You might have read the Title of my Blog and wondered who Maurice Allen is.  My hope is that when you finish reading this you will know exactly who Mr. Maurice Allen is.  I have to admit, even following Maurice on various forms of media like Twitter and Facebook, I really had no idea who he really was.  I knew though that I wanted to know more. I decided to reach out to Maurice and see if he was willing to take some time out and answer a few questions for my next Black Widow Blog.  He responded almost as fast as his club head speed. Yes, that last sentence was a play on words, for those who do know even a little about Maurice. Well let’s get this Question and Answer session going. Oh, did I mention Maurice is part of Team Black Widow?!

 Who is Maurice Allen?

Maurice Allen is a 30 year old professional long driver who is the current Guinness World Record holder for ball speed.

How did you learn about Black Widow?

I first teamed up with Black Widow at the 2011 PGA show in Orlando and our relationship has grown ever since.

How did you end up working with Black Widow?

I talked to John Hohman, who was a little weary about working with a long driver, but I promised him that I would do a lot of big things in the sport as well as to promote the company. He decided to take a chance on me and I am so grateful that he did. I think it has been wonderful for us both.

Which Black Widow Grips do you currently play?  Which other Black Widow Products do you use?

On my long drive clubs I am playing the Torque in both black and white. For my iron I am playing the Edge. When it comes to my footwear I am using the tour issue metals by Black Widow. They give me great traction on the tee box and allow me to use my legs in the swing.

Who are some of your other sponsors?

Bang Golf gives me all of my long drive club heads. House of Forged has a great shaft. I love the feel and it allows me to lower ball flight and spin. Sligo provides all of my clothes;  I really like their colors and styles.  It complements my swag. Tour Edge provides me with all traditional golf set up with their new CB forged irons and XCG fairways. Volvik, which is a Korean ball company, provides me with my golf balls. Lastly, PX3 mouth wear is also one of my sponsors for my mouth guard.
What are something things you like to do when you are not golfing?

When I’m not golfing, I love lifting and running, which ultimately is a training aid for golf and other sports that I play. Outside of that I love to go deep sea fishing as much as I possibly can fit into my packed schedule.

How old were you when you started playing golf?

I was raised around the game of golf. My dad is a HUGE golfer, so growing up that is the only sport that I can remember seeing him play. He had clubs made for me when I was younger but golf was something that I did to be around him and spend time with him. I really didn’t understand the concepts plus I excelled at so many other sports. In May of 2010 is when I found out I could hit the ball the way that I do now after a bet with one of my friends. After that I began to take the game serious and try to actually play.

What are some of your long term goals in golf?

My long term goals for golf are to become an ambassador for the PGA with their Get Golf Ready and 2.0 programs. Another is talking to kids about golf and life in general, especially at the Boys and Girls Clubs around the country. I would also like to become a member of the PGA along with being an ambassador. I would like to play tournament golf maybe a couple of the winter tours down in Florida and later play in a couple of Monday qualifiers and try for US open as well. I think the sky is the limit, but most importantly, I want to set a positive example for kids and show them it’s never too late and you can do anything you put your mind to and apply yourself.
Do you have a nickname? Is there a story behind it?

I have 2 nicknames. The first one is 4G which was given to me by Klye Blakely because of my club head speed. The second one is Black Widow which was given to me by the Euro guys because I’m the smallest guy in long drive but I’m very deadly.
What are some of your recent accomplishments?

I was named the 2012 captain for the USA long drive team for the international long drive challenge. I’m also the Guinness World Record holder for “Fastest Golf Drive” (aka ball speed).

Why don’t you tell us a bit about your new world record. What did you use? Ball? Shaft? Grip? Club?

When breaking the record it was done while filming for “Golf in America” for the Golf Channel. I used a Tour Edge XCG 5 15 degree three wood with an Aldila Rip Shaft with a Black Widow Widow Maker Grip and a Volvik Vista is golf ball.

Word is your face is going to be on a new golf ball. Why don’t you fill us in on that? Who is the lucky company? When will they be available?

Yes, Volvik issued a Limited Edition golf ball with my face on it for the ball speed record which was an honor. They will probably release that ball in The States during the US launch in October.  Originally that ball was released in Korea and sold out I didn’t get one myself.

Where do you want to see yourself in the next 5 years?

I have many plans for the next 5 years. Ambassador for the PGA, member of the PGA, long drive world champ, US open qualifier, member of the gold medal US bobsled team, US track and field Olympic team member, spokesman for one of the following charities boys and girls club, March of Dimes, or Susan G Komen. Just to name a few… lol. I plan on being a busy man.

That concludes the Q&A.  After I finished, I pondered to myself. I use Black Widow grips. I use Black Widow Cleats; I wear and love Sligo Apparel. How come I can’t hit a Volvik golf ball as far as Maurice? Ha-ha!

I would like to Thank Maurice, for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to do this. I wish you continued success. Go Long !!

So, here is the story of the most awesome experience in my life!!

I had contacted Black Widow a while back to ask them about where the Black Widow/Softspikes/Pride PGA Tour Rep would be during this week, because I knew the PGA Tour was coming to Greensboro, NC for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. Well, I found out that the company representative was going to be attending the Wyndham Championship, so I proceeded to see if I could go to the tournament for my “Inside the Ropes” experience that the company was allowing the 4 of us Black Widow Ambassadors (and 1 Lucky Fan) to do as well.  So the company set me up with the representative to get all the info I needed and we were set. I had talked to him a few times and found out that I needed to be there bright and early to meet him and ride over to the course (7:30am) – Seeing as how Sedgefield Country Club was about a little over an hour from my house I needed to leave by 6:00am in case of traffic. Well I don’t think I ever got over 2 hours of solid sleep leading up to yesterday morning (Nervous?? A little…Excited??? A lot…..Both Mixed together?? Absolutely) So after waking up, getting ready, and driving to the tournament, I pull into the parking lot to meet the Tour Rep! Ok let’s do this, relax and have a blast….Get out of the car and there’s Charles.  As soon as he says Hello, I knew we were going to have an awesome time. He gives me my credentials to be able to follow him around for the day and see what he does on a regular basis during the tour season. Off we go on the bus from the parking lot to the course. We get out and head straight for the tour trailer he works out of! Right off the bat I’m in a tour trailer looking at all the stuff inside and seeing some of the companies that operate out of it. He goes “wait until you see the others”, man I was excited…I started taking pictures of the practice area right beside the trailer, some of the other BIG name company trailers on tour(Pics to follow story). After that we go right out onto the range, now when I say onto the range, I don’t mean at the Bleacher area or the metal fences to keep spectators/fans out….I mean ON THE RANGE!! Right there, beside me stands some of the best names in golf, warming up and hitting balls already at 7:30am, getting their practice in. I’m just in awe mode at  the moment taking it all in. As I look around and continue to take pictures, Charles introduces me to PGA Tour golfer. Can’t say or even remember their name, but I was like WOW, I am here with the big boys now, but without going all giddy I just kindly shake the player’s hand, tell him my name and wish him the best of luck this week during the tournament. At this point, I figure WOW, how much better can it get?? Oh this was only the tip of the iceberg. Next thing I know we are off looking at every tour trailer out there. We are going right inside of them, meeting the reps of the other companies and getting to look at all the golf clubs they have out and even some prototype stuff that wasn’t out yet that is just for Tour Players only!! WOW!! Prototype Golf Equipment…Stuff that none of us have yet to see, well until yesterday that is!! After this we leave the range and head up to the putting green…again walking right thru the gate past any spectators and fans right out onto the putting surface, standing right there with the big boys of golf as we watched them putt and looked around at all the demo putters set out for players to try out. I actually got to pick up and look at any of the putters I wanted to, man I wanted to try them out so bad, but it was awesome just to get to touch them and look at them!! After this we head back into the clubhouse and up to the players locker room. Soon as we walk in, there stands one of my favorite golfers…a Carolina grad and he hosts a golf tournament in South Carolina each year…the Black Widow rep walks right over to him and introduces me to him!! WOW I’m shaking the hand of one of my favorites (This happens quite a few times before the day is out). While shaking his hand we actually struck up a small conversation with each other about the Carolina Tarheels and then I wished him luck the rest of the week as we we’re off to get to work changing out some spikes in guy’s shoes that were out practicing!! We were in the locker room for a few hours as I snapped photos of lockers and as I was shown around the lockers!! Man all the names on the lockers!! Well, we get the cleats changed then head back down to the putting green, from there back to the range to watch more players hit balls.  It had got near lunch time and Charles asked if I was hungry and wanted to know if I wanted lunch, so we decided to get something to eat…but hmm what to eat?? He goes “Well we can try to figure out where the are cooking lunch for all the volunteers, caddies and representatives, or we can go off the course and go grab a bite, or we can eat in the Caddie Shack tour trailer….We decide to go to the Caddie Shack because it’s right there at the range and we can get a quick bite and then back to our day. We go in and look at a menu and then I see the special on a board (which was a jerk pork with a papaya sauce and red beans with rice). While standing there, there are approx 2-3 players (one of which was in the final pairing for the PGA Championship) and several caddies eating inside!! Well I saw that the PGA Pro was having the special so I figured I’d give it a try…boy am I glad that I had the special because it was absolutely phenomenal…it was so awesome!!! After lunch we go back out on the range, more watching players, then back to the putting green to watch more players…during this time I meet one of the rookies out on tour that is sponsored by the Cat/Snake company and he has to be one of the nicest and funniest guys out on tour. I enjoyed every second talking to him and joking around. After a bit we head out to follow a few players as they played the front 9, we catch a cart ride from one of the PGA volunteers up to the tee to catch up with the group. We slip right up under the ropes and walk right up onto the tee box with them. From there on out we walked the whole front 9 with them, walking shoulder to shoulder with them, listening to them and talking/joking with them when they talked to us. Tee to Green following them where they went, walking right down the fairways from the tee boxes and onto the greens, taking every step they took…..It made you feel like you were playing with them, even though you weren’t actually playing at all, but it gave you the feeling that you were. We get to the #7 hole and its a par 3 downhill over a small creek. When we get down there, the creek is lined with balls where players from practice had either hit into it or people from Mondays pro-am had. Well a few balls were easily accessible so I got my first souvenirs of the day – 3 Balls!! We continue to follow the players – one of the guys actually hit a practice putt over my way, I got to pick the ball up and walk over and hand it to them personally!! I mean I was that close for 9 holes with these guys. As they finished up their 9 holes, they all shake hands with each other, then walk right over to the BW rep and myself and shake our hands as well, as I wished them all well on their rounds this week during the tournament. After this we go back out to the putting green, then down to the range, where Charles bumps into the guy I wanted to see the most’s caddie. Says he is going to be on the putting green shortly to practice. We head back up there and there he is (the local, last years winner and this years US Open Champion) we stand around for quite a while and watch him practice his putting as he gets ready! While we are there, here comes the Snake & Cat sponsored player back over to practice his putting but to also to talk and crack more jokes!! What a funny guy!! Well after a bit we have to head back down to the range so we can grab some stuff from the trailer and head back into the lockers so we can finish up putting in cleats for all the players who had already finished for the day. While we are there the local guy and last years champion personally gives me his 3 pairs of shoes so we can install cleats into them for him. I think we changed approx 50+ pairs of cleats and installed Softspikes cleats (Freshies as the rep liked to call them)! The other highlight of my day came when I went to set a pair of cleats back at a players locker and I hear a voice from behind me go, “Ahhh he put you to work did he” without turning around I responded “yea he wasn’t going to let me walk around all day” then as I turn around I realize it’s the Carolina grad and a PGA player and not one of the locker room attendants. I was sorta in shock that he struck up a conversation with me. After that we stood and chatted for about 5-10 minutes about golf, the Olympics, and Carolina. Then I went back to helping out so we could finish up for the day and sadly head home! So we leave the clubhouse, actually got lucky and grabbed the last shuttle back to the parking lot…like literally the last one, 2 minutes till time for them to quit for the day. We get back to the parking lot and Charles and myself chatted for a good 30 minutes in the parking lot about golf and everything. We had a blast…compared golf clubs, let him check out my BW grips and I checked out his as well. I gave him the clubhouse credentials back and he gave me a parting gift of Softspikes Cyclone Ice cleats (which will be available later on this year). Then we shook hands and off we went for the evening.

I just have to say this was the Experience of a Lifetime for sure. Every minute I was there I felt like I belonged there. Charles made me feel like I was “at home” kinda feeling, never nervous or anything. We walked together, talked together, joked and had an absolutely awesome time hanging out together for the day!!! This will definitely be an experience I never forget and would hope to one day get to do it all over again!! Whether it be from an inside the ropes experience or even working on tour myself. It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience and anyone who gets the chance to do so, should definitely take advantage of it, otherwise they are totally missing out!!!

Also I want to take the time out to say…..Thank You to Black Widow and all the people of the company that gave me this chance of a lifetime as well as the BW/Softspikes/PrideSports PGA Tour Rep Charles for allowing me to spend the day with him and seeing the in’s and out’s of the life on tour and a glimpse of what he does on a regular basis for work, and being so kind to introduce me to players and other representatives from other companies out there on the tour. I totally appreciate everything you guys did!! All of you are the reason Black Widow is the #1 Company on Tour in my eyes!!!

Hope You Enjoyed My Story from The Experience of a Lifetime!

Black Widow Brand Ambassador

Aaron Ellis

Now onto some pictures – I have tons so I will post some here and then see what Black Widow has from the rep before I post a ton more!!

the first fairway I hit balls on. Gorge Vale GC 12th hole. Veterans Cemetary up the right, forest up the left and up hill.

With the pockets full of balls and the broken tees at the end of the day, I taught myself to hit. Playing baseball since I was 5, I knew how to make an athletic swing, and watching the golfers marching by all week I could generally see how a swing plane should look. After one kind ex-police officer showed me an interlocking grip, away I went. This putter and this grip were probably the greatest single learning events in my short history with golf. Catching balls flush with a putter!  Dig the heel, swing more upright. Catch the toe and lay it off. After a short while you can really hit that low burner a long ways. I had that club for a few years before it finally snapped from hitting too many balls and getting stronger. The first real set arrived on my 12th birthday…

The reason for that little story is that MY thought to getting better and having way more fun on the course is to learn to hit the ball well. Anybody can hit the ball, usually short with a lot of one side or the other. But if you want to really enjoy being out there, hit the ball as flush as your abilities will let you and watch that ball go. I play regularly with guys of greatly different skills. From single digit hcaps to 30+. One of the 30+ guys I play with is Phil. We’ve been working hard on his ball striking this year. He loves to be out there and loves the game but also wants to get better. Like most of us with not a lot of time for formal lessons, together we do what we can. I am not a certified instructor but do consider myself a good lender of information. Phil’s biggest issue is inconsistent contact with the ball and putting. I can’t fix my putting so I won’t attempt to fix yours or his, but there are some easy things to try for better contact. Besides his lack of BLACK WIDOW grips, the big thing I’ve had him do is adjust his grip from just weakly holding the club and hoping for the best. I’ve taught him to turn his hands to a much stronger position on the club and to swing like he means it.  I say to him all day long… “This strong grip being for the righty, the V’s formed by your thumb and index fingers when holding the club are pointing the same way and pointing up towards your right shoulder area” to keep it in simple terms. Slow to get used to but in a few more outings Phil’s game would become unrecognizable.

A view of Phil’s grip. See the tee showing how unconnected his grip was.This lead to very poor contact and distance which can make for a very long day on the course.

in this view see how we have aligned the V’s of the thumbs and index fingers to unify how the hands are working in Phil’s swing. These V’s also run in a straight line towards the right should/upper chest. This one change has changed Phil’s whole game for the better.

this is taken from over the right shoulder show the tee from the left hand V is now turned to a much stronger position. The result has been much improved contact, most of his left to far right flight is now gone and a much better time on the course.

I kid you not, his distance has almost doubled with the driver and easily gained minimum 20+ yards per club through his bag. His control has gone from hitting the nearest hazard to not losing a ball. His handicap is going to plummet this year if he keeps the new grip in play and his confidence through the roof. It’s a good feeling when you don’t need driver on every hole and have to start worrying that you might be too long with that club you used to always use in certain positions.

One simple little thing can change your whole outlook on the game. So grab a book or watch some videos on how to play and keep working at it. Try different things and see what is best for your abilities. Ask questions of those you trust, or whose games you aspire to, and don’t let the terms and wordiness slow you down. If you feel you can’t go and study with a Certified PGA Professional or your nerves and confidence are in the way, find a quiet spot  that you can take that one club to and try some different things to find that one thing that changes it all. You never know unless you try. When you find it, swing that club everyday until everything feels natural to you. If you have questions feel free to message me here or over on the BLACK WIDOW  Facebook page, I would be happy to lend you some help. Most of all have fun out there, it’s all that really matters.

Next month will be what I’m working on. Suffering with information overload and how I’m dealing with it.

BLACK WIDOW BRAND AMBASSADOR

Chris

Since I spend most of my time golfing in Myrtle Beach, SC and the surrounding areas, I figured that I would give all of our fans and followers and insight into what I consider one of the best golf destinations in all of the USA!! I spend a great deal of time during the year traveling from North Carolina down to South Carolina to Myrtle Beach to play golf just for the weekend! About once a month or every other month, I try to get away for about 3 days and play several rounds of golf while I am there! I have played some of the nicest courses in the area and some of the just ok courses. But this place hasn’t been nicknamed golf capital of the US for nothing! Golf Courses span from the lower southeast corner of North Carolina in the Shalotte/Sunset Beach area and go all the way down the coast of South Carolina down to Charleston/Pawleys Island regions!! There are 100′s of courses to play and prices range from $20′s – $250 depending on how swanky and nice of a course you prefer to play. There are courses for everyone in the area, courses that aren’t quite as challenging to ones that can be just right down brutal for anyone!

But what makes this place so great is what someone would ask?? Why not travel somewhere to play golf like California to Pebble Beach per say or across the big pond to play St. Andrews or Florida to play Sawgrass?? All those are great courses and without a doubt well worth the travel to see other things in this area, but the Myrtle Beach area just feels so great to come to. You have great golf courses, sandy beaches, warm weather, sunshine, awesome seafood (just a short ride up to Calabash, NC to get Calabash style seafood!!), night life, an airport to fly into now with international flights, and for those who know how or want to learn how, it’s home to the dance called the Shag!! Myrtle Beach area is just all around great atmosphere to be in, to be able to relax, kick back, enjoy the sun, the sand (hopefully not to many bunkers that is!!), the water and great golfing!! You can come to Myrtle Beach area year round and get on some nice courses in great shape without having to deal with blistering hot weather year round or freezing cold temperatures during the winter.

This area is even hosting this years PGA Tour Championship at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course which is absolutely stunning and open to the public to play, even though it comes with a hefty price!! It also hosted the PGA Tours RBC Championship at Harbour Town Golf Club at Hilton Head and hosts other golf tournaments yearly!! Which there are pictures on the blog from the RBC Tournament that Black Widow PGA Tour Rep Charles was present at!!

Just to name a few courses that I have played over the years that I have been coming to this area and have fallen in love with playing are – Azalea Sands, Indigo Creek, River’s Edge(Shallotte,NC), John Daly’s Wicked Stick, Whispering Pines, Diamond Back @ Woodland Valley, The Valley at Eastport, River Hills, Sandpiper Bay, Aberdeen and quite a few others!!

If you search on the internet you can find some great deals and discounted rates to some awesome courses, just depending on what your budget is along with discounted rooms!!

Also while you are here, check out Martins Golf (PGA Tour Superstore) where I shop a lot for all my Black Widow/Softspikes/Pride Sports golf gear!! The place that originally got me started into Black Widow as well, I purchased a full set of Black Widow White Tour Silk grips and had them installed on all my irons and wedges!! So Myrtle Beach helped me find the brand I have come to love and you will too!!

If you do decide to come to Myrtle Beach area to play golf, and need a playing partner, feel free to send me a message and I will see if I can’t get away to play a few rounds with ya and we can show off all our Black Widow gear and enjoy some great golf!!

I would also love to hear from you…What is your favorite golf destination/vacation area?? Or is there another area you would like to hear about that maybe we could give some insight for?? Or if you need more info or other courses to play in the Myrtle Beach, SC area just ask and I’ll try to help ya out!!

Have fun out on the course!! Hit ‘em long and straight!! Enjoy the Sun, Breeze, and the rounds of golf you play!! And most of all, do it while using some awesome Black Widow golf grips or gear!!!

Black Widow Brand Ambassador

Aaron Ellis

Major Dan (True American Hero) and I

Major Ed Pulido- an inspiration to all who are lucky enough to meet him.

Author of the inspirational book Seven Days in Utopia David L. Cook  PhD & I

Rickie Fowler , Me , and Tom Pernice Jr.

Major Ed , Bobby Levin , & Scott Fuller, co-author of Bogey Tees Off . The beautiful framed poster is the Folds of Honors Logo with ”FREEDOM IS NOT FREE” and of course Bogey Ballton is in poster as well. With the sale of every poster, 20% goes to support Folds of Honor.

Ryan Munson is in the middle of two amazing women, Natasha and Kaye Mounsey.  Natasha is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.

So there you have it. This is just one of the many amazing causes that are supported through the game of golf. I have many more that I am involved with as well. Military and Cancer Causes top my list. It just so happens as I am finishing up this blog that my daughter has just returned home from her 3rd Tour of Duty overseas.

I am truly proud of her service to our Country. My wife and I have helped raise her 2 children.  I am so happy that she is reunited with them. For our soldiers and their families who are not as fortunate, I will continue to spread Folds of Honors Leave No Family Behind.

Black Widow Ambassador

Bill Cuebas

Well as a Brand Ambassador, I am looking for ideas to toss to Black Widow for their future contests and looking for your feedback and creative ideas for what we could do as a contest to get the fans involved and give away the great equipment they have! I mean we all know they have awesome golf grips to giveaway, umbrella’s, towels, ball markers, hats, head covers and all the other awesome items, but I’m not looking for what you want them to give to us.

I’m looking for what is a cool, new creative way to give something away, so give me some contest ideas you have. I have heard good and bad about some of the previous contests. Fans seem to like being able to vote for the winner of the contest (by ‘liking’ their design). But on the random giveaways, it’s the “well I’m not always at the phone/computer to get lucky at a certain time of the day”. Whether you loved or hated those types of giveaways, give me some feedback on what you think is a cool new contest and how it would work to make it fair for everyone!!! I mean look at some of the great contests of the past ideas that Black Widow has done, “Where has your Black Widow Been?”,  the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, the Fan of the Year Giveaway (Which I happened to be lucky enough to win the drawing for the Taylormade R11 Driver – WOW what an awesome giveaway that was, and WOW what an awesome club it is!! I absolutely love it and can’t wait to take it out of the bag every time I get to the course!!) , There’s been other clubs given away just for liking the Facebook page!! So toss me some ideas of what you have for a future month-long contest, I would like to hear them all.

We are almost half way through the year, so let’s come up with some great ideas for the rest of the year so we can finish 2012 out with a bang!!! Plus I’m sure there are a few of you out there looking to take my crown as Black Widow Fan of The Year!!! So what great ideas do you have???

Maybe someday we can have a Black Widow Golf Tournament somehow for a contest??? Or maybe a weekly giveaway for guessing tournament winners? What ideas do you have?

Black Widow Brand Ambassador

Aaron Ellis

Here is a pic of me using my Taylormade R11 this past weekend while playing The Preserve at Jordan Lake Golf Club!!! I know you want a chance to win something as awesome as this, just give us some ideas on how to do it!!! REMEMBER “THINK OUTSIDE THE TEE BOX”!!!!

Me bombing my Taylormade R11 that I won from the Fan of the Year contest!! You know you want to win something like this!!!

The light bulb in my head turned on. I immediately shot a message to Shaft Wraps. I have used Shaft Wraps in the past. For those of you who do not know what a Shaft Wrap is, they are wraps that are used to cover your golf club shafts. They definitely add flare and style to your clubs shafts. I knew they had what I needed for my project. I explained my idea to them and they were more than happy to help me out.

My package arrives and I get to work right away. I had to see my idea come to life. I got my dining room table ready and got to work. I worked my magic for about ten to fifteen minutes. That’s all the time it took to put the wraps on. Day 1 complete. Sorry my mail came late.

I got up early the next day to run to Golfsmith. I was probably the first person there.  I showed them my work. They loved what I had done. So I handed them the carefully chosen Black Widow Grips. Now we had a crowd. Everyone wanted to give their opinion as well as compliment me on a job well done. I proudly told them that I was doing it for the Black Widow Blog.  The grips I chose were installed in minutes. Oh boy, did they look good.

I think the hardest part was waiting to show them to you guys. Well, I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Here are my creations:

Well what do you think? Let me know. I used Shaft Wrap Black and White Webs & Black Widow Torque Black & Torque White Grips. Information on Black Widow Grips can be found here http://www.bwgrips.com/cms/index.php?s=torque

Shaft Wraps Web site

http://www.shaftwraps.us/magento/

Our base for our trip was at the Crown Isle Resort in the amazing Comox Valley with views to the stunning Comox Glacier and the Beaufort Mountain Range. After settling into our massive condo on the first fairway and resisting the pull of the jacuzzi tub, we headed out to see the facility and hit the range for our warm up.

Crown Isle’s practice facility was top-notch. Evan in the pro shop was great in handling our reservation and with the questions we had. The course had a range attendant, multiple greens to get my short game fired up and fantastic weather. Designed by Graham Cooke and Associates, it plays to all levels of golfer with 5 teeing decks. It was a good challenge to end our day. I managed a solid 79 and my playing partner had an almost career day, but she did manage to find a driver bigger than mine. The rest of our evening was in the clubhouse. Classic car museum on site, fully stocked pro shop to check out and the Timber Room Pub and Silverado West Coast Grill for dinner and drinks. I just have to include that this was some of the best ‘golf course’ dining I’ve had. They are doing it right!

    After both of us sleeping in for the first time in almost 6 years, we hit the road north for another 45 minutes in search of Storey Creek Golf Course located just south of Campbell River BC and home of some incredible salmon fishing.  Designed by Les Furber, I’ve heard the stories locally about it being in a forest with wildlife, peace and quiet and trees and trees and trees everywhere.  If you’ve never seen a temperate coniferous forest, you must. If you have and thought it would be impossible to play golf  in here, you just haven’t seen it done right. I’ve lived in the Northwest for almost 40 years and trust me, I’ve seen trees on a golf course. Those readers that have know what I’m saying, but Storey Creek really is unbelievable. “Audubon certified” and “a championship course entwined in nature” are the phrases I heard, but that really doesn’t begin to describe it. From the third of four decks back this what you see from the first. No first tee jitters I hope.

Storey Creeks head pro Kyle Stoudt was a fantastic host and I appreciated talking a bit with him about his fine facility and him offering a few tips to help me along the way to another 79. His staff was also amazingly friendly on such a busy spring day. The course was packed and the conditioning was amazing, especially considering that just a few weeks before, hurricane force winds blew through causing an incredible amount of damage, which you can see on the Storey Creek Facebook page if you are interested.

If you are looking for a getaway in this part of the universe and want to play golf communing with nature, think about a trip on the Vancouver Island Golf Trail. From the ocean to the top of a glacier and golfing in between beautiful BC has it all. When you reach the end of the trail say hi to Kyle and his crew, and tell him you read it on the Black Widow blog.

BW Brand Ambassador Chris

In my opinion if you ever get a chance in a lifetime to go see a PGA Tour Event, practice, pro-am or a round, then definitely take it up and go. It will be an experience of a lifetime. You will get to see some of the biggest names in golf, and the greatest golfers in the world.

Which brings me to my next point! Black Widow is currently running an ‘Inside the Ropes’ experience on their Facebook page that will allow one fan the experience of a lifetime! Design a t-shirt for them, and whosoever design wins gets this great experience. You will get to follow Charles (Black Widow Tour Rep) on a Tuesday to a practice round and get to see some of the greatest golfers in the game, up close and personal!

Below are some photos that I took at the Wells Fargo Championship! Hope you enjoy!

Black Widow Brand Ambassador

Aaron Ellis