The temperatures hit 72 degrees yesterday in Michigan—not a record, but close. It was an absolutely perfect day for golf. I had already voted in the morning, so my afternoon was open for what I like to do best.

BRIDGESTONE Tour B330-RX

Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: A great ball, but too expensive for me to play on a regular basis. The price gives it a lesser grade

The Tour B330 series ball from Bridgestone are their top of the line products, aimed at the same crowd th tplays the Pro V1. Until this year, the line consisted of the Tour B330 and the Tour B330-S. The B330 is designed for swing speeds of 112+; The B330 is designed for players with swing speeds of between 105 and 115 mph, and is a little softer. The Bridgestone Tour 330-RX is the softest of the three and is designed for players with swing speeds of 105 mph or less. The 330 and 330-S are four piece balls; the RX is a three-piece.

Bridgestone really has going a good thing here. While I appreciate the qualities of the Pro V1, I’ve never had the swing speed to take advantage of it. The B330-RX is designed to let skilled, but slower swinging players take full advantage of a premium ball.

I’ve had very good success playing the Bridgestone B330-RX. Indeed, it’s one of the better balls I’ve used.

The Bridgestone B330-RX is plenty long and very consistent in its distance. Ball flight is moderately high and for me, very straight (but then, I don’t even try to “work” it).

The B330-Rx also has a nice soft feel, and is wonderful around the greens. Shots off the shorter irons stop quickly; I’m sure better players will be able to get that spin-back everyone seems to want so much.

In short, the Bridgestone B300-RX does everything well. 

The only problem is that it’s expensive. At $43 a dozen, I just can’t afford to play it, no matter how wonderful it is. The Bridgestone E6+, which I also like very much is nearly $20 cheaper; the TreoSoft—also a very good ball—is less expensive still.

I wonder why—other than positioning it as a “premium ball”—Bridgestone thinks $40 a dozen is an appropriate price for a three piece ball designed for slower swingers. Typically, those are in the mid- to upper- $20 range.

This ball gets an A for quality, but an E for price. Give it a B overall.

CALLAWAY FT-iQ Tour Driver

The clubs just keep getting stranger looking. I wonder at what point they run afoul of the USGA rule on the traditional shape and form of clubs:

The club must not be substantially different from the traditionally and customary form and make. The club must be composed of a shaft and a head. All parts must be fixed so that the club is one unit, and it must have no external attachments except as otherwise permitted by the Rules.

This one apparently is ok.

The goal of the Callaway FT-iQ—like all strangely shaped clubs—is to use geometry to raise the moment of intertia. That’s supposed to increase distance and accuracy on off-center hits. Callaway also has packed an entire mad-scientist’s lab worth of technology into the club. It’s got a “Hyperbolic Face Technology” that’s supposed to raise ball speeds across the entire face; “Face Fusion Technology”, which is supposed to create maximum perimeter weighting by fusing a carbon composite body to the titanium face cup; and “Complete Intertial Design,” which Calllaway says moves weight down and to the corners.

The key of all of this, though, is that the iQ Tour is designed to produce a lower, more penetrating ball flight than its cousins—clearly a club designed for better players.

I voted at 7 am this morning. You should, too.

Reader Martin has sent along this email which he says is making the rounds at his club:

THE USGA WOULD LIKE TO INFORM ALL GOLFERS

There is a possibility of MAJOR rule changes to the game of golf, this may occur sometime after November 4.

This is only a preview as the complete rule book is being written now.

Here are a couple of basic changes.

Golfers with handicaps:

- below 10 will have their green fees increase by 35%

- between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees

- above 18 will play for free and even get a check from the club/course played

The $ amount put in for bets will be as follows:

-for handicaps below 10 an additional $10

-between 11 and 18 no additional amount

-above 18 you will receive the total amount in the pot and you do not even have to play.

The term “gimme putt” will be changed to “entitlement”

and will be used as follows:

-handicaps below 10, no entitlements

-handicaps above 11 to 17, entitlements for putter length putts

-handicaps above 18, if on green, no need to ever putt, just pick it up

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness in scoring so that the final scores of all players will be about the same.

In addition, a Player will be limited to a max of one birdie and/or six pars, any excess must be given to those fellow players who have not yet scored a birdie or par. Only after all players have received a birdie or par from the player making the birdie or par, can that Player begin to count his score again.

The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes but the term “net score” will be available only for scoring those players with handicaps 18 and above.

This is intended to “redistribute” the success of winning by making sure that in every competition the above 18 handicap players will post only “net score” against every other player’s gross score.

These new Rules are intended to CHANGE the game of golf.  Golf must be about Fairness Only, it should have nothing to do with Ability.