Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Golf Magazine

PHOTO SHOOTS, LIKE GOLF swings, have a lot of moving parts. The challenge lies in trying to keep them all in sync. GOLF’s recent day with Michelle Wie in San Francisco was a dawn-to-dusk exercise in coordination—the crews and the equipment, the sets, the locations—complicated by Mother Nature’s failure to cooperate. Rain, fog, icy winds and only intermittent sun made a mess of well-laid plans, prompting a slew of on-the-fly adjustments. “There was always going to be a certain amount of challenge given all the setups we had to capture,” says the shoot’s producer, Jason Stafford of Shoot It Productions. “But when the weather hit, it definitely threw a wrench into our plans.” Still, photography and video crews, like Tour pros, are trained to adapt. New locations were arranged. Makeup…

IT’S THE NEW THIRTY Fastest Swings From the 40-Plus Set $40,000,000 Value (in USD) of crystal meth confiscated by New Zealand Customs agents. The would-be smugglers hid the contraband—inbound from the U.S.—in, of all things, golf-cart batteries. 19 The number of years Mizuno went between Tour wins with its driver before Keith Mitchell broke the drought at the Honda Classic. Age of 56 VIJAY SINGH playing in the final group at the Honda Classic. PLAYERS WHO HAVE NOTCHED VICTORIES IN 12 STRAIGHT PGA TOUR SEASONS Hagen, Palmer, Nicklaus, Casper, Trevino, Woods and, as of February, Dustin Johnson. $23K Price recently paid at auction for Tiger’s 1996 Scotty Cameron Newport Xperimental TeI3 prototype putter. MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Biggest Gaps Between Fairways Hit and GIR, 2019…

Your streak of consecutive fairways hit ends at one after you hook your drive off the second tee into what looks like the fifth cut. The only good thing you can say about the shot was that you found it (at least you think that’s your ball). Three options: A) Chip out into the fairway; B) Hit a higher-lofted iron, leaving an easy pitch to the pin; or C) Pull the club you’d normally use from this yardage and go Full Monty. What say you, player? Turn the page for our pick. Unless you’re protecting a bad wrist—or a big lead—forget Option A. Option C isn’t bad, but you risk leaving your ball in the spinach. In deep rough, Option B rules. A higher-lofted club will help you cut through…

Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports Listen, you might have gone lower than Chi Chi Rodriguez, but you sure as hell weren’t going to out-funk his caddie. Super 70s Sports @Super70sSports May 1972: Phil Mickelson bets the neighbors’ kid he can hit a 3-wood over his mom’s rose bush, pockets $500 in Monopoly money, and a gambling legend is born.…

The previous Apex Irons, the CF 16, debuted three years ago. Why so long between iterations? Alan Hocknell, SVP, Research and Development, Callaway Golf: Our internal mantra is that nothing is allowed to get out of R&D unless R&D is proud of it. It turns out that R&D is a pretty hard judge on itself. The Apex CF 16 was kind of a breakthrough, and improving upon it took a fair amount of investigation. It took time to simulate on the computer, to prototype, to develop new manufacturing processes to get to the iron that’s the Apex 19 and its brother, the Apex Pro 19. Overall, this is a sophisticated system of technologies all working together. You can talk about the contribution that each technology makes, but the sum is…

BRANDS You Need To Know BOMBER JACKETS AS ON-COURSE APPAREL? WE LIKE IT! Foray—an innovative women’s golf apparel brand founded in 2016—aims to deliver real runway relevancy with the launch of a new curated collection each month, the contents of which generally consist of a top, bottom and layering piece. For 2019, the brand is focused on providing additional color options for items that have already proven themselves to be customer favorites, as well as creating fashion-forward silhouettes that you might be surprised can also function as on-course-appropriate apparel. Mesh sleeves, bodysuits and printed leggings have all been on offer in recent collections. The neoprene bomber jacket shown above is from the “Floom Official” collection, and is considered the hero print of the season. One of the brand’s most unique…

BRANDS You Need To Know RHOBACK UNDERSTANDS that modern golfers are multitaskers who may also run, swim, paddleboard or play tennis—and then go out for drinks or dinner. Creating a shirt that can weather a barrage of activity was the impetus behind Rhoback—a brand named for the Rhodesian Ridgeback (a dog bred to hunt large game in Africa) and a reminder that the wearer should chase adventure. Rhoback’s polos, tees and quarter-zips in both brights and pastels are designed to serve an on-the-go lifestyle, and they transition easily from one activity to the next. And if you happen to have a real Rhoback of your own, there are even matching bandanas for furry companions. rhoback.com…

DESIGNED TO REPLACE the previous (and excellent) G400 driver, the new G410 Plus ($500) features additional adjustability via an improved loft sleeve and a 16g moveable back weight with draw, neutral and fade settings. While some might wonder why PING engineers would suddenly offer a moveable CG weight now when others have had them for quite a while, the answer is typical of the PING design philosophy. Dr. Paul Wood, Ping’s VP of Engineering, says, “The mandate we’ve always had is that you can do all sorts of adjustability and fitting options, as long as we’re not taking a step back on some of the fundamentals. When we can get to a point where we’re not sacrificing MOI or CG location, then we can do it. Everyone wants all of…

The navy blazer. As golfy as club ties and club socials. It’s a constant around any post-round setting, but this blue-hued wardrobe building block has seen more iterations than anyone can remember. From its English rowing roots (when red was the color of choice—hence the name “blazer”) to the nautically inspired double-breasted “reefer,” the coat is ever-evolving, and we like where it’s headed. Take this incarnation, in royal blue, from L.B.M. 1911. With its lightweight, unlined construction and subtle pebble-grain texture and patch pockets, it’s laid-back enough to accommodate a solid-color tee and sufficiently formal to pair with a button-down and necktie. It’s an investment piece—in history and in your aesthetic. Blue Blazer Dos & Don’ts Do your button diligence. On a two-button jacket, only button the top button. Don’t…

It’s more uniform than garb—who doesn’t don a polo shirt on the golf course? The reason is simple: It’s dressy, athletic and functional in equal amounts. Honestly—what would you wear instead? You can thank the British infantry for the most ubiquitous item in your golf closet. They began making—and wearing—a long-sleeved version after adopting the game of polo (hence the name) in India at the start of Raj rule in the mid-1800s. Its modern sibling was pioneered in 1929 by Frenchman and tennis star Jean René Lacoste. As post-WWII golf saw an ease in traditions, the game’s tailored clothing of the past gave way to more sporty attire that allowed for movement and comfort. The tennis polo made its move to the links. Then Arnie rocked it—and we haven’t looked…

What is Nomad Customs? Nomad Customs is a custom footwear design company that I started myself. I take stock shoes and redesign them in a unique, colorful way. “Nomad” is actually my oldest son’s name—Damon—spelled backwards. That was just the first name I could think of. When did you begin detailing shoes? I started with my own shoes back in middle school and high school. If it was a stock shoe that everyone had at the time, I would change it up, usually with Sharpie markers. Anything to set them apart from what my friends had. But you haven’t always been in this line of work, right? I had been doing property management for 15 years. My family was not in the best situation. We were living with my wife’s…

MY GRANDFATHER’S TAKE: My grandfather talked a lot about how the golf swing should feature the upper body turning around a stable lower body. Greg Norman bought in: He once told my dad that he felt like nothing at all really happened until the logo on his glove passed his thigh on the backswing. It’s another way of thinking about keeping extra movement out of the swing—you don’t want anything breaking down on your way back. MY PERSPECTIVE: Build your platform from the ground up. Once you’ve taken a stable stance, think about building a triangle with your upper body—your left arm, right arm, and shoulders are the points of that triangle. You’re going to keep the triangle intact as you start to turn. Then you’ll restore the triangle on…

CAST (in order of appearance) PETER KESSLER Tortured genius (self-proclaimed) JANET PHILLIPS KESSLER Endlessly patient wife JOE GIBBS Co-founder of Golf Channel, nemesis to our protagonist LEE SIEGEL Kessler’s loyal producer GARY PLAYER Fan of Kessler’s work SCOTT VAN PELT ESPN star/Golf Channel alum ARNOLD PALMER Co-founder of Golf Channel, friend and mentor to Kessler and the man who unwittingly hastens his downfall KEVIN KESSLER & CHRIS KESSLER Loving sons who call their dad their best friend PROLOGUE The living room of a tidy light green house on Lake Winnah, in Orlando. Sitting on a couch is PETER KESSLER, 67. He is watching a golf tournament on a large TV. From his mannerisms and the look in his icy blue eyes it is clear that Kessler is frustrated by the coverage.…

That’s great (lovely meal), or please accept our sincere condolences (office visit). Either way, is there time to hustle home for a quick shower, a shave (if the round was especially slow) and a change of clothes? FOLLOWING YOUR ROUND, do you have plans to go out for a lovely meal with that special someone? Or, heaven forbid, must you head into work and at least pretend you got something done today? There’s nothing inherently wrong with an open dance card. After all, who knows where the rest of the day may take you. Which begs the eternal question…are you going to want a drink after holing out at the last? Well, kudos to you for jamming a loop into such a busy schedule. Expediency and decorum suggest something in…

ON MOST DAYS, DIRTY LARRY quietly shuttled groups to the first tee as the starter at Lonnie Poole G.C. in Raleigh, N.C. When he could, he’d take to money games and, as legend has it, fleece everybody. In pre-round warm-ups, unsuspecting players saw a guy who couldn’t hit the ball very far or particularly solid. On the course, however, they witnessed a putting savant—the guy made everything. Larry’s secret, the story goes, was a rock-solid setup that positioned the putterface perfectly square to the target line on every putt. Eventually, Larry ran out of players to hustle. With the end came his decision to share his secret with anyone who’d listen, culminating in the development of The Navigator ($59/dirtylarrygolf.com), a simple yet effective alignment aid for your flatstick. It’s really…

1. FORWARD LUNGE Set your feet hip-width apart and take a healthy step forward. Get deep enough for your thigh and shin to form a 90-degree angle. Return to standing and switch legs. Do 10 reps each. 2. LATERAL LUNGE Widen out your feet and stand tall. Shift your weight over and squat down into one leg. Keep the other leg straight with your foot planted. Rise back up and repeat to the other side. 3. CURTSY LUNGE Stand normally and tighten your core. Step your right leg behind your left. Keep your weight centered over your forward foot as you lower your hips. Power back up and switch legs.…

THEORIES HAVE DIFFERED as to why flamingos stand on one leg. The correct reason, as neuro-mechanists have recently discovered, is that flamingos are more stable on one leg than they are on two—they’re able to passively support themselves on a single leg with almost zero muscle activity. The point of this zoological discussion is that a flamingo stance may be the perfect fix for your putting, especially if you sense that you have too much body motion in your stroke. Try this: Drop a few balls on the practice green and set up with a narrow stance. Take a deep breath and exhale. Next, lift your heel up behind you (it doesn’t matter which one). Go slowly. Center your weight over your grounded leg, avoiding the urge to use your…

THE TUESDAY BEFORE the start of the Players Championship, I walked the back nine of TPC Sawgrass with my friend Patrick Reed, also known as Captain America. With his encouragement and intentionally slow pace, we made it back to the clubhouse. It was just a walk in the park. But how great it was. Then, on Wednesday, just a day before the first of the five most important tournaments in the world this year, I walked the front nine with two more friends, Brendan Steele and Keegan Bradley. These guys are two of the best drivers of a golf ball you will ever see. And it felt great, truly great, just to walk around the front nine with them. Let me explain. I have spent the last four years in…

WELCOME TO THE GOLF STYLE ISSUE, our mahvelous dahling guide to not only playing well, but looking your best while doing it. It could be that your style game is already up to snuff (if you can hang with this month’s Man on the Green, p. 48, you’re golden). Even so, experienced fops, too, are sure to find something new and wear-worthy among the nearly 100 trendy items we’ve stuffed into these pages, from high-profile watches (p. 51) to a tradition-busting (yet tradition-respecting) blue blazer (p. 82) to—I kid you not—an all-weather pullover engineered specifically for both righties and lefties (p. 62). This is our second big-time delve into the style space, the last being February 2018. For any subscriber from that era, you know that this magazine has changed…

WHERE WE’RE PLAYING For the first time in ages, I revisited the muni I grew up playing: Salinas [Calif.] Fairways. It still holds up! Lots of fun, no-frills golf. And it does feel good that the holes that used to seem impossibly long and tough to me are now quite manageable. —Alan Shipnuck WHAT WE’RE USING I’m not a swing-aid guy. In my mind, the vast majority of them are gimmicks, fit for landfill. But at the recommendation of a really good instructor named Matt Kilgariff, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, I started practicing with the Tour Striker Smart Ball — basically, a little inflatable ball and strap that you dangle around your head, allowing you to hold the ball between your forearms as you swing. It really…

ANYONE WHO HAS EVER used a Par Aide ball washer has had the thought, What, exactly, is going on in there? (And it is most likely a Par Aide—the St. Paul, Minn., company, founded in 1955, dominates the market and has sold hundreds of thousands of the gizmos in more than 70 countries worldwide.) It’s always a fleeting thought, since the thing’s inner workings remain as hidden and unknowable as the machinations of the golf gods…until now. Turns out that a ball washer’s machinery, while fairly straightforward, contains thoughtful engineering that deserves our respect no less than our golf ball deserves a good cleansing—and needs one, too, for all of its aerodynamic qualities to work as they should. But that’s a “How It Works” for another day. In the meantime,…

NO DAN JENKINS AT THE Masters this year, for the first time since ’50. Jenkins will be cited but not seen at the PGA Championship at Bethpage in May. He died on March 7, in Fort Worth, where he was born in 1928. Dave Anderson, another sportswriting legend, was class of ’29. Dave died last year. Between them, they must have written a million words about Arnold, who was also born in 1929 and died on the eve of the 2016 Ryder Cup. More than a million, if you count the times Palmer showed up in Dan’s Twitter feed. Jenkins died while Arnold’s tournament was being played at Bay Hill, where Arnold lived. Dow Finsterwald, winner of the ’58 PGA Championship, lived down the street (and still does) on Masters…

JUST IMAGINE IF YOU HAD NO IDEA how football worked. You lacked even a basic understanding. If someone walked up to you and said, “Patrick Mahomes just threw for 450 yards,” they might as well be speaking Esperanto. Attempting to understand the data my coach Jon Tattersall has given me, numbers produced by six swings with a wedge and two with a 7-iron, is like that for me. Esperanto. TrackMan Esperanto. I know how fast the ball flew, what my launch angle was, and how much sidespin I generated, even if I’m not sure what “sidespin” means. But I have no context for that information. The ball speed on one of my wedge swings was 98.8 mph, my launch angle was 25.8 degrees, and my sidespin was 1,676 rpm. Maybe…

GREG ROOT, 50 Chairman, GMNameplate Seattle, Wash. Handicap: “About a 10.8” You’re wearing a pink glove. Today, yes. I always like to have a pop of color in my gear. It makes everything more fun. I’m not into gray. I live in Seattle, mind you. Are you one of those “dress fun, play serious” guys, Mr. Chairman? I’m all about having fun on the course. I suppose if I took the game a bit more seriously, my handicap would be in the single digits, which it once was. Really, I just like to enjoy my friends and be outdoors. That’s what golf’s all about for me. Does your style rub off on your pals? I do like to think that I influence their style from time to time. We have…

ALEX HOLDERNESS AND JOHN BOURNE crafted their eponymous label in a protest (of sorts) against the big-brand, hyper-athletic styling that has come to dominate the golf apparel market. Forget the loud colors and busy prints you’ll see elsewhere—with Holderness & Bourne it’s all about solid colors (mostly shades of blue, white and a few pastels) and flattering horizontal stripes. Every item looks polished, professional and comfortable—the quintessential country club uniform. Descriptions like “understated” and “subtle” are the driving forces behind the brand’s aesthetic. The founders’ reverence for the game’s historic figures and courses—think Donald Ross and C.B. Macdonald—informs their preference for classic styling and a tailored fit. In addition to polos, sweaters and vests, you can also find an assortment of bags, belts and headwear on the website. holdernessandbourne.com HOLDERNESS…

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU’S single-length irons haven’t caught on, but his putter has piqued the interest of players and manufacturers. Bubba Watson and Adam Scott gave BD’s arm-lock putting method a shot during competition, while Odyssey and KBS rolled out putter-specific shafts on the heels of DeChambeau’s success with a graphite version made by LA Golf. “It’s all about finding an edge out here, so you’d be crazy to not try something that’s working for [Bryson],” one top-50 player told me. Whatever It Takes: Some people go to great lengths to ensure the best players in the world have the correct gear. Just ask Michael Johnson, Piretti Golf’s founder, who fielded a call from Tony Finau with a request to test one of the company’s putters with more loft. There was just…

JUSTIN ROSE picked up an eye-popping four-mph ball-speed increase the first time he tested a Honma driver. Recreational golfers can hope for similar results from the company’s TW747 line, which consists of two driver models (460cc and 455cc) and three fairway woods (15, 17, 21) and hybrids (19, 22, 25). With the TW747 driver, speed is derived from a Fast 4-Fang face design highlighted by four tabs around the perimeter that stiffen and support the structure, allowing the center of the face to flex at impact. Adjusting loft, lie and face angle is accomplished with the help of an internal hosel mechanism that keeps the head and shaft from moving with each click, thus ensuring that the shaft is spined in the optimum position at all times. The 460 model…

“Look good, play good.” It still has the ring of truth. Luckily, the looking-good part has never been easier. If you’re bored by the rigid standards of traditional golf apparel, you’re not alone. Today’s innovative offerings provide premium performance and comfort, along with the versatility to function off the course as well. It’s an exciting time to be dressed like a golfer. Are you ready for your makeover? Turn the page to transform yourself—and your game.…

Warm weather means fewer layers but definitely not fewer choices, and the right lid and lenses can add character to the simplest spring or summer ensemble. You may think you’re not “a hat guy.” Or maybe you’re one of those people who throws shade at shades. But hats and sunglasses provide more than sun safety and (for the thugs among you) witness protection. They make a bold statement. All that’s required is finding a look and feel that suits you. Shades need to be carefully chosen to complement the shape of your face (see sidebar). They also need to “wear well”—that is, pick a pair that sits slippage-free on your nose and snugs up comfortably to your temples. Hats come in so many styles and fabrics that you’re certain to…

IN April of 1964, renowned club pro Claude Harmon appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, accompanied by the plea: “Let me help your game.” Two generations later, Harmon’s grandson (and, yes, the son of Butch), Claude Harmon III, is extending a similar helping hand—and many of the same fundamentals. Here’s CH III’s take on how instruction has changed over the past half-century—and how it hasn’t. More important, how timeless basics can quickly save your swing. My grandfather was a golf instructor, as was my father. My three uncles—Dick, Craig and Bill—also taught at a very high level. I’m turning 50 this month, and to look back at something my grandfather did more than 50 years ago just gives you all kinds of crazy perspective. Not only was my grandfather a…

MY GRANDFATHER’S TAKE: My grandfather thought there should be a lot of lateral hip movement. But the key point he was hitting on—and he was ahead of his time on this—was how important it is to shift your weight forward. I’m always impressed that he figured that out the way he did without any of the technology we have now. MY PERSPECTIVE: Modern pros get to the top of their swing and then to their left side very early. The average golfer does the opposite. The average golfer shifts back and stays back—and then slices the ball. My grandfather wanted golfers to have the feeling that at the top of their swing their hips were sliding forward. In fact, he used to tell my dad and his brothers that on…

GOLF MEDIA GIGS HAVE THEIR perks. This job is the reason I can safely drive on the left side of the road in Scotland and steer you to a few little-known tracks outside Bangkok. It’s also how I managed to play two rounds, four years apart, at Manele Golf Course, on the Island of Lanai, the smallest of Hawaii’s inhabited isles. Back in 2011, I invited my then girlfriend, Fernanda, along for the trip. We stayed at the absurdly swank Four Seasons Lanai. The night we checked in, we took a beach walk, and your humble author popped the question and got a yes. Yes! The next day we played the happiest round of our lives at Manele G.C. The best hole on a course filled with best holes is…

POPPING UP YOUR TEE SHOT is one of the most embarrassing things you can do (on a golf course). The snickers from your playing partners cut like a knife. Mumbling to yourself while resheathing the source of your shame, you realize that injury has been added to the insult: Your near-under-whiff has left a big, gnarly scratch on the top of your beautiful, new driver. Now you’re really steamed. Obviously, the fault here is that you’ve brought the club into the ball on an overly steep angle. If this issue is chronic, you’re not only risking the balloon-job, you’re bleeding power, accuracy and consistency—even when you do catch more of the ball. Prevent that frown on your crown with this path-shallowing drill shared on Instagram by Top 100 Teacher Cameron…

GOOD ARM STRUCTURE at the top of the backswing has been the hallmark of many great swings. Sloppy arms typically lead to all kinds of problems, among them a flying right elbow (hello, slice) and a torso-hugging right elbow (goodbye, power). Speaking of the right (or trailing) elbow, it’s important for golfers to recognize that it alone is responsible for most backswing arm woes. I’ve got a drill to keep it in check, and it’s as easy as a Sunday drive. Hold your arms in front of you as if you were (properly) driving a car, with your hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on the wheel. Rotate the wheel to the right until the back of your right hand faces the ground. Now, take your left hand off the “wheel”…

FIFTY-FOUR SPRINGS AGO, at the 1965 Masters, 25-year-old Jack Nicklaus ran away from the field, including Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, on his way to a nine-stroke victory and a then-Masters scoring record of 271. So dominant was Nicklaus’s performance in his second of six Masters wins that Bobby Jones, Augusta National GC co-designer and Masters Tournament co-founder, quipped, “He plays a game with which I am not familiar.” Great line. It’s even better when you consider the source. As you hold this issue in your hands, the 2019 Masters will just have been completed or is nearing its conclusion. Writing this letter nearly a month in advance, I cannot predict a record-setting rout like Jack’s in ’65, or Tiger’s in 1997. What I’m sure of is that this year’s…

HUFFING UP TO THE FIRST TEE AT PEBBLE BEACH Golf Links, 20 minutes late, my first official act as a ShotLink volunteer was to get fired. “If you were a regular volunteer,” said my chaperone, Douglas Elsesser, “you would have already been replaced.” Properly chastised, I was then handed the keys to the kingdom: an earpiece that allowed me to communicate with the command truck and a small tablet into which I would input data. This was the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and I was assigned to follow the group that included Jerry Kelly and Ho Sung Choi. Normal ShotLink volunteers must complete a one-hour online training course, then receive two more hours of tutorials at the tournament site. Poor Elsesser had to give me my…

BROOKS KOEPKA’S SWING IS one of my favorites. It’s just so pure. It doesn’t rely on a lot of jumping up at impact or aggressively throwing the club through the ball, which are difficult to time. It’s a blur of speed in which the club seemingly never strays off plane, and it exploits Koepka’s ability to rotate through the ball faster than just about any other player on Tour. Koepka’s strong right-hand grip lets you know that he’s more comfortable squaring the clubface with his body than with his hands. A lot of players are. I like the width he creates almost immediately in his backswing. As you can see in the sequence at right (July 2017), the clubhead is about as far away from his body as it can…

LAST JULY, AFTER my third round at the Marathon Classic in Toledo, Ohio, I was beating balls on the range when my husband, Gerrod, came over and started giving me a hard time. Fair enough, since I was six months pregnant and 11 strokes off the lead. But I’d just shot my second straight over-par round and wasn’t too happy with myself. “Tomorrow’s your last round for a while,” Gerrod said. “I know,” I replied. “But I still want to play good.” I went out on Sunday and shot 66. The competitive side has always been there for me, and I didn’t expect that to change after becoming a mother. But you never know until it happens. By that point, even though I felt pretty good for most of my…

STYLE CAN SOMETIMES FEEL like an afterthought in sports. So much emphasis is placed on performance and technique, but feeling comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing is important as well. My personal style has become one of my favorite ways to express myself. I like to be a little daring. I generally gravitate toward traditional silhouettes with a twist, and I like to think outside the box when it comes to what I wear out on the course (while always abiding by each course’s individual dress code). My style started to develop when I was growing up and had more limited means for buying new outfits. I had to get creative with what I already had. I had fun pulling different shirts, skirts and leggings from my closet, and…

DID YOU KNOW FINLAND is very serious about its mustard? I only became aware of this myself last autumn, when Finnish pals Alec and Ville were visiting. We’d met in a bar in London and became fast friends. These fellows are of sturdy Nordic stock, and they arrived at my home bearing two types of traditionell mustard and a 50 centilitre bottle of Koskenkorva vodka. “It’s in a plastic bottle, so you know it’s good,” said Alec of the vodka. The label of the bottle reads, “In the village of Koskenkorva, life isn’t complicated,” and that sounds like my kind of place (minus the Finnish winters). The bottle sits in my freezer, frosted over and awaiting a special occasion, like some random Saturday when I feel like relaxing with a…

SPORTY AND CLASSY THESE WORKHORSES are high on utility as well as style. With its blue face and rubber strap, one of the most highly regarded diving watches, the Omega Seamaster ($6,500), is ready for any deep dive—or drive. The motor racing–inspired Tag Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph ($4,900), with black face, gets a sleek update with rose-gold arms. The Rado Hyperchrome Automatic Chronograph ($4,650) shifts seamlessly between course, clubhouse and corporate settings. 2019 Style Guide THE SKY’S THE LIMIT LET’S FACE IT: You’re a baller, from your minuscule handicap to your custom-fitted forged musclebacks. When you’ve got it, flaunt it, right? Set your sights on this trio of timepieces, starting from the top with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ($69,100)—its “hammer” effect (on pink gold) screams rugged bling. Hublot’s…

The coldest winter Michelle Wie ever spent was a recent afternoon in San Francisco, when she went for a hike in sweatpants and a matching sports bra. A warmer outfit might have been the wiser choice, but Wie likes looking stylish while she gets her steps in, and the city’s fickle weather—sunny, rainy, foggy, sunny—had tricked her into thinking she had a window. No sooner had she reached the summit of her route—a hilltop park with views that reached beyond the Golden Gate—than the wind kicked up, a mist began to fall and the skies took on the dark shade of a grim day at Carnoustie. “Dang,” Wie said, wrapping her arms around her bare shoulders. “What is this, Scotland?” She could have been forgiven for wondering where she was.…

MORE TO LOVE JAY RUFFIN, 55 Technology Strategy Consultant Here’s a little secret only your stylist will tell you: More fabric means more you, so drop the baggy togs, my big and beautifuls! Embrace the stretch-twill pant or plain-front trouser and see if you don’t look and feel slimmer. Same goes for outerwear: Think “layered-and-lean birdie machine.” Shirt: FootJoy Lisle Floral Print, $75; Pants: FootJoy Performance, $85; Sweater: FootJoy Double Jersey Mid-Layer Half-Zip, $139; Shoes: G/FORE Gallivanter Longwing, $225. TEMPLE GRAY GREG RICHARDSON, 54 Maxillofacial Surgeon Vibrant colors permeate many modern golf lines, and you’ve reached the point in your life where you have the confidence to pull them off. Bright tops partner perfectly with a nice pair of straight-leg trousers, or try a five-pocket pant (think khaki jeans), which…

Since it will be by your side all day, the ideal men’s carry-all should meet the tall order of being both practical for the course (or gym), and elegant enough for the office. A winning duffel is one people may not notice initially—that is, it’s one that blends into your wardrobe, not one you’re conspicuously schlepping around. Solid colors, canvas, leather and nylon are ideal fabrics that will perform but not compete with your tailoring at round’s end. The three options at left marry function and fashion, in sporty nylon and canvas.…

There’s a great story from The Scotsman that appeared a few years back that tells the tale of Dr. Jerry Foster, a 13th-generation Scots-American who went on a long holiday to his family’s native land. Dr. Foster was an avid golfer, you see, and his goal on this journey was to play all eight of his rounds wearing one of his 14 traditional Scottish kilts (which seems like a lot of kilts for a radiologist from Kentucky). The plan was going well—he was received warmly by starters at the first seven stops, including those at venerable clubs such as St. Andrews, Muirfield and Turnberry. But when he arrived at Royal Troon, he was told he would not be allowed to play unless he put on a pair of trousers. How…

MY GRANDFATHER’S TAKE: My grandfather always called putting an “individual activity,” but one thing was universal: Golfers must let the putterhead release. Most didn’t release it back then, however, and most still don’t now; they’re afraid to. As they take the putter back, they’re trying to stay so controlled that they get stiff and locked—and end up loading nothing. That just leads to blocks. MY PERSPECTIVE: If you look at most great putters, there’s a lot of loading and unloading, just as there is in the full swing. In the SI image above, notice how far my grandfather’s putterhead travels compared to his hands! With poor putters, the hands often go back a long way without really loading anything. In good putting strokes, the hands don’t travel very far at…

Announcing your ball on the first tee as a “Vice 1” still results in some surprised looks among many playing partners. However, Vice Golf balls have become a must-have in the bag of a modern, quality- and price-conscious golfer. Vice Golf´s philosophy of cutting out the middle man and selling directly to customers online revolutionized the pricing and distribution process of the industry, however, the performance of the balls remains equally crucial in the purchasing decision process of the golfer. “It is hard work to keep up with the ever-growing demand for world-class golf balls”, Co-founder Rainer Stoeckl says. That´s why the Germany-based manufacturer has remastered their portfolio of premium quality golf balls in preparation of the new golfing season. With the highest aspirations, they have taken their cast urethane…

BOBBY JONES ONCE SAID that golf is played on a five-and-a-half-inch course between your ears. You won’t get any argument from Dr. Bhrett McCabe, a clinical and sports psychologist based in Birmingham, Ala., who, as a former competitive athlete himself, knows how mentally torturous the game—all sports, really—can be. As he explains it, the best players simply know how to think better on the course. Where to start? In McCabe’s mind, of course. GOLF: You work with a lot of professional golfers, but your approach has been influenced by other sports. BM: I grew up playing baseball. [McCabe pitched for LSU in college.] I got into the field of psychology because I struggled as a player to overcome injuries and believe in myself. I began studying and learning more about…

LONG BUNKER SHOTS ARE SOME OF THE SCARIEST IN GOLF. A big reason why you struggle with them is because they require a special technique that you never practice! The key is to eliminate unnecessary movements that lead to inconsistency. Here’s how. (1) Take a very wide stance, which will discourage any side-to-side shifting. Hover the clubhead above the sand, with the leading edge even with the equator of the ball. Lock your arms straight and increase your grip pressure (2). That’ll take care of any excess wrist movement, which in turn will promote a shorter swing. (3) Keep your arms locked as you rotate around your core. Your swing should feel short; your tempo should be aggressive, snappy and quick. If you need more distance, choose a longer club,…

Rick Reilly has been one of America’s most recognizable—and funniest—sports columnists for decades. His latest book, Commander in Cheat, mixes humor and outrage to litigate the case against Donald Trump not through politics, but through his golf game. “Golf is like bicycle shorts,” Reilly says. “It reveals a lot about a guy.” The theme of your book is that you can tell a lot about someone by the way they comport themselves on the golf course. Arnold Palmer once told me that he never did a business deal until he had played 18 holes with the guy. He said he could find out exactly who a guy is over four hours. And what you find out about Trump in golf is that he has to win. Whatever it takes. He…