Welcome to our April Newsletter.

I hope you had the chance to read my article which appeared in the New York Times Op-Ed Section. Click here to read it if you have not seen it already.

Frankly this is the best way we can Help Golfers by providing frank opinions and commentary as well as unblemished equipment ratings from our thousands of Frankly Friends, who we truly thank for their input and who have had an advanced copy of this report for their participation in the survey.

In our last newsletter we identified “Frankly the Best” drivers and will update this ranking during the year.

In this newsletter we have not only identified “Frankly the Best” Ball(s) but also have a comment on how we can better enjoy the game by taking 10 minutes to read 90% of what we need to know about the rules of golf .

We also have the results of an opinion poll from our Frankly Friends about some silly equipment proposals the USGA has made and whether these are in the best interests of the game.

We need the USGA but let's make sure it represents the best interests of the majority of the golfers and Golf, if it wants our support.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

“Frankly The Best” Golf Ball

You told us this was the best ball...

This listing was developed from 1460 golfers who rated their present ball FIVE STARS (extremely satisfied).

FRANKLY THE BEST BALL FOR YOU

Find your handicap level and see what other golfers of your skill level are using!

This table was developed based on input from 3697 golfers. It combines present ball usage in combination with golfer handicap.

FRANKLY, WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU WHEN SELECTING YOUR PRESENT GOLF BALL?

Based on the responses of 3697 golfers, we have developed this table so you can see what various skill levels consider when selecting their golf ball.

MOST POPULAR GOLF BALLS USED BY MALE AND FEMALE GOLFERS

We thought it would be interesting and useful to compare the golf ball selection and usage of male and female golfers.

And here is the handicap distribution of those men and women who participated.

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Take Part In Frankly The Best Wedge Study

As we work our way through your bag, please help us find out more about what wedges you carry, what they are and how you rate them! Thank you for helping us help your fellow golfers!

SURVEY COMPLETE: ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS!!

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"Why do golfers play by 'The Rules of Golf' -- or do we?"

by Frank Thomas

Life is peculiar, in that we try to rid ourselves of all obstacles, and then once we've succeeded to a remarkable degree we search for some artificial difficulties and assemble them into a unit and call it a “game”. WHY?

This is not as irrational as it first appears, once you consider some of the forces that drive us to participate in this game. Throughout our waking hours we are continually, and in different ways subconsciously, seeking out ways to test and/or evaluate ourselves. We evolved from beings who faced constant danger from predators, from the elements, and from disease. Today, we have reached a stage where our daily lives are free from most such perils, but our primitive instincts remain. The physical challenges we found in hunting and protecting ourselves we now have to find symbolically, in the form of a game that can satisfy that need.

This is what drives us subconsciously to seek certain challenges. An example of this is when we, without much thought, fling a roll of scrap paper toward a waste basket across the room, and enjoy a spinal tingle when we make it.

That tingle has its roots in the hungry Cro-Magnan who hurled a rock at a bird and brought it down to earth.

Golf and Mountaineering are two activities that allow us subconsciously to conduct this evaluation process; our opponent is the landscape itself, distance and terrain that we have to overcome. We play or climb to evaluate ourselves. Yes, we are also able to socialize, enjoy nature, get a little exercise and even compete with others, but none of these singularly or together are the fundamental essence of what golf is all about.

That process would lose its meaning quickly without the consistency and order that a set of rules provides. These can be developed and followed on an individual basis and passed down with other tales and teachings, or you can accept a universal code (with local modifications) that seems to have worked reasonably well over time -- The Rules of Golf as written or as amended by mutual agreement.

When we're only judging ourselves, we can be as rigorous or as lax as we like, so long as we're consistent. Mulligans, preferred lies, “it's inside the leather” – these are all adaptations some players use to make a hard game easier. When we want to compare our abilities with those of others, however, we need a common language to make sure my scores and yours mean the same thing.

It is true that playing by the rules -- or most of them -- will enhance the enjoyment of the game even for the beginner, and will eliminate the unnecessary conflicts that can arise when you don't know what to do. In our experience, an abridged version of the Rules works very well for 90% of golfers 90% of the time. This document can be read in a ten- to fifteen-minute sitting, and can be used as a pocket reference if you are unable to remember what you read.

It's a worthwhile objective to get as many golfers as possible to play by as many of the rules as possible. This is why we recommend the “Quick Start” version of the Rules of Golf, which is available as “Golf Rules in Brief” and can be found at:

Click here to get a downloadable version of the Golf Rules in Brief from the R&A's website.

Then click on the option that says "Download Publication"

There are those who say that all you really need to know is that you should play the ball as it lies and have fun. Without going quite that far, we believe that if you read the Rules in Brief you'll know almost all of your options as you set out to play.

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Frankly, What Do You Think?

Time to have your say. Click below to complete our survey re. the above article. We will report the results in the next newsletter.

Do you think the Rules in Brief is more likely to be read and used than the Rules Book itself?

Click here to tell us what you think!

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Poll Results: Frankly, What Do You Think?

Results from the last newsletter:

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The Frankly Frog- Perfect for Mothers Day

SPECIAL MOTHERS DAY OFFER

Purchase a Pink Frog putter for Mothers Day and recieve a FREE cap or visor with your purchase!

Click here to take advantage of this offer!

Click here to be reminded of this as a gift for someone special!  

Frogs will be delivered by Mothers Day!

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