Here's how it works: It fits in a regulation golf cup. When you sink a putt, the battery-operated (4AA) device flips your golf ball back to you, up to 14 feet or more depending on how fast the green is. It comes with a "Caddy Cord" that you lay around the back of the cup to direct missed putts into the hole to be returned as well.

Here's what I like about it: It allows you to grove a stroke. It's nice to be able to stand in one place and tinker with your setup and stroke until you find a successful combination. However, I would advise you not to use this device exclusively and let it cause you to get lazy. This would be equivalent to standing on the driving range and banging away at balls without going through a pre-shot routine.

The best putting practice is emulating exactly what you will be doing on the golf course. That means go through your routine of marking your ball, lining it up and stroking the putt. And yes, even picking the ball up out of the hole is a great routine to get used to.

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The only catch is you have to use their special golf balls that are embedded with a chip. (One dozen golf balls come with it.) Although the golf balls are USGA-conforming, this a deal breaker for me. Plus, the balls are $40 a dozen for replacement. Of course, this begs the question: Why are they selling replacement golf balls for a system that is going to find your golf balls for you? Hmmmm. (Can't get one by me!)

I'm partial to using my Pro V1x, even though I do have trouble finding them in the long grass. Somebody needs to come up with a cream or oil that you can rub on your balls that will be detectable by a golf gadget. That guy is going to make some big bucks. (Plus, I could use it to find my darn car keys, and remote control, and my beer.)

I did find one good use for this product. I can't afford to go to the vet and get my dog, Penelope, set up with a microchip -- so I just covered one of these Radar Golf Balls with peanut butter and BAMM, I got a dog tracker! Oh by the way -- the range of this thing is only 10 to 12 feet, so you still need to keep an eye on your balls (or dog).

For a cheaper alternative, check out the Golf Shop Live Ballfinder Scout Complete System.

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Some of the best practice sessions I've ever had involved my pitching wedge and my shag bag. I used to live two blocks from the beach in Cocoa Beach, FL. I would take my bag of balls and dump them in the sand and practice my bunker shots. I got pretty deadly with my sand game after that.

Let me give you a quick description of the Original Bag Shag Golf Ball Shagger. This is your typical shag bag. It holds 75 golf balls. To retrieve your balls, simply walk over and place the end of the tube over the ball and press down. No bending required. (I really wish they had something like this for my dirty socks in my bedroom.)

This is an invaluable tool in your golf arsenal because it opens up when and where you can practice your game. So grab your shag bag and soon you will brag about your ability to lag right up to the flag.

Find this Original Bag Shag:

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Uh oh.

It looks like such a great idea, too. The Teed Up Portable Driving Range is a simple ball holder that can handle 45 golf balls, and a mechanism that automatically places the ball on the tee... every time. It even comes with a 7' x 9' net AND a ball shagger to collect the balls and place them back in the setter. Seems like it would work great for someone who (a) didn't want to go the driving range to spend time, money, and gas; or (b) someone who wants to practice, but can't bend down very well due to back issues and the like.

The trouble is, it doesn't seem to work very well. I have researched several reviews for this online, and it appears that even the most successful "teeing rate" was around 50%. Occasionally, it is frustrating to see a great idea for a product with a poor execution of manufacturing.

When attempting to go directly to the source, I could only find a place-holder website advertising that an update was "coming."

Shame. It looks like a winner. Maybe looks can be deceiving.

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To be honest, I've never actually had one of these in my golf bag before, but that doesn't mean I haven't used one. Many times I've played with gentlemen that don't lie to themselves nearly as much as I do about how good they are. The coolest thing about these guys is that they can't wait to fish my ball out of the creek and give it back to me. I'm not really sure if they are just being genuinely nice, or they are coyly saying "Here's your ball hotshot, try to keep it dry next time (ya punk!)"

So here's to those of you out there that enjoy fishing the balls out of the water almost as much as you enjoy hitting it stiff. One thing I've noticed, though, is you guys seldom are fishing your own balls out with these ball retrievers. Must be the extra confidence.

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