Opinion & Analysis
Bubba releases “Bubbaclaus” music video… and it’s terrible
Social media is going ballistic about “The Single,” a music video release by Bubba Watson (aka Bubbaclaus), but I’m seeing right through this whole schtick.
Let’s be serious. How can Bubba Watson, the guy who rained on everyone’s parade during the long-drive contest at the 2014 PGA Championship, possibly be our best candidate to spread Christmas cheer to all the boys and girls? How can a guy who has no problem throwing his caddy under the bus objectively determine who goes on the naughty and nice list? Isn’t Bubba golf’s No. 1 choice for the naughty list after his 2014 showing?
At least he was wearing Bubbaclaus Christmas colors, right?
Bubba was more of a Bubbascrooge all summer. He was so bitter, yelling and cussing at everyone, protesting long-drive contests — then claims to be Merry Ol’ Saint Nick come holiday season?
If you want to tell me Christmas Gumby with the “HoHoHo!” chain dunking a basketball while wearing a Kevin Durant jersey was awesome, go ahead — because you’d be right. The hovercraft replacing the Christmas sleigh was ridiculously clever, and the beat is… actually good. But if you’re going to tell me the lyrical content is brilliant or that the whole “Bubbaclaus” persona is anything but hypocritical, then I have a tee-time to sell you in the North Pole.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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enrique
Jan 4, 2015 at 6:40 pm
See, I thought Bubba was ADD/ADHD. Turns out he’s bipolar.
Heyo
Dec 23, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Doesn’t mean he should get a pass on being a fool in ‘this life’.
Greg
Dec 22, 2014 at 11:53 pm
not any worse than all the other rap stuff out there. since James “Bubba” Stewart was in it, I expected to see Fowler riding along with him?
TS
Dec 19, 2014 at 6:26 pm
So equating this to the typical working adult…
You want me to be my goofy self when my job and paycheck are on the line but would like for me to remain serious when on vacation?
Seems like odd logic to me. In season the guy flat out performs. Sure he yells at his caddy and doesn’t always participate in all the “fun” stuff…big deal. You have never had or heard of a boss who yells at employees and has a lame excuse for not going to a company function because he doesn’t feel like it that day?
We have had a lot of good articles here lately, this seems to be more of an opinion about a player you don’t care for…trying to convince others they too should not like him. Not saying you cannot have the opinion or express it, just doesn’t seem like the platform for it.
golfiend
Dec 19, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Why is it cool to act like a white wanna be rap gangster?
Joe Golfnerd
Jan 1, 2015 at 12:17 pm
not everyone can be jeff maggert…thank god
Rich
Dec 18, 2014 at 3:34 am
How many of you lot they are laying into Bubba are Tiger Woods fans? I bet there’s plenty of you. Stop being so hypocritical. Ok, the video is lame, gives his caddie a hard time and is a bit of a tool but who cares. He’s not doing anything illegal or immoral. He’s just being a goose. So what. Those of you getting all judgemental on him could perhaps give it a rest and focus on what’s really important. If you hate Bubba, you’ve got to hate Tiger but I bet you don’t.
Huh?
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:32 pm
I’ve read and re-read your first sentence and I still don’t get it…
Rich
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:32 am
Yeah, typo. Should be “that are laying into Bubba” not “they are laying into Bubba”. Was just trying to establish what type of behaviour people find acceptable. Cheating on your wife with a 100 ho’s would seem to be more acceptable than doing a stupid music video according to most of the people on this website. The guy below actually said he is the worst person on any golf tour in the world. Just because he’s a goose? Really?
Tyler
Dec 17, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Worst person on any golf tour in the world. Only the casual fans like him because they only see 10% of his actions.
Rich
Dec 18, 2014 at 3:53 am
Really, the worst? I bet your perfect.
Grammar police
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:34 pm
*you’re
Rich
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:33 am
Thanks fuzz
Grammar police
Dec 21, 2014 at 12:12 pm
You’re welcome.
Bill
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:20 pm
You can take Bubba out Bagdad, but you can’t take the Bagdad out of Bubba. He is like the Eminem of the south.
Slim
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:30 pm
C’mon. It’s a guy with money and time on his hands doing something fun. Wouldn’t we all like to be in that position? It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Not everyone’s going to like it, and that’s OK.
Awedge333
Dec 20, 2014 at 6:48 am
Slim, Couldn’t agree more! Not a big Bubba fan, but in the scheme of all things important, this doesn’t earn a mention. Successful guy goofing off. Good for him.
Merry Christmas!
Golfraven
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Wow, this is p… poor. Guess this is how you spend your off season time when you just made couple of Mil $. Very generous if him covering his sponsors, God bless. We want see more, not. Just hope the YouTube $ go straight to a charity.
chris
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:02 pm
wow is that bad
Joe Golfnerd
Jan 1, 2015 at 12:16 pm
and it’s better than i thought it’d be…
GodSpeed
Dec 17, 2014 at 9:31 am
Yawn.
g
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:42 am
He’s a nut!
Bubba Watson
Dec 17, 2014 at 9:15 am
Haters gonna hate!
JEFF
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:54 pm
HE MIGHT BE A TALENTED GOLFER (SOMEHOW) BUT A LOOSER IN LIFE!
Grammar police
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:34 pm
*loser
Dr Troy
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:49 am
1 minute was all I could stomach and I stopped the video… I have a great sense of humor, but this is utter garbage and isn’t funny.
Robert Carlson
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:27 am
Ten year old kid in the body of a 30 year old guy, not really liked on Tour by others, grow up punk.
Dpavs
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:15 am
Of course! … Wrx just stacks replies like this when they are to a common post.
Beacher50
Dec 16, 2014 at 11:45 pm
They actually spent money doing this? Pretty dumb.
The dude
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:03 pm
………well….let’s not forget he has the mentality of an 8 year old….kinda sad really
Cwolf
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:34 pm
How can something be so awful and amazing at the same time! Brilliant!
Ken
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Aside from being kinda ‘Gomeresque,’ I think this guy suffers from illusory superiority. Just sayin’.
B
Dec 16, 2014 at 8:19 pm
2 green jackets though. You’re welcome.
Philip
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:37 pm
so…….
Ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:26 am
Can’t buy CLASS, B.
other paul
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:55 pm
I stopped watching after one minute. So bad.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm
I watched it once, just as I watched the golf boys videos. I won’t watch it again. Just not interested. Won’t buy it on iTunes, either.
If social media is blowing up over this, a lot of people have time on their hands and little inspiration to contribute to the world.
I liked the video cuts, the colorization, but I didn’t understand Gumby or the elf. Was that Rickie riding his motorbike?
bhhahah
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:15 pm
sooooooooooooo stupid……….soooooooooo dumb…………..embarrassing for everyone w the nickname bubba
jeff
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:14 pm
and did not Bubba address and apologize for every incident. I would put a serious wager on who gave more time and financial to support to charities Bubba vs the haters and especially Tursky. Where was the hate from Tursky when Tiger was beating his wife and sleeping with hookers.
FatRick
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Giving money to charities says nothing about who you are as a person, so spare with that nonsense. Your buddy Tiger does a bunch of charity work but you obviously aren’t too fond of him.
Bubba is no doubt an amazing talent, but he is a tool plain and simple.
Jeff
Dec 16, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Where did you hear Tiger beat his wife? Come on. Its for charity lighten up. As for Tursky, hes a writer. Calling him a hater in the comment section is expected, its just a misinterpretation of whats going on in the story.
Slimeone
Dec 17, 2014 at 7:35 am
Actually Tiger was the one who got beaten by his wife, and he’s been a broken man ever since.
Boner
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Did Bubba not get enough attention when he was a kid? Jesus that was pathetic, he reminds me of a 17 year old girl on Instagram.
Also with his money he could have got someone to write a better song for him, I was embarrassed just watching this thing.
marcel
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Bubba qualifies for wacko of the year every year
MartyMoose
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Bubba is the definition of hypocrite. He is a self absorbed punk. An impromptu long drive competition during a practice round is hokey, but this isn’t?
Ben
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:38 pm
That video is funny!
Cut him some slack. We can all be a little grumpy when things don’t go our way on the golf course.
Pat
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:08 pm
LOL, you’ve never seen him in person have you? He berates his own fans, cusses them out and blames his caddy for all his bad shots. He is the definition of tool. You wouldn’t know that because all you see is what they allow on tv.
dr bloor
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Perhaps he was visited by the ghosts of Endorsements Past, Endorsements Present and Endorsements Future, and had a change of heart.