Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Golf Magazine

GOLF.COM TWITTER GOLF_COM / INSTAGRAM GOLF_COM / FACEBOOK.COM/GOLF Loving Our Top 100 Resorts Coverage? Well, thanks! Head over to GOLF.com for deep dives into all 100 honorees, including profiles, rich photography and video that will leave you aching to hit the road. Better yet, you can book resort stays right on our website. Thanks to our partnership with luxury travel concierge Skylark, finding and reserving a golf-resort vacay has never been easier. Calling All Gearheads! You’re used to reading and watching the game’s best equipment coverage on GOLF.com—now you can listen to it. Tune in to FULLY EQUIPPED, our new equipment podcast hosted by Jonathan Wall, GOLF’s equipment czar, and Tim Briand, director of fitting at True Spec. Five other reasons to visit GOLF.com (and our social channels) this month:…

“Great Waters is one of the really great sites with which I have ever had the experience to work.” Greensboro, Ga.: Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee has always had strong bones. But the Jack Nicklaus Signature course was due for a facelift (which Nicklaus himself has just completed) after 27 years of service. Work was done on every hole: new greens, better turf, better ergonomics. The approach on No. 9 (above) starts a 10-hole stretch where both land and water meet for a one-of-a-kind challenge. Great Waters reopens for play in late fall.…

> Mussels-1 lb > Garlic-2 cloves, minced > Shallots-1 bulb, chopped > Chorizo-1 oz, chopped > White wine-½ cup > Whipping cream-1 cup > Parsley-½ tsp > Cherry tomatoes-½ cup, halved > Baguette-¼, sliced and grilled > Heat a large pan with 1 tbsp canola oil, then drop mussels in. > Toss to coat the mussels in oil. > Add garlic, shallots and chorizo, then deglaze with white wine. > Place another pan on top to steam the mussels. Once the mussels have opened, remove the top pan and allow the wine to reduce. > Add cream, parsley and tomatoes. > Reduce until slightly thickened. > Toss to coat mussels in sauce. > Plate in a large bowl with bread slices.…

The new Titleist U-Series utilities ($250 each) come in two flavors: the more compact U-500 and the wider-soled U-510. Both new models feature similar technology, including high-density tungsten weighting and very thin SUP-10 L-Face inserts for increased ball speed and distance. If you’re a shot-maker who hits down on the ball a bit, try the U-500, and if you’re a sweeper who wants high launch and easy distance, go for the wider, deeper U-510.…

Q: I’m a pro who passed my PGA of America Playing Ability Test right-handed, which is how I also compete professionally. Left-handed, however, I’m pretty bad. Why can’t I compete as an amateur left-handed and as a pro right-handed? —Charleton Dechert, via email A: Charleton, I only regret to confirm for you that you have but one amateur status to lose for your golf. (Nathan Hale, Rules Guy salutes you!) Once you have forfeited that status, you are no longer an amateur golfer. Should professional golf not feel sufficiently fulfilling, or you just want to stay in touch with your inner hacker, you remain free to carry as many left-handed clubs as you’d like along with your right-handed clubs, so long as the total in your bag doesn’t exceed 14.…

Coke or Pepsi? “Coke.” Dog or cat? “Dog, definitely.” YouTube or Netflix? “Netflix.” Twitter or Instagram? “Twitter.” Mac or PC? “I’m a Mac guy.” Podcast or music? “Music, for sure.” Chess or checkers? “Chess.” Bloody Mary or mimosa? “Ooh…Bloody Mary.” Beach or lake? “Lake.” Snow skiing or waterskiing? “Waterskiing.” Coffee or tea? “Coffee. I love coffee, and I love Starbucks.” Beer or wine? “I’m going to say wine.” Happy Gilmore or Caddyshack? “Happy Gilmore, definitely.” Tiger’s prime-time putting stroke or DJ’s driver swing? “DJ’s driving.” McCord’s mustache or Feherty’s facial hair? “Definitely McCord’s mustache.”…

COME JANUARY, JIM HERMAN, a fly-commercial journeyman touring pro, will be at Kapalua, the curtain-raiser for the 2020 golf year. He has his entry ticket, a Tour victory in 2019. So, of course, does Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and various others with pilots on speed dial. Professional golf has always been a tale of two tours. On this steamy Monday morning in summer, Kapalua is a million miles away. Jim and his wife, Carolyn, have flown all night from the Tour stop in Reno, heading to Philadelphia International after changing planes at O’Hare. Carolyn grew up in the far-off Philadelphia suburbs, and her father is a text message away, in a shiny red Ford Expedition. Outside United baggage claim, a smoker still in her airplane fleece…

My old pal Captain Ron has a million of ’em, and one that frequently pops into my mind is, “When the devil can’t come, he sends rum.” The gist, at least I think, is that rum can sneak up on you a bit, so treat it with respect. Here’s how to fix up a Dark ’n Stormy proper: > Highball glass loaded with ice. > Pour in 4 to 5 oz ginger beer. > Add 2 oz Goslings Black Seal rum to taste. > If you feel like it, garnish with a lime wedge. Goslings comes from Bermuda, not Jamaica, but I don’t have a good story set in Bermuda. If you happen to work for the Bermuda Tourism Board and would care to rectify that, you can find me…

THERE’S NOTHING SUBTLE about the changes PING made to its third-generation Glide 3.0 wedge ($160) during the creation process. The 431 stainless-steel head is highlighted by a beefier elastomer Custom Tuning Port (CTP) insert and patented cavity design that expands the perimeter weighting, increasing forgiveness and feel at the same time. It’s a reinvention, not a redesign. A wheel-cut groove milling process—first introduced with Glide 2.0—generates a sharper edge radius for more spin and trajectory control by grabbing the ball’s cover at impact. In other words, stopping the ball on a dime won’t be an issue. Along with sharpening the edge radius, engineers tightened the space between the precision-milled grooves to fit an extra “half groove” at the bottom to increase spin around the green. Glide 3.0 will be available…

IF YOU’VE EVER USED A weighted training aid in an attempt to increase your clubhead speed, you also undoubtedly wished there was a way to actually hit balls with it so it would simulate a real, on-course experience. Fortunately, the folks at GelSTX thought the same thing and developed GelSTX Golf, a proprietary gel-infused shaft ($199)—manufactured by industry leader Fujikura—that attaches to your adjustable driver with the simple turn of a wrench. The shafts are designed to perform exactly like premium-quality offerings (available in A, R, S and X flexes) but at weights that are approximately 2.5 times heavier, which allows you to strengthen your golf-specific muscles and increase swing speed at the same time. “You’ll experience some pleasant surprises after practicing with the shafts,” says Jason Silver, company CEO…

All-world drivers like Dustin Johnson have a bevy of resources at their disposal when it comes to conducting driver and shaft testing. While you may lack the access to uber-knowledgeable Tour reps and high-tech swing analyzers that DJ enjoys, there are a few ways to feel like a pro when it comes to testing shafts. 1. Find a launch monitor. It’s imperative to see performance numbers beyond simply how the ball looks in the air. Visiting a high-end fitter like True Spec Golf is a good way to gain access to the necessary data. The key values: ball speed, launch and spin rate. Of the three, ball speed is the best indicator of the potential of the club and can give you a good idea if a shaft is right…

First time I got paid to write about golf travel, it felt like I was stealing something from the air. I mean it. The grand larceny of luck from no more than empty space. 36 holes, 72 holes. Free. 2,000, 2,500 words. Paid. 3,000 miles from home, to boot. I don’t remember the assignment. That’s appropriate too, because I didn’t give a thought to the work of it at the time. I said just yes. They were asking so little, offering so much. They wanted to send me to an island. “To get your take,” the editor said. “You know: Is it worth the trek?” It was a resort I’d heard of. There were people to meet. A culture to assess. He could rent me a car. Or get me…

“Well, it’s pretty open out there,” the pro shop attendant deadpanned. He meant well, but his joke didn’t hit with this group, not with this rain and not with our pessimism. On paper, months earlier, everything was great. Scottsdale! February! Golf! What could go wrong? Four guys meeting in the Arizona desert, a three-day boondoggle to escape the frigid February cold seemed like a great idea. And it was, until those days actually arrived. We lucked out on Day 1, but the next day’s forecast for our tee time at Troon North’s Pinnacle course—GOLF’s 25th-best public track and the da Vinci of our trip—was aligned with some brutal conditions. Hoping for the storms to miss us, we scanned for updates hourly, but it was bad news every time. There was…

Family trips are rather like a round of golf—you never know how they’re going to unfold or end up. To stretch the analogy a bit more, any family trip will feature a few bogies (and others) along the way. The words “family” and “familiarity” do not share an identical Latin origin, but they are close enough, and both occasionally breed contempt on family trips. However, when the nerves begin to frazzle, one must refocus one’s efforts in pursuit of the greater goal. That goal, by the way, is the central point here, and it should encompass what you want to get out of the trip, and your role in making sure others on the trip also have a good time. With that in mind, here are a few questions you…

EVENTUALLY WE ALL LOSE OUR “POP.” Hips get stiff and slow, gym visits decrease, muscles shrink. Cheer up—this tip is straight from the Fountain of Youth. Better yet, it doesn’t force you into positions only Rory McIlroy can achieve. Here, you can let your inner athlete strut its stuff. The gist is thus: You’re a right-hander playing this game right-handed (or a lefty playing left-handed). Let’s get that right (or left) side back in the driver’s seat. Take your regular setup with your driver. Next, remove your nondominant hand from the handle. Now—and this is the money move—start your backswing by turning your right (or left) hip behind you. Make it big—so big that your arm, club and body turn with it. Let your dominant arm reach for the sky.…

THE QUESTION COMES UP as often as a sidehill lie at Augusta National: Who’s the greatest player to have never won a major? I’m pretty sure I have the answer, thanks to a stat tool I call “expected wins.” Works like this: Say Las Vegas pre-event odds has the favorite to win a major at 9-to-1—roughly a 10 percent chance of winning. Knowing that, you’d expect him to accrue one win over 10 majors in which he is listed with similar odds. A player listed as the 10th most heavily favored player, at 19-to-1 odds (a 5 percent chance), would need 20 majors to accrue one expected win. Unfortunately, Vegas odds for golf majors aren’t readily available the deeper you look back in history, so in my search for golf’s…

TOUR PLAYERS HIT an average of 11 to 12 greens in regulation per round. For amateurs, that number is considerably lower. Pitching, therefore, is a critical element in improving your score. The better you pitch, the lower your total. If your short game isn’t up to snuff, this tip will make you money in no time from 50 yards in. The error we’re targeting here is “heavy-handedness.” By that I’m referring to the times when, suddenly, the club feels too heavy in your hands, caused by the clubhead moving to the inside of the target line while your hands are still outside or on plane. Make your pitch backswing, stop when the shaft is parallel to the ground, then turn your head to look at the clubhead. What you want…

Should I call you Jackie or Sir Jackie? Sir Jackie’s the right way. How does a kid from rural Dumbarton, Scotland, get into auto racing? My father owned a small garage. I left school at 15 because I’m a severe dyslexic. In those days, dyslexia was not something they identified in school—they just called you dumb, stupid or thick. So I became a mechanic in my father’s garage and started racing for a rich young man whose family trust wouldn’t allow him to race his cars and I was spotted. And golf? Golf started earlier, at 11. I was never very good at it, but I learned the etiquette of good behavior on the course and in the club, and that helped me in life and in business. I’m a…

EARLY 2000S. I’M ON A PLANE TO LIHUE AIRPORT IN KAUAI for a press visit to Princeville Resort on the island’s north shore. I touch down midday and several hours ahead of my wife-then-girlfriend, Caroline, who’s traveling on a separate bird and on her own dime to accompany me on my week-long, golf-fueled romp through paradise. The lack of food options in the tiny LIH terminal forces me into a cab, Club Glove and suitcase in tow, to a local tavern on the recommendation of a skycap. (My plan: Return to LIH when Miss C lands.) The tavern, it turns out, is a proper dive, populated by several dozen rough-and-tumblish female bikers. It’s a scene: piercings, leather getups, greasy ponytails, tattoos, flat Primo beer and, frighteningly, an active Karaoke mic.…

PATRICK CANTLAY IS TWO GOLFERS IN ONE. His swing is definitely what you’d call “modern”—he works to keep the club in front of him while turning his upper body and loading up his lower to generate power (and generate it repetitively), then leverages the ground to unwind and puts that power to good use (to the tune of a 305-yard average off the tee). But he’s simultaneously old-school in that he prefers to shape the ball with every club in the bag, maintaining a beautiful rhythm the whole way (what he and I refer to as “pace and grace” and hitting “shots to spots”). The result? Top-of-class consistency and ball-striking prowess, impressive considering the amount of time Patrick has missed due to injury following his successful high school (California high…

THE CADDIES WHO become famous do more than carry their player’s bag. They advise, counsel, challenge decisions and, in the best moments, celebrate in victory with their player. Carl Jackson enveloping Ben Crenshaw in a victory embrace on Augusta National’s 18th green. Stevie Williams, arms pumping, as charged up as Tiger Woods, whose bag he carried for 13 of his 15 major titles. Michael Greller, the math teacher turned Jordan Spieth confidant, laughing with his player like two guys enjoying a round of golf—even if he occasionally gets yelled at like any long-suffering partner. But at many golf clubs that maintain caddie programs, the loopers look a bit different: shorter, scrawnier, less savvy but hopefully inquisitive and friendly. That’s because most club caddies, particularly in the peak summer months, are…

THE LODGE AT PEBBLE BEACH opened 100 years ago when Prohibition was the new law; there was no bar. With Prohibition’s repeal in 1933, the Monkeyshines Room—delightfully decorated with murals of monkeys in various states of inebriation—opened at what would later become the Tap Room. In December 1949, the Tap Room was transformed into “A Museum of Western Golf,” which is how the perfect 19th hole looks today. While selecting from a menu that includes artichoke soup, beef-rib potato skins, Kobe brie burgers, filet mignon and prime rib, you can gaze upon images of myriad golfers who have made history at Pebble Beach from the early state and national championships to the modern PGA Tour. Each photo, like the room itself, has a story to tell. Like the one about…

Mac O’Grady, the former Tour pro and swing guru who competed right-handed and played to scratch left-handed, once tried to enter an unofficial PGA Tour two-man better-ball tournament by himself, playing one ball righty and one lefty. The request was denied. Southpaw New Zealander Tim Wilkinson, currently on the Korn Ferry Tour, once told Rules Guy he shot one under par on his home course right-handed, using only a 3-wood, 7-iron and putter. Clearly, the right hand knew what the left was doing.…

Golf Professional, Brooks Brothers New York, N.Y. Handicap: 0 What on earth is a Brooks Brothers golf professional? Very funny! We have a golf simulator here in our Midtown Manhattan store, and I give lessons to people who come in to buy clothes. But my lessons are short, because it’s difficult to really teach on a simulator, and time spent with me is time not spent shopping. It’s also time not spent on the golf course. That’s true. But at least I’m able to give them a taste of golf right here on Fifth Avenue. Speaking of taste, you appear to be channeling Ballesteros. That’s the best compliment anyone can give me! I was in love with Seve growing up. His personality, his swing, his look. I adored everything about…

YOU MIGHT THINK a new golf bag won’t do much to improve your game. Think again. When you’re more comfortable, better organized and, frankly, when your bag actually looks good, it’s likely to boost your ability to play better with a clearer mind and a healthier back. Here’s a look at four stand bag models that combine top-notch form and function with a nod to today’s modern styles and advanced stand and waterproof technologies. Upright Brigade 1. BAG BOY CHILLER HYBRID $170 A 14-way top with full-length dividers combined with a removable insulated cooler bag (that holds four 12-oz beverages) make the Chiller one cool customer. 2. SUN MOUNTAIN LEATHER STAND BAG $625 All the ingenious features you’d expect from a lightweight stand bag made by Sun Mountain, only this…

IT’S ALWAYS A TREAT to find truly high-quality products that you feel are worth the investment. The MacKenzie valuables pouch ($89) is just such an item. Anyone familiar with the Oregon-based company (known famously for their premium waxed canvas and leather walking bags) won’t be surprised. The pouch is handmade from double-stitched leather in a wide variety of colors. It’s got a soft interior intended to protect your watch, wallet and any other valuables you want to store in style. It also makes a perfect holiday, birthday or groomsman gift. Each pouch is made to order, so be sure to give it a few weeks lead time. You can have the pouch embroidered with your initials, so, really, it’s a better gift for yourself. MACKENZIEGOLFBAGS.COM…

THERE ARE DOZENS of iron options on the market (and more coming), but only three types: Players, Players Distance and Game Improvement. Knowing what best suits your game will make the search for the perfect set much more manageable. If workability and control are your game, and your ball striking is very solid, Players is the category for you. For those who see themselves as the above but need additional yardage and forgiveness, limit your search to Players Distance clubs. And if you could care less about curving shots and all you want is something that launches the ball high and far without you getting in the way, check out models in the Game Improvement category. No iron type is “better” than the other without taking into consideration wh0’s swinging…

In one of the biggest editorial projects GOLF has ever attempted, we culled the names of 243 rank-worthy resorts spread across North America. Under the expert guidance of resort industry veterans and our stable of well-heeled travel writers, we placed each resort into at least one of four experience categories: Luxury, Buddies, General Excellence and Families. Then, with the help of 3,700-plus golfers just like you, we conducted an online poll, asking GOLF.com readers to rate each resort based on five key variables: golf experience, accommodations, service, food and ambience. The results of this poll were then weighed against the opinions of a select group of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses panelists and those of internal travel and editorial teams to list destinations in each category (Nos. 1–5, then alphabetically), generating…

TO HIT YOUR IRONS SOLID and straight you have to deliver clubhead to the ball with the clubface square to your path. Your success here has a lot to do with the way you release the club, especially for better players who often make the mistake of over-rolling their wrists through impact. You’ll hardly ever slice, but if the clubface is closing too fast relative to your path, you’ll consistently fight hooks. Sound familiar? Try this: Place an alignment stick diagonally in the ground just outside your target line and approximately five feet in front of the ball. (You can slide a swim noodle over the stick like I have for extra safety, but it’s not critical for the drill.) Start making slow-motion practice swings. Use the alignment stick as…

I loved reading your August issue article on the Netherlands’ hottest windmill! Anne van Dam has the most amazing rotational energy, just like a finely tuned wind turbine. Seeing it position by position in your mag got me to look her up on YouTube. Her swing is tight and precise in every way. Looking forward to seeing more of this Dutch treat on the tour, and I love seeing the articles on women’s golf! —Missy Lane, via e-mail Red Flag As a longtime reader of GOLF, l just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Evan Rothman’s story about Moscow Country Club (September). I had special interest in it as I was part of the original membership sales team at MCC. Rothman’s story covered most of the dealing…

WHEN FEASTING IN CLOSE proximity to oceanside cliffs, it’s never a bad idea to order up some kind of creature from the sea. The steamed white-wine mussels have been on the Cabot menu in various forms, but the club’s new executive chef, Malcolm Campbell, updated the dish when he landed the gig earlier this year, and it’s been a hit. “I wanted to do something with a fresh spin,” Campbell says. “It’s not processed. Many of the ingredients come from a French guy with a shop in Halifax. We try to get everything local if possible.” In the end, it’s all about those mollusks. Campbell thinks the fresh, Atlantic Ocean variety gives his creation its edge. “To me, it’s the brine from the mussels—the juice that comes out when you…

BIG BREAKING PUTTS are hard to make—your speed has to be just right. But they’re easy to read, because the slope is right there in front of your eyes. Straight putts are the opposite: easy to make but hard to judge. Subtle breaks loom everywhere. For greater clarity on these straightish rolls, try my “pizza slice” technique. 1. Picture two strings on the green, running from the ball to both sides of the hole, forming a pizza slice. 2. Crouch down behind the ball and focus on the slice. Is it dipping to one side? If so, that’s the break you need to account for. 3. Trust me: Reading a piece of pizza is easier than looking for a line. Use actual strings in practice; over time the slice will…

VISUALIZE A PLASTIC BAG of a size comparable to that with which you’d outfit a typical kitchen trash bin. Now imagine that bag filled with ganja, and you have a solid idea of what was once, many years ago, offered to me by a young entrepreneur who emerged from the trees while I was doing irreparable damage to a golf course in Jamaica. I was thinking of that round recently, because it featured the most humiliating single stroke I’ve ever played—and brother, that is saying something. Swings that have rendered me humble were on my mind because in less than 10 days I would tee it up for the first time in roughly 10 years, and I was wondering, give or take, how bad it might be. For the record,…

1 Club Miracle Worker 17 Ways to Up Your Spin Game 4 Sharp-looking Stand Bags 30 Items (at Least) in Kevin Kisner’s Bag 7 “Flashy” Additions to Callaway Epic 1 Damn Impressive Training Aid CLUSTERED TOGETHER on a stark white wall inside Paul Boehmer’s equipment truck—a 30-foot-long trailer hitched to a Ford Super Duty he drives to as many LPGA Tour events as he can muster—hang three laminated signs. They are the first things to grab your attention. “Your lack of planning does not create emergencies in this shop,” one of them reads. For a brief minute, you try to peg the head coaching legend or sagacious historical figure who uttered this pearl of wisdom—except it doesn’t belong to either of the above. This is what’s referred to as a…

THE COOL RAT PACK APPEAL of vintage sweaters can strike a sour note—heavier wools and nonbreathing polyesters often make for scratchy and stuffy rounds. Thanks to modern tech, however, I (and you) now can have it “My Way” when strutting an old-school aesthetic. New pieces move with your swing, hold their shape and can be thrown in the washing machine to emerge as good as new—try that with a vintage V-neck! The trick? Clothiers applied the advancements that popped up in your moisture-wicking polo and dew-proof shoes years ago to items you’d stack in your sweater drawer. “That’s Amore!” Throw on this trio when you travel, on mild fall rounds or, heck, when you simply want to look your best.…

DID YOU KNOW? KISNER HAS THREE PGA TOUR WINS, INCLUDING THIS YEAR’S WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY EVENT.…

CALLAWAY’S NEW EPIC FLASH STAR woods are premium-looking sticks that are definitely more substance than “flash.” The driver ($699), fairway woods ($399 each) and hybrids ($325 each) represent the company’s serious take on ultra-premium lightweight clubs for players with moderate swing speeds. The family is led by 10.5-, 12- and 13-degree driver options, which are designed to produce optimal launch for not-so-fast swingers. Callaway’s Flash Face design (developed using AI) combines with its Jailbreak tech to produce max ball speeds across the entire face. The center of gravity is located low and deep in the clubhead for more forgiveness and playability via a new lightweight T2X triaxial carbon crown. Other features that contribute to the Epic Flash Star’s speed-improving design include an extremely light 30g UST Mamiya ATTAS Speed graphite…

A few issues ago, we highlighted a research study that showed that when standing at address and during the swing, highly skilled golfers focus on one very small, very specific part of the ball. The study also indicated that less-skilled players tend to dart their eyes to several parts of the ball and even to the grass surrounding it. Sounds like it’s time you started keeping your eyes on the prize and improving your ball focus. To help you do that, look no further (literally!) than the Sight Ball. The Sight Ball is a standard-sized ball with six red aiming scopes spread across the entire cover. The company line is that the Sight Ball helps golfers improve F.A.S.T. through better Focus, Accuracy, Stance and Training. It’s pretty simple: Take your…

TIGER’S ABILITY TO CONTROL both distance and trajectory with his wedges is one of the biggest reasons he’s back in contention on a consistent basis. He uses a seemingly endless combination of setups and release patterns—mix-and-match artistry common to all up-and-down machines. When you compare his current setup and motion to what he employed a year or so ago, there are significant improvements, mostly in the way he addresses the ball. Take this picture, for example: His rock-solid, athletic stance has given way to an unimpeded motion (and one he can re-create time and again). It’s a great technique that allows any golfer to maximize results around the green while limiting risk. Copy this!…

HITTING A BUNKER SHOT, for some players, is a scary proposition. It shouldn’t be. Success here means not even having to make contact with the ball. The funny thing? That’s the most prominent mistake weekend players make. Hello, skull. Catching a bunker shot thin is typically the result of hanging too far back on your right foot while trying to “scoop” the ball into the air. (This can also lead to fat contact, by the way.) Check the photo below. Notice how most of my weight is over my front foot and that I’m rotating my upper body toward the target. Having your weight forward facilitates the necessary body rotation, and the rotation allows your arms to extend fully, powering the clubhead into the sand behind the ball. While it’s…