Golfing News & Blog Articles

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Callaway Rogue ST Drivers (MAX, MAX D, MAX LS and Triple Diamond)

The Callaway Rogue ST driver family consists of four modelsWhile the shapes have been refined, all feature the full complement of Callaway technologyRetail price is $549.99

I’m going out on a limb here but I predict the Callaway Rogue ST lineup will prove to be the best drivers made by a food and beverage company this year.

I’m kidding (a little) though, with more than half of its revenue coming from TopGolf, it’s likely Callaway will make more money selling fajitas and Bud Light than it will from its golf clubs.

What a world.

To be sure, money is money, Callaway is making a lot of it, and it all counts, but with its reach expanding further away from the golf equipment space with each new year and acquisition, it’s going to be interesting to see how Callaway decides to prioritize its expanding catalog of businesses in the coming years.

a photo of the Callaway Rogue ST line of drivers
a photo of Callaway Rogue ST Drivers

a photo showing the new shape of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver.


a closeup image of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver
a photo of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver

a photo of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX D driver

a photo of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX LS Driver


A photo of the Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver








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2022 Odyssey Eleven and Tri-Hot 5K Putters

Welcome to Part Two of exploring the 2022 Odyssey putters. Part One covered the 2022 Odyssey White Hot OG and Toulon Design putters.

This time around, we will be checking out the 2022 Odyssey Eleven and Tri-Hot 5K putter lines. This time, Odyssey really earns that “new” moniker. Some of these putters do have classic Odyssey head shapes but both lines really represent a new direction in Odyssey putter design.

Getting to the specifics: Like its predecessor, the Odyssey Ten, the Odyssey Eleven mallet features unique materials and new geometries. Here is a Tri-Hot 5K tip to help you avoid my erroneous assumption: The Tri-Hot 5k is not a redux of the 2010 Ti-Hot line. Sorry to those of you looking for titanium putters. Metal is a big part of the Tri-Hot 5k build story, though.

First, let’s take a deeper look at the Odyssey Eleven.


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Callaway Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X LS Golf Balls

Callaway is introducing three new Chrome Soft models featuring Precision TechnologyChrome Soft, Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X have all been refreshedRetail price is $49.99/dz

Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls with precision technology.

If you’re an avid MyGolfSpy reader, that’s perhaps not the first thing you think of when it comes to the Callaway Chrome Soft family of golf balls but Callaway is so confident in its increasing ability to produce consistent, defect-free golf balls that it’s stamping a “Precision Technology” logo on every box of 2022 Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X LS golf balls.

Turning the Tables

Under Chip Brewer’s leadership, Callaway has embraced the idea of the Mongolian reversal. If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase, think of it as flipping the script or turning weakness into strength and, in the process, one-upping competitors. With that in mind, it’s fitting that Callaway, the company whose golf balls are basically the reason why off-center cores are a part of the golf ball conversation, now is leading the charge to quantify the impact of what it calls “COs” or concentricity offsets.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t see that coming.
















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Callaway Rogue ST Fairway Woods

Callaway Rogue ST Fairway Woods leverage new batwing Jailbreak design.Three models: Rogue ST MAX, ST MAX D and ST MAX LSRetail price $349.99

One could make the argument that the Callaway Rogue ST fairway woods offer a more compelling tech story than the 2022 Rogue ST drivers.

There, I said it.

And if you look at the 2021 Epic Speed/Epic Max and 2018 Rogue fairway woods, the Rogue ST fairway woods are less like their predecessors than the accompanying driver releases. Will those changes fundamentally alter performance? That’s the real million-dollar question.

For its part, Callaway states that, compared to anything on the market, the Rogue ST is clearly the “leading fairway wood in performance.” The caveat here is that, like every other manufacturer, Callaway tests its new product against existing equipment. Fortunately, 2022 Most Wanted testing is already underway.

Stay tuned.








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Odyssey 2022 White Hot OG and Toulon Design Putters

Today, we get our first look at the 2022 Odyssey White Hot OG and Toulon Design putters. Actually, that’s only half of our Odyssey story today. I also have the scoop on the new Odyssey Eleven putter and the potentially game-changing Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K line.

But don’t jump over there just yet. We have a bunch of Odyssey putters to cover right here first. 2022 looks to be a big year for Odyssey. If 2022 is anything like 2021 was for them, “big” should probably be replaced with “huge” or “all-time.” From the tours to the shops, Odyssey smashed 2021.

Let’s take a quick look at last year before we jump into what Odyssey has in store in 2022.

Odyssey Putters, #1 in everything

As I said, before we dive into what is new for Odyssey in 2022, it’s worth revisiting 2021. As you can see from the graphic above, Odyssey continued to dominate all professional tours. I do mean all tours. Sure, Jon Rahm using a White Hot OG Rossie S to continue his winning ways was a highlight but his success was not an outlier for Odyssey users. Odyssey staffers and non-staffers made a bunch of money with Odyssey putters in 2021.





































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Modern Shafts No Match For A Giant Robber Crab

Golf course architecture is art. You couldn’t learn everything there is to know about it in a lifetime of study. It’s all part and parcel of the learning experience and, like golfers, architects learn more from their mistakes than their successes. BEN CRENSHAW

/ Geoff Shackelford

“He’s a ripper!” Imagine finding this after putting our for your handy double bogey. But good news, the driver snapped by this robber crab can be replaced under the revamped Rules of Golf.

From Australia’s Christmas Island, which is closer to Indonesia and famous for its crabs:


Golf Has Its First DAO With Hopes Of A Crowdsourced, Crypto-Funded Club

It’s a little more complicated than George Crump and friends building a course in the pine barrens and you are more than free to admit this makes no sense, but Josh Sens has the lowdown on golf’s first significant decentralized autonomous organization.

LinksDAO sold more than 9,000 NFTs in and initial offering for $11 million in Ethereum. The “grand experiment” is the vision of Mike Dudas, a Stanford start-up entrepreneur hoping to buy a course and create a community of members. Initial buyers of the NFT’s merely bought the right to buy into the next purchase.

Sens writes for Golf.com:

Nor will the money raised by the NFT sales be put toward buying a course. It will be used instead to fund other DAO operations, including course scouting, acquisition planning, marketing, legal compliance, community development and more.

Dudas concedes that there is a still a way to go.

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"Trials In Renovation"

When we build golf courses we are remodeling the face of nature, and it should be remembered that the greatest and fairest things are done by nature and the lesser by art, as Plato truly said. ROBERT HUNTER

/ Geoff Shackelford

Country Club of Farmington (

Sometimes we forget the arduous task of conceptualizing, selling and executing a golf course restoration, particularly with the number of successful projects and satisfied courses.

So for those thinking of pushing to get their older golf course restored, I’d recommend reading about the experiences and lessons learned of Geoffrey Manton, a radiologist and Green Committee Chairman at Country Club of Farmington.

Not everyone will understand what we’re trying to accomplish by restoring the golf course, and maybe that’s not their fault. After all, everything is relative. There is a dominant feature on our golf course, a former sand quarry, that has been overgrown for over a half-century. Our consulting architect created computer generated imagery of what a restoration of this feature might look like. “Can you imagine, it looks like Pine Valley!” said one member to another. “What’s Pine Valley?” replied the other. Some detractors have been more direct, like opposing green expansions, citing the atrocity of having a sprinkler head on the putting surface or calling for tree planting to replace those lost from the emerald ash borer. Each member has their own perspective and as I’ve been informed – “I pay dues. I have a right to complain.”


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PIP Meet The PIF! Saudi International Names Sponsor, More Stars To Field

After intense, last-minute negotiations, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia has been named title sponsor of the Saudi International. Terms of the deal were not announced.

More alarming for the PGA Tour and European Tour should be the continued addition of players to February’s field. Besides now having commitments from five of the world top 10, they’ve added Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert. The allure of the Asian Tour!

The gold rush and late adds seem to be fueled by the PGA Tour’s “stand” against the existential threat, which included creating the widely-mocked PIP and granting of releases with meager consequences for players passing on the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It’s a far cry from last summer when players were supposedly going to face membership expulsion for jumping ship. But the Saudis went out and got themselves some Asian Tour co-sanctioning and the snowball is picking up speed.

As Rex Hoggard notes here in the best possible light, the Tour was “slow” to grand competing event releases. If that’s the best they’ve got in their arsenal, it’s going to be a long year at the Global Home.

The PIF has assembled an impressive field at this point and sets up the potential for some fascinating names finding their way into the AT&T Pebble Beach field. As in, half the Champions Tour, all Korn Ferry grads, and definitely some Beljan’s and Uresti’s. Shoot, at this pace they may be the headliners!

Honma BERES 08 – Black and Aizu

Two headlining models: Hona BERES 08 Black and Aizu.BERES 08 Aizu showcases Honma’s signature model offerings of 2 Star through 5 Star including a women’s 3 Star model offering.The entire BERES 08  lineup features drivers, fairway woods, hybrid utilities and irons.

Honma embraces a distinct position within the golf manufacturing world. Throughout the years, Honma has showcased three specific golf club lineups: TR, T//World and BERES, all of which have prominent roles within Honma’s product offerings. Each caters to different golfers. However, they all possess Honma’s DNA: craftsmanship, aesthetics and design and performance. With the new BERES 08, they continue a long heritage of luxurious, master-crafted golf clubs, but with a bold twists.

Honma BERES – RUNWAY, PLEASE

At first glance, aesthetics, craftsmanship and overall design stare you right in the face.

With the BERES 08 Black, you have classic black and gold signature coloring. From pictures alone, it appears to be a showstopper. In order to keep the overall appearance flow, the stock ARMRQ MX shaft features matching black and gold graphics. The design is consistent from the metalwoods down to the irons.

Don’t worry. The star of the show is next.

Aizu, 2 Star through 5 Star and 3 Star Women’s encompass flair. Honma’s master craftsmen bring forth the traditional Japanese “Aizu” Lacquer design with this lineup. Each product lineup within the Aizu model features its own unique, creative color scheme and design. There are two different crown prints on the metalwoods. Additionally, there are designs on the iron cavities. Both bring a fashion show to the golf course.











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Quadrilateral: The Martin Slumbers R&A Holiday Card

When we build golf courses we are remodeling the face of nature, and it should be remembered that the greatest and fairest things are done by nature and the lesser by art, as Plato truly said. ROBERT HUNTER

Even An Orangutan Can Drive A Golf Cart

When we build golf courses we are remodeling the face of nature, and it should be remembered that the greatest and fairest things are done by nature and the lesser by art, as Plato truly said. ROBERT HUNTER

/ Geoff Shackelford

Longtime readers know that one of the worst parts of this whole blog thing is the consistency with which my news feeds share horrendous stories of golf cart accidents. So this post is for all of you who think they’re extra clever to drive carts like total shmucks.

Because we learn in this glorious video: even an orangutan can drive a golf cart.

Besides consisting of the most soothing 3 minutes you’ll enjoy today, there is also this glorious bit of Tiger trolling:

I’m not clear where this was shot and for all I know based on the orangutan’s age and the amount of hair on his knuckles, it’s just another Tuesday in The Villages.




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Daly Says "The Media" To Blame For Underreporting His Litany Of Health Problems

GolfMagic.com’s Andy Roberts listened to John Daly on the Full Send podcast so we don’t have to and shared a key exchange. The topic was Tiger’s jab at John Daly for taking a cart and a purported apology from Woods at the recent PNC Championship dinner.

Sitting behind a beer, ashtray for his diabetes-assisting cigarettes and a plate of fried chicken, Daly offered this regarding Tiger:

"Yeah, but he didn’t know the facts because the media, ‘the media’ (sarcastic gesture) didn’t tell him I had diabetes and I had a bad two knees and my hips out and all this stuff," Daly said on the podcast. 

"He apologized to me at dinner the other night. I mean, he’s fine. I love Tiger."

You know John is right. No one could look at him sitting there smoking, drinking and looking like a man just a few years under 100 and know he’s unwell.

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A Better Approach To Goal Setting: A Personal Philosophy

As you set your goals for the new year, I’d like you to think less about what you want to achieve and more about the person/player that you want to become. 

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t set outcome goals. I think you should know what you are working towards, why and how you are going to achieve it. Time is precious and we need a plan to allocate our time most effectively. Goal setting for golfers can be inspiring and motivate us to put in the effort each day. 

However, if the only goals we have are results based goals, there are drawbacks to the approach, such as:

1. It takes us away from the present

If we focus too much on what we want to achieve, we can miss out on the journey. If you are always doing something now to achieve something in the future, you are not fully experiencing the moment you are living in. If we focus too much on our future selves, we take valuable energy away from being our best selves in the present. 

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PIP Pandemonium: Phil Declares Victory, Tour Says Not So Fast, Morikawa Posts Dog Photo In Late 10th Place Play

Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But this is certainly not the case.
BOBBY JONES

/ Geoff Shackelford

As the (not secret any more) Player Impact Program hurtles toward its year one conclusion, the silly bonus pool is wrapping with a deservedly absurd finish.

Phil Mickelson declared PIP victory two days before the calendar ended the comical bonus pool. This, despite just one top 10 against the under 50’s this year—the 2021 PGA Championship—Mickelson apparently used four Champions Tour wins to accrue the magical number of Google searches, Meltwater mentions, MVP Index points, Nielsen scores and Q-rating strength to edge Tiger Woods for the $8 million first place prize.

The closest you’ll get to a PIP victory speech since it’s a private matter:

You have to give Phil credit with the late rush of Tweets and replies while playing to the angry bro mobs, a key demo for accumulating Meltwaters by stirring up some virus questions and replying to Elon Musk.


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Quadrilateral: Major(s) News & Notes, December 30th, 2021

Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But this is certainly not the case.
BOBBY JONES

/ Geoff Shackelford

“Auld Tom + G.M.T, Frozen out Golfers” by Thomas Hodge, 1884 (Thomas Hodge: The Golf Artist of St Andrews)


Works for Phil but NOT for You


Phil Mickelson has really been playing well on the Champion’s Tour. We all know that Phil has an amazing short game. He learned it with constant practice in his backyard when he was a kid. Practice really is the best way to ingrain the right swing for every club. Your brain needs to remember it and your body needs to feel it. Was it his short game or his long game that helped him win so many recent tournaments?

Phil has one of the longest drives on the senior’s tour, but it is not always straight and not always landing on the fairway or in bounds. During the second round of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in 2021 he hit 2 tee shots out of bounds on the 547-yard, par-5. That’s two penalty strokes and still on the tee and hitting his 5th stroke. Bernhard Langer won that tournament and became the oldest winner in PGA TOUR of Champions history at 64.


Bernhard and Phil both learned important lessons during that tournament. Bernhard is not the longest driver, but he sure has an amazing approach shot to give himself a chance to sink more birdies.

Phil hits them long but if he can’t hit the next shot he (and YOU) are losing strokes.

On the other hand, Phil was 81st in driving accuracy and was well back in that tournament. When Phil was interviewed, he pointed out that he was number 1 in driving distance and his amazing skill in chipping and pitching normally get his out of trouble. On most courses he does not have to worry about driving accuracy as long as he has an open shot at the green to save his game.

Lanny Wadkins was the commentator that day who replied to Phil’s comments: “Life is just much easier from the fairway.”

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Quadrilateral Exclusive: Mike & Mike's USGA Holiday Letter

In golf, a player can step and mar the line of his adversary’s putt. A player can also hit his adversary or his caddie intentionally with his ball and claim the hole—but it isn’t usually done.
C.B. MACDONALD

Trump's Scotland Losses Blamed On Brexit

Despite £3.3m in emergency support from the UK government during 2020’s pandemic, Trump properties at Turnberry and Balmedie show the businesses lost £4.7 million. Severin Carrell reports for The Guardian.

The resorts reported heavy losses due to their enforced closure during the lockdowns: the headline loss for Turnberry was £3.4m, after a £321,000 profit in 2019, and £1.3m at Balmedie, compared to a loss of £1.1m in 2019.

The story notes that this is the ninth consecutive year that Trump International near Aberdeen has reported a loss.

Also from the filing: the Trump’s blamed also Brexit for impacting the family business, notes The Daily Beast’s Justin Rorhlich.

Three months before he won the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump gave himself a new nickname: Mr. Brexit. After the nation voted to break away from the rest of Europe, Trump appeared at Turnberry, his golf course in Scotland, and commended the Brits who “took back their country.” He later said Brexit was “a great advantage for [the] UK.” But, in true Trumpian fashion, Brexit wasn’t great for Trump personally. According to a financial disclosure filed with Scottish authorities and signed by Eric Trump, Brexit “impacted our business as supply chains have been impacted by availability of drivers and staff, reducing deliveries and availability of certain product lines.”

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State Of The Game 118: Is The Sandbelt Invitational The Future Of Golf?

A friend, who, although not a golfer, was on the whole an impartial and appreciative critic of games, retailed for our edification with great gusto the other day the story of Colonel Pepper calling out to the woman sauntering across the fairway with an infant in her arms. “Now then! Hurry up with that baby of yours,” and receiving like a flash the answer, “Baby yourself, playing with that little ball and in them knickers!"
TOM SIMPSON and H.N. WETHERED


GolfLynk.com