Golf Guide

If you’ve never been to the PGA Show in Orlando in January, try to find a way to attend at least once. It’s where new golf gear is introduced; everything from golf clubs and bags to apparel and footwear to high-tech gadgets like GPS units, laser rangefinders, and this year’s biggest boom – launch monitors. It seemed like many GPS and rangefinder companies were trying to get a slice of the launch monitor pie.

Every golfer has used an IZZO innovation, whether they know the name or not. Back in 1991, founder T.J. Izzo set out to solve a problem every golfer knew too well: shouldering a bag on a single strap for eighteen holes is exhausting. His answer, the IZZO Dual Strap System, was so effective that Frank Thomas, the USGA’s technical director at the time, called it one of the four greatest innovations in modern golf.

There’s a stretch of Highway 100 west of Henderson, Tennessee, where the road narrows, the trees close in, and you start to wonder if you’ve missed the turn. Then the entrance to Chickasaw State Park appears, and a mile or so past it, so does Chickasaw Golf Club, tucked so deep into the forest that not a single home interrupts the view.

A recent study by Buffalo Groupe of avid golfer purchase decisions found these frequent players care more about the performance their gear delivers than loyalty to any brand. This was not a surprising outcome since avid golfers by definition tend to be more concerned with their scoring and therefore their shopping habits reflect the quest of finding clubs and gear to improve it.

BRUNSWICK ISLANDS, N.C. – While summer’s end signals the close of golf season for many players, it marks the start of peak season in North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands, one of the Southeast’s most underrated fall golf destinations. With daytime temperatures typically ranging from the upper 60s into the mid 70s in October, lower humidity and more than 20 layouts in the area, autumn is the ideal time to enjoy the Brunswick Islands along North Carolina’s southeast coast.

Golfers heading to the Gulf Coast of Florida on a golf vacation should strongly consider the Port Charlotte/Englewood Beach area. There are more than 20 golf courses in the area worth considering; most are high-quality, semi-private facilities. Here’s what I would consider a fun and challenging itinerary. Every good golf vacation starts with a good base camp, an establishment with comfortable accommodations and good food.

Here’s one that came across my desk that’s super cool. Industry-insider chatter has AM GOLF taking meaningful market share from and other technology companies in the golf tournament niche. If you know, you know. AM GOLF added The Hole 9 to expand the roster of celebrity golf events its popular tournament management software and app powers.

It’s been over eight months since Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: CALY) sold 60 percent of Topgolf (Topgolf, Toptracer, Swing Suites) to a private equity investment firm. The new owner, private equity investment firm Leonard Green & Partners (LGP), has lots of experience in retail consumer services and among the 80 companies in their portfolio are the largest club management company Troon, Crunch gym and Zaxby’s restaurants.

More Information The TRS Slider by Robert Rock is a wearable golf training aid designed to improve one of the most common faults in amateur swings: poor connection between the trail arm and the body. Its unique sliding design allows your trail arm to move naturally while encouraging proper positioning throughout the backswing and downswing. Instead of restricting your swing, it provides instant feedback that helps you develop a more connected and repeatable motion.

PXG’s latest addition to their Zero Torque series of putters is the high-MOI mallet One & Done ZT model with an onset hosel and hollow-body targeted to appeal to a variety of players.