Golfing News & Blog Articles

We’ve been waiting for this one. For more than a decade, in fact. The new SkyTrak+ launch monitor is quite possibly the best solution on the market for less than $3,000. And one could be so bold as to suggest it stacks up favorably against competitors that are much more expensive.

In fact, SkyTrak+ claims that by “applying proprietary machine learning algorithms” to data received from a new dual Doppler radar system, it can generate “precision at a level matched only by the highest-end launch monitors on the market.” Are they saying what I think they’re saying?

What’s the phrase? Huge if true?

Do You Remember?

The original SkyTrak was definitely badass. For the better part of 12 years, it was the best solution for golfers who wanted indoor simulator golf but without the enterprise launch monitor budget. SkyTrak sold 70,000 units of the original model making it the top-selling consumer launch monitor.

Think about that for a second. What other piece of technology is still popular (or even viable) a decade-plus after launch?

Only two weeks until the PGA but why doesn't it feel like it?

Plus, the end of Garcia, Westwood and Poulter in the Ryder Cup, a bunch of USGA news and much more.

Pennsylvania club pro Braden Shattuck capped his PGA Professional Championship debut by making a 12-foot par putt on the final hole for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory that sends him and 19 others to the PGA Championship in two weeks.

The Golfshot Golf GPS app is really no different from pretty much any other golf GPS app you can download for free.

Except when it isn’t.

Like every other golf GPS app, Golfshot gives you a map of each hole. It also gives you targets, distances, manual shot tracking and a scorecard. So, yeah, it’s like every other golf GPS app out there.

Except when it isn’t.

As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, when it comes to the basics, nearly all of the jillion free golf GPS apps on the Apple or Android app stores do the same job and do it very well. Individual apps will include unique features in their free versions, which is nice. But it’s the paid-for upgrade packages where apps differentiate themselves. And while some of the upgrades are hokey, some are incredibly helpful. Others are simply wicked cool.

Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia were among four players with Saudi-backed LIV Golf who resigned from the European tour instead of facing fines of 100,000 pounds ($125,000) for playing LIV events without permission.

Do you freeze-up over your ball for 5 or 10 seconds before you execute your putt or drive? A recent golf tip said that the best putters keep moving their feet and hands before they putt. Patrick Cantlay is one of those movers and shakers. In the past, golfers all used some sort of waggle before they hit their drives, but we don’t see so much of that typical waggle like Jason Dufner. Mike Weir used a takeaway waggle and now I see that Justin Thomas is using a similar pre-shot motion. Is there a benefit adding motion to your arms and legs before you putt or hit any shot?

I decided to experiment with active hands, feet and legs before putting and hitting my driver. It really makes sense that you should not let your muscles freeze up before your make a controlled swing. Fortunately, I have discovered the reasoning with amazing success without using any of the historic waggles.

Putting Issues
Successful putters need to “feel” the right amount of swing required to pass a hole by up to 2 feet and they also need to choose the right target line to anticipate any break in their putt. Your planning is critical but your swing has to be smooth too. Nervous shaking hands will NOT HELP YOUR PUTTS. That’s why putting needs to be completed by rocking the major muscles in your shoulders and avoiding any small muscle jitters from your wrists or hands.

Putting Solution [Don’t freeze-up over the ball.]
After you line-up your putt and make a practice swing (by rocking your shoulders) with enough force to pass the hole, (1) move up to your ball and lift your putter away from your ball to make one more practice swing (by rocking your shoulders). (2) Look up to your straight-line target point for 2 seconds. (3) Then in 1 continuous motion, visually trace the line directly back to the grass behind your ball as you swing your putter back and up your target line without looking up from your focus point (behind the ball). BINGO, you will sink more putts.

Driver and Iron Solution
A poor first hole drive can destroy the mental outlook for your round. You are nervous so you can’t afford to freeze your body waiting to make your shot. Take your practice swing and then move forward to your ball. DON’T FREEZE-UP OVER YOUR BALL FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS. Make a slow 2-3 foot backswing (waggle) to activate your spine and hip rotation for the backswing that you plan for your shot and then use the same motion to initiate your drive. BINGO, you will no longer miss your first tee shot (and many other nervous iron shots).

Instead of $12 million, Rory McIlroy will get $9 million of the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program bonus after missing the RBC Heritage last month.

A brief overview of each hole on the TPC Sawgrass course:

1. Par 4, 393 yards - A straightaway hole with a fairway bunker on the right side and trees on the left.

2. Par 5, 532 yards - A dogleg left with water on the left side and a large tree on the right. Approach shots must avoid a large bunker in front of the green.

3. Par 3, 177 yards - A mid-range par 3 with a large bunker guarding the front of the green.

4. Par 4, 384 yards - A narrow fairway with trees on both sides. The green is elevated and protected by a bunker on the front right.

Max Homa looks to defend his Wells Fargo championship, Team USA is loaded at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS event, and Justin Thomas checks in on Tiger Woods.

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the 2023 Titleist Pro V1. To learn more about our test process, click here.

About the Titleist Pro V1

If there’s a ball that needs no introduction, it’s the Titleist Pro V1. It’s been the No. 1 ball on the market since it was introduced.

If there’s a knock on the Pro V1, it’s that Titleist has increased prices for 2023. The whole of the Titleist premium line, which includes Pro V1, Pro V1x, Left Dash and AVX. is now US $54.99.

While it’s not unheard for balls produced at Ball Plant 4 in Thailand to occasionally land on U.S. store shelves, all of the balls in our sample were produced at Ball Plant 3 in New Bedford, Mass.

Titleist Pro V1 Construction

The 2023 version of the Titleist Pro V1 remains a three-piece ball with a 388-dimple urethane cover.

Each year we research, study and test scores of golf bags. Why? 

It’s simple: Your game is our job. You don’t have the bandwidth to test every golf bag on the planet in hopes of finding what’s best. We do.

Call us crazy. Maybe we are. But, we just want to make sure that when you spend your hard-earned cash on a new golf bag you’re getting something that will help, not hurt, your game. 

Need a new golf bag? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve spent years testing and researching what to look for and we want to share that expertise with you. 

Here’s what to look for in a golf bag. 

U.S. Open golfers will face an option-laden long one-shotter followed by a meandering par 5 through a rustic setting. And it may take a while this June.

The Quadrilateral’s deep dive into the seventh and eighth holes at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, host of the 2023 national championship.

Two-time Australian Open golf champion Frank Phillips, who also won tournaments in Singapore and Kong Kong, has died, PGA Australia said in a statement Wednesday. He was 90.

Rory McIlroy says he has a fresh mindset entering this week's Wells Fargo Championship after missing the cut at the Masters and skipping the RBC Heritage last month.

The PGA Tour has officially rescheduled the Houston Open for March 28-31 in 2024, tournament organizers announced Tuesday.

Joe LaCava, who has served as Tiger Woods' caddie since 2011, has been hired by Patrick Cantlay for the foreseeable future.

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that Jim Furyk will make his debut as Presidents Cup captain for the U.S. team in 2024.

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

Revo Sonic 2 speaker sunglasses. These shades have speakers baked into the arms (technically called the “temples”) so you can listen to your music on the course without disturbing the grumpy single playing alongside you.

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. Plus, I’m a big fan of music on the golf course! I can’t help but tee it up to some George Strait.

On Your Face, Not in Your Face

What’s the draw of sunglasses that double as headphones? For those of us who like to listen to music on the golf course, the idea of an open-ear design that allows you to hear what’s going on around you is appealing. 

For those of you who are opposed to music on the golf course, there’s still something in this for you, too. Speakers, when used with reckless abandon, can be loud and overbearing. The use of speaker sunglasses like the Revo Sonic 2 should stop other people’s music from intruding on your golf. 

Amen Corner is a term used in the sport of golf to refer to a specific stretch of holes on the Augusta National Golf Club course, which is the host of the annual Masters Tournament.

The term Amen Corner refers specifically to holes 11, 12, and 13, which are located on the back nine of the course. These holes are known for their difficulty and strategic design, and have played a significant role in many memorable moments in Masters history.

The 11th hole, known as White Dogwood, is a long par-4 with a difficult approach shot to a green that slopes from back to front. The 12th hole, known as Golden Bell, is a famous par-3 with a narrow green surrounded by water and difficult wind conditions. The 13th hole, known as Azalea, is a long par-5 with a green that is reachable in two shots for longer hitters.

The term Amen Corner was coined by golf writer Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 Sports Illustrated article, in which he described the pivotal role that these holes play in the Masters Tournament. Since then, the term has become a widely recognized part of golf lore and a popular destination for golf fans visiting Augusta National.

Golfers, queue up your Slim Shady. 

Guess who’s back (back again)? 

Our “Slim Shady” isn’t Marshall Mathers.  

It’s Adams Golf and, if the story is to be believed, the company is back (back again)—for real this time.  

The launch of the 2023 Adams IDEA line signals the first time the company will offer a full line of clubs since the thankfully short-lived Blue line.