Golf, a sport enjoyed by millions worldwide, boasts a rich and fascinating history. Its origins are often debated, but most historians agree that a form of the game was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century.

Early Beginnings in Scotland

The first documented mention of golf comes from a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament, which banned the game because it was distracting men from archery practice, a vital skill for national defense. Despite the ban, the popularity of golf continued to grow, leading to further bans in 1471 and 1491.

The Rise of St. Andrews

St. Andrews, often referred to as the "Home of Golf," played a pivotal role in the sport's development. The Old Course at St. Andrews is believed to have been established in the 15th century, though the exact date is unknown. The earliest record of golf being played there dates back to 1552.

Subpar podcast co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz make their favorite bets for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga.

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Scottie Scheffler says he prefers the format at this year's Tour Championship over last season's event, where he started with a 2-shot advantage.

The often-criticized finishing hole could play a pivotal role in the 50th Walker Cup.

In what amounts to a line extension targeting a narrow segment of golfers, PING has quietly added a 7.5° option to its G440 LST driver lineup, addressing specific fitting needs that emerged from Tour player feedback and consumer testing data.

Why the ultra-low loft option?

The addition of the 7.5° LST stems from a fundamental issue PING discovered with golfers seeking optimal trajectory control. While the G440 platform launches high by design (back CG designs will do that), some players found themselves in a fitting predicament when trying to optimize ball flight.

“We had a request from Tour to continue to try to optimize trajectory,” explains Ryan Stokke, Director of Product Design for PING. “Players wanted the ability to play less loft to really dial in trajectory.”

The problem wasn’t just about launch angle. “We also have players that had a sensitivity to the right bias,” Stokke noted. “To get to the launch that was desirable, they went to the big minus setting, but then the driver sat a little bit more open than was desirable.”

The neutral position advantage

The 7.5° LST solves this by providing ultra-low loft in the neutral (dot) position, allowing players to achieve lower launch while maintaining a square face angle at address.

Rory McIlroy, a three-time FedEx Cup champion, has the second-shortest odds to win this week's Tour Championship in Atlanta, and his odds are still five times longer than Scottie Scheffler's.

Who comes in at No. 2 behind Scheffler? Where do U.S. Ryder Cup hopefuls rank? We break down the entire Tour Championship field.

Over the past century-plus, the oldest golf club in Atlanta has gone through many transformations while staging countless memorable events.

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2025 Tour Championship tee times for Thursday's first round at East Lake, featuring Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and more.

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The PGA Tour continues to change the format of its Tour Championship. Here's how we'd fix it, once and for all.

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Mileseey Golf just released their GenePro G1 hybrid laser rangefinder GPS unit and it is amazing.

I probably should have built things up a bit before making that statement but this thing is just that cool. The Mileseey GenePro G1 rangefinder may be the most complete rangefinder system I’ve ever encountered.

Prior to the Mileseey GenePro S1 earning the Staff Pick in the 2025 Best Golf Rangefinder competition, I had never even heard of Mileseey.

(That’s is a little embarrassing since the company has been around since 2014.)

After running the GenePro G1 through the testing gauntlet, I believe Mileseey will soon be a name everyone recognizes.

We know six of the 12 Americans who will be competing at next month’s Ryder Cup.

Following the BMW Championship, these players qualified for the team via the points list: Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.

There are a few no-brainers on that list with Scheffler, Schauffele and DeChambeau being key pieces of the team’s core. DeChambeau made the team despite only earning points in the past eight major championships.

There are also a few surprises. Spaun had a breakout year after a journeyman career to this point. Henley is an ultra-consistent analytics darling but not known for rising to the occasion in big moments. And English is the feel-good story of the year, recovering from injury to regain form.

Who else will be on the team?

I recently watched two students hit balls side by side on the range. One student, about an 8-handicap, made these beautiful, flowing swings that looked like they belonged on Golf Channel. Her backswing was long, graceful, and technically impressive. The other student, a 16-handicap, had this short, compact motion that barely got the club to parallel. Yet he was striping it down the middle while she sprayed balls all over the range.

“Why can’t I hit it like him?” she asked, frustrated after another slice sailed out of the range onto the adjacent ninth fairway.

This question represents everything wrong about how many recreational golfers think about swing mechanics. After 20-plus years of teaching, I’ve learned the “perfect” backswing doesn’t exist. What matters is finding the backswing length that matches your body, your timing and your natural tendencies.

Social media has made this obsession worse. Dramatic full swings get more views than efficient, compact motions. But here’s what I know: Some golfers will always play better with shorter swings while others need that full extension to generate power and maintain rhythm.

Why compact swings work

A shorter backswing offers immediate benefits most golfers ignore. Control becomes easier when you’re not trying to manage a club that travels past parallel. Your timing windows expand. You eliminate the positions where things typically go wrong.

Lately, I’ve been having fun digging into Reddit threads to see what golfers think about all kinds of topics. We’ve looked at the biggest money wasters in golf to what makes the game so hard. This time, I went straight to our own MyGolfSpy Forum with a question I often ask other golfers:

“Do you carry clubs in your bag you can’t (or won’t) hit?”

It’s a question that always gets interesting answers. Some golfers confess to carrying a 3-wood that’s never been hit well, a 4-iron that feels impossible to launch, or a lob wedge that only comes out when the round is already lost. Others swear their bags are free from “dead weight.”

The responses were honest. Thanks to Shot Scope, we also have data showing what golfers of every handicap actually carry and use.

Ego versus reality

One of the most telling responses came from a golfer who admitted, “Yes, when I was younger and delusional.” It’s a perfect summary of why so many golfers hang onto clubs that don’t work for them.

Rory McIlroy said he took all 1,100 pin flags from the Masters Shop after winning at Augusta National in April. "I've waited 17 years to sign that flag in the middle, and I will never complain about doing it."

While Rory McIlroy didn't hate the starting-strokes format used at the Tour Championship the past six seasons, the change to a traditional 72-hole tournament where all 30 players start at even par has everyone in the mix.

A return to Trump Doral highlights the PGA Tour's 2026 schedule release — and underscores the shifting political winds in golf.

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Trump National Doral will return to PGA Tour schedule next year as a signature event -- the Miami Championship, the tour announced Tuesday.

Will Scottie Scheffler defend his 2024 title and become the 2025 FedEx Cup champion? Check out how to watch the Tour Championship on ESPN.

Build strong, healthy shoulders with three easy exercises designed to boost performance and keep you pain-free all season long.

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