Golfing News & Blog Articles

There’s a headline I wouldn’t have seen coming. Last week. But the “Return to Golf” marches on with regular adjustments.

Quick recap: the PGA Tour issued 36 pages of guidelines for the “Return to Golf” in mid-May and here’s how they initially planned to handle a player testing positive for COVID-19:

After five weeks and several positives, the window has closed to 10 days of quarantine and now less if you test negative twice (the Cam Champ clause).

On the eve of the first-and-hopefully-last Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village, a forklift was called in to move the goal posts again.

The PGA Tour announced no total test results for player and caddies this week as they also did not do last Wednesday. But this “update” revealing that three of the players who tested positive are still doing so, but feel fine so therefore, we have, a historic first: a coronavirus pairing.

The PGA Tour announced a clarification that will allow players and caddies who have tested positive for the coronavirus to return to work after 10 days, even if they continue to test positive, provided that certain qualifications are met.

Have you ever said “If I could only make a straight putt, I could sink this one”. Then you push or pull or leave your putt short. It’s so frustrating but it happens all the time. Fortunately if you say this to yourself, you are way ahead of 50% of all golfers. At least you understand the critical component of putting: Choose your line and make a straight putt.

Alignment is critical. If you swing your putter directly up your target line and impact the ball dead center on your putter face, you should at least hit the right line. Developing a “Feel for the Break” is the hard part. Getting the right swing speed for the right distance is a matter of practice but the break and slope is different on every putt.

Alignment
I saw an ad for a putting alignment mirror highlighting steps to hit a straight putt:
-Choose the right target line. The mirror has a line which is easy to line up when you stand behind it and line it up with your target point. [Too bad it’s not legal on the course.]
-Make sure that your head and eyes are directly over the ball to avoid a distorted view of the direction to your TARGET. [Basically, that’s all the mirror is helping you control.]

-Swing so that the putter will impact directly on the center point of your putter. [That’s your primary thought during your swing.  [Test your putter on a perfectly flat surface to build confidence in your putting stroke and your swing for a straight 4 foot putt.]
-Limit your backswing so that you can accelerate through the ball and continue your swing directly up your target line. (Don’t jab at it and quickly return your putter.)

A silent Ryder Cup just wouldn't work. The players wanted no part of it, either, and have been saying so for months. Waiting a year and hoping the gates will be open again in 2021 was the only choice.

The PGA Tour heads to Dublin, Ohio June 9-12 for the Workday Charity Open. Here are our experts' best bets.

The original T Grind dates back to Bob Vokey’s work with Tom Pernice. Based on the M Grind, the T is what Vokey points to as the one that made wedge grinds a thing. The utility of the T grind along with an acknowledgment of its significance in Vokey’s history helps explain why some variety of Vokey WedgeWorks T Grind finds its way into the lineup nearly every season.

About T Grind

At the risk of stating the obvious, the signature feature of the T Grind is its sole. It’s a low-bounce (four-degree) grind that features a channel in the sole known in Vokey circles as a Pro Groove. The grind fluctuates a bit based on the year and loft of the club. From what we can tell from the photos, this year’s Pro Grove implementation might be a tad more subtle than others.

Finer points aside, the foundation technology of a WedgeWorks offering typically mirrors that of the mainstream – in this case, SM8 – offering. We don’t need to rehash the specifics. If you want to read about Reimagined Progressive CG or 100% Inspected Grooves, our original SM8 story has you covered.

WedgeWorks T Grind – The Open Championship Wedge

As with a good bit of the equipment storylines this year, COVID-19 has altered the timeline for the WedgeWorkds T Grind. It was supposed to launch ahead of the Open Championship as a nod to the links-style conditions the professionals would have faced.

With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that T Grind use is more prevalent on the European Tour where more than a dozen are in play any given week.

Longtime readers know the plight of Detroit’s Donald Ross-designed muni, Rackham, has been watched since 2006 when there were signs the city might close it. The course was subsequently sold and last year we learned of this amazing woman trying to ensure its future as an important big city, affordable public course.

So it was great to see Golf.com’s Sean Zak using the website’s Muni Monday as an excuse to visit the place and highlight its amazing history with Joe Louis and in Detroit golf.

Outside The Cut highlighted top clubs and resorts taking significant workforce employment funds.

In recent days there has been national scrutiny over who received what, including some potential conflicts of interest as noted here by CNBC. In the golf sector, Outside the Cut Tweeted a list of the top golf operations securing SBA loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides several hosts of recent PGA Tour events (Colonial, Harbour Town) or upcoming events (Muirfield Village Golf Club), there is Riviera Country Club securing funds between $2-5 million earmarked to help “businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.”

The club is home to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who disclosed his membership there and at Sebonack on Long Island as part of his Senate confirmation process.

The full PPP list can be accessed here.

Over 1500 golf related businesses applied and received funds over $150,000, with just over half receiving less than $350,000. (Businesses receiving less than $150,000 were not disclosed).

One can only imagine the stories they’ll be able to tell about what went on behind closed doors in the 2020 Ryder Cup discussions.

The PGA Tour’s first day back after the hiatus was dominated by Ryder Cup questions.

Almost three weeks ago, the Guardian said we’d soon learn about the fate the event slated for the end of September.

A majority of the readers here thought the event should be postponed but a surprising number were open to some option this year with limited or no fan access.

As has been well documented, players do not feel it’s a Ryder Cup without fans, led by the top two players in the world.

Obviously, there is a reference here to Bryson DeChambeau’s annoyance that a cameraman trained a CBS lens on him as he was contending for the Rocket Mortgage.

The second inference takes things up a notch. Or four hundred given Brooks is only a mildly passive-aggressive based on past social media feuds.

pic.twitter.com/DTjuc48hFp

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) July 7, 2020

The Ryder Cup will be delayed until 2021, with the Presidents Cup moving to 2022, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a source said.

The post The Truth About Golf Balls appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

The Women's British Open at Royal Troon, Scotland, is set to play behind closed doors from August 20-23, the R&A announced on Tuesday.

The R&A has confirmed plans to move ahead with the Women’s British Open in Scotland (now under their control but curiously still not subjected to The Open branding). From this wire story, it sounds like a very strict zone is being created to make this happen in late August, including all staying in one hotel.

As part of COVID-19 safety protocols, the Championship will create a "bio secure zone," and allow a reduced number of people who are essential to the operation including: players, caddies, officials, and staging staff.

To be allowed on-site, a negative COVID-19 test from an authorised testing centre must be returned, and in addition to limited movements between the golf course and the hotel, all players and staff will be subject to further tests and temperature checks "to maintain the integrity of the zone and the health of those within it."

The preceding week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open is also forging ahead at the Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Players have have been briefed are already bracing for very limited movements beyond playing the tournament.

I sure will be at @LadiesScottish! Love LOVE golf in the UK! So excited! Just a bit gutted we will be quarantined so won’t have time to play North Berwick, Elie, Archerfield, or others. https://t.co/OPnCU1D6N2

— Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim) July 7, 2020

North Berwick from the Howard Schickler Photography Collection

Judging by what’s shown at USGA.org and what’s hinted at as part of the Howard Schickler Photography Collection, the USGA has made an incredible acquisition for golf.

Danny Vohden highlights some of the collection’s strengths, with a nice sampling of shots embedded atop the article.

The collection contains more than 1,000 high-quality, historically and artistically important golf images from the 19th and early 20th century. Many photographs feature top American and British golfers, both men and women, from the mid-1800s to the 1970s. The collection was amassed over decades by collector Howard Schickler, sourced from the collections of some of the game’s most influential figures, including the personal collections of Old Tom Morris and F.G. Tait, the Auchterlonie and the Foulis families, the estate of Billy Burke and the collections of Ed Dudley and Bernard Darwin. 

Schickler’s love of golf began when he started playing the game at age 13 in New York City. As a longtime curator and dealer of fine art photography, Schickler brings a unique perspective to this collection. 

Is newer really better? Is it the archer, not the arrows? We tackle 5 equipment myths and more in this week’s episode of No Putts Given.

1:55  – Top 5 Golf Equipment Myths2:09 – Newer is Always Better10:51 – Longer is Always Better18:01 – Milled Putters are Better than Cast19:38 – It’s the Archer, not the Arrow23:50 – Getting fit? Good luck!32:18  – The Best Drivers of 2020 from our Swing Speed Breakdowns33:18  – Introducing Tour Stats, a new series that tackles the Tour with unique data-driven insights41:21  – Member Testing: The ExPutt putting simulator. Join our forums today for the chance to join the program and keep what you test.

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The post Top 5 Golf Equipment Myths | #NoPuttsGiven 44 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

2020 LASER RANGEFINDER BUYERS GUIDE

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Every golfer is looking for the next new, big thing that’s going to take their game to the next level. In modern golf, like modern life, technology is quickly changing the way we approach and conquer tasks. It’s been a number of years since golfers had to use landmarks or guesses to estimate yardage, but the field of available laser rangefinders continues to improve and evolve.

Our games have become more precise and strategic, thanks not only to the ability to digitally measure pin distance but also to see hole layovers and utilize GPS technology.

What’s impressive with this year’s group of laser rangefinders is that accuracy has dramatically improved across the field. Nearly every rangefinder in the test is accurate to the pin within five yards making the number of quality laser rangefinders available to you, vast.

Whether you’re looking to buy a new laser rangefinder today, looking for some buying advice, or just want a closer look at what’s on the market right now, this guide will help you find the right rangefinder to fit your needs.

Jack Nicklaus to face world No. 1 Rory McIlroy at a virtual Open Championship hosted by the R&A.

You remember the teams, do you remember the leaders? Take this quiz to find out.

On the latest Shack Show I take a few unmistakable forces in golf convering this week to highlight the issues surrounding Bryson DeChambeau’s use of power and the dreary lack of imagination in presenting two tournaments at Muirfield Village. And producer Tim Parotchka, big fan of the distance game then joins me to discuss the joys of the power game (that he passed up watching).

The Apple Podcast link.

And the iHeart embed option below, or subscription page here: