous fitness programs.

Images: Futuristic Golf Course via Tuvie / WGT logo / Vintage Foursome via Hickory Golf