The governing bodies of the four major, golfing championships announced on September 20 that they would be introducing random drug testing in the sport. Under the universal policy, testing will begin in 2008.

Tiger Woods has suggested that in the traditional spirit of the game, which espouses honesty and fairness, penalties for players testing positive should be ’significant’ to protect the integrity of the game. Tiger also believes that in a sport, where players have been know to call their own penalties, being caught cheating in this way will be severely damaging to a player’s reputation.

In common with many other sports, Golf’s banned list will include anabolic steroids, hormones and stimulants. I’m no expert on performance enhancing drugs but it did get me thinking about what possible chemical cocktails might improve a golfer’s game. I can perhaps see how drugs might be used off the course, to build strength and stamina (isn’t Tiger looking buff btw?), but I’m struggling to think of anything that would help with a golfer’s swing or putting technique. In a game that relies on total relaxation, I don’t see how being ‘wired’ on a stimulant, is going to help you improve. Perhaps beta-blockers for anxiety might be more appropriate.

There has been rumor of the misuse of performance enhancing substances on various tours and I’m sure the new rules have been brought in to address these, as well as bringing the game in line with most other professional sports.

I will still be shocked though when, and if, the first person is caught foul of the new doping policies and I remain convinced that Montgomerie’s gyncomastia is not the result of the misuse of performance enhancing hormones.

English golfer, Ian Poulter is beginning to develop an image as the bad boy of European Tour, Golf. He has just been fined an undisclosed sum for smashing a tee-marker at last week’s Mercedes Benz Championship in Cologne. This comes soon after a similar transgression (and fine) in July at the British Open in Carnoustie. Last year Poulter was also fined $10,000 (the Tour’s joint highest ever) for verbally abusing a Marshall at the Irish Open.

Poulter puts it down to a demonstration of passion for the game and seems resigned to paying the fines, rather than change his character. As Poulter says, ” I’m not the sort of person who can play a bad shot and smile. It’s not as if I’ve taken a Samurai sword and chopped off a few heads”.

Clearly Poulter is a flamboyant individual which is also expressed through his attire. The game needs characters like him and I hope he earns sufficient prize money that the fines don’t make to much of a dent in his pocket.

Poulter is currently 5 under par, during the second round of the British Masters at the Belfry, two strokes behind the leader, Lee Westwood.

Last week I managed to ‘Juice‘ my balls within a whisker of the Longest Drive. Unfortunately I fell short by a few feet and there are no prizes for coming second. Despite this, I’m very pleased with the Nike Juice, and will continue to use the ball, as it seems like a good compromise for price/performance.

Over the last couple of weeks it has occurred to me that my putting doesn’t seem to have improved much. In fact, I seem to be sinking fewer of those satisfying, long putts than I did six months ago. Given that the Putter is the most widely used club in the bag, then this is a worrying trend.

As an exercise I reverted back to my old blade putter, rather than the 2-ball, Odyssey, I currently use. There was an immediate improvement, and I began to rediscover the joys of putting again. I can only put this down to greater touch and feel on the green, which the blade offers.

I’m still considering a Scotty Cameron and out of interest I checked Ebay. I was immediately shocked to find a Scotty with a starting price of $1,900. Now, I know that these putters can command high prices, but I still find it difficult to reconcile that you can spend this much on one club.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, if anyone has any recommendations for a great (blade) Putter, around the $200 range, then I’d be very interested to hear.