John Holmes's blog

John Spitzer, the U.S. Golf Association's Assistant Technical Director, has been named to replace Dick Rugge as Managing Director of Equipment Standards, the USGA said Wednesday in a letter, obtained by Golf Digest, sent out to its staff. Rugge recently announced that he would retire next February, and Spitzer will take over at that time.

More is better, at least when it comes to what's inside Nike's 20XI golf balls.

The current iterations of the Swoosh's flagship spheres begin with a core made of a material called RZN (pronounced 'resin'), which is lighter and less dense than the rubber found in many other balls. Using RZN allows for more of the balls' weight to be placed out closer to its perimeter – which, Nike says, makes them more stable in the air and helps them maintain their spin on the way down from the apex of their flight.

The fourth quarter of the year is a time when many players begin seriously checking out new gear to see what they might put in play next season. Rarely, however, does a player field-test a whole new bag of clubs in tournament play.

Rickie Fowler, however, did just that at Tiger Woods' World Challenge last week. A total of 12 of the 14 clubs in his bag at Sherwood Country Club came from Cobra Golf's brand-new 2013 AMP Cell line.

Adam Scott is playing the Australian Open this week, and he spent part of Tuesday practicing with a "normal" putter.

Scott was spotted on the practice green working with a traditional putter that had a slightly extended shaft, according to British news service PA Sport, and then used it during his practice round.

Who’s against golf in the Olympics? Apparently Tom Watson is.

''I still think of Olympics as track and field and not golf, to be honest with you,'' the eight-time major winner said Tuesday in Sydney, where is playing the Australian Open. ''I don't want to pour cold water on it, but I don't think it should be in the Olympic Games.''

Golf has its four major championships, Watson added, and they should remain its pinnacle events.

Is there such thing as a Ryder Cup bounce? It sure looks like it.

Since the European team made that miraculous comeback to retain the golden chalice at Medinah a little more than two months ago, seven members of that victorious squad have gone on to win tournaments. They are:

Few names in golf course architecture are as recognizable as that of the Jones family: The late, great genius Robert Trent Jones and his equally renowned sons, Robert Trent Jones II and Rees Jones. Together, the three industry giants have designed or remodeled nearly 1,000 courses around the globe.

Now, golfers can play the Robert Trent Jones-designed Gold Course and the Rees Jones-designed Green Course at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, and also stay onsite at Colonial Willamsburg's Woodlands Hotel.

Well, maybe they will be next time.

Every time he wins a tournament, Graeme McDowell has a tradition. "I always call Rathmore, my home golf course" in Northern Ireland, and tell them that the drinks are on him, McDowell said Sunday afternoon after he won Tiger Woods' World Challenge for the second time in three seasons.

"It's a bit late there now. What is it, 11:35? I was going to say it's not too early for those boys, believe me," he noted.

The unique CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on the Caribbean island of Anguilla is back in business following a three-month, $15 million renovation to the property.

"We're seeing a strong renewed interest in CuisinArt in the U.S. market as a result of the recent renovations," General Manager Stephanie Zaharia told Travel Weekly. "There's steady growth, as well, in the Canadian and South American markets."

I don't know about you, but I'm way behind in my reading these days – so much for this being the slow season in golf. If you're looking for something light and golf-related to tackle over the holidays, you might check out 'Dead Men's Clubs,' a new golf novel by Charlie Ryan.