So what do you get when you combine an architect, an author and organic cotton? Would you believe a line of men’s and women’s polo/golf shirts? No really, I am not kidding!
I have just returned from sunny southern California and am happy to have had the chance to test drive the Criquet line of Thin Striped Player’s Shirt (in beautiful Carolina Blue) on the golf course. Let me say that this line of vintage inspired shirts are great both on and off the course.
When long time friends Billy Nachman (The Architect) and Hobson Brown (The Author) found themselves bemoaning the demise of their much loved, perfectly worn in and worn out favorite polos they did what any dynamic duo would do……they started their own shirt company. Based in Austin, Texas the Criquet line of organic shirts now encompasses 4 styles for men and one for women.
So what makes these shirts organic? First, the cotton is grown using certified organic methods meaning minimal use of pesticides and harmful dyes while maximizing other environmentally friendly practices. In addition, these shirts are Made in the U.S.A.!
So what does an organic shirt feel and wear like? Well I must say that they feel great. The one I tested was neither too light or too heavy nor too tight or too loose. In fact, the material has a bit more “body” to it than many of the new ultra light stay dry type shirts so common in today’s golf shirt market. I liked that the shirt was not too sheer leaving you with that annoying see through feeling.
The men’s shirts come in four styles. The “Player’s Shirt” is a four button model with buttoned chest pocket and is available in 7 solid colors. The “Thin Striped Player’s Shirt” is also 4 button, has no pocket and is offered in 5 colors. The “Wide Stripe Player’s Shirt” has 4 buttons, a non-buttoned pocket and in two colors. Finally for men is the two button “Perfect Pique” in 5 colors with open chest pocket. All of these can be seen on their entertaining and informative website at http://www.criquetshirts.com/men/.
For the women, the “Ladies Player’s Shirt” is a 4 button shirt without pockets and available in six different colors.
So if you are looking for that stylish classic polo that is neither too preppy nor too over the top I suggest you give the Criquet line a look. We all know how that well worn shirt or hat feels and how we hate to give them up when they are past their prime. Here is your chance to start a new tradition.
The golf world was abuzz this week, anxious to see how Tiger Woods would play after a three-month layoff and trying out a brand new… pair of shoes.
OK, so maybe Tiger’s new caddie, Byron Bell, commanded a bit more attention in the wake of Woods’ ugly public parting with long-time looper Steve Williams.
But as equipment geeks, we’re more interested in Tiger’s new Nikes -- which look suspiciously like some of the innovative models intro’d by other brands in recent months. (More on them in a moment.)
Here’s the lowdown on Tiger’s kicks:
Having worked out in a pair of Nikes featuring the company’s new Free technology, Woods asked designer Tobie Hatfield to work up a similar pair for golf. Hatfield obliged, constructing the prototypes that Woods is sporting this week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
Nike heralds Free as “technology that is designed to mimic and conform to the natural motion of the foot.” Based on appearances, it’s a lot less stiff than traditional golf shoes. A lot less formal-looking, too.
Hatfield says the shoes improve stability by freeing the front of the golfer’s foot. He believes the increased range of motion will enhance Tiger’s power, and perhaps protect his oft-wounded left knee from further damage.
No matter how Tiger fares in his return, it’s doubtful the shoes will receive any credit (or blame). That said, the Nike Frees are bound to turn the heads of not just fans, but of the apparel giant’s competitors.
Specifically, shoemaking heavyweight ECCO and upstarts TRUE Linkswear and Kikkor might be interested in what Nike’s up to. ECCO’s Street Premiere models have famously adorned the feet of Fred Couples, while TRUE’s low-profile, made-for-walking shoes are worn on Tour by ever-fashionable Ryan Moore. Kikkor, founded by former NCAA champion James Lepp, offers a street-inspired shoe as well.
Wearers swear by the comfort and performance of the ECCO, TRUE and Kikkor kicks, all of which are spikeless and suitable for off-course activities. They seem to have started a trend, at least, toward a more casual, form-fitting golf shoe style.
Of course, none of those brands can match the marketing power of the mighty swoosh. We’ll see what kind of, um, traction Nike gets with its own street-style golf shoe.
To some, especially the young, the 1960s are already viewed as "classic." The '60s look in golf, often conflated with the early '70s, is considered vintage.
Now Dunning, the Toronto-based sportswear company, is introducing its Tour Slim Fit polo shirts, which are said to harken back to the glory days of Nicklaus and Watson (Watson had his first tour win in 1974). The shirts feature close-to-the-body "vintage '60s inspired tailoring," according to the company. That means narrower in the shoulders and torso, with a mid-bicep sleeve (many modern shirts are elbow length). While nostalgic in style, the shirts feature modern innovations like moisture management, odor control, and wrinkle resistance. They cost $89.
So in addition to the driving range, some of us will need to spend more time at the gym.
[Via Golf.com]
When Brian Gay won the Verizon Heritage by 10 shots, setting a record for highest margin of victory and shooting a final score of -20, he was rocking some pretty noticeable shades. These are the Jetty Black G12's by a company called KAENON POLARIZED:
"Jetty™ is an oversize, tall and boxy performance frame with plenty of street attitude which embodies the company’s Luxury Performance™ design and engineering mantra. A unisex frame that can be worn by men and women everyday, Jetty is also built to perform for the active lifestyle."
We think that they look pretty large, and might suggest something like the "Hard Kore" by KEANON POLARIZED for golf:
"Product Description: The result of innovative materials and a "function first" focus, Hard Kore™ is the ultimate performance product for today’s athlete and sports enthusiast. A testament to the company’s commitment to Luxury Performance™ design and engineering, Hard Kore is the next evolution of the brand’s award-winning Kore™ model."
TRION:Z makes the best magnetic golf bracelets that we can find, and they continue to grow in popularity. Everyone from amateurs to tour pro's sports them, and we can see why. They offer a range of products, sizes, color combinations, and customizations that can meet the needs of almost any athlete, and they look great. So far no other company even comes close when it comes to magnetic bracelets.
Advanced Negative Ionic-Magnetic Technology: Trion:Z is committed to unwavering quality and innovation by focusing exclusively on one mission: providing the most advanced negative ionic-magnetic products to our customers, retailers, and professional athletes. Proven 50 to 100 times more powerful than competing brands, each Trion:Z product utilizes our patented Alternating North-South Polarity Orientation (ANSPO™) system, which is comprised of twin 1,000 gauss axially magnetized magnets to maximize magnetic field flow.
High Quality: We strive to provide unique products that reflect creative, stylish, and durable design by utilizing cutting edge negative ionic-magnetic technology. The importance of exceptional customer service is instilled in each professional at Trion:Z, by providing knowledgeable and receptive service to our valued customers and retailers. Deeply invested in the historical nature of magnets, Trion:Z products are designed by and developed for individuals who value the importance of a positive and healthy lifestyle.
Wellness: Like all great discoveries the history of magnets is an ancient phenomenon embraced by generations of individuals worldwide. At the core of Trion:Z is a dedication to linking the scientific properties of magnets and negative ions with innovative style and design.
Our Favorite is the "Dual Loop Bracelet" pictured below:
Check out more TRION:Z products at www.Trionz.com
Oakley has been a strong force in the golfing industry for quite some time now. But lately, we couldn’t help but notice that they’re beginning to dominate the scene. The list of Pro’s rocking their shades these days, seems to be endless. Players including Ian Poulter, Parker McLachlin, James Nitties, Ricky Barnes, Annika Sorenstam, Chris DiMarco, and Rich Beem, to name a few.
Some of this growing popularity and success can be attributed to Oakley’s intense attention to the golfer’s needs. They now have multiple frames and lens combinations that are completely golf specific, along with the ability to easily interchange the combinations, depending on the current light conditions.
We may call them “accessory lenses” but we make them for athletes who take full advantage of our adaptable eyewear. Engineered for our HALF JACKET® frame, these interchangeable lenses come in multiple color options. Choose a lens for the best optical performance under current light conditions, or switch to a different hue to change your look instantly.
Check out this link to see some of their different golf specific styles:
http://oakley.com/catalog/collections/mens-golf-collection
Another major part of Oakley’s success has come from their ability to get their products in the hands of, or more specifically, on the faces of, their tour players.
The Oakley Golf Program not only continues to roll up solid results on the playing field of the PGA Tour this year, but hit the trifecta with our third Rolling O Lab stop at the Transitions Championships.
These rolling O-Labs follow the tour events year round in order to offer players the opportunity to customize and test any combination they want. 
Which brings us to our final and probably most exciting feature: The ability to customize the exact look of your own pair, right on their site! It’s really easy, and completely detail oriented. You can edit and change just about any part of the model that you want, then all you have to do is click “add to cart.”
We love that the golf industry finally understands that we, the public, want more customization with our equipment. And it’s nice to see another great company like Oakley, heading in the same direction.
In March 2005, with the help of PGA Tour Player Padreigh Harrington, sports footwear brand HI-TEC launched what it considers to be "the world's most innovative golf shoe technology ever." And now after 11 years of working together, Hi-Tec's newest and most expensive shoe is the CDT Super Power Tour. This is the same shoe that Harrington currently wears and we feel that it qualifies as one of the most interesting golf products on the market today.
The biggest selling point to these shoes aside from their cool modern look, would be that they add distance, power, and accuracy to your golf game, literally! At first this sounded a bit ridiculous to us, but the tests and stats are there to prove it!
Researches at Hi-Tec recorded and analyzed Harrington's foot movement not only with high speed film but also utilizing force platforms and specially developed analytical software. Together they came to the conclusion that the longer a player's center of gravity can continue towards the target, the more energy is directed there - improving distance, power, and accuracy. They also found that a large part of this energy is channeled through a players feet, and can be majorly effected by many different factors that rely on the design of the golf shoe. The measurement of energy used in this research is called Longitudinal Stability Index (LSI).
The results of Harrington hitting a 5 iron were as follows: Bare Feet - 65%, Hi-Tec Custom V-Lite shoes - 78%, NEW Hi-Tec CDT Power shoes - 94%
In tests conducted at the 2004 US Open, Harrington, using the same club and ball as in 2003, but using the CDT Power shoes, increased his ball speed from 166 mph to 173 mph. He was also hitting the ball consistently longer and in December of 2005 and was the leader in driving distance on The European Tour with an average of 320.6 yards. Needless to say he still wears the shoes today, and agrees that these are some of the best performance enhancing shoes in golf.
We are of the opinion that if they look and feel great, why not see if they can add the distance, power, and accuracy they claim to give as well.
The Nike Air Zoom Elite II and Air Zoom Tour were just released this past September. They will continue to be released in multiple colors and styles through out the next few months. This will also include the Tiger Edition(bottom picture) sometime in November.
The TOUR360 LTD golf shoe, released in 2008, seems to be the best looking of the latest shoes coming from Adidas. They have a newly added construction feature called "THIN-Tech" that lowers the golfer to the ground, supposedly providing increased feedback and comfort.
Overall, its an awesome looking shoe that pretty closely resembles the original 360's that everyone loved. Cant really say the same for the new Adidas 360 3.0's.
