Golfing News & Blog Articles

Some birthdays seem made for athletic greatness. December 30 is one of them. Tiger Woods and LeBron James were born on the same day.

MyGolfSpy Experiences follows the one fundamental truth of the golf cosmos: The best bucket-list golf trip is the next one.

Always.

And of all the bucket list destinations in North America, the bucket-list-iest of them all is Pebble Beach. From first-class accommodations to world-class golf in an unforgettable setting, Pebble ranks with St Andrews as the place any golfer must visit before they die.

A fair warning: Pebble ain’t cheap. And you’re unlikely to find any deals. The resort is close to sold out for 2023. However, if you’re in the general area and have a flexible schedule, you can get on any of the four courses that make up the resort, including the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Just bring your wallet.

Who made the biggest impact in professional golf this year? What's in store for these key players in 2023? We look back at the year's noteworthy names.

A couple of weeks ago, we asked you about the clubs in your bag. More than 4,000 of you responded. Thank you!

Your feedback provided a plethora of insights, not just about the clubs, but the type of clubs you have in your bag right now. Perhaps we’ll take a closer look at some of that down the road but today we’re focusing on the brands that golfers spent their money on this season.

Here’s a closer look at our readers’ top brands for every spot in the bag.

What’s in the Bag Survey Results

Titleist accounted for the most new driver purchases, beating Callaway and TaylorMade by the narrowest of margins. PING was just a few percentage points behind them.

Other Notables

COBRA and an apparently growing PXG each accounted for a little more than nine percent of recent purchases.While percentages are small, it’s notable that more respondents purchased Sub 70 drivers than more established brands like Cleveland and Wilson.While exceptionally strong in the iron category, Mizuno accounted for less than 2.5 percent of new purchases

More MyGolfSpy readers chose Callaway fairway woods than any other brand. TaylorMade was next, followed by Titleist.

I was amazed to see how many long putts were made at the PNC Championships where a PGA Pro teamed up with a non-PGA family member. VJ Singh and his son shot 2 rounds of 13 under par to win the 2022 Championship. Their success came from playing a Scramble Format where they both hit each successive shot from the best location. Their biggest advantage came by understanding the break in their putts.

Every putt was played strategically by allowing the weakest player to make their best putt so that the second putter used the knowledge of the BREAK in the first putt as it slowed down near the hole. Of course we rarely get the chance to putt after someone putts on our exact same line. Watching this 2-putt team approach, we should all recognize 3 key points.

1/ Choosing the right line and speed is your primary focus if you are ever going to be a great putter.

2/ The most break occurs as your ball slows down at the end of your putt. Of course, the greater the side slope, the greater the break so you need to estimate if the break is non-existent (0), slight (1), moderate (2) or major (3 to 10)

3/ To limit your break (as the ball nears the hole on a slight to moderate slope) you should always putt with enough force to pass the hole by 10 to 20 inches. This extra force will eliminate a significant amount of the break as your ball passes the hole.

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf 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.

Not always does every item in the game receive the objective, in-depth review it deserves. Without a doubt, some are better than others. That’s why it’s our mission to give you the inside scoop on just about everything on the market—good and bad.

So, as a year-end bonus for you, we’ve highlighted some of our favorite reviews from our 2022 We Tried It series.

Technology and Tools

GARMIN R10

A lot of golfers don’t have a clue about how far they hit their clubs. The Garmin R10 golf launch monitor provides 14 different data metrics, even with its small Doppler radar. With more than 42,000 virtual courses, tournaments and prizes available, the R10 quickly became a buzz item.

We put it to the test. Check out the results below.

 

The post 2023 NCGA Rules Seminars and On-Course Seminars appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

There is 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

adidas S2G BOA Wide spikeless golf shoes

Your “Thick Kick” Tester

Dave Wolfe– Though I talk mostly about putters, I also have feet so wide that they would spill over the edges of Clementine’s herring boxes, without topses.

Welcome to Dave’s Stout Shoe Search

Some of you are decidedly average, at least in terms of shape. Don’t feel bad about that—apparel companies love you! You and your average cohort are the money-making target market. They make gear for the majority. If your body plan hits the middle of the bell curve, you’ll have all kinds of choices when to comes to golf gear, be it hats, jackets or shoes.

Last month, LA Golf began shipping “prototype” samples of its upcoming golf ball. We put “prototype” in quotation marks because golf brands of all sizes have, at one time or another, used the description to drum up interest in a finalized but yet to released product.

Given the lead time to produce something like a golf ball and the industry’s preference for launching new products in early January, my hunch is that what you see is what you’re going to get.

Thus far, LA Golf has kept details of its ball under wraps. We don’t know how the company will position the ball, what performance claims will be made or how much it’s going to sell for.

LA Golf’s other products, namely shafts and putters, offer bold performance claims with premium prices so it would be a deviation from the business model if the ball didn’t command a premium price.

Kathy Whitworth, whose 88 career victories are the most by any player on a single professional golf tour, has died at the age of 83.

Winter means one thing: indoor practice!

Welcome to Day 2 of MyGolfSpy’s Countdown to Christmas where we offer holiday giveaways every day until Christmas!

Today, we’ve teamed up with PuttOUT Golf to give away their latest training aid, the Devil Ball.

We Tried It a little while back and not only is it addicting but it’s worth spending some time with at the office, at home or anywhere you can roll a few.

ENTER HERE

Several months ago, I posed the question: “Where did all the Japanese golf brands go?”

Part of the answer assumes a North America-centric viewpoint. And though brands like Yonex, Yamaha, Vega, Fourteen, ONOFF, PRGR and Honma have largely vanished from the U.S. landscape, they’re not extinct. Well, not entirely.

That said, if I consult my crystal ball, it portends a bleak outlook, at best.

So You’re Saying There’s A Chance?

Sort of. But it begs a deeper dive into two important topics.

First is a discussion regarding the prototypical JDM (Japanese domestic market) consumer. Second, we must assess how the global equipment market has changed over the last decade and what that might mean for JDM brands moving forward.

We all have a love hate relationship with golf. When its good, we love it. When it’s bad, it can be very frustrating. Burning the side of a hole with a missed putt is only costing you 1 stroke. A poor drive results in losing some easy distance. But a missed chip from 10 to 40 feet is so much more frustrating because its such an easy shot. After your miss, you tighten up and your next attempt is fat or bladed across the green. Then your blood begins to boil as you add-on 3 more strokes putting. Wouldn’t is be nice to make every chip for a 1 putt green?

You need an easy solution for perfect chip shots to limit your putts around the green. Mr. Short Game on a recent GolfersRx blog reminded us to “take your hands out of the swing”. Limiting your hand action is the perfect solution for consistent chips.

He reminded us to chip exactly the way Steve Stricker and Jason Day chip.

-Let your limited hip and shoulder rotation take care of the speed and power of your swing.

-Start with a narrow stance

 

The post NCGA Spotlight: December 22, 2022 appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

TaylorMade adds three new models to the Spider GT mallet putter line.These new models feature new hosels including center-shafted hosel and a return of the Truss hosel.Only available online at TaylorMadeGolf.com with a MSRP of $349.99

TaylorMade’s Stealthy Spider GT Release

Did you know TaylorMade recently added three new models to their popular Spider GT putter line? It’s all right if you answered “no.”  In fact, these three new Spiders released with such minimal fanfare that most people don’t know they exist.

Perhaps TaylorMade didn’t promote these putters as extensively as usual since they are only available online at the TaylorMade site. Maybe the United States was not the target market since two of the putters are listed as “Japan Issue.” Thankfully, they are still available for purchase online in the United States.

Ultimately, the reason for their subtle roll-out is immaterial. The good news is that I can share these new Spider GT putters with you today. Truth be told, they are interesting takes on the Spider GT. One has a neck that will be immediately popular with some of you and the other two Spiders revive some almost forgotten 2020 TaylorMade putter technology.

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Swedish golf sneaker brand Goatlane announces the release of the Grant Horvat Collection.The Grant Horvat Collection consists of three limited-run golf shoes.The first pair will be available for purchase on Dec. 26 and is limited to 350 pairs.Retail price is $240.

On Monday, Dec 26, Goatlane is releasing the first of three shoes in the Grant Horvat Collection. The sneaker is dressed in premium white grain calf leather and features a spikeless golf outsole. All Goatlane golf shoes are designed in partnership with PGA TOUR golfer Henrik Norlander. The remaining two pieces of the collection are set to release in the first half of 2023.

Goatlane? Never heard of her.

Unless you’re deep in the golf influencer scene, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of Goatlane. The Swedish D2C golf sneaker brand calls itself “disruptive” and has made its mission to blend Tour-level performance with street fashion. Goatlane intentionally describes itself this way in the hope that the modern look draws the consumer in but the professional-level performance keeps them around.

While still a relatively “new” brand (founded in 2020), Goatlane has an impressive stable of talented influencers and ambassadors including Mac Boucher, Henrik Norlander and Grant Horvat.

About Grant Horvat

Grant Horvat is still fairly synonymous with GoodGood (despite recently parting ways with the brand) but the rising social media influencer is kick-starting his solo career with the launch of his signature Goatlane shoe. Horvat, who hails from Florida, grew up on the green under the direction of his father, a long-time PGA teaching professional.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Goatlane golf sneakers look pretty slick but you’re probably wondering the same thing I am: Are there any brains behind those beautiful, soft leather curves? Let’s break it down.

Any golfer who has qualified for the Masters based on previous criteria will be invited in 2023, including at least 16 currently on the LIV Tour.

This has been puzzling golfers for years. 

Even as 2023 approaches, golfers remain fixated, as they have for years past, on the theory that rust adds spin.

A few months back, our #AskMyGolfSpy series included a segment on rust to educate the consumer on rust and whether it adds spin.

Here’s an early Christmas present: Eight out of eight manufacturers confirm that rust does NOT add spin.

But, as is our mandate, our curiosity and data-driven mindset demanded we find out for ourselves.