Golfing News & Blog Articles

Helen Alfredsson shot her second straight 3-under 70 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the U.S. Senior Women's Open.

Fred Funk bettered his age by a stroke with a 7-under 65 on Friday to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions' The Ally Challenge.

Thriston Lawrence and Alejandro Canizares stayed in a share of the lead at 13 under on a weather-affected day at the European Masters where neither could complete their second round on Friday.

Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx will host the Aramco Team Series, a Saudi Arabia-supported women's tournament, in October.

The post NCGA Golf Plus Digital Magazine–September appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

Apex Black irons with Black Plasma PVDSame construction as 2021 Apex ironsRetail price is $215 per club with steel shaft, $229.98 with graphite

The 2022 Callaway Apex Black irons are the same as the 2021 Callaway Apex irons, save for one major detail. The finish.

For this limited run, Callaway uses a Black Plasma PVD finish which provides a “sleek, superior look and iconic feel on every swing.”

No word on whether that sweet feeling is available on thin shots. Hey, for some of us that matters.

Callaway Apex Black Iron

Consumers are used to seeing wedges with multiple finish options. Raw, chrome, satin, oil can, black and so on. Conversely, irons are typically either chrome or satin. Generally, it’s the former which is a bit odd to me, given that satin conceals scratches and wears far better than chrome.

But when a manufacturer decides to offer an option other than satin or chrome, it’s typically some version of a PVD or DLC black finish. More on that in a sec. For this release, the story, and the Black Plasma PVD finish, are one and the same.

This is the fourth time the golf legend has shot her age or better in her career.

Paula Reto shot a course-record 9-under 62 on Thursday at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club to take a 2-stroke lead in the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler might have had a roller coaster of an opening round Thursday at the Tour Championship if only he had been paying attention to the scoreboards.

Lee Westwood pointed a finger at the "hypocrites" who criticized LIV Golf, telling Golf Digest that changes made by the PGA Tour are just a "copy" of what LIV is doing.

South Africa's Thriston Lawrence and Spain's Alejandro Canizares share the lead following the opening round of the European Masters in Switzerland.

Major season is over but we still have news! And I withheld more analysis because doctors say you’ll live longer restricting your PGA Tour/LIV/First World schedule issue news.

Meanwhile, the PGA's Frisco HQ opens as the courses continue to grow in. Plus, Quotables, the return of the Old Course advance tee time ballot, and some Reads.

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If you followed our 2022 Best Rangefinder test, it was likely no surprise that the Bushnell Pro XE took the top spot. It’s kind of what we expect from Bushnell these days. But how did it compare to the lowest-performing rangefinder in the test?

We will show you.

Verdict

The Bushnell Pro XE is the best rangefinder. Period. It earned a total overall score of 94.5/100, the top spot in accuracy and second place in speed and optics. It’s tournament legal, takes weather into account when it calculates slope and has a reading that you can trust.

The last-place finisher for golf rangefinders in 2022 was the Zoom Focus X with an overall score of 78.5/100. Its rating for things like features, accuracy and speed were some of the lowest across the entire test. Of course, there is a price difference between the Bushnell Pro XE and the Zoom Focus X that is worth mentioning. However, when it comes to functionality and a yardage you can trust, the extra money is often worth it.

How We Test

The best versus worst rangefinder test consisted of 24 products all tested by the same golfer. Keeping the same golfer in charge of all the testing allowed for an accurate comparison and the ability to do more head-to-head testing. A total of 24 hours were spent testing. Core testing factors included accuracy, speed, optics, display and features. Usability was also considered as well as the ability of the rangefinder to work in any conditions.

BEST PERSONAL LAUNCH MONITORS 2022

Have personal golf launch monitors gotten more accurate over the years? Yes … but at a price.

For example, take industry leaders like Foresight, Bushnell and Full Swing. The Foresight GC3 retails for $7,499 and the Bushnell Launch Pro and Full Swing Kit retail for $3,999 each. But don’t despair if you’re on a budget!

In this buyer’s guide, we will be breaking down how various personal launch monitors perform as well as their ease of use, accuracy and, of course, recommending which performs best at different price points..

Best Golf Launch Monitor: Bushnell Launch Pro

Even though the Bushnell Launch Pro carries a hefty $3,999 price tag, it has outstanding performance across all metrics. The Launch Pro is on par compared to the GC3 and will save you $3,500. The Launch Pro can be used inside and out thanks to its built-in barometric pressure sensor. This means that whereever you’re playing, the unit will read how far you’re hitting it, taking into account altitude and weather. The only downside to the Launch Pro is that it is subscription-based model.

Whether you’re working on your short game or chasing higher ball speeds, the Bushnell Launch Pro is the best in the business.

I recently read an article about equipment changing trends on the pro tour. Obviously, what the pros do will most likely not impact your game. They use all the latest technology and financial support to make any changes that will give their swing an edge over other pros. I just wanted to share the tidbits that I found in a GOLF.com blog and by observing success changes which can apply to recreational golfers without spending a fortune.

Shorter Driver Shaft Length
This year the PGA set a new limit on driver shaft length at 46 inches. The interesting fact that I found is that Cameron Smith is known for his putting expertise, but his recent focus has been on hitting more fairways so that he can hit more greens in regulation. At the US Open, he was using a 44.5 inch shaft to add more direction control for his drives. A drive that is 20 yards shorter in the fairway adds a lot more value to your game than one that is longer but sitting in the rough or behind a tree.

The Bryson DeChambeau Syndrome
Adding muscle, bulk and a full set of single length irons were supposed to be a great new trend to improve accuracy and length control. Not only did Bryson end up injuring himself with his over speed training but his game whet sideways. With his increasing scores he found that the only way to increase his income was by joining the LIV Tour. I don’t think we should be following Bryson as a trend setter.

Putting Solutions
Every putter can sink every putt. You ONLY have to choose the right line and swing with the right speed. Easier said than done. Tony Finau just added a more distinctive Center Line on his putter head to help with the line up and impact for ever putt. He won a recent tournament putting with his trailing hand on top of his leading hand. That just reminds us how important it is to make sure that our line up is good but even more important is that you impact your swing EXACTLY ON THE CENTER LINE of your putter face.

I also notice a change to a new putter style where the shaft connects to the putter exactly at the center of the face of the putter. In addition to putting with her leading hand lower on her grip, Brooke Henderson and other LPGA pros have started to use this type of putter. Brooke turned her game around with a few recent tournament wins by changing to this type of mallet putter. She must be on to something. You don’t need a $500 Scotty Cameron Putter to sink more putts.

In its battle with LIV Golf, the PGA Tour is promising big events and bigger money. After Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's rallying cry, will top PGA players embrace the changes? That's the big task ahead for the Tour.

Newly crowned British Open champion Cameron Smith will make an emotional return home to Brisbane in November to contest the Australian PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are launching a tech-infused golf league in partnership with the PGA Tour that will have players competing on six three-man teams in 15 regular-season matches and a playoff starting in January 2024.

Top PGA Tour players have committed to play at least 20 events next season, with Rory McIlroy saying they want a "more compelling" product. Four events have been added to elevated status, meaning 12 tournaments will have purses of at least $15 million.