Maintaining a good pace of play is crucial for an enjoyable golf experience for everyone on the course. Slow play not only impacts your own game but can also disrupt the flow for the groups behind you.

Pre-Round Preparation

A good pace starts before you even reach the first tee.

 

• Arrive Early: Get to the course with enough time to check in, warm up, and be ready to tee off at your scheduled time.
• Warm-Up: Use the practice facilities efficiently. Do not spend excessive time on the range or putting green when your tee time is imminent.
• Necessary Gear: Ensure your golf bag is stocked with the essential items, including:
• Extra balls
• Gloves
• Tees
• Pitch mark repair tool
• Water/snacks

During the Round

Adopt habits that keep the entire group moving smoothly between shots.

On the Tee

• Be Ready to Hit: As soon as the group ahead is out of range, the first golfer should be ready to tee off.
• "Tee it Forward": If possible, play from the tees that match your skill level to keep the yardage manageable and reduce the time spent searching for lost balls.

On the Fairway

• Play Ready Golf: This is the most effective way to speed up play. If you are ready and it is safe, hit your shot—even if you are not technically "away."
• Plan Your Shot: Walk toward your ball with a general idea of the club you will use. While others are hitting, assess the yardage and course conditions so you can immediately select a club when you arrive at your ball.
• Limit Search Time: The rules of golf allow three minutes to search for a lost ball. Be decisive and limit your search to keep the group moving.

On the Green

The putting green is a common area for slow play. Follow these tips to keep things moving.

Bettinardi just unveiled two new zero-torque Antidote putters, demonstrating their continuing commitment to the zero-torque market. This is no real surprise since zero-torque putters are as hot as ever with consumers. Why wouldn’t a putter company keep making them?

Lots of companies, Bettinardi included, rolled out zero-torque putters last year. In many ways, launching a second batch of zero-torque putters is more difficult than the first.

Most of us celebrate a first attempt at something, often being less critical than usual since it was a first attempt.

For a second run, though, customers expect more. The company has had a year to learn from their initial offering so the next one should be better.

Back to the new Antidote zero-torque putters. Did Bettinardi learn something from their initial Antidote models? More importantly, did that new knowledge result in better putters?

At this week's 2025 RSM Classic, the FedEx Fall finale, players will be fighting for career survival. Here's exactly what's at stake.

The post Pros battle for career survival at PGA Tour season finale appeared first on Golf.

If a player picks up an unmarked ball to avoid a collision with another ball on the green, is it a penalty? Rules Guy has the answer.

The post Rules Guy: Is it a penalty to pick up an unmarked ball to avoid a collision? appeared first on Golf.

The Bushnell Pro X3+ LINK is the Best Overall Rangefinder of 2025 for a reason. It’s consistent, crystal-clear and loaded with advanced features. Between slope+elements compensation, wind integration, personalized club recommendations through the LINK partnership with Foresight Sports and the rock-solid accuracy Bushnell is known for, it’s hard to find a serious flaw.

But here’s the thing: it’s $599. That price alone takes it out of play for a lot of golfers.

And that’s where the Shot Scope comes in.

Even though the Pro X3+ LINK is my favorite, I’ve used the Shot Scope Pro ZR quite a bit this season and with the sale going on, it’s honestly hard to pass up.

Shot Scope Pro ZR is the best deal in rangefinders right now

We named the Shot Scope Pro ZR the Best Under $300 rangefinder for 2025. But with the current Black Friday pricing, it’s dropped to $189 and MyGolfSpy readers can stack another 15 percent off with code MGS15. You’ll get it for under $165.

Ben Griffin has turned heads all season, not just because he keeps winning but because he’s doing it with a golf ball most golfers don’t consider a “tour standard.” The Maxfli Tour X is a house-brand urethane ball that’s been steadily improving through multiple testing cycles and suddenly it’s a three-time winner in 2025.

And this year’s ball test backs up exactly why.

Let’s look at what matters for amateur golfers: speed, flight, spin and greenside control.

Speed: Where Tour X makes its first impression

Speed is the headline with this ball. The Maxfli Tour X was one of the fastest golf balls tested at every driver setting. At mid speed, it led the entire field in total distance.

Swing Speed	Ball Speed	Spin	Carry	Total
Fast (~116 mph)	168.16 mph	2,565 rpm	289.96 yds	320.15 yds
Mid (~102 mph)	150.37 mph	2,406 rpm	260.41 yds	289.45 yds
Slow (~86 mph)	124.05 mph	3,227 rpm	190.00 yds	220.40 yds

If you care about ball speed, the Tour X is one of the strongest values in golf right now. It delivers premium-driver performance without the premium price tag.

One of the best things about writing for MyGolfSpy is the opportunity to try out lots of new stuff, whether it’s equipment, apparel or accessories and then tell you about it. It’s a responsibility we take seriously and we hope we’ve developed enough trust with you for our opinions to matter.

That said, each year there are studs and there are duds. Listed here are five studs that have helped my game, my wardrobe or my overall sense of well-being.

Let’s have some fun.

Pretty much anything from Original Penguin

If there’s a phrase that aptly describes Original Penguin apparel, it’s “retro cool.” I might also humbly submit that the phrase also aptly describes yours truly. At the very least, Original Penguin is one of the few apparel brands that has prompted my wife to say, “You know, you don’t look half stupid in that.”

I know deep down she means retro cool.

I need your help!

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TAKE SURVEY HERE

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The post What’s the Best Place to Buy Used Clubs? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s the season of fantastic sales. Once again, for those who don’t know me and for those of you who do, I’m MyGolfSpy’s style guy, and I’m here to help you look your best and save money. That being said, look no further than Palm Golf. Right now, they’re in the midst of their Black Friday sale with some really awesome pieces up to 75% off. They’ve got a ton of polos, pants, and sweaters for under $50… Seriously, this is a great sale. Without further ado, these are my favorite picks that will definitely help you look and feel better on and off course.

Getaway 1/4 Zip

A good quarter-zip sweater is a wardrobe staple and a must-have for any golfer. Easy to take on, easy to take off, and absolutely classic, the Getaway 1/4 Zip is as good as it gets. This thing is lightweight, super stretchy, and breathable, making it versatile in every climate. For less than $50, this is a steal.

Union Polo

I’m all about outfit building and helping you look put together without matching too-too much. The Union Polo is a really classic but smart design. I love how subtle its accent colors are. Against the backdrop of the solid white shirt, the navy contrast on the placket and collar make a statement, and then the red detailing at the tips are chef’s kiss. I mentioned outfit building— this will look PERFECT under the Getaway 1/4 Zip.

PGC Short

Every golfer needs golf shorts unless you exclusively wear pants, but you’re not on tour, so, in case you didn’t know, you’re allowed to wear shorts. For under $30, the PGC Shorts are more than serviceable. While the 8-inch inseam is a little long for my taste, it suits pretty much every single body type and will make you look that much cooler. Literally.

Captain 2.0 Performance Snapback

I’ve got news for you: you’re not sponsored by Titleist, so it’s time to ditch the Titleist hat. The Captain 2.0 Performance Snapback is classic, cool, unique, and elevates your style. Gone are the days of looking stuffy and contrived on-course. Do yourself a favor, add some personality and some soul to your look. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it.

Tiger Woods was spotted for one of the first times since his latest surgery as he watched Charlie Woods win the Florida state championship.

The post Tiger Woods watches Charlie Woods win state championship appeared first on Golf.

One of the most enjoyable parts of watching sports is that we get to “hate” athletes.

Do we actually hate them? No, because most of us don’t really know them.

Regardless, it’s a beautiful pastime to loathe athletes for their arrogance, their greatness, their post-playing careers, their lack of self awareness or whatever else makes us revel in their struggles.

Maybe we would happily have a beer with them in the clubhouse if given the chance. Maybe we would even enjoy ourselves. That’s not the point—we’re hating for the sport of it.

The realm of professional golf, being such a gentleman’s game, has less of these characters.

The 2025 MyGolfSpy Golf Ball Test presented by UNRL showed that while driver spin differences can be subtle, low-spin models become much more meaningful once you look at irons and even more so with wedges. For golfers trying to reduce curvature, flight the ball down or stop losing distance to excess spin, understanding which models spin the least is just as important as knowing which ones spin the most.

Below, you’ll find the lowest-spinning golf balls at high, mid and low swing speeds for both driver and mid-irons based entirely on the 2025 robot data.

What does low spin do (and who needs it)?

In MyGolfSpy’s 2025 Golf Ball Test, low-spin golf balls consistently produced:

Straighter tee shots: Lower spin reduces curvature, a big help for golfers fighting a slice or hook.A flatter, more penetrating flight: Less lift means a stronger trajectory and more rollout.Less stopping power into greens: Low spin is great for drivers but a tradeoff for mid- and short-iron control.The largest spin drops in irons and wedges: Even when driver spin differences were subtle, iron spin varied significantly from ball to ball. On 35-yard wedge shots, the difference between the highest- and lowest-spinning balls reached nearly 4,000 rpm.

High swing speed (115 mph driver/90 mph iron)

At the highest swing speed, the lowest-spinning golf balls were almost entirely soft-compression ionomer models, a sharp contrast from the firmer “tour” constructions that typically lead high-spin categories.

Driver: Lowest spin (High speed)

Golf Ball	Spin (rpm)
Callaway Supersoft	2,113
Srixon SOFT FEEL	2,303
TaylorMade SpeedSoft	2,343

Iron: Lowest spin (High speed)

Golf Ball	Spin (rpm)
Bridgestone TOUR B RXS	5,365
Callaway Supersoft	5,855
Vice Pro Air	5,949

Mid swing speed (100 mph driver/80 mph iron)

At mid swing speed, soft ionomer models again led the way in reducing driver spin. For iron spin, ERC Soft and Supersoft were the clear standouts while Tour Response was the lowest-spin urethane option.

Garmin dominated the 2025 Golf GPS Test. The Approach S70 earned a 9.9, the highest score overall, and the Approach G80 was among the best handhelds. They combine premium accuracy, bright AMOLED displays and deep feature sets. But that performance comes at a price: roughly $700 for the S70 and $500-plus for most Garmin handhelds.

However, several lower-cost models performed nearly as well in testing. They might skip a few extras like green-contour visuals, smartwatch features or the sleekest display, but they deliver the accuracy, usability and reliability you may be looking for.

Here are a few to consider.

Bushnell iON Elite – Best Value Golf GPS Watch (Score 9.5)

The Bushnell iON Elite topped MyGolfSpy’s Value category and remains one of the best buys in golf tech. It features a full-color touchscreen, slope-adjusted distances and more than 38,000 pre-loaded courses. The iON Elite stood out for its repeatable distances and consistent accuracy, performing within the expected three- to four-yard range of top GPS devices.

Bushnell lists 12-plus hours of battery life, water resistance (IP67) and a crisp display that stays readable even in bright sun. The iON Elite focuses purely on golf functionality.

If you’re planning a trip to any authentic links course, here’s what you need to know. Because the golfer who tries to play links golf the same way they play their home course is going to have a very long, very frustrating day

The wind isn’t your enemy. Your Ball Flight Is

One of the elements that makes links golf confounding is trying to hit your standard high, floating ball flight that works on your home course into a 25-mph crosswind. Or down wind. Or up wind.

You need to learn the knockdown shot before you arrive. Take one or two clubs more than normal, grip down an inch, put the ball back in your stance and make a three-quarter swing with an abbreviated follow-through. The goal is a ball that flies low, penetrates the wind and releases forward when it lands.

Practice this at home. Hit 50 knockdown 7-irons on the range until it feels comfortable. On a links course, this is your new stock shot. The golfer who can flight the ball low owns the links. The one who can’t will lose a dozen balls to gorse bushes and tall grass.

Forget target golf. Play to zones

At your home course, you probably aim at flags. You think in terms of precise yardages and landing spots. Links golf doesn’t work that way.

Let’s be honest: golfers are one of the most judgmental groups on the planet. And few things trigger that collective eye-roll faster than seeing a set of iron covers walk across the range.

We’ve all done it: the side-glance, the internal monologue, the “must be a newbie” assumption.

Drivers get a pass. Putters? No problem. Even fairway woods and hybrids don’t seem to bother anyone. But for whatever reason, iron covers have always been the accessory golfers love to hate.

So, naturally, you assume no self-respecting tour professional would ever go near them.

And that’s where that assumption will get you in trouble.

The Annika's buzz-building week that included Caitlin Clark and Kai Trump ended with a "full circle" winner that came with a deeper meaning.

The post Annika’s successful buzz-building week ends in ‘full circle’ winner appeared first on Golf.

Former U.S. Open champion holds off McIlroy to complete late season turnaround. Plus, Schenk pulls out crazy ploys to win, Grant takes The Annika, Thomas's back surgery, and the Chevron is moving.

We discuss Rory McIlroy's Race to Dubai title and memorable 2025 season, wonder what's held Nelly Korda back and lots more.

The post Tour Confidential: Was 2025 Rory McIlroy’s best season ever? appeared first on Golf.

Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour Champions' season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday at Phoenix Country Club to take the Charles Schwab Cup season points title.

Linn Grant closed with a 5-under 65 on Sunday for a three-shot victory over Jennifer Kupcho in The Annika. It was Grant's second LPGA title, and the second time she received a trophy from Swedish great and tournament host Annika Sorenstam.