Golfing News & Blog Articles

AskMyGolfSpy is an opportunity to submit questions to our experts here at MGS. You can pass along your questions to the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or right here in the comments section below!  

Q: Will softer balls land more softly and roll less on the green than harder ones? I struggle with length (slow swing speed) so I end up having to use long clubs to hit the green and, therefore almost no spin. Will a soft ball roll out less than a harder one? -richk9holes 

Painting with my usual broad strokes, I’ll start by saying that, generally, a soft ball will roll more on the green than a firmer (higher compression) ball. The typical design characteristics of low compression (soft) golf balls are high flight with low spin. The high flight helps increase the landing angle, which works to offset the spin loss. 

As you move closer to the green and start hitting partial (less than full height) shots, it becomes more difficult to offset spin with descent angle. 

Once you’re greenside, softer balls are at a significant disadvantage as it relates to stopping power. To generate spin on a shorter shot the ball needs to have a soft cover and a firm mantle layer. 

In 2-piece designs, you have no mantle layer, just a firm cover over a soft core. That’s never going to spin. 

“Another tie!” Dad exclaims with feigned gratitude as he opens yet another lackluster gift.

Come on. Father’s Day is a special day to show your dad how much you appreciate him, not test his acting skills as you shower him with meaningless gifts.  

This year, get Dad a useful golf gift. Whether he is a golf fanatic or just needs some alone time on the golf course with few cold ones and some pals, this is the gift guide for you (him).

Don’t settle for a novelty bathroom putting green or a gimmicky prank golf ball. Dad deserves the darned best golf gift money can buy. Sound like a tall task? We’ve got you covered. Here are the best Father’s Day golf gifts for 2023. 

For the Dad Who Needs a Wardrobe Makeover

VRST Men’s Floral Cracks Print Golf Polo – $56.25

This playful polo is as breathable as it is comfortable. Keep Dad looking fresh with this fun yet subtle design. Looking good is sure to make him a better golfer, right?

Davis Riley opened with a 67 at the Memorial to finish atop the leaderboard after the opening round for the second straight year.

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Florida won its fifth men's national golf title with a 3-1 victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

The 2023 PGA Championship was a real exciting nail bitter. If you were watching, you may have picked up some insights which will impact the success or failure in your game too. Of course, perfection for every swing in YOUR game is every golfer’s wish. So that’s why you practice and play this game instead of turning into a couch potato. These tips may hopefully help you turn on a few light bulbs for your future rounds of golf.

PGA Pro Ties for 15th Place (and a big payday)
Michael Block was one of the 20 PGA Golf Course Pros who was selected to play at the PGA Championship. It is rare that these Club Pros every get into the top 20 for this tournament so the network cameras focused a lot of time on Michael Block during his Cinderella success. He had only honed his skills for years by hitting about ONE bucket of balls every week as he demonstrated shots to his trainees on a California golf course.

Why was he so successful? Surprisingly, he used old technology clubs that worked for his game. He has played with the same 7 iron since 2013 and his Odyssey White Hot 2-ball putter for the past 20 years. Luck also came into play when he sank a hole-in-one on the final day. You only need to know the right club and the right swing to hit your target. We should all work on perfecting our swing but you will need some divine guidance or a great caddie to find success.

BTW he was offered $50K for the 7 iron used for his hole-in-one shot. He should have taken the offer as he had the highest scores on his next tournament and he missed the cut.

68% of the LIV Golfers Made the Cut
Brooks Koepka won the tournament at 9 under par. Including Brooks, 5 of the top 20 spots were from the LIV team. [Three LIV players finished in the top six at The Masters.]. It really is critical for PGA and LIV to work together to provide world class golf. It will be a great loss if the golf entertainment world don’t provide a unified solution in the near future.

There are numerous famous par 5 holes on golf courses around the world that have become iconic due to their design, challenges, or historical significance. Here are a few examples of famous par 5s:

1. Augusta National Golf Club - Hole 13 (Augusta, Georgia, USA): The 13th hole at Augusta National, known as "Azalea," is a legendary par 5 played during the Masters Tournament. It requires a precise tee shot to navigate the narrow fairway and a strategic approach to the green, which is guarded by a creek in front.

2. Pebble Beach Golf Links - Hole 18 (Pebble Beach, California, USA): The 18th hole at Pebble Beach is a picturesque par 5 that runs along the stunning coastline. With the Pacific Ocean on the right and bunkers strategically placed along the fairway, it presents a challenging finish to one of the most famous golf courses in the world.

3. St. Andrews Links - Hole 14 (St. Andrews, Scotland): The 14th hole, known as "Long," at the Old Course in St. Andrews is a historic par 5. It features a blind tee shot over a hill and requires strategic shot placement to avoid bunkers and reach the green. It has been part of the course since the early days of golf.

4. Cypress Point Club - Hole 16 (Pebble Beach, California, USA): The 16th hole at Cypress Point is a renowned par 5 that offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. It requires precision and strategic shot-making to navigate the narrow fairway, bunkers, and coastal hazards, making it a favorite among golfers.

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the 2023 Srixon Z-Star Diamond. To learn more about our test process, click here.

About the Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Perhaps all you need to know about the Srixon Z-Star Diamond is that it’s “Brooks’ ball” — the ball Brooks Koepka played during the 2023 PGA Championship. It was his first major victory with a Srixon ball.

Srixon says the Z-Star Diamond offers the highest iron spin rates of any ball in the Z-Star lineup. Driver spin is listed as mid, which is also the highest of any Z-Star ball.

While Srixon has factories in Japan and Indonesia, all of the Diamonds we’ve tested have been made in Japan. The data we’ve collected suggests products produced in the Japanese factory tend to be a bit more consistent.

Srixon Z-Star Diamond Construction

Like the other two models in the current Srixon Z-Star lineup, the 2023 Srixon Z-Star Diamond is a three-piece golf ball with a 338-dimple urethane cover.

iGen Golf is asking you a question you probably thought you’d never thought you’d have to answer. In fact, we’re pretty damned sure it’s a question you never thought you’d even be asked.

Should your junior golfer game a $1,200 set of forged irons and wedges?

Now, before your head explodes and you start pounding the keys with righteous indignation, you should at least hear out Patrick Dempsey, iGen’s owner and founder.

No, iGen’s forged irons and wedges for juniors aren’t for every kid. But if you have a junior who’s serious about the game and has advanced beyond the boxed starter set, there’s a path that says a set of iGen forged irons and wedges might actually be a money-saver in the long run.

There are a few ifs and maybes behind that statement but math, in theory, does work. And it’s all the work of a guy who can legitimately challenge Miguel Angel Jimenez as The Most Interesting Man in Golf.

Tee times at nearby classics will be tough to obtain. Hell with Riviera and Bel-Air!

Here are top June attractions if you're coming to the 2023 U.S. Open and want to experience the City of Angels.

Florida got a birdie on the third extra hole to beat Florida State 3-2 in the NCAA semifinals Tuesday, setting up a championship match against Georgia Tech, which beat top-seeded North Carolina 3-2 in the other semifinal.

Sergio Garcia is among the golfers ineligible for the Ryder Cup because of his status as a LIV Golf player, a situation that world No. 2 Jon Rahm says has him sad that "politics have gotten in the way."

Sam Snead (1912-2002) was a legendary American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Here are some key points about Sam Snead:

1. Early Life and Amateur Career: Samuel Jackson Snead was born on May 27, 1912, in Ashwood, Virginia, United States. He grew up playing golf and developed his skills through practice and playing on his family's farm. Snead turned professional in 1934 after a successful amateur career.

2. PGA Tour Career: Snead had a highly successful career on the PGA Tour, winning a record 82 official PGA Tour events. This record still stands today. He won his first PGA Tour event in 1936 and his last in 1965, demonstrating his longevity and consistency as a player.

3. Major Championships: Although Sam Snead had a remarkable number of PGA Tour victories, he won a total of seven major championships. He claimed three Masters titles (1949, 1952, 1954), three PGA Championships (1942, 1949, 1951), and one Open Championship (1946).

4. Unique Swing and Playing Style: Snead had a distinctive and fluid golf swing that was admired by many. Known for his graceful and powerful swing, he generated tremendous clubhead speed and was considered one of the longest hitters of his era. His playing style was characterized by his natural talent, athleticism, and ability to shape shots.

As is its custom, this week at the Memorial, Titleist has provided a fully authorized preview of its upcoming T-Series iron family. The new T-Series marks the third generation of post-AP offerings from the company.

Officially, in what Titleist calls the Tour Seeding and Validation Process, the next generation of Titleist T-Series will launch with four models.

What’s perhaps interesting is that two of the Titleist T-Series iron models will retain the names of their predecessors while the other two get an incremental boost of sorts.

Titleist T100 Irons

In many respects, the T100 is Titleist’s flagship player’s cavity-back so it’s no surprise that the naming remains consistent with the previous generations. Cosmetic refinements are a given but I wouldn’t expect anything significant beyond that.

Other than the golf ball, the T100 is arguably the most “don’t screw it up” product in the Titleist lineup.

Like Taylor Swift suggested, “Shake it off ….”

In this case, the “it” is an off-season of dust, rust and anything else that rhymes with “ust” that might apply to the debris surrounding our might-be, could-be, pristine golf games.

That said, many of you are already back in gear, the swing of things or possibly even mid-season form. 

(I’m trying to get all the requisite idioms out of the way early.)

But plenty of us have endured a spring that felt a bit too much like a winter that forgot to acknowledge Mother Nature’s alarm clock. 

2013's Pac 12 champion discusses his return to the scene of an opening round 61. Plus, the SoCal native explains how the 2023 U.S. Open course compares to Riviera and his plans for managing the week.

Fred Biondi shot a 3-under 67 and rallied from a five-shot deficit in the final round to earn Florida's third individual men's NCAA golf championship on Monday.

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 Allbirds Golf Dasher; the eco-friendly shoe company’s first-ever golf shoe offering.

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. I believe golf is better with a pair of cool shoes and comfortable joggers.

I’m a recent convert to the world of Allbirds shoes and am elated to see them enter the golf shoe market.

Allbirds Golf Dasher Review: Sustainable or Playable?

Allbirds has made a name for themselves as a sustainable shoe brand with a focus on natural materials and holistic comfort. I, along with a few of my office mates, am a big fan of Allbirds for casual wear. 

But the recipe for a good golf shoe is vastly different from that of a good casual shoe. Allbirds have the latter down pat. But making a golf shoe? That’s a different beast altogether. 

No holiday break for the march to 2023's U.S. Open golf in Los Angeles June 12-18: Captain George Thomas's 11th and 12th holes are examined, with a little weekend pro golf wrap thrown in.