Heaven in the Bag

By John Burns

From the Caddyshack-inspired gopher head cover, the 'send beer' towel, or the plastic ball & tee holder nestled on the side of your bag, first impressions tell the story of who we are as golfers. I give you, case in point...the 2004 Callaway Heaven 7 that resides in my bag.

Inherited years ago from Scottie Read, the Callaway representative at the time, the club was, is, and will continue to be my club of choice for shots from 175-190 yards.

Oh sure, there are sexier clubs on the market. Newer woods and hybrids are far more common and likely more efficient. But who looks at you when you saunter up to your shot with a hybrid and says, ‘I haven’t seen that club in years!’ or perhaps, ‘wow, I had that club, loved it’, or if truth be told the more common response, ‘my dad had that club!’, which is frankly more a commentary on age than performance.

Truth be told, I’d have it no other way. For me, the Heaven 7 serves a twofold purpose.... first and foremost, it works! When all other clubs have let me down, the Excalibur of my bag comes through. To quote a renowned movie line, “75% of the time, it works every time”. Second and most rewarding of all, the conversations, jeers, and responses it solicits are priceless.

Loving the game has always meant getting out and playing. It hasn’t been about becoming (other than in my mind) a scratch player. As they say, ‘own it’, and for me that’s where the fun begins.

Owning the fact that I’m part of the recreational players club, those guys, gals, and youth who simply play for fun, the occasional par or birdie, and a whole lot of laughs. And why not? This category of player makes up the majority of us who play golf. Look around, we’re everywhere!

So, don’t be shy, own it... get out and play. Pick up that persimmon Ping Eye 2 driver or your Spalding starter set (remember those? 3,5,7,9 irons only...) Dust off that Odyssey Dual Force Rossie putter and let the fun begin, and all because you’ve got it in the bag. John Burns is the Field Manager for Alberta Golf Competitions and Brand Manager of UpSwing, focusing on recreational golfers across the province.