Off the beaten path.

Once in a while, finding something on a lark turns out to be better than you expected...

I often find myself rummaging through the bargain club bins at various golf retailers, but unquestionably, my favorite is Roger Dunn. Their store in Santa Ana is staggeringly huge, and their used club selection is equally impressive. The bins are so full of clubs, they look like freshly harvested wheat spilling over the rim, demanding to be luxuriantly grasped. During one foray, I came upon this:







It was sitting in the $20 bin with a bunch of other tired, sad, Island-of-Misfit-Toys candidates. It's a strange little fairway wood manufactured by tennis powerhouse Prince. It has a proprietary shaft, impossible to replace grip (I lie: you can call Prince and get them for $5 each), and, most importantly, it worked great. I took it home and have never been able to find its equal. However, since it's a great club and more of good thing must be better, I tried to locate it's siblings in varying lofts, but, alas, could not find them, new or used. Then one day I came upon The Golf Shack , and found the clubs I was looking for--new--for $20 (marked down from their original price of $150.) Feeling like I had found a Jackson Pollack at a garage sale, I gobbled them up, and have been happy to have them ever since. I've never seen another player using them, and have never seen them in a used bin ever again. I guess this goes to show you that life, even in golf, is fleeting, and you'd better grab your chances when they present themselves or you might not ever see them again.

Tomorrow: Desire for my long-lost Quad-Pro.