My student teacher recently glommed me onto a free ESPN betting game called Streak For The Cash.

It’s a lot of fun. The goal is to put together a string of winning bets from a constantly changing selection. Today, for example, you could have chosen to “bet” (among other items) on either Michael Bradley or Carl Petterson for the lowest round scores at the Puerto Rico Open; whether the combined scores of the Michigan-Iowa game would total 117 or more; or whether West Virginia will win by double or single digits tonight against Cincinnati. As soon as one event is over, you can place a “bet” on another.

If you win your bet, that extends the streak. Losing a bet starts you over at zero, but your longest streak is recorded. At the end of the month, the player who managed to put together the longest streak for the month wins $100,000. Right now, the longest streak is 16.

From Operation Homefront and Jim Beam:

Military charity Operation Homefront (http://www.OperationHomefront.net) and Jim Beam recently launched “Salute Soldiers with the Spirit of America,” a program/contest designed to support troops both at home and abroad, and provide friends with opportunities to salute their military pals throughout
2010. As part of the program, now through April 12, anyone can nominate their soldier friends to win a VIP experience to the final two days of a
major golf championship at Pebble Beach on June 19 and 20, 2010. Other contest prizes will be awarded throughout the year, including:

• A home game for a professional baseball team on Chicago’s South Side on July 10, 2010.
• A Kid Rock concert and the opportunity to meet Kid Rock in 2010.

To nominate a service member, soldier’s friends can visit Jim Beam’s Facebook page and/or http://www.JimBeam.com.

Sounds like a worthy cause. I’m a big supporter of our men and women in uniform. Mrs. GolfBlogger is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and I grew up next door to a military base, where most of my friends’ dads were in the Air Force or Navy; my father was an Army veteran. My scout troop was chartered by a Navy base, and I always wanted to join, but my “profound” hearing loss precluded that. I do, howeve,  know first hand the sacrifices these people make for the rest of us, and they deserve our thanks.

Pinemeadow Excel Lightning Driver

In these recessionary times, off-brand clubs are looking better and better. Unlike the cheap knockoffs you see in bargain stores and at disreputable golf shows, the Pinemeadow clubs I’ve bought are well constructed from quality materials. As a some-time clubmaker, I’ve been impressed with the little details, like the close fitting, turned ferrules, and perfectly aligned grips.

The difference in the price is not in materials or workmanship, but that they are design followers, not leaders. What Pinemeadow offers are last year’s designs.

But the prices! This square driver is stylistically out of date, but at $99, you can afford to play last year’s design. Constructed of 6/4 titanium, the square head is supposed to provide the maximum possible MOI, straightening out your drives. The big sweet spot also will maximize distance.  That’s why Nike, Callaway and others were touting the square design. If square worked a year and a half ago at $500, it works this season at $99.

A few weeks ago, I suggested Electronic Arts might back out of their deal with Tiger by moving to a general PGA Tour game, featuring the likenesses of several “young guns.”:

From February 27:

By my count (I’m probably forgetting something), that leaves Tiger with just two high profile deals: Nike and Electronic Arts, makers of the Tiger Woods video game. Nike is in too deep to get out. I predict that EA will drop him in the next year in favor of a general PGA Tour game, with several top young guns as the hook. Picture a box with Kim, Villegas, and several other under 30 “hip” players smiling out at you. They could sign the whole lot for less than they pay Woods.

My predictions, it seems, have come true. Golf Week is reporting that Rory McIlroy will join Tiger on the cover of Tiger Woods 2011. The reason is ostensibly that this is a Ryder Cup year, and Rory is a European.

Right.

I stand by my prediction. EA will move away from Tiger.

From CNN:

For the last few months, a large raven has been stalking Greencastle Golf Club in Donegal before swooping and flying off with people’s balls.
Several players have witnessed the burglar at work while others have struck what they thought was an accurate shot only to arrive on the green to find no sign of their ball.

Billy McCaul, the golf club’s office manager, says players are reporting stolen balls on a weekly basis.

“It started to happen about four months ago, when you had the odd comment about a ball being taken by a bird,” McCaul told CNN.

“Because we are a seaside course, birds have picked balls up in the air so we took it to be something like that, but then it became consistent and persistent.
“At first I took it as a bit of fun, as did most members, but it has got to the extent where it is having an effect on prizes and competitions and various other things.”

I’m going to start using Ravens as an excuse for any lost balls.