Golfing News & Blog Articles

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Irons – Key Takeaways

The 2021 iteration of Cleveland’s signature Super Game Improvement hybrid ironsArtificial Intelligence-designed MainFrame face and CG/MOI optimizationAvailable Aug. 20 in graphite ($899.99), Sept. 17 in steel ($799.99)

To fully understand the new Cleveland Launcher XL Halo irons, it may be best to grab a dictionary.

And look up Halo.

Merriam-Webster defines Halo as either a circle of light appearing to surround the sun or moon, a differentiated zone surrounding a central zone or object, or the aura of glory, veneration or sentiment surrounding an idealized person or thing.

I’m guessing that’s the one Cleveland likes.

In reality, Halo is an acronym. In Cleveland-speak, it stands for High Angle Lift Off.

A former United States Golf Association employee has been charged in a scheme to embezzle funds from the unauthorized sale of U.S. Open Championship tickets.

With his caddie out due to COVID, Patrick Cantlay got the OK from Tiger Woods to use his caddie.

Faces of the NCGA: Architect Tom Doak

August 17, 2021

 

Although he’s a student of the late golf course design legend Pete Dye, Tom Doak’s biggest influence has always been NCGA Hall of Fame architect Alister MacKenzie, whose portfolio includes Northern California gems Cypress Point Club and Pasatiempo GC.

In 2007, Doak helped restore Pasatiempo, which is located in Santa Cruz. Among his most famous designs include Pacific Dunes in Oregon, Ballyneal in Colorado and Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand.

As per his love for MacKenzie, in 2001 Doak penned the book, ‘The Life and Work of Dr. Alister MacKenzie.’  His latest book, ‘The Making of Pacific Dunes’ is now available.

NCGA Fitness: Remember to Hydrate

August 17, 2021

Dehydration is bad for your health and for your golf game!

These five tips are some simple ways to stay healthy and hydrated.

DRINK – Hydrate before you get to the course. Start your day with a glass or two of water and give your body a jump start.   Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.   When you are thirsty you are already starting to feel the effects of dehydration.FLAVOR – Watch out for Sports Drinks as they may contain excessive amounts of sugar. Energy drinks contain sugar and caffeine.  Water is always your best option for maximum hydration.  If plain water is too boring boost the flavor by adding fruit, cucumber, mint etc.EAT – Eating hydrating fruits and vegetables during your round will help you stay hydrated. They are also packed with important electrolytes, replacing energy, and giving you even more hydrating power.ALCOHOL – Alcohol not only increases your risk of dehydration, but also impairs play. Alcohol can impact your game as it decreases concentration, agility, motor skills, balance, and strategic decision-making. Save the alcohol for the 19th hole!HABIT – Create a hydrating habit. Maybe you take a drink every other hole or before each tee shot. Try and stick with that throughout your round. Use your water breaks to relax and calm your nerves out on the course.

Finally – Rehydrate with water and eat some food after a round before you unwind with a cocktail. Staying properly hydrated will improve your performance and maybe even lower your score!

Cheers!

Jon Rahm returns this week at Northern Trust at Liberty National -- the first of three tournaments in the FedEx Cup playoffs -- having missed the Olympics due to a positive COVID-19 test prior to travel.

A long, weird regular season in golf is over. Now, the playoffs start. A lot of money is at stake. But there is more on the line. Can players salvage so-so years? Will the Ryder Cup puzzle get solved? We look at all the storylines.

Callaway Epic Super Hybrid targets mid-to-slow swing speed golfers.Technology includes titanium face/crown and Velocity BladesPricing: $399.99

Callaway claims that the new Epic Super Hybrid is “the most technologically advanced hybrid that Callaway has ever made.”

I’ve yet to hear a company admit to releasing a technologically inferior club, so we’ll take that statement with a grain of salt. Or a shaker full.

That said, the Callaway Epic Super Hybrid does pose a long list of features and benefits, amounting to what it calls a “hybrid with the DNA and technology of a driver.”

CALLAWAY EPIC SUPER HYBRID

Typically, a fall release for Callaway is a time to take some risks with less traditional designs. This also means an opportunity to address a smaller segment of the market.

The golf ball is the only piece of equipment you use on every single shot. For that reason, there’s an argument to be made that the ball is the single most important piece of equipment in your bag.

Our 2019 golf ball test was an eye-opener for golfers and a reckoning for golf ball manufacturers. It was the largest independent study of its kind, and some of the results were absolutely shocking. We learned that soft is slow, performance differences are more significant than many golfers believe, and that a poorly made ball can fly significantly offline, even on a perfect swing.

Those findings provided the spark for our Ball Lab initiative, and not surprisingly, golf ball performance testing shot to the top of our most requested list.

2.5 years later, armed with the knowledge from the first test, we headed out to the desert, reconnected with our robot friend, and conducted another ball test featuring the latest urethane models on the market right now.

Our goal is to help you find the best golf ball for your game.

Calum Hill of Scotland closed with a 5-under 67 for a 1-stroke victory at the Cazoo Classic on Sunday to clinch his first European Tour title.

Facing his largest deficit of the week and running out of time, James Piot won four straight holes to start the back nine at Oakmont and went on to win the U.S. Amateur on Sunday over Austin Greaser.

Doug Barron birdied the final three holes for his third straight 6-under 64 and a two-stroke victory Sunday in the PGA Tour Champions' Shaw Charity Classic.

Kevin Kisner won a record-tying six-man playoff at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday to earn his fist PGA Tour victory since 2019.

Ryann O'Toole won her first LPGA Tour event in 228 starts, closing with a bogey-free 8-under 64 at Dumbarnie Links for a three-shot victory in the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open.

Golf's regular season is over. Here are the 125 players who advanced to FedEx Cup playoffs.

Q2 Financial Reports – Key Takeaways

Acushnet and Callaway both top $1 billion in sales so far in 2021.Acushnet Q2 sales are up 105 percent for Q2 and 70 percent for 2021.Callaway net sales are up 208 percent for Q2 and 112 percent for 2021.

The Q2 financial reports for golf’s two biggest dogs are out and, to put it simply, both Acushnet and Callaway are barking up a storm.

And as bad as last year’s COVID-laced second quarter was—and it was plenty bad—both companies’ 2021 results continue to rewrite the record books. Acushnet more than doubled its Q2 sales compared to last year and Callaway’s sales more than tripled.

And, most importantly, both companies are comfortably in the black.

So, with the requisite disclaimer that we are neither financial advisors nor experts in corporate finance—we’re just folks who love golf and like to read all about it—let’s dive in.

Q2 Financial Reports – Acushnet

After a strong first quarter, Acushnet’s Q2 financial reports show the momentum isn’t letting up. Sales hit $624.9 million in Q2. That’s an increase of more than 108 percent over last year. More importantly, it’s a 35-percent increase over the COVID-less 2019 mark.

Trailing on the back nine at Oakmont for the first time all week, Austin Greaser responded by winning four straight holes to win his semifinal match Saturday in the U.S. Amateur. Next up is the 36-hole championship match against James Piot.

Doug Barron eagled the par-5 18th for his second straight 6-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions' Shaw Charity Classic.

Russell Henley shot 1-under 69 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead in the Wyndham Championship and move a round away from his first PGA Tour win in four years.