Greg Norman is starting to sound more and more like a Democrat. Appearing on CNBC, he went out of his way to level criticism towards a Republican candidate’s assessment of the President of the United States. “Mitt Romney today said President Obama plays too much golf. That doesn't help golf. If the President wants to get out and play golf as much as he does on his time off, let him get out and play,” the Shark said. Norman went on to  acknowledged the golf business isn’t doing well and offered little chance it would turn around. “But we've (the golf industry) been struggling for 35, 40 years that I've been in the game,” Norman said. “The United States is dead in the water,” he said regarding the golf course side of the business. “We'll be dead in the water for quite a long period of time for golf courses in our business.” To see more of Norman and his candid comments, watch the video below.

World number one, Luke Donald, will have no fears about playing out of the sand at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, after the Englishman successfully tackled the world's biggest 'bunker' – a mammoth dune in Abu Dhabi's Liwa Desert, the world's largest uninterrupted sand mass.
In Liwa, Donald was joined by triple and defending Abu Dhabi champion, Martin Kaymer, as the awe-struck pair stood amongst 250-foot sand dunes at the entrance to Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) - a desert made famous by British explorer Wilfred Thesiger's 1940's crossing and immortalized in the timeless book: Arabian Sands.
"Well that was no ordinary sand-trap!" said Donald, who became the first player in history to top both the PGA and European PGA money lists last year. "When you spend the vast majority of your time on the course, it's easy to forget that Abu Dhabi is surrounded by such an enchanting desert landscape. Truly, I was awestruck at the gigantic enormity of it all."
Kaymer and Donald headline an Abu Dhabi field that is the strongest ever assembled at a Middle East tournament. Other contenders for the $2.7million, PGA European Tour event include Abu Dhabi debutant, Tiger Woods, world numbers two and three, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, respectively, as well as reigning Major champions, Charl Schwartzel (US Masters) and Darren Clarke (The Open), Australian hot-shot, Jason Day, Korea's top ranked player, KJ Choi, Spain's Sergio Garcia and Ireland's Padraig Harrington.

World No.1, Luke Donald, Tackles World's Biggest 'Bunker in Abu Dhabi's Liwa Desert. Credit: Getty Images

This week’s defending champion of the Farmers Insurance Open, Bubba Watson, was seen last week at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ. Watson decided to spend some of his earnings on a car that somewhat personifies his first name. Have a look below: 

It’s “Go Time,” this week in more ways than one for Rickie Fowler. He makes his 2012 start in San Diego and has decided to change equipment companies. Cobra Golf announced today it has signed Fowler to an equipment deal and he will be playing the AMP line of clubs (available February 10th in the US). He will now represent the full COBRA PUMA GOLF brand both on and off the course.

“Rickie’s focus, determination and performance combined with his stand out style and joy for the game make him a perfect match for COBRA Golf,” said Bob Philion, President of COBRA PUMA GOLF. “He has had a tremendous effect in the golf industry over the past few years and his influence continues to grow. As we continue the revitalization of COBRA globally, Rickie Fowler will be instrumental in bringing our core DNA to life by being grounded in performance while bringing an edgy, unique personality and style to life. He will help us introduce the new COBRA Golf to a new group of consumers.”

“I am so excited to have the COBRA sticks in my bag and be a full part of the COBRA PUMA GOLF Team,” said Fowler. “I’ve been hitting the AMP Driver great; I’m getting a lot more distance and the orange details look really fresh. I can’t wait to get out at Torrey Pines and put my new COBRA clubs into play.”

Fowler will also be featured in upcoming marketing campaigns for both COBRA and PUMA Golf. The company also has planned ‘orange-outs’ at various Tour events. Financial terms and length of the deal were not revealed.

Think you have what it takes to play for a living? On the PGA TOUR, the slogan goes, “These guys are good.” Gareth Maybin of the European Tour shows they aren’t too bad either. Wonder if Tiger Woods can counter this performance? Tim Tebow could be given a run for his money if the word gets out about this! Have a look below.

Golf is a game rich in tradition. It respects the past even though the world today seems to move faster largely due to velocity that technology brings with it. Cleveland Golf has managed to produce something that mirrors days gone by but has all of the modern day improvements golfers have come to expect in a driver. The company formally announced the introduction of the Classic Driver, which is made of titanium even though it doesn’t appear to be. It has a unique sole design and color scheme inspired by persimmon drivers, which were once the norm with players not that long ago.

However, the Classic (the appearance makes the name obvious) may look like it came from the 80’s or 90’s but what’s under the hood doesn’t take a backseat to anything. It has a traditional pear-shaped profile with the largest, deepest clubface ever produced by Cleveland Golf. The face promotes a hot, penetrating ball flight, according to the company, while MaxCOR2 technology provides maximum distance on off-center hits.  Ultralite technology is incorporated to generate increased head speed and distance with the same swing effort. 

Thanks to RightWeight fitting, there are three different Classic Driver models to choose from with different weight to maximize performance and feel for every player type.  The Classic 270 has a club weight of 270 grams and a premium Miyazaki C. Kua 39 shaft for maximum head speed.  The Classic 290 has a club weight of 290 grams and a premium Miyazaki C. Kua 43 shaft for a strong combination of distance and accuracy.  The Classic Tour has a club weight of 310 grams and a premium Miyazaki Kusala Black 61 shaft for tour-caliber workability and precision.  The minimum advertised price for the Classic 270, Classic 290 models are $299, while the Classic Tour goes for $379.99.

Of the 12 drivers Cleveland Golf/Srixon had in play at last week’s Sony Open, 8 of them were the Classic. Most notably, the reigning PGA Champ and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Keegan Bradley had a 9 degree Classic in his bag. And for those who paid attention to yesterday’s BRAIN TEASER, they will remember that Jason Kokrak led the Sony in driving distance with a Classic (9 degrees also) at 328 yards.

Cleveland Golf has also added Mashie Hybrids, Fairway Woods and Irons, which are utility-inspired clubs to its product roster for 2012. The entire Mashie clubs feature enhanced Gliderail technology on the sole that measurably decreases turf drag, according to the company, for more lift and speed at impact. Players can expect more distance and accuracy from any lie – rough, sand, tee or fairway with the Gliderail technology, according to Cleveland. The Mashie Hybrids and Fairway Woods also incorporate Ultralite technology, with a shaft and grip combination that reduces total club weight by over 20 grams. They also include Miyazaki C. Kua 59 aftermarket graphite shafts, engineered specifically for either hybrids or fairway woods. 

Mashie Irons combine hybrids (3-5) with large cavity-back irons (6-P), offering optimal playability throughout the set, according to the company. The minimum advertised price for the Mashie Fairway Wood is $199.99; new Mashie Hybrid is $149.99) and $599.99/$649.99 (Mashie Irons, steel 8 pc./graphite 8 pc.). Cleveland Golf’s latest products are now available for pre-order and will be available for purchase at retail locations on February 17, 2012. 

Bridgestone Golf is getting a new face and some added personality. Perhaps emphasize the personality as the company has reached a deal with David Feherty to serve as a brand spokesperson over the next two years. In the past year alone, Feherty became a household name with golf fans through his television show on the Golf Channel. By many accounts it has been a success in its first year on the air and it would appear that Feherty's humor is already spreading to the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf.

"Truthfully, Feherty wasn't our first choice, but with Justin Timberlake already taken our options were pretty limited. I guess instead of bringing sexy back, we'll have to settle for bringing funny back," Dan Murphy, Vice President of Marketing – Bridgestone Golf, said with a smile. "In all seriousness, David's knowledge of golf equipment and his ability to educate while entertaining make him a great fit for what we're all about at Bridgestone."      

As part of the deal, Feherty will be featured in the upcoming Bridgestone Golf 2012 ad campaign along with Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker and Lee Trevino. In addition to his role in the lineup of new commercials, Feherty will also star in a series of web-based videos aimed at educating golfers on golf ball technology and the importance of choosing a golf ball suited to one's swing characteristics. 

"Not a lot of people know this, but I am a huge ball expert," Feherty said. "In fact,over the years I played for a living, my balls took a lot of punishment in the form of tops, shanks, cuts, scrapes, and I've even lost a couple. As it turns out, I was playing with balls that should have been hit by someone else in the first place! Well, you live and learn. I think I've been driving on the wrong tires too. It's safe to say that Bridgestone is making my world better."

According to the company, it has fit over 150,000 golfers through its Bridgestone Challenge ball-fitting program, Bridgestone Golf possesses a robust bank of amateur golf swing data. This should provide ample material for Feherty to amuse golf fans in the months to come. After more than four years of the ball-fitting program, Bridgestone said that it still finds nearly 8 out of every 10 players are playing a golf ball that does not fit their game. Bridgestone plans to put more marketing muscle than ever before into golf ball technology education in 2012.   In addition to education efforts using Feherty, Bridgestone said it will increase the number of ball-fittings it conducts this year and will look to expand upon its popular B-FIT web-based expert chat service that was launched two years ago.