A University of Wisconsin study has determined that playing golf on a Nintendo Wii burns one fewer calorie per minute than hitting balls at a driving range. According to the results, playing the Wii burns 3.1 calories per minute vs. 3.9 calories per minute hitting balls at a driving range.

It of course does not burn nearly as many calories per minute as walking and playing a course (8), but actually comes close to the energy expenditure of those who ride a cart (5).

Of all the Wii sports games, boxing burns the most calories, at 7.2 a minute. Tennis burns 5.3. 

Note that neither of those is as much as walking through a round of golf.

You can read the whole study here.

ESPN has inked an eight-year, $200 million dollar deal to broadcast the Open Championship.

Under the agreement, ESPN will pay $25 million annually to broadcast 34 hours of the live coverage over four days, including six hours of highlights that will appear on broadcast brethren ABC.

The deal begins in 2010. Turner Sports will broadcast this year’s Open Championship from Turnberry.

In addition to television rights, ESPN also has the rights for web and digital media, including broadband, mobile and video-on-demand, plus expanded television and digital media rights for ESPN International.

Not to rub it into the faces of my fanatical Red Wings loving friends, but I find it interesting that ESPN would pony up $200 million for a golf tournament, while hockey is relegated to some obscure channel called “Versus.” Versus pays the NHL $75 million annually for 54 games—perhaps 150 hours of programming. ESPN pays the Open Championship $25 million for 34 hours of broadcasting.

Of course, poker probably gets higher ratings than either, based on the number of hours it’s on television. Is there a poker channel somewhere on cable?

5 Piece Solid Brass And Black Fireset WIth Golf Club Handles

Ridiculous Golf Item of the Week

My mailbox has in recent days been full of golf porn—catalogs from all the major retailers hawking the latest and greatest in clubs, balls and apparel. It’s the start Christmas gift giving season, and I fear it’ll only get worse.

The clubs on display in the photographs all are unnaturally shiny, and as beautiful as only Photoshop can make them. It’s disappointing to find how much more ordinary golf clubs look in a pro shop.

It reminds me of a lecture I attended while in journalism school. Given by a Playboy photographer, the lecture consisted of a series of “before and after” slides of Playboy bunnies along with descriptions on how the use of camera lenses, lighting and darkroom technique turned ordinary women into porn goddesses (it was the best lecture I ever attended). In a great many cases, the actual girl and the final photograph didn’t even look like the same person.

Golf catalogs are more than a bit like that. 

Catalog balls are whiter, irons sleeker, and drivers more aggressive looking than they are in person. Properly photographed, they use angles, highlights and reflections to inspire every golfer’s desire.

And the product descriptions! They’re the golf equivalent of male enhancement spam emails. Each one is guaranteed to make you longer, straighter, higher, faster and stronger. And happier.

Keep dreaming.

But of course, that’s what the catalogs and manufacturers are selling: hopes and dreams.

We hope that the latest irons really will let us hit the ball long and straight. We dream of balls with ten yards more carry and drivers with that tour preferred draw. A new game is, after all, just two thousand dollars away.

But I don’t need hope. And I don’t need new equipment. What I really need is the golf equivalent of a viagra pill—something to get my game going when I’ve lost it.

GigaGolf P2 Fairway Woods

The 2008 GigaGolf P2 Fairway woods are designed with the popular new low profile design that’s supposed to help on even the tightest lies. The shallow face actually lowers the center of gravity, allowing you to get behind the ball and get it quickly up on the air. They come in 3, 5, 7 and 9! woods (good for GigaGolf. Most companies don’t offer the 9) and are constructed from 17-4 stainless steel.

GigaGolf also points out somewhat humorously that:

The black on silver finish is easy on the eyes too. Somewhat in contrast to the oh so colorful offerings by the nationally advertised tour player endorsed brands. A good choice for players who would not wear orange socks nor play with an orange fairway wood.

But the best part is the price and the guarantee. You can get one for as low as $30 and they come with a 30 day playability guarantee.