I’ve been putting the REKS Sling Blade Golf Trivex prescription sunglasses through the HOG Test Chamber (my actual life) for several months now, from the links to the slopes. Time to share my $.02, or perhaps $199’s worth…
First Look
The Sling Blade arrives in a sturdy protective case that actually zips (below) – a nice touch compared to those cheap snap cases that pop open in your golf bag. The frame design has a sporty but not overly aggressive look. You won’t feel like you’re wearing a Star Trek prop out there.
On The Course
Let’s get real – as a prescription wearer, finding proper golf eyewear can be tougher than a downhill putt at Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters Tournament. The Trivex lenses are where these babies shine (pun intended). The “Color-Boosting” technology isn’t just marketing speak. When I first put the Sling Blades on, the first word out of my mouth was, “wow!” The colors, contrasts, depth, definition are all super. Reading greens becomes noticeably easier, like someone turned up the contrast knob on your vision. During late afternoon rounds, that subtle break that was hiding in the shadows suddenly pops.
The anti-reflective coating is standard (thank you REKS for not making this an up-charge). This means less glare when you’re eyeing up that water hazard, though it won’t help your slice stay dry.
Durability
“Unbreakable” is a bold claim, but these frames take a beating. I may have accidentally sat on them. Twice, and counting. They survived both encounters with my posterior with zero damage. Try that with your $400 designer frames.
Beyond Golf
I’ve taken these bad boys mountain biking and skiing. The lightweight frame means they stay put during active movements, and the optical clarity at high speeds is confidence-inspiring. Whether you’re bombing down a black diamond or reading a 30-foot birdie putt, vision is crisp and clear.
The Good
+ Superior optical clarity and contrast
+ Actually unbreakable (trust me, I tested)
+ Comfortable for 18+ holes, 15 miles on MTB, all day skiing on bluebird days
+ Versatile beyond golf
+ Made in USA
The “But…”
This is super minor, but I do have a critique/suggestion. After finishing up a round with these shades, I put them on my golf hat. Golfers often put their shades on their hat. Some even put the lenses to the back of the hat. Then while loading my bag in my car I bent over a bit and the shades fell off my hat, straight to the ground. As a result, I now have a chip in one of the lenses. I’m SO disappointed about that. Dang it. My other shades, like my Oakleys, have rubberizing on the ends of the temples (the arms of the glasses). The rubberizing helps the shades grip more, though over time I’ve had many of these rubberized sections wear out or completely fall off.
Final Verdict
The verdict is in. The REKS Sling Blad Trivegs sunglasses are GUILTY! Guilty of being awesome.
For the prescription-wearing golfer (and general outdoor enthusiast), the REKS Sling Blade Trivex is a solid performer that won’t break the bank or itself. The optical clarity and contrast enhancement genuinely help your game, whatever your game may be. The durability means these will last longer than your current driver, plus they cost a hell of a lot less!
If you wear prescription lenses and play golf, these should be on your short list. Your eyes and your handicap will thank you. Being able to see where your shots finish is quite rewarding, especially on the score card.
Now excuse me while I head to the range to work on that slice. At least I’ll see it clearly as it heads into the trees. Ok, I’ll be honest. I rarely slice. 🙂
I’ve been gaming the Travis Mathew “We Like to Paddy” polo for a couple of months now. It is one of my top go-to shirts, and I have a LOT of shirts. Let’s take a look.
Fabric/Technology
The Paddy (for short) is made from 62% recycled Polyester, 31% cotton and 7% Spandex. The Polyester and Spandex make the polo super easy to mange in terms of washing, wrinkle resistance and not shrinking.
The combo also provides super (really super) comfort and performance.
Style
The cut and fit of this polo is perfect. I’m not big on tight fitting shirts, but I also don’t want a giant, loose fitting frumpy blanket either. This polo fits is a complimentary way without being too tight, binding, or pulling.
The shirt features a floral print with some subtle yellow and green accents.
Out on the course, or out on the town!
On the Course
You know John Rahm? World #1 golfer that just won the Masters Tournament? He games the Paddy. If the polo works for the #1 player in the world, under all the pressure and varying conditions, it works for me.
The fabric stretches and moves easily with athletic activity, or when lifting a frosty beverage up. No restrictions and no uncomfortable tightness in the golf swing.
Sizes/Colors
There is one color way available, white. Obviously that’s the color pictured here.
Sizes run from small to 3XL.
Final Thoughts
The We Like to Paddy polo is one of my all-time favorites! It’s a perfect combination of style, performance, comfort, and convenience! Snag one for dad! Father’s Day is coming up and this polo would make a fantastic Father’s Day golf gift!
I’ve had the Sunday Golf El Camino Golf Bag in play for awhile now. I really dig the concept of Sunday golf bags, which typically are very small, light, and hold less clubs than a standard bag.
Are 14 clubs really necessary?
Let me tell you a little story. For 578 long decades I was the president of my local men’s golf association. In human years that’s seven. I was in charge of arranging tournaments, scoring, activities and all that goes along with being the club president. Yeah I fielded calls at 3am from disgruntled players wondering why their birdie on #13 didn’t win a skin. It’s really fun to explain to some bonehead at 3am how an eagle beats a birdie. I digress.
One of the tournaments I put on every year was the “4-club” tournament. In that tournament each competitor could use any 4 clubs they wanted from their bag. I’d usually go 3W, 7i, PW, putter or something close to that. Over the years of putting on the 4-club tourney I noticed something very interesting. The scores didn’t change! What? Yes. The score players turned in with four clubs were the same average scores they shot with 14. It was then that I realized that having 14 clubs, including four wedges might not be as critical to my game as I thought.
Back to Sunday
So I’ve had a few Sunday bags in my years of golfing and blogging about golf. I love to walk and carry and a Sunday bag is the best option by far. Now let’s talk about the El Camino.
El Camino
The El Camino is well designed and thought out. Obviously not just slapped together by someone who doesn’t play golf. I can super-easily fit eight clubs in the bag and I’ve squeezed 12 in there in a pinch. I prefer eight when using the El Camino. Driver, hybrid, a few irons, couple of wedges, putter.
Getting clubs out and putting them in is a breeze. There are four compartments for arranging the clubs.
The pockets on the El Camino are huge, especially considering the small footprint of the bag. I can easily fit in a bunch of extra balls, accessories, rain gear, a towel, some snacks, and even a couple of…. “frosty beverages.”
The stand portion of the bag is solid. It provides a great base and deploys and tucks away without a thought. It’s natural to pick up the bag and just throw it over your shoulder without thinking about the stand.
Looks
Aesthetics are a big deal and the El Camino nails them.
The El Camino is super sharp looking. Clean lines, great color scheme (I dig grays).
Colors
The El Camino is available in eight colors, including a camo style. My color is Heather Grey.
Final Thoughts
Walking is no doubt the best way to experience golf. Walk the course with the El Camino.
While you’re at it, rethink your club strategy. You may be carrying too many clubs and not using your brain and creativity to create shots with the clubs you do have.
Great Gift Idea
Father’s Day, Christmas, Holidays, tournament prizes… All great reasons to pick up an El Camino! They’re around $200 on the Sunday Golf website.
Filed under: “How’d they know I needed a new wallet?”
In for review is a fun box with a couple of nice leather pieces from Robert Graham Clubhouse Collection. Inside is wallet with card guard RFID protection, and a fun tee holder with some very cool golf tees included.
The Box: (It’s all about the presentation!)
What’s Inside
The Wallet
My current wallet is falling apart! The timing of this product submission is perfecto! I’ll be putting the wallet into play immediately and posting a full review after I’ve beat it up for awhile.
Initial Impressions
I like the quality and the styling. The color scheme of the inner art is nice. This wallet is a little bigger than my previous, but I need more space to carry all the cash I win on the golf course.
BOOOM!
Stay tuned for my full review. Until then I’d consider these items as potential Christmas (“Holiday” for you politically correct folks) gift items!
I’m happy to help support new golf brands and entrepreneurs. Here’s your chance to do the same with Father’s Day just around the corner. Check out some Player2 apparel.
On the left side of the photo above is the Player2 “3-Putt” polo. I must admit that I would normally shy away from any golf product whose name implies something bad, but we’re going to let it slide… this time. The 3-Putt is a performance polo with a classic fit and 4-way stretch. The polo employs active wicking to pull moisture away from the player and help it quickly evaporate. The polo keeps the player cool (physically) with “brrr Triple Effect Cooling. It was 96 degrees here today, so I need a bunch of that brrr Triple Effect NOW!
On the right is a classic T for apres golf. The fabric is mega-soft due to a tri-blend of fabrics. I dig chilling out in this one. Sizes run from small to XXL and there are four available colors.
Finally in the center is the Trucker Mesh Hat… er, a “lid.” I dig trucker lids. Sizes available for adults and kids.
Best of luck to Player2. May your birdies, and your sales be plentiful.
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