Golfing News & Blog Articles

Of all the golf destinations in the world, few locales find themselves at number one on more bucket lists than Scotland. The birthplace of modern golf, the game has been played in Scotland for over five centuries. Even in its early days, golf was played so obsessively by Scotsmen that King James II banned golf because his citizens were so busy working on their game that they were neglecting their mandatory military training. Maybe we haven’t come that far from our ancestors at all — we’re still just as obsessed with fine-tuning our skills. 

Luckily, the ban was overturned and, from there, things really took off. The first official rules of golf were created by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers for a tournament at their local course, Leith Links in Edinburgh. Those so-called “Thirteen Articles” were soon adopted by clubs throughout the country. (We can even thank a Leith native for bringing golf to America some time later.) Over a hundred years after this first drafting of golf rules, St Andrews, what we now know as the Home of Golf, came up with its own standardized set of rules and thus the modern age of golf had begun. 

Today, the spirit of golf lives on in Scotland, with hundreds of courses covering the country’s beautiful landscapes, making it an easy choice for those looking to hop across the pond for the golf trip of their dreams. 

But how much does it really cost to get there in 2024?

We caught up with the founder of Halcyon Golf Travel, Jack Sallis, to find out what it takes to plan, execute and, most importantly, pay for the perfect Scottish golf trip. Jack whipped up three similar itineraries for us, each of which explores the vibrant golf scene of the Scottish Highlands and Aberdeenshire, with price points ranging from US $4,000 to $8,000.

There’s no denying launch monitors, pressure plates, even AI-powered club design, are here to stay. The modern golf lesson tee employs high-tech tools to make you a better golfer and technology has become the means to bring the lesson tee to you.

Let’s explore the differences between online and in-person lessons and maybe help you get a little bit better at this game in the process.

About the Student

I’m a 7-handicap with aspirations of getting to scratch and beyond. Dedication I have but time is another matter. There’s that pesky full-time job, for one. Add in a family with three extremely active little ones and time to play or practice is minimal. I spend most of my weekends at my kid’s baseball tournaments rather than the course and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. But that means that when I do get a chance to practice or play, I have to get the most out of the reps. My time-crunch situation is not unique. The challenge is finding a way to maximize precious practice time to reach my golfing goal.

The thing is, I’ve had to move a lot in my professional life—nine times in the last 20 years in fact, which includes my entire golfing life. That trope you often hear about building an enduring relationship with a swing instructor that makes you feel all warm, fuzzy and confident? Moving so much means that doesn’t work for me and, when I do move, I don’t get to pick the zip code I’m touching down in. As a result, it’s been years of luck of the draw on what teaching pros might be within the ol’ “reasonable drive” radius. The availability of a quality golf instructor isn’t always a certainty.

Take Your Pick

Of all the benefits of online golf lessons, the real magic is that you can work with whomever you want, geography be damned. Golf coaches have caught on to the online trend in a big way. Case in point: Want to work with Sean Foley, swing coach for Justin Rose and Ben An (to name a couple)? He’s available for online instruction via Skillest. Perhaps you’d like to turn to Cameron McCormick, Jordan Spieth’s instructor, to fix your slice.  Yup, he’s on Skillest, too.

The PGA Tour has created a special sponsor exemption for Tiger Woods -- and Woods alone -- based on his "exceptional lifetime achievement," the tour told its members in a memo Tuesday night.

Xander Schauffele said Rory McIlroy will eventually have to answer questions about his U.S. Open mistakes, but he understands why McIlroy is stepping away from the game.

With a small field on hand and a huge purse at stake, our betting expert offers his favorite plays for this week's Travelers Championship.

The post Travelers Championship betting guide: 4 picks our expert loves this week appeared first on Golf.

Golfers now have an additional 15 minutes to correct their scorecard before it is deemed to have been returned.

When you're looking to dial in your 100-yard wedge shots, try this easy adjustment in order to get better ball contact and ball flight.

The post This 1 adjustment will help you dial in 100-yard wedge shots appeared first on Golf.

The field for the Olympics golf competition is set. Team USA has the most golfers qualified, but one notable star is missing.

The post Olympics golf field is set — with 1 notable American missing appeared first on Golf.

One of golf's most controversial and punitive rules has been altered, and pro golfers are likely to endorse it.

The post One of pro golf’s most controversial rules was just changed appeared first on Golf.

We’ve written before about the levers equipment manufacturers will pull to keep product lines fresh mid-cycle. They include things like black finishes, limited-edition colorways or, as is the case with the latest offerings from TaylorMade: previously Tour-only offerings made available to the masses yearning for something special.

That’s kinda what’s happening here.

As Tour-to-retail releases go, this one is relatively innocuous. This isn’t the super low spin, undersized, no MOI, fade-biased, you have no business trying to hit this Tour stuff we typically see.

In fact, what’s notably different is that the new options will likely benefit golfers.

Crazy.

Tuesday marks the 17th annual Bandon Solstice at Bandon Dunes, an event made for only the most intense golf sickos.

The post This legendary Bandon Dunes event is for golf sickos only appeared first on Golf.

Find out how to watch the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, including a full U.S. KPMG Women's PGA TV schedule, streaming info and more.

The post 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times appeared first on Golf.

Average scores and good scores may be relative, but there are sure-fire ways to shoot a better score

“Are you an average golfer?” “Did you shoot a good score today?” These simple questions actually call for nuanced answers. What’s considered an average or good score depends on a number of factors, including, most importantly, who… Read the rest

The post Average Golf Score: What is a Good Golf Score? appeared first on Golf Blog, Golf Articles | GolfNow.

The Rules of Golf say that a club's length must not exceed 48 inches, but does that stipulation apply to putters too?

The post Rules Guy: Are putters allowed to exceed 48 inches in length? appeared first on Golf.

Boasting two unique grinds and a buttery forged feel, Miura's all-new Forged wedge series has been five years in the making.

The post Worth the wait: Miura introduces 2024 Forged wedges | First Look appeared first on Golf.

Hideki Matsuyama is joining Boston Common Golf of the new TGL golf league that debuts in January, the team announced Tuesday.

There‘s a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.

What We Tried

GForce Swing Trainer

Your Reviewer

Phillip Bishop – Avid fan of U.S. Open carnage, tester of golf equipment, and pretzel lover.

We Tried It: GForce Swing Trainer

Being a golf media outlet and specializing in golf equipment testing, it is natural for a plethora of products to pass through our doors. I’ve gotten my hands on some unique and helpful training aids. But I’ve also seen and used some that are bewildering, to say the least.

Recently, the GForce Swing Trainer was brought to our attention and, I must say, it does grab your attention. It isn’t every day that you have an extremely flexible and lightweight golf club, especially one that allows you to hit golf balls. When you first see it, you can’t help but think, “There is no way I can hit golf balls with this!”

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised. 

What We Tried

The Skins App.

For diehard golfers who like (or need) a little action when they play, Skins is an on course gamification app that features a slate of popular betting games with correct rules (not the made-up ones your buddy tries to impose in the middle of the third fairway), real-time scoring capability and even a direct-to-winner(s) from loser(s) payout platform. 

Wallet forgetters, no more excuses!   

Who Tried It 

Rick Young. One of MyGolfSpy’s Canadian contributors and three buddies, Rob, Gerry and Deuce (don’t ask).  

Are we getting to the point that we can call stuff from the early 2000s “retro”?

As a late ’90s baby, I shudder at the fact that some might consider me “old.” In any case, PUMA’s latest golf sneaker is inspired by the perfectly young running shoes of the 2000s.

We’re talking about those chunky, sporty sneakers that everyone wanted. That’s what PUMA has with the new TEVERIS G golf shoe.

The TEVERIS G is billed by PUMA as a “retro shoe for the modern golfer.” The tech specs seem to validate this tagline. Underneath those curves, the TEVERIS G boasts a NITRO foam midsole for a comfortable ride. The spikeless rubber outsole and subtle suede accents round out the package.

Is it streetwear or is it sexy? It’s hard to say. But if you’re a streetwear fiend, you’re going to like how these look. If you’re a traditionalist, you’re better off with PUMA’s new AVANT shoe.