Mantara XL Titanium Driver

In a summer of unusually shaped drivers, the Mantara might take the prize. As with all of the non traditional shapes, this one is designed to maximize the distribution of weight throughout the head.

Featuring the same radical square design as the original Mantara, the XL version is broader from front-to-back (8mm), but slightly shallower (4mm) to retain the 460cc limit. This moves the center of gravity not only further back, but lower as well. This helps to maximize the moment of inertia, resulting in less twisting on off-center shots, making it quite possibly our most forgiving driver to date!

The easy to align aerodynamic profile is constructed from a 6-4 titanium face and a thin, lightweight titanium crown, skirt and soleplate.

Carlos Monarrez in the Detroit Free Press has written a column about why he loves watching the LPGA.

The LA Daily News has a preview of The Golf Channel’s new show, Fore Inventors Only, in which inventors of golf gadgets compete against one another. At the bottom of the article is a list of inventions by show.

I just hope it’s better produced than The Big Break.

FOOTJOY DryJoys Short Sleeve Rain Shirt - 2006

A short sleeve rain shirt is going to be my next major purchase. I had the opportunity to play last week in a drizzling rain but passed it up because my rain jacket really was too warm to play in. But as short as the golf season is here in Michigan, I really can’t pass up an opportunity.

This one seems a likely candidate. It got a storm collar, and although its not GoreTex, FootJoy says the fabric is breathable.

Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple has purchased the historic Rogell Golf Course, making it the first African American owned golf course in Michigan. Greater Grace also claims it is one of just six black owned courses in the country.

The course is a Ross design and was built in 1914 for Max Fisher Detroit’s Jewish community. It originally was known as Phoenix Golf Club.

The church purchased the course from the City of Detroit for $2.1 million.

Its interesting that the city would sell Rogell to an African American church to preserve it as a golf course, but has ignored offers by the City of Huntington Woods to do the same with Rackham, another historic Ross design.

I’m going to be sure to get out to play Rogell this summer.

LOONEY TUNES Looney Toons Putter Headcover

It’s funny, but I’m not sure what this would say about your putting skills.

Birdietraker’s a new golf site for tracking your handicap and scores. The site’s creator, Ron, writes:

I’m the creator of a totally free golf handicap and tracking site named BirdieTracker.com.  Since I’m a software engineer by trade, I started the site as a programming exercise, and then I found that almost all of the existing handicap tracking sites were a mess, so I decided to make it better than everyone else’s.

It looks interesting. Give it a visit.