A golf hole is the fundamental unit of the game of golf, and it consists of several distinct parts designed to challenge players and structure play. Understanding these components is essential for both playing and appreciating the course design.
This is the starting point of the hole. Players must play their first shot (the 'tee shot') from within this designated area.
Component | Description |
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'Tis the season for holiday shopping, and if you're wondering which golf gifts will hit the mark this year, Claire Rogers has you covered.
The post The season’s most coveted golf gifts, according to our readers appeared first on Golf.
If you want to hit more greens and take your golf game to the next level, there's a common mistake you have to avoid.
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The Pinned Golf Caddie is an 8-inch self-contained golf GPS device that brings the cart GPS screen experience with you wherever you play.
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Kai Trump's surprise LPGA invite is a Rorschach test about how the LPGA should answer its biggest question.
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Tommy Fleetwood was criticized for "a little gamesmanship" prior to a playoff. But the real answer is much more simple than that.
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Discover 18 innovative golf games to spice up your next outing. Perfect for all skill levels, these ideas promise fun and friendly competition.
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The DP World Tour announced the creation of a new Rory McIlroy Award. Here's what the award signifies (and why Rory can't win it).
The post ‘Very humbling’: New Rory McIlroy Award announced for DP World Tour appeared first on Golf.
The DP World Tour has announced the creation of the "Rory McIlroy Award" to commemorate the Northern Irish golfer's Grand Slam success.
It’s one thing to feel like a putter performs better. It’s another to have the numbers prove it.
In our 2025 Most Wanted Zero-Torque Putter Test, the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i didn’t just lead the category. It dominated it. But we wanted to know something else: How would it stack up against one of the lowest-performing blades from our 2025 Most Wanted Blade Putter Test?
The performance gap wasn’t subtle. It was seven strokes.
PuttView handicap is the number behind every score in our test. Think of it like a round of golf, only for putting.
Each tester hits hundreds of putts from five, 10 and 20 feet. The PuttView system tracks direction, speed and proximity to the hole, then converts that data into a handicap-style number that reflects how many strokes a player would gain or lose using that putter.
The words “budget” and “golf” rarely appear together in one sentence but one way you can keep equipment costs somewhat in check is by taking advantage of used equipment trade-in programs. Whether you’re upgrading, downgrading or not sure what clubs you really want, trading in old golf clubs can help you put funding towards another set (or maybe just back in your bank account).
How much you get for your trade-in can vary from retailer to retailer so although it takes effort, comparing each of their estimated values could mean more money in your pocket. To further illustrate this point, we compared the trade-in value of a used, standard flex, graphite shafted, right-handed PING G440 MAX driver with multiple retailers so you can see who may offer you the most bucks for your used clubs.
| Retailer | Estimated Trade-In Value (USD) |
| 2nd Swing | $294.94 |
| Golf Galaxy | $280.80 |
| DICK’S Sporting Goods | $280 |
| Global Golf | $280.80 |
| Worldwide Golf | Up to $280 |
| TaylorMade | $280.50 |
| Callaway Golf Pre-Owned | $250 |
| Golf Avenue | $225 to $270 |
| PGA TOUR Superstore | $224 |
You can see from the list above how the estimated trade-in value can vary but many retailers offered similar pricing. 2nd Swing was the standout for having the highest value for the PING driver, coming in almost $15 higher than several others. Interestingly, 2nd Swing touts on their website that they have the highest trade-in values in the industry so make of this what you will.
The majority of the retailers listed landed around the $280 trade-in value mark including Golf Galaxy, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Global Golf, Worldwide Golf and TaylorMade. Worldwide Golf was the only one with the language of “up to” $280, leaving us to guess what the real value may be.
It may surprise you to see Callaway Golf and TaylorMade listed as options since we were trading in a PING driver for this scenario. However, both of these manufacturers (along with others like Titleist and PXG ) allow trade-ins from almost any brand of golf club.
Breaking 90 is the milestone where golf starts to feel under control. You’re finding more fairways, making fewer big mistakes, and starting to see consistent scoring opportunities.
Using millions of recorded rounds from male Shot Scope golfers, the data identifies three areas where players lose the most strokes compared to golfers already scoring in the 80s. None of these requires Tour-level skill, just better contact and smarter decisions.
Tee shots remain the single biggest difference maker. Shot Scope’s data shows golfers trying to break 90 lose about 1.5 strokes per round off the tee compared to golfers who already score in the 80s.
The reason isn’t just distance, it’s trouble. Penalty strokes, blocked drives and poor recovery positions inflate scores. Players breaking 90 simply keep the ball in play more often.
How to improve:
Every now and then, I skip Amazon’s “recommended for you” section and sort by best sellers instead.
It’s an honest look at what real golfers are buying. Last month, more than 4,000 golfers purchased the SKLZ Golf Grip Trainer.
The SKLZ Grip Trainer attaches to your club and forces your hands into a consistent position. It’s small enough to keep in your bag and it fits most standard grips.
You use it to build muscle memory so that your hands find the right spot automatically every time you pick up a club.
It’s basic but that’s kind of the point. Small changes in hand placement can create big problems with face control and consistency.
What do you do if a player behind you drives the green — and the ball hits the flagstick you've removed? Rules Guy has the answer.
The post Rules Guy: A long bomber’s ball hit the flagstick we’d removed from the hole. What now? appeared first on Golf.
Skins Games, Golf Channel specials and TGLs, oh my! Golf's silly season is upon us, but will fans follow suit?
The post Golf’s winter of made-for-TV raises a few awkward questions appeared first on Golf.
Sometimes little stories are a big deal. These 10 include Rory, Scottie, the Internet Invitational, an ex-LIV golfer, a brand-new event and more.
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Mere decimal points in the vote count can separate a course that finishes in the World Top 100 than one that misses out.
The post In World Top 100 course rankings, tiny margins separate the best from the rest appeared first on Golf.
The PGA Tour is returning to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the first time in 86 years with a FedEx Cup Fall event in Asheville starting next September.
The game of golf relies on a specific set of clubs, each designed for a different purpose on the course.
Club Type | Description | Primary Use |
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These 50 golf courses just missed out on our latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World — but are still worthy of your attention.
The post These 50 bucket-list golf courses just missed our latest World Top 100 list appeared first on Golf.
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