Golfing News & Blog Articles

There are a lot of golfers in Florida, both permanent residents and visitors, who enjoy playing the more than 1,300 courses throughout the state year-round. Only about 550 are private so that leaves about 800 open for public play.

We pulled together 10 great Florida golf courses that you can play without being a member. How many of these have you played? 

North Florida

North Florida is home to some famous spots like the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. You can get on the Players Stadium Course or Dye’s Valley but it will cost you a few hundred dollars. North Florida has a mix of high-end resort-style courses as well as private and public.

The Ocean Course and the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast are solid options for a resort guest. Kelly Plantation Golf Club, Windsor Parke Golf Club and The Amelia River Club are three that we came across and that you should be able to get on easily. 

Kelly Plantation Golf Club

If you are planning a golf trip to the Destin area in the Panhandle, don’t forget to put Kelly Plantation Golf Club on the list of things to do. If you can take a break from the beach, Kelly Plantation offers 18 holes that are a great test of golf. You’ll get views of Choctawhatchee Bay, great golf course conditions and a great practice area. 

It has been a long time since we had TaylorMade as part of the Forum member testing platform so we were thrilled to deliver the TaylorMade Qi10 drivers to six of our Forum members for testing.

TaylorMade driver releases always cause a stir on the Forum and this year was no different. There was great anticipation that TaylorMade had done something special. This was evident as we had more than 6,300 people signing up and more than 500 sharing their desired driver specs to test.

We selected two testers for each driver head. That meant the Qi10 LS, Qi10 and Qi10 Max each had two testers. We found different golfers with varying skills, swing speeds and backgrounds to test these drivers. The overall goal was to make these reviews relatable to the everyday golfer.

Testers were assigned which driver they were going to test. All of the testers then had a fitting to dial in which stock shaft was the best for them.

TaylorMade Qi10 First Impressions

First impressions can set the tone for how confident a golfer is with a club. Of course, there are always honeymoon periods with new clubs and that is why our testers review clubs over a six-week period. How did our testers find the TaylorMade Qi10 drivers when they arrived?

I was blown away by a tip that allow us to naturally shallow our downswing. Of course, shallowing your downswing prevents you from coming over the top and slicing the ball. Too many thoughts will always mess up your swing so you can’t afford to be thinking about each motion that should naturally happen in your down swing. You need one thought to focus on.

David Leadbetter keeps releasing blogs about the first foot of your takeaway in order to sell his miracle training aid. But if you setup with your leading elbow rotated and pointing down your target line, it is very natural to start your takeaway with a flat leading wrist and a straight leading elbow as you turn your hips and shoulders in your back swing.

Clearing Your Hip Starts the Chain Reaction up to Your Shoulders
As long as you take time to add wrist lag at the top, it will also give you time to press forward on your leading leg as you start to CLEAR YOUR HIP. By starting the pressure shift to your leading leg you will also start your powerful downswing.
a. Pressure on your leading leg will help you drop your trailing shoulder.
b. That shoulder drop will shallow your club head (to avoid an over the top swing)
c. This starts a chain reaction to rotate your hip and then your shoulders
d. And finally to drop your straight leading arm to power through the ball
e. And finish in balance on your leading foot and leg.

Your ONLY Swing Thought
Your setup with a proper ball position and leading elbow position is completed before you start your backswing. Your only swing thought is to slow your backswing (by counting ”1 annd 2”) to let the forward pressure on your leading leg start your down swing during your transition at the top.

Your pressure forward starts the chain reaction from the ground up. Of course, you need to swing to a finish in balance on your leading foot but should happen naturally. Every pro finishes that way and that part needs to be burned into your mind.

A former warehouse assistant for the Augusta National Golf Club has pleaded guilty to transporting millions of dollars worth of stolen Masters memorabilia and historic items, including one of Arnold Palmer's green jackets.

One hole at this week's PGA Championship is short, but there are several layers to it. Here's what you need to know.

The post Why 1 PGA Championship hole will get way more attention than others appeared first on Golf.

Instructor Bill Schmedes shares the golf practice plan used by a pro between tournaments on tour.

The post The subtle tweaks pros make from week to week on tour appeared first on Golf.

Recent developments have Rory McIlroy less confident about the PGA Tour and LIV Golf working out a merger.

Rory McIlroy said the PGA Tour is in a "worse place" after the most recent departure from the PGA Tour Policy Board.

The post Rory McIlroy calls sudden PGA Tour governance change ‘concerning’ appeared first on Golf.

Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win the PGA Championships at sportsbooks, while Rory McIlroy is right behind -- the fifth time in the past six events that they've been 1-2.

As the undisputed World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler needs a challenger. Is the PGA Championship the week he'll finally get one?

The post Scottie Scheffler needs a rival. These 6 guys could seize that title appeared first on Golf.

Custom golf clubs are clubs that are tailored to fit a golfer's individual swing characteristics, body measurements, and preferences. Here's how custom golf clubs work and some of the benefits they offer:

1. Custom Fitting Process: The first step in getting custom golf clubs is a fitting session with a professional club fitter. During this session, the fitter will analyze various aspects of your swing, including clubhead speed, ball flight, launch angle, and spin rate. They may also take measurements of your height, arm length, hand size, and grip preferences.

2. Club Selection: Based on the data collected during the fitting session, the club fitter will recommend the optimal combination of clubhead design, shaft material, shaft flex, shaft length, lie angle, grip size, and other specifications to maximize your performance and comfort.

3. Shaft Selection: The shaft is a critical component of custom golf clubs, as it influences the club's feel, trajectory, and accuracy. Custom shaft options include different materials (such as steel, graphite, or composite), flex profiles (such as regular, stiff, or extra stiff), and weights to suit your swing characteristics and preferences.

4. Clubhead Design: Custom golf clubs may feature clubheads with specific designs, such as cavity-back, blade, or hybrid designs, to match your skill level and playing style. The club fitter may also adjust the clubhead's loft, lie angle, and weight distribution to optimize launch conditions and ball flight.

As he prepares to defend his 2023 PGA Championship victory, Brooks Koepka is hoping to eliminate the bad taste that a 45th-place finish at the Masters left in his mouth.

With all the training aids available, golf analyst Peter Kostis says a simple sleeve of golf balls can dial in your putting. Here's how.

The post How a sleeve of golf balls can improve your putting appeared first on Golf.

Scottie Scheffler revealed this week that his caddie, Ted Scott, may have to miss a round of the PGA Championship.

The post Why Scottie Scheffler could need an emergency caddie at this PGA Championship appeared first on Golf.

The PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club tees off Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, with a longer course and stormy weather in the forecast.

The biggest mistake amateurs make? PGA Championship star Michael Block says it’s an eight-word thought, and he has a fix.

The post Biggest mistake amateurs make? Michael Block says it’s this 8-word thought appeared first on Golf.

There's a major sale on three Blue Tees Golf Series 3 Max Rangefinders on Fairway Jockey. Here's what you should know about them.

The post These Blue Tees Golf Series 3 Max Rangefinders are $70 off appeared first on Golf.

Get an inside look at the GOLF team's Monday and Tuesday experience on the ground at Valhalla, host of the 2024 PGA Championship.

The post Jon Rahm’s PGA Tour flirtation, PGA arrivals | Seen and Heard at Valhalla Days 1 & 2 appeared first on Golf.

With the goal of finding out which option could work best for you, we tested TaylorMade's newest P-UDI and P-DHY driving irons.

The post I tried it: These new driving irons offer ball-flight variety and forgiveness appeared first on Golf.

The Toulon Golf Small Batch Valhalla putter honors the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., site of this year’s PGA Championship.The Valhalla is based on the Toulon Santa Monica design and features a new Kentucky Bourbon finish.Available May 15 at ToulonGolf.com with a MSRP of $1,800.

Grab your horn-adorned helm and mighty hammer for, today, we enter Valhalla.

“But, Dave, I work a desk job. My daily conquests are menial, not mighty.”

Fret not, corporate raider for, this time, ‘’tis not valor that will allow you to reach Valhalla. A few weeks’ loot from thy aforementioned desk job will suffice.

Let thy engorged Venmo strike a mighty blow!

As it turns out, today’s Toulon Golf Small Batch Valhalla is not actually honoring the Viking afterlife but rather the Valhalla Golf Club where this year’s PGA Championship will be played.