MARCHing it up

Whoa. Is this thing broken? Wait...no...we are just insanely busy. I know, you have heard that before and that should be no reason to deprive you of your necessary G&B fix. I can't apologize enough. To make up for it, I will recap some of the craziness that has been our lives for the last few weeks as well as some much needed insight as to the current state of professional golf...so buckle up and lets get to it.

PGA Tour: Florida Swing
By far the most anticipated month of the season not only for us but for everyone in this golf-crazed state as well. The population of Orlando during these winter months obviously grows exponentially because of a little place called Disney World, but it seems like there are even more golf nuts roaming around too. I guess there are a few golf courses in this area...who knew? Which brings me to my first topic, this week's stop on the PGA Tour is a home game for us which is awesome. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is taking place this very week over at Arnie's course, Bay Hill which coincidentally is less than 5 miles from where we live. Awesome. And being the important and well-connected people that we are, G&B has secured badges to this event.

(Anyone who knows me knows that I can't resist putting a 

picture of this little old cutie up. Just look at his smile!)

Remember when I said we were well connected? Well, it just so happened that Griggs came to possess badges to literally the most impossible event to get tickets for ever...I am of course referring to The Tavistock Cup. Which was held this year at the beautiful Lake Nona Golf & Country Club just outside Orlando. If you don't know what this fun little get-together is all about, do yourself a favor and Google it. I mean seriously, tickets aren't sold to the public, there is a color-specific shirt dress code for spectators, they leave brand new Audis parked on the holes AND LEAVE THEM RUNNING. I don't know how they let us in, I bet a typical bar tab rivaled the amount I owe in student loans. This place was ridiculous and we were so in awe the whole time. Not to mention epic people watching, there was a golf tournament going on. We almost got hit by an approach shot from Gary Woodland, we watched Trevor Immelman hole out for eagle, we were so close to our beloved Adam Scott that we could smell his sweat, oh...and Tiger was there too, white shoes and all...what did you expect?

Also, can I just say, how exciting this PGA Tour season has been thus far? Playoffs up the wazoo, Rory was #1, now Luke is back on top, Tiger withdrawing, Sergio had a 12 on a hole. I mean seriously people, you can't make this stuff up. I really hope these are just a warm up for all of the awesomeness that will ensue at Augusta...

Spring Break

It is kind of weird to live in an area that is actually affected by spring break. Our usually quiet and peaceful spot on Cocoa Beach was overrun last week with crazy, drunken youths. I realize we are not far removed from that time in our lives, but it was different knowing we had to get up and go to work the next day. We soaked up the sun and took solace in the fact that most of those rambunctious children probably had homework to do and we, of course, did not. Wait, I take that back, I gave us a very important task and it was to get in more golf and vitamin D, preferably at the same time. Guess what? We are already acing that assignment. 

Fashion Update

We gotta get back into the designing mode and along with updating this blog a little more regularly it is at the very top of our ever-expanding To Do list. But until then I suppose I can take a whack at some fashion critiquing while Griggs is still at work. While nothing has seriously jumped out as being overly awesome, there have been a few guys who are showing up each week looking as good as they play. 

You already know our love for Keegan Bradley and his new sponsorship. He has also taken to wearing red on Sundays just like another guy we know. But Keegan does it in a very different and great way. He donned this outfit in the final round of the WGC-Cadillac. Nicely fitting red pants, matching red visor, plain white polo and some matching red/white shoes. The shoes are a little iffy for me, but these red and white ones are WAY better than the all white ones. Trust me. 

The reigning Masters champ not only sneaks up leaderboards quietly but he also gets on to the very difficult Griggs&Bagger Best Dressed List. Kudos to Nike and Charl for dressing his small frame perfectly. I am really digging this heathered gray button down, its understated and classy. Just like Charl. 

Believe me when I tell you that I am strictly posting this next picture because this is what Tiger's Sunday outfit SHOULD look like. Taken last Sunday prior to withdrawing from the WGC-Cadillac Championship and prior to a mid-round shoe change. As if he was just taunting G&B by breaking out the black pair for the first half of the round and then pulling a cruel joke by switching back to the grandpa-looking white ones midway through the day. But guess what, the joke is actually on Tiger because he is the one that looks like a mismatched idiot.

Tiger is our absolute worst repeat offender and we were so thrilled at the switch up into the black shoes and then horrified a few hours later when he put the white ones back on. I suppose the only respectable thing to do at that point was to withdraw from the tournament after he put those awful shoes back on. 

I think that should about wrap it up for this kid. Work tomorrow, then off to Bay Hill on Thursday. Rough life. I know. 

Cheers!

-G&B

PGA Tour: West Coast Winners

As the west coast swing of the 2012 PGA Tour season comes to a close, we should probably talk about the winners (and losers) in golf fashion thus far. There have been some guys out there who have really caught our eye because of their great style as well as their top-notch golf games. Here are some of the most notable  players currently in our Winner's Circle.

KYLE STANLEY
There are hardly words to express the love we feel for how Mr. Stanley dresses. All men should take note (mostly Tiger, but we will get to him later) of how to wear a pair of pants. Kyle looked crazy good in his all-black outfit by Dunning on Sunday at Phoenix, very Gary Player-esque. We give him a thumbs up for his great play, great outfit and that killer beard. Nicely done, sir.

KEEGAN BRADLEY
We were beyond thrilled when Keegan announced his new partnership with classic American clothier Tommy Hilfiger. And they have not disappointed us. We don't have a favorite look in mind from him this season, just his change overall. Bradley is now in much more fitted shirts, he is switching up his pant colors, belts and visors too. This change isn't too drastic but it is just enough to be noticeable and we really like it.

ADAM SCOTT
How on earth do you think we could have any sort of "Best Dressed" list and not include our favorite player ever? You are right, it is impossible. With that said, Adam's continued partnership with Aquascutum is glorious. Even more so than last season because of their increased use of elbow patches in his layering pieces. And he looks incredible every damn time he steps on a golf course.

ZACH JOHNSON
Outfitted in our newest favorite, Iliac Golf, Zach continues to bring it. We are especially digging his look from Saturday at Riviera, a nice striped sweater vest, with an unusually tight crew neck collar which makes him look that much more put together.

JONATHAN BYRD

A relative newcomer on our fashion radar, J Byrd is a seriously classy gent. Everyone knows my love for cardigan sweaters and thus my love for people who wear them. Not only did he wear a cardigan yesterday at Riviera but he paired this navy blue Ralph Lauren sweater with a great green gingham shirt. I do have one problem with the whole situation though, the clothes could have been about a size smaller. Other than that, he looked great. 

JIMMY WALKER
Another newcomer on the scene is this guy. Not a very big name, but he was on the first page of the leaderboard this week at one point. Wearing expertly coordinated Peter Millar, he caught our eye yesterday and we hope he continues to dress (and play) well this season.

And for the disappointments. I would like to think they know who they are, but for the sake of this blog post, let us review.

LUKE DONALD
His first outing this season was nothing to write home about. The world's number one player didn't play or dress like a champ this week. I have a serious problem with the collar on this shirt as well as plackets with zippers. I know that is getting a little nit-picky but I expected a little more out of someone who is normally dressed impeccably. The face snarl says it all, Luke.

PHIL MICKELSON
I know, Phil has been playing AWESOME and I am so pumped he won at Pebble and he is currently in the playoff at Riviera but whoever tells him he looks great in pinstripe pants ought to be shot. Sorry, Phil, thats a fail. (I know the picture isn't from this season, I couldn't find a recent one to illustrate the disaster but he has done it this year already, trust me.)

TIGER WOODS
He unfortunately will continue to be a train wreck unless he decides to reconcile with his tailor and someone at Nike notifies him that those golf shoes are made in black. We agree, Tiger, that outfit is cringe-worthy.

And that should about do it for this post. I need to get off here and watch this exciting playoff at Riviera! Also, I promise, we will try and be more diligent about writing posts, we know how much you need your G&B fix.



Thanks for reading!

B

2012 PGA Season

The highly anticipated 2012 PGA season is practically here and guess what?

We have something to say about it! Weird, right?

There are several stories that we have our eye so lets get to it.

The Majors

Duh. Who isn't interested in these tournaments? The Majors this year will hopefully be as thrilling as last year and maybe even produce some more first time champs (we mean you Dustin Johnson...just avoid those pesky "bunkers" sir, and you should be fine).

The Masters at Augusta National always seems to have drama and heres to hoping that this year will be no different. Maybe Tiger should see how a back 9 charge works for him instead of his exciting front 9 one last year. Or maybe our beloved Aussie Adam Scott will continue his excellent play to claim his first career major. Or perhaps another unknown like Charl Schwartzel will make a name for himself on Alister MacKenzie's famed layout. Who knows? But it sure will be fun to watch!

The US Open is at The Olympic Club (Lake Course) in San Francisco, California. The previous US Open held here was a bit controversial, Lee Janzen won the event, but many of the other players in contention (most notably, runner up Payne Stewart and Kirk Triplett) complained about the greens being too hard and fast to putt on. Another issue with was the pin position on the 18th, it was apparently impossible to putt on. Stewart 3-putted and Triplett incurred a 2 stroke penalty because he used his putter to stop the ball from rolling off the green (real professional, Kirk...). It has since been flattened out but nonetheless, this tournament should still provide its typical drama.

The Open Championship (its proper name, but we can still call it the British) will be at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in northern England. This course will have a lot of great memories for many different people. This is the tournament that vaulted David Duval into the #1 World Golf Rankings spot over 10 years ago. Our fellow Minnesotan (and reigning Senior PGA Player of the Year) Tom Lehman won his only major here and Spanish great Seve Ballesteros won British Opens here in 1979 and 1988. As with all British Opens, it will be as much a test against the course and the local weather. 

The season's final major, The PGA Championship is at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. The most famed layout at the seaside resort that boasts 5 courses total. A little bit of trivia to impress your friends, this is the filming site for one of the greatest movies of all times, 

The Legend of Bagger Vance, how awesome is that? I bet it makes you want to watch the PGA Championship 10x more now, right? That and the idea of Keegan Bradley getting an opportunity to go back-to-back? Yeah, we are excited too.

Tiger Woods
Anyone who has read this blog knows we have been rather critical of Mr. Woods' golf game progress since his man-whore days but we really are interested in what he has got going on. We gave him kudos for winning his own tournament, that was a step in the right direction and we think that he can only go up from there this season. Tournaments he is in (especially Majors) are much more exciting to watch on TV when he is in the hunt. Tiger playing well only improves the game of golf as a whole and as much as we hate to admit it, he still can get people excited to watch golf.



Florida Tournaments
Nobody is more jacked than G&B to go watch all these guys when the PGA comes to our newly-adopted home state of Florida. Before moving, I never really paid attention to how many tournaments are actually played here. Hopefully we will be able to attend a few of these events. This is me, rubbing your nose in it. Sorry.

The Honda Classic - PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens
WGC-Cadillac - Doral, Miami
Transitions Championship - Innisbrook, Palm Harbor
Tavistock Cup - Lake Nona (though we will probably NEVER be able to get tickets)
Bay Hill Invitational - Bay Hill, Orlando
Players Championship - TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
ADT Skills Challenge - The Breakers, Palm Beach
Franklin Templeton Shootout - Tiburon Golf Course, Naples

Repeat Performances
There were some players last season that were really impressive and we are hoping they can follow up excellent 2011 seasons with even better ones in 2012. I kind of had these guys in mind:

Adam Scott - How could he not be included? He came thisclose at Augusta, won at WGC-Bridgestone amid caddy controversy and played like the the stud and leader he is at the Presidents Cup. I really think he is poised for a major win this season, he finally looks ready to handle the pressure of a big win situation.

Bubba Watson - 2 wins last year and one of them was a playoff! Also made his debut at the President's Cup, where he had a pretty decent showing. Bubba is really fun to watch and is a real risk taker on the course. His easy-going nature is what draws people to him and has probably was part of his successful 2011 season. Bubba came really close to a major 2 years ago at Whistling Straits, losing to Martin Kaymer in a playoff. He has matured since then and has really become a force. We are expecting good things from Bubba this season.

Keegan Bradley - I feel bad for any other rookies on tour who played well, they simply had no chance at Rookie of the Year honors when this guy had such a fantastic season. Winning the HP Byron Nelson, the PGA Championship and the Franklin Templeton Shootout (with partner Brendan Steele) the 2011 season was certainly a good one for Bradley and we are looking for him to follow up his great rookie year in 2012.



That should about do it for this post, of course there are other intriguing storylines that are exciting and these are just a sampling of the ones that we have been thinking about.

What are you guys most exciting to watch during the upcoming season?

Whoa, almost forgot! Happy New Year! 

Its that TIME of season... Gift giving.

Welcome to holiday season, rather the month of money spending...
Yep, that means you (keep saving those paychecks, I'm sure if you're on a budget and like shopping as much as I do this post will be helpful.)
Thats a guarantee.
Then again, if you really want to go all out on one gift for a special someone, we will give you the gift options for some of the finer things in life.
Thats a promise.
I think the perfect place to start is small, yet vital. Watches.
In golf, accessories have been huge in emphasizing and playing up everyone's look differently. Little pieces  make large statements. The white belt anybody? Huge fad, that actually carried over into everyday wear for people outside of golf. Something I don't mind at all if worn by someone who isn't representing the white belt poorly, lets say, a douchebag (excuse the choice of wording but I couldn't think anything more abrupt and fitting...) Really can ruin a fad for me. For example, Justin Beiber's pregnancy scare probably ruined a lot of mother's obsessions with the kid... Then again, probably brought a lot of hope to their daughters...
Back to the topic at hand (pun completely intended.)
I guess it would be good to start with the more affordable, and favorable watches and build our way into the higher end. These decisions are based on preference and price range. Because like nail polish for women, watches are easily interchangeable with wardrobes, and a perfect accent piece to add a touch of color or shine to any neutral or simple outfit!
"Cheap" Category:
What better way to start out this price range than with one of the easiest and simple excitement watch brand, Timex. One of my favorite watch samples by Timex is "the weekender". This watch goes with everything, every occasion. The watch band is interchangeable! There is a wide variety and style of band to match any outfit from the golf course to going out. Another favorite, but a jump in price would be the classy vintage look of the "original". Plain face, easy to read, and a very simple wrist decoration. And lastly, I love big faces on watches. So, in terms of a good Timex watch, I would suggest the "military" watch.

The next brand we're delving into is called Freestyle. Lets just be honest, Bagger gets jacked when talking about watches. Nay, she is emphatic when talking about watches, passionate, in love. Nothing brings her more joy than slapping her teal, retro looking freestyle watch on that wrist. Convenient for her is the fact that her tan line will always tell her exactly where it should go... now if only her tan lines told time... Regardless, this brand, much like Timex offers some unique designs.

(conversational piece... if you ever wanna talk to Bagger about it)

There are so many watches out there that could squeeze into this category, so here are a couple to check out as honorable mention: Fossil and Swatch

Onto some more of my FAVES!

We're going to stretch our wallets a little wider, dig a little deeper for the ones we love, and jump right into some more fabulous finds.

Nixon watches. Simple as that, for men and women. Just the sleek designs. The large face shapes really pulled me in. A cool feature on their website, once you select for whom you are buying the watch (for me, it was for me... obviously) and the page layout displays all of their watches. The "Kensington" style is one of my favorite. I'm partial for link bands, but I have nothing against leather straps, even cloth. A close second in my book would have to be the "Chrono" or the "Tide" watch because of the subdials, the fact that the band is thicker, and the face shape is fitting to the band.

My first big watch purchase, Michele. Much like Timex, but higher end, Michele offers the opportunity to switch out the bands! Even different types of link bands! What do I love more than large watch faces, the different shapes and material. Please, just do me a favor. If you want a watch that looks expensive, is incredibly stylish, and reasonable, just check on Michele. 

 

 

Onto the Honorable mentions: some other healthy alternatives for these beauties would have to be some of the newer Michael Kors watches, Toy Watch, and Swiss Army

Now for the watches we all dream about receiving instead of giving around this christmas time...

Dont mind me, but I may just become Scrooge as I write about a couple of these staple items... Well staple item if I happened to have a job that paid me for every thought I had about golf or fashion. Thank god we have a blog.

well lets begin shall we...

Tag Heuer.

The company motto is "Swiss Avant-Garde since 1860. These watches are a luxury good, and a division  of the company LVMH Moet Hennessy and Louis Vuitton. 

So if those don't represent luxury enough, look at the pictures. They are the definition of well made watches. 

 

(crap, these watches are fine.)

How could I not mention Breitling? Maybe Rolex?

Yes Rolex is a large leader in the golf world of watches, but how could I refrain from posting a couple of the Rolex golf ads... Because aside from the spectacular watches, look who wears them.

Honorable Mentions: Uboat, Raymond Weil, Panarei, and Omega... check these out! Seriously, despite the ticket price, maybe you should appreciate the design as well because they're stunning. 

My last note, ladies, don't be afraid to go big. Sometimes to switch it up, I really enjoy sporting a mens watch, just try a couple styles on to see how you feel with the change up!

My Apologies. Its fashion time.

I just want to begin by saying sorry to the true followers for my lack of fashion dedication this past week... I've began a new venture in my life, well not so new, but continued. It just so happens to be a new job. So thanks for hanging in there and baring with me through my training this week and ignoring my minimal teamwork with bagger (she forgave me at happy hour the other night... how could she not, we went and saw twilight- think about it.)

Second, I have to get this off my chest. I have to. I had the worst nightmare ever the other night. EVER.
I dreamt that Adam Scott was gay?

Bro love.

No love.

ok. moving on, now that I said that! The past is the past, and until proven guilty I know my dream was just a dream well nightmare!

Now onto the good stuff, if my apology and nightmare werent entertaining enough!!!

FASHION. Presidents Cup Recap.

Yep we admitted to our follies, we incorrectly predicted the outcome!

The P-cup fashion is not NEARLY as exciting and adventurous as the Ryder Cup. I must say we found it rather bland on both sides. We've concluded the awards for most fashionable would have to be the Internationals who lost! They certainly lost with flair...

The Americans were outfitted by Peter Millar. Everything from knit polos, pants, and the sweaters all fell under the control of Mr. Millar. Every member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team recieved, "... custom super 130’s wool suits, imported cotton dress shirts and silk neckwear, to merino wool sweaters, superfine wool pants, and double mercerized Egyptian cotton knit shirts..." I would strongly suggest checking out the Peter Millar website if you were a bit discouraged with the Americans colorless, uninspiring, basic, yet classy silhouette. A couple of the pieces that we were most impressed with would be Tuesday's green shirt with yellow placket (which was one of the most exciting spurts of colors we saw all week...) and Thursday's Navy blue shirt with the red placket. 
What does everyone love (and if you dont, you're missing out...) LAYERS.
Hello sweater vests. Thankyou Peter Millar for simply making a half zip pullover into a sweater vest half zip with some swag. 

Yes it may have been simple like most of the weeks separates, but one thing that the American squad did well was layer, and bring texture to their looks...


but time for some VARIETY!


We just want to give a special shout out to Mr. Geoff Ogilvy for his astounding mustache growth through movember.  

Where do we begin? How about where the Americans left off? Layers. sweater vests yet again. Accept the Internationals rock more of a black cardigan vest with yellow accents that mimic the designs in the polo shirts underneath. 

Majority of the International polo shirts had designs on them, yeah they werent the most graphically advanced, but hey it added movement and excitement to their appearance!

Normans  company put together the designs for the week, our biggest concern with the designs were that they relied alot on argyle, but really I dont think it's a concern, more of just an observation! An abundance of ARRRRgyle sweaters.

 I think we are seeking to find new and inventive ways to recreate the classic style without being to simple and or overdone. 


***We do want to reach out to both teams, please note that no matter what shape or size you are, a tailor can be your best friend. And really help you achieve your most flattering silhouettes. We do understand that tighter is not always better, but there is a difference between tight, and fitted (especially when done correctly.)

Lets get creative golf designers.

We challenge you.