Golfing News & Blog Articles

Eight months ago Nick Dunlap was still in college. Now he's a two-time PGA Tour champion making his debut at Tiger Woods' tournament.

The post Pro details ‘whirlwind’ ride from college golf to Tiger’s tourney in 8 months appeared first on Golf.

How many of your drives do you hit straight? Hitting the ball straight is often just as important as distance—if not more so for some players. The real winners, however, are the drivers that can deliver both distance and accuracy. In our 2024 golf driver testing, we focused heavily on both distance and accuracy in our testing.

For accuracy, we evaluated two specific metrics: straight shot percentage and playable shot percentage. To determine the straightest drivers of 2024, we focused on straight shot percentage. Straight shot percentage is an advanced way of looking at fairway percentage.

Straight shot percentage considers how far a shot is hit by widening the target area for longer drives. This adjustment ensures that big hitters aren’t unfairly penalized compared to shorter hitters, allowing for a proper comparison across all swing speeds and distances.

Impact of an 18% difference

In our 2024 testing, we analyzed 37 drivers and the difference in straight shot percentage between the best-performing and worst drivers was 18 percent. What does this mean for your game?

Theoretically, if you used your driver on 14 of 18 holes during a round (excluding par-3s), an 18-percent improvement in straight shot percentage could result in hitting two to three more fairways per round. You’ll also have the advantage of approaching the greens from areas you choose on all 14 holes where you use the straighter driver.

It’s nice work if you can get it.

According to a 2023 tax return requested by Sportico, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan earned more than $23 million last year.

Some of it is deferred earnings that could change in value. Monahan had a base salary of $1,887,096 with bonuses and incentives of $12.1 million, retirement benefits of $2.5 million and long-term incentives of $6.7 million.

It may end up being more or less than $23 million but you get the idea. Monahan made $18.4 million in 2022 so this is an increase on that number.

$23 million? In this economy?

The increase comes at a time when the Tour is fighting battles on multiple fronts.

The draw (right to left for right-handers) is not a natural ball flight for most golfers but if you want added distance and extra roll, we will show you how to achieve that. Learning how to hit a draw with a driver takes practice, good fundamentals and confidence. 

Checklist for hitting a draw with a driver

The easiest way to hit a draw with a driver is to attack the process step by step. You’ll make most of the adjustments necessary to hit a draw before you swing the club back.

Step 1: Check your driver settings 

If you have an adjustable driver, you may consider making it a bit more draw-biased. The draw-bias setting will close the clubface slightly and make hitting a draw a bit easier. If you aren’t comfortable changing it to a draw bias, at least ensure the driver head is set at neutral. 

Step 2: Setup adjustments 

You can make some tweaks to your setup that make it much easier to hit a draw. These adjustments include: 

Dropping your trail foot back slightly at address, even just an inch, allows you to create a more inside-outside swing path. Ensure your hips and shoulders are square or just slightly closed to your target line. Some players like to feel their trail shoulder drop back an inch or two.Place the ball forward in your stance, inside the lead heel. Your grip should be neutral to slightly strong. Too weak a grip can leave the clubface open, making it harder to hit a draw. 

Step 3: Clubface angle 

Image Source: Titleist

Get your clubface set up in the correct position. Align the clubface a little left of your swing path. Your body line and swing path are still going to be right of your target. Getting set up with the clubface in this position will help eliminate additional manipulation of the face during the swing. 

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:

MUNICIPAL’s Sportcross ATG Shoes. Designed for both the trail and the golf course.

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Content and resident sneakerhead. My wife doesn’t know that I’ve been storing extra shoes at work. She seems to think I’ve outgrown of my problem. Nope! The only thing I’ve outgrown is my closet. Can a man get a walk-in around here?

What’s the big deal?

The Sportcross ATG is the Wahlberg-founded brand’s first ever golf shoe. With a name like MUNICIPAL, it was only a matter of time.

Speaking of municipals, the Sportcross ATG leans more towards trendy and fun than it does classy and traditional. And that’s okay! I love the way this shoe looks. The shaping, the chunkiness … let’s just say this pair was made for the weekend warrior like me.

If you’re an avid golfer, you probably have a strong opinion about golf bunkers. Some players don’t mind them. Others despise them. No matter what your opinion is, here are some techniques and skills that can help any golfer escape the sand.

Types of bunker shots

There are two types of bunker shots: greenside and fairway. Greenside shots require finesse and are hit with higher-lofted wedges. A greenside bunker shot focuses on spin and control to get the ball close to the hole. 

The fairway bunker shot requires distance and accuracy. You’ll also need clean ball contact and the correct club selection. 

How to hit a greenside bunker shot

The goal of every greenside bunker shot is to get the ball out so it flies high and lands softly by the pin. If done right, you should also generate some spin. Here is the best way to hit the greenside bunker shot. 

Open the face of your wedge and then grip the club. Turn your stance to the left of the target (for right-handed players) so you are “open” to the target line.Play the ball forward of center in your stance. Swing along the foot line which will make your swing path more upright and outside. Aim to hit the sand one or two inches behind the ball. Accelerate through to a high finish.

Choosing the right wedge

One of the most important parts of playing out of a greenside bunker is choosing the correct club. The closer you are to the lip of the bunker, the more loft you’ll need to get over it. 

If you're looking to buy a rangefinder as a gift for the golfer in your life, here are some great options at different price points.

The post Best golf gifts 2024: 10 handy rangefinders at different price points appeared first on Golf.

View full 2024 Hero World Challenge tee times for Thursday's first round in the Bahamas, featuring Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg and more.

The post 2024 Hero World Challenge Thursday tee times: Round 1 pairings appeared first on Golf.

When it comes to wardrobe staples, there is perhaps no article of clothing more essential than a polo shirt. Shop 15 of our favorites here.

The post Our Picks: 15 best polos for on and off the course appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods' press conference at the Hero World Challenge was mostly good vibes — but one line was hard to hear without wincing.

The post 1 line from Tiger Woods’ presser alludes to painful golf year appeared first on Golf.

Still looking for the perfect gift for the golfer in your life? Check out a few of our favorite golfer-approved gifts on Fairway Jockey.

The post Best golf gifts 2024: 12 ideas we love from Fairway Jockey appeared first on Golf.

On this week's episode of GOLF's Subpar, country-music star George Birge explains how he walked onto the University of Texas golf team.

The post How a country-music star walked on to the Texas golf team appeared first on Golf.

The Hero World Challenge begins on Thursday in the Bahamas. Here are 3 players our expert loves — and why he thinks you should too.

The post Hero World Challenge betting guide: 3 picks our gambling expert loves this week appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin, aka the Short Game Chef, says follow these cues to master tricky 30-yard pitch shots.

The post Conquer 30-yard pitch shots with the help of a short-game whiz appeared first on Golf.

Golf-centric gifts are a great way to encourage your kids to get out of the house and on to the course. Shop 20 of our favorite items.

The post Best golf gifts 2024: 20 editor-approved items your kids will love appeared first on Golf.

Woods isn't sure when he's going to return to competitive golf, but he still has thoughts on some of the pressing issues facing the sport.

Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he's not close to being physically ready to play in PGA Tour tournaments.

Tiger Woods spoke at the site of numerous comebacks, the Hero World Challenge, on Tuesday. But this time the news wasn't as cheery.

The post Tiger Woods details unexpected health setbacks, casts doubt over future starts appeared first on Golf.

Bandon Dunes, the über-popular Oregon resort, has found a new way to give would-be guests a fair shake at landing a reservation.

The post Bandon Dunes instituting lottery to help manage high demand appeared first on Golf.

Carlota Ciganda has long been dogged by slow-play accusations, and recriminations are flying again after her recent LET win.

The post LPGA pro faces slow-play accusations (again) after recent win appeared first on Golf.