Recently, I was channel surfing and ran across the old Disney movie “Aladdin,” and it got me thinking about what three golf wishes would I choose. I could pick just three so I broke mine up into three wishes in three different categories. Golf equipment, three players to play a round with, and finally three courses that I wish I could play.

My first wish for golf equipment would be to have an independent test robot set up to test golf balls against the manufacturer’s claims. I would love to have the Ping robot set up to swing a driver a 7 iron and a wedge. Then have it hit the big-name balls to see if any of the marketing on the back of each sleeve is really true. I would love to see the side-by-side numbers for all the major balls. I would guess that they are all very close to one another with some slight spin differences but it would be interesting to see especially with the human element taken out of the equation. My own opinion of what ball is best comes back to the player. I always say play the ball that you feel comfortable with and the one that has brought you the most success. Playing a ball because Rickie or Justin play it makes no sense.

The second wish is much like the first but this time it’s the drivers I want tested. Drivers are getting so expensive and they seem to come out with a new driver every year that will keep you from slicing the ball or let you hit it like Brooks Koepka or Dustin Johnson. I want to see the big brands tested and see where they really come out. Does the TaylorMade M5 really have an advantage over Callaway, Ping, and Titleist? Does the AI face design of the Callaway really help on off-center hits or is it just more marketing? Maybe test them against the previous generation of driver and see if there is enough gain to make you want to spend another $500.00 on a new club?

My third wish would be that the overall cost of equipment would come back down. This goes against every free market bone in my body but I must admit the prices are getting way too high. Right now people are willing to pay $500 – $600 for a driver so companies will continue to put them out at that price point. However for the sake of the game and getting more diversity in the game the cost of the gear and to play the game needs to come down. I am not saying that Titleist can’t have their MB blades up at the $1,600 mark or that TaylorMade shouldn’t sell the P7TW for $1,999, but I think they should offer a good club to that player that is just starting or that blue-collar player that loves the game but is still busting their tail to put food on the table.

When it comes to a player I wish I could play a round with, it is tough. My first choice would be Ben Hogan. I pick Hogan just because he was a guy that worked very hard on his swing and like me was never afraid to call it like he saw it. I also would love to have the chance to get his perspective on how the game is being played today vs how it was when he played.

My second choice is not a pro at all and I doubt I would be able to concentrate while playing with this person but I would love to play with Bill Murray. The star of “Caddyshack” and so many other great movies would be a blast to play with. With his wild outfits and funny one-liners, I think it would be a round to remember.

This third one is not with one person but with two. I would love to play a round with Earl and Tiger Woods. I would want to play when Tiger was an early teenager and listen to the advice that Earl would give him all while knowing that this teenager would go on to be one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. To get a glimpse of how the killer instinct that Tiger possesses came to be or to watch as that laser-like focus and determination gets its start would be amazing.

On to the courses. There are so many amazing courses that I could choose from but I had to choose three. The first one without a doubt is Augusta National. Augusta is holy ground for many golfers and I am one of them. It’s not just the design of the place or specific holes it is the mystique of the place. Like the old Yankee Stadium or Lambeau Field it has a very special place in our game, but unfortunately very few of us will step foot on the tee box. I want to walk down those fairways and see the spots that changed the course of players’ careers. To stand on the green at No. 12 where Fred Couples ball miraculously stayed out of the water in 92. Or to walk those fairways and realize that a 21-year-old kid was going to make history in 97. I could go on and on, but Augusta National would be my first choice.

My second choice would be the Old Course at St. Andrews. I picked this for many of the same reasons I picked Augusta. The history of the game that St Andrews has been a part of is so rich and so deep that it would be hard not to play there and here the roars from Jack and Arnie that still may echo off those hills. This course the public can play on I just don’t have the means to fly over and do it but maybe someday.

The third one on the list was tough, it was between Medina outside of Chicago or Pebble Beach. I went with Pebble Beach because it is unique and offers so many different challenges to all players. The beautiful coastline and the sea mist that blows into your face as the waves crash against the rocks. The Iconic holes that have both made championship rounds and destroyed them. Pebble would be an amazing experience and in my mind would be worth the price.