Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2020 i Golf Magazine

WELCOME TO WINGED FOOT! No, I’m not a member. I’ve played it a few times, the first being the day after Davis Love III’s Sunday romp around the Tillinghast icon at the 1997 PGA Championship. The course was heaving with things wet, long, tough and beautiful. This was also one of my first trips East—I was not prepared for the buzzing warmth nor the humidity. Had to switch polos at the turn. My score that day remains a secret known only to me, myself and I Subsequent rounds at Winged Foot proved more enjoyable. What’s truly great about the place is that it has as much blue-blood history as any club I know but it welcomes members and guests with open arms. As you can imagine, the golf is intense,…

WHEN DAYLIGHT FADES at Winged Foot GC on Sunday, September 20, a deserving champion will have hoisted the U.S. Open trophy, having persevered through 72 holes of intense competition on an A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece that, for nearly a century, has demanded grit, determination and shotmaking from all who have been crowned there. The magnitude of the achievement will feel similar to the previous 119 U.S. Opens, including the five previously held at Winged Foot’s West Course, yet it will be abundantly clear that this U.S. Open is different, and not just because of its place on the calendar. As we have all come to understand, in our own personal ways, Covid-19 has upended society, the global economy and the rituals of daily life. We have felt its impact on our…

NICK WATNEY DIDN’T HAVE a fever, a cough or shortness of breath on the morning he became the first PGA Tour player to test positive for Covid-19. In fact, he had none of the telltale symptoms typically associated with the virus. If not for the notification on his phone, Watney might not have realized anything was wrong. But as he checked his cell, the 39-year-old noticed an urgent message from Whoop, the 24-7 fitness monitor he wears around his wrist. Whoop had detected a spike in Watney’s respiratory rate overnight, in line with increases associated with individuals who tested positive for the virus. A few hours later, Watney officially tested positive without any outward symptoms—an outcome detected by Whoop’s predictive algorithm. Within days, the PGA Tour had procured 1,000 Whoop…

TravisMathew has made stylish and versatile SoCal surfinspired apparel since 2007. The brand’s laid-back vibe established them as an early pioneer in creating clothes that were cool enough to transition seamlessly from on course to on the town—something just about every golf brand now aims to do in the current athleisurefriendly environment. The Sundial pullover ($125; travismathew.com) is a perfect example of the proper execution of such intent. The pullover’s raised collar and quarter-zip closure provide a functional, familiar silhouette for a chilly round while the brand’s easy-care “LifeStyle” performance fabric offers stretchy comfort and wrinkle resistance. To top it all off, the pullover just looks cool. The soft skipper/black colorway (pictured) is a flattering hue and the collection of horizontal lines across the chest give the pullover a trendy…

Watch them all at GOLF.com. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CONTRACTOR to know it doesn’t matter how handsome the roofline is if you lack a solid foundation. Yet plenty of golfers only focus on the pretty positions the club achieves during the swing. They don’t consider the fact that without a strong base—namely, your lower body—you can’t have a powerful motion, never mind how attractive and fundamentally sound it is. You can produce that strong base without spending a leg and an arm. (See what I did there?) Two simple items, an exercise band and a kettlebell, will do the trick. That, and a few minutes a few times a week. You don’t need to run a marathon to take longer walks down the middle of the fairway. —K.T.…

FOR DECADES, the putter debate resembled Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open: It wasn’t even close to a fair fight. Wilson’s 8802, Titleist’s Bullseye and PING’s Anser—one of the most important club designs in the history of the industry—dominated the putter landscape on pro circuits and in the recreational ranks. Golfers had to search hard for something that didn’t resemble one of the most popular head shapes—and even then, it wasn’t a guarantee you’d hit pay dirt. It wasn’t until the late 1980s when Ram’s Zebra mallet wound up in the hands of three-time major winner Nick Price that golfers truly started to consider the idea of using something markedly different on the greens. Fastforward four decades and mallets are no longer an afterthought in the marketplace. In fact,…

THE 7-WOOD GETS A BAD RAP. For whatever reason, many recreational golfers believe the high-lofted fairway wood is best suited for slower swing speeds. But here’s the thing: The 7-wood has some traits that make it worth considering, even if you’re on the higher end of the speed spectrum and carry a single-digit handicap. Shorter is better: Today’s 7-wood is usually a half-inch shorter than a 5-wood. Unless you routinely hit your fairway woods on the screws, going shorter will give you a better chance for consistent impact. The air up there: Most golfers struggle to get the ball airborne. If you’re nodding along, maybe it’s time to embrace more loft. Not only will you be able to hit towering shots from the fairway, having a couple more degrees of…

PICTURE THIS: You’re at the pro shop trying to decide between Callaway’s Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X balls. They’re both sitting on the shelf, priced the same at $50, but you’re stuck wondering which option is right for you. Well, let’s go to the tape and find the answer. The Chrome Soft—the softer of the two—has a Dual SoftFast Core that’s 34 percent larger than its predecessor, and it’s designed to help the ball fly with high launch and low spin for more distance. The outer core is reinforced with graphene to help add wedge spin and durability. The Chrome Soft X, on the other hand, has a Dual Mantle System that’s designed for explosive, low-spin distance on longer shots and greater control with more spin on shorter shots.…

From the moment you get a glimpse of the clubhouse at Winged Foot Golf Club, you know you’re in the presence of something historically significant. Upon entering, there’s no need to wonder, If these walls could talk…. There is no if. Take a look at what’s hanging from every surface and you’ll not only feast on Winged Foot’s remarkable history but also the role the club has played in shaping the game itself. Sit at the bar after your round—if, of course, you’re lucky enough to have scored one—and each conversation you’ll eavesdrop on will be passionately about golf. “Neil, swing by here for a moment” is a steady refrain as a member seeks out the club’s encyclopedic historian, Neil Regan, who’ll recall for visiting guests the 1929 U.S. Open…

SHOT BY SHOT ON 18 1. Off the Tee Holding a onestroke lead with one to play, Mickelson has the honor on 18—and the jitters, having hit just two fairways all day. Hoping to avoid a bunker 290 yards out, he intentionally takes a little off his drive… and trampolines a push-fade off the roof of a hospitality tent left of the fairway. It settles not far away, on a trampled spectator pathway. 2. Tree Trouble I With 201 to the hole but loads of timber in his line, Lefty chooses to go for it rather than the safer play of punching out to the fairway. His cut 3-iron takes off like a rocket, pings the trunk of a tree and rockets right back at him. 3. Tree Trouble II…

THE SMART PLAYER’S GUIDE TO DROPPING 10 STROKES Never miss another fairway! Drain ev - ery… single… putt! If I had a nickel for every headline that promised to remake me as a golfer in an eyeblink, I’d have enough spare change for a Pebble Beach vacation. Wouldn’t that be nice? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not opposed to miracle fixes. I’m sure they even happen. Just not very often. That’s not how golf, or life, tends to work. At Columbia Business School, where I teach, I often tell my students that I don’t care about their grades. But I do hope that they know more at the end of the semester than they did when we started. In my view, success is about making progress, which doesn’t often happen…

AT OUR ACADEMIES (athleticmotiongolf.com), we use state-of-the-art GEARS technology to break down swings using 3D data, cutting through theory and arming students with proven, valuable swing moves. With Taylor-Made’s recent purchase of GEARS, we also have insight into the swings of its elite cadre of staff pros, including World No. 1 (as of mid-July) Jon Rahm. With GEARS, we’ve uncovered what the hard-hitting Spaniard—and U.S. Open favorite—does throughout his motion to produce prodigious clubhead speed. Here’s what you can learn not only to hit the ball farther but also straighter. 1. Accelerate From the Top Rahm has a relatively short backswing, but he is able to generate significant speed on his downswing because of how early he accelerates with his arms from the top (photo, near right). Most recreational golfers…

MAKING MORE PUTTS BOILS DOWN TO two things: 1) aiming the putterface in the direction you want the ball to start, and 2) rolling the ball at the correct speed. Here’s how to practice both. 1. Perfect Aim Practice Hit the practice green and pick a target. Before even taking a proper grip, aim the face at your target, then place your hands on the handle. Now bring your body into the putter and settle into your stance. Check that your hands are hanging beneath your shoulders and that your shoulder and forearm lines are relatively parallel to your aim line. When you make your stroke, swing your arms naturally under your shoulder line. Of course, this only works if you get the aim part right. There’s no shame in…

DO YOU STRUGGLE with an early release (hint: weak shots that flare both left and right)? If so, I’ve got just the drill to help you. All you need is an alignment stick and a club. Hold the stick against the handle as shown. Make sure to grip the stick at the very end, so that a good length of it extends past your front hip at address. From here, hit practice balls like normal (with an abbreviated swing) or clip a rubber tee on a range mat. As you do, you’ll immediately know if you’re guilty of an early release—the stick will strike the left side of your rib cage as you approach impact (same goes if you lose your “connection” with the club). The goal is to delay…

ON WHISTLING STRAITS’ dramatic finishing hole at the 2010 PGA Championship (and the host site of next year’s rescheduled Ryder Cup), Dustin Johnson’s chances at a major were undone by fairway bunker confusion. He hit a great shot from the bunker but didn’t know the rules, earning a twoshot penalty that cost him the title. Let’s review the best way to approach a fairway bunker and stay penalty-free. 1. Know your rights The USGA changed its rules to allow players to touch or move loose impediments in a bunker, so you don’t have to worry about that. Unlike in a waste bunker, where just about anything goes, you still can’t ground your club in a fairway bunker or “test” the sand before you hit. 2. Assess your lie and stance…

Q: I’m in the midst of a personal-best round. How can I control my mindset to not spoil it? —H. Woolson, Ojai, Calif. A: Anyone who plays the game enthusiastically and seriously at any level has been in this place. You’re playing great, enjoying and engaging with the moment, when all of a sudden it occurs to you that something really good might happen if you just keep it going. That awareness is followed by the battle to control your feelings and thoughts, that you need to hold in place what you’ve been doing up to that point and avoid the negative noise. When you attempt to create and control your thinking to eliminate bad thoughts, things unravel. I often ask golfers what they were doing when they were playing their…

I loved the piece in Clubhouse on Willie Nelson’s home course, Pedernales GC (“On the Road Again,” July-August). Story goes that someone once asked Willie what par was on Pedernales. Willie said, “Today it was 92.” Thank you for the article. He’s certainly one of a kind. —Dave Riffey, Sioux Falls, S.D A Swing for the Ages I thoroughly enjoyed the “What’s in My Bag” story in your June issue showcasing the equipment of LPGA great Mickey Wright. A sidebar on the page noted that Wright shot a 62 in the 1964 Tall City Open in Midland, Texas, which I attended with my father. Recently, I met another LPGA great, Judy Rankin. I told her that I’d seen her play in the 1964 Tall City Open while witnessing Wright’s “61.”…

Remote Controls THE REQUEST WAS SIMPLE ENOUGH: Ask a buddy to record my swing using my phone and upload the file to an online lesson platform. A teaching pro in Australia, who normally charges $150 an hour for an in-person lesson, would analyze my swing and coach me from afar for a fraction of that fee. I was skeptical; I also felt strange having myself filmed. Deep breath, just go. Three swings—a thin, a hook, a bomb. All different but truthful representations of my everyday game. I uploaded them and waited for the Aussie’s take. The experience was new to me, but not to younger golfers who are flocking to online apps to get the inexpensive, qualified feedback they can’t glean from often gimmicky Instagram and YouTube videos. Older golfers…

Every Shot Counts with GOLF Analytics Editor Mark Broadie THE PRE-TRANSFORMATION Bryson DeChambeau won three times in five events between the 2018 Northern Trust and the 2019 Shriners. Not. Too. Shabby. But how does this five-event stretch rank against others during the modern era (from 1983 on, the year that the PGA Tour began collecting reliable data)? In measuring performance across decades, money earned clearly doesn’t work: Purse sizes have increased dramatically over the years and prize money doesn’t necessarily reflect the importance of winning majors. Simply counting wins leads to unreliable tallies, too, because it inherently lends equal weight for second place and missing the cut. FedEx Cup points didn’t exist prior to 2007, so chuck that metric. To do this right, I had to create a new points system.…

OUR PLAN WAS TO RENT a convertible and purchase an oversize foam-rubber cowboy hat for Bates to wear. As we passed other vehicles on the road, Bates would lean out the passenger window and scream, “Yeeee-ha!” while waving the faux Stetson about in the manner of Slim Pickens riding the bomb in Dr. Strangelove. It was—and I do not say this lightly—the greatest plan ever. We assumed every store in Texas would sell comically large headwear and were dismayed to learn otherwise. Another thing we learned was that Byron Nelson, whom I was in Dallas to interview, sure was touchy about a total stranger wandering around his home and picking up his major championship hardware. To be fair, at the time Bates didn’t know Byron Nelson from Ozzie Nelson. He…

THE 170-YEAR-OLD Johnston & Murphy brand has been most well-known for its dress shoes, but did you know the company has deep roots in the sport of golf? The company first made golf shoes in the 1920s, then had a resurgence in the 1970s and 1980s when they aligned with pro golfers such as Greg Norman, Ken Venturi, Gene Littler, Hale Irwin and, most notably, Arnold Palmer, who was a brand ambassador in the ’80s. Now, Johnston & Murphy is back with its all-new XC4 H1-Luxe Hybrid golf shoes, made for performance on and off the course. The XC4 shoes ($179) come in classy brown, white and black colorways, each made with spikeless soles, waterproof construction, memoryfoam cushioning and temperaturecontrol linings. —Andrew Tursky…

1. ALIGNMENT PRO TRAINING AID; $80 2. TAYLORMADE M2 2016 DRIVER, 8.5 degrees, Aldila Rogue Silver 65X shaft, Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align grip, 280 yds (carry) 3. CLEVELAND LAUNCHER DST FW, 13 degrees, Miyazaki Kusala Black 83X shaft, 255 yds 4. ADAMS IDEA PRO GOLD HYB, 18 degrees, Graphite Design Tour AD Hybrid shaft, 235 yds 5. ODYSSEY WHITE HOT RX ROSSIE PUTTER 6. BUSHNELL PRO XE RANGEFINDER; $549 7. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS GOLF TEES; $22/175 tees 8. PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY YARDAGE BOOK COVER 9. PUTTING ALIGNMENT STRING AND STAKES 10. THE GIVE VALUABLES POUCH 11. JULIE’S REAL CINNAMON VANILLA BEAN CASHEW BUTTER; $20/10 packets 12. BALLPOINT PEN AND DASHU VITAFLEX SUNSTICK SPF 50; $26 13. KELLOGG’S NUTRI-GRAIN BARS AND PLANTERS SALTED PEANUTS 14. SRIXON PRO SERIES GOLF GLOVE; $20 15.…

PUT TWO LEGENDS IN THE SAME ROOM and something magical is bound to happen. That was certainly the case when 18time major winner Jack Nicklaus and Himeji, Japan–based iron craftsman Katsuhiro Miura collaborated on a limitededition set of artful blades (below). They went like hotcakes when first offered in midJuly, selling out in mere days ($2,750, 3PW, with Jack’s specs). The heads blend some of Miura’s best design traits with subtleties that served the Golden Bear well during his career, including a flatter sole, straighter leading edge and reduced camber. Miura-san, who began grinding clubs the same year Nicklaus played in his first major (’57), even added “effective offset” to inspire confidence at address—and fit Jack’s eye. Who wouldn’t stare at these beauties all day? Visit miuragolf.com. —J.W.…

TONY JACKLIN WAS NOT THE FIFTH Beatle—it only seemed that way. In the late ’60s, the dashing Englishman with a great head of hair came to America with the goal of being the best golfer in the world. For a brief, brilliant moment he was, winning the 1969 Open Championship and the 1970 U.S. Open, with a transcendent performance at the ’69 Ryder Cup in between. Jack Nicklaus’ final-hole concession to Jacklin at that Cup—allowing the underdog Brits to forge a tie—is a lasting monument to sportsmanship and led to a lifelong friendship between the two men. Jacklin was unable to sustain the magic as a player, but in the ’80s he reinvented himself as the European Ryder Cup captain, leading the charge that turned a lopsided exhibition into one…

1. Match the winged crest. 1. BALTUSROL 2. WINGED FOOT 3. OLYMPIC CLUB 4. CHAMPIONS 5. BENTLEY 2. Match the art deco typographical crest. 1. ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB 2. BALTIMORE COUNTRY CLUB 3. FRESH MEADOW COUNTRY CLUB 4. SCIOTO COUNTRY CLUB 5. WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS 3. Match the horse or horse-tack crest. 1. OAKLAND HILLS 2. SOUTHERN HILLS 3. PHILADELPHIA COUNTRY CLUB 4. FERRARI 4. Match the golfer crest. 1. BETHPAGE 2. PINEHURST NO. 2 3. HAZELTINE NATIONAL 4. CADDY SHACK RESTAURANT 5. Match the flora or fauna-based crest. 1. TORREY PINES 2. OAK HILL 3. PEBBLE BEACH 4. GARDEN CITY 6. Match the nameor place-based crest. 1. CONGRESSIONAL 2. CHERRY HILLS 3. DO I LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT TO YOU? A 7. What kind of plant is featured in…

Having fun means FEELING CONFIDENT in what you’re wearing. And since golf brands are offering a wider array of goods than ever, you can pull off your preferred everyday look on the course, whether that means neutral, monochromatic outfits or bolder, colorful ensembles. Details matter, and you’ll see plenty of fun patterns and colors this fall and winter. The key to pulling off BOLD PRINTS is balancing them with simple, classic pieces. Earthy, neutral tones and timeless staples (hello, FootJoy Icons) pair seamlessly with a wide variety of looks, making them worth your investment. Jumpsuits, fleece layers, hoodies and other STREET STYLE pieces have officially made their way into golf culture. You’ll never feel more like yourself than when you start blending your everyday wear with your golf wear. If…

For the par-3 tracks, we’ve arranged 25 of the world’s best from oldest to youngest. (GOLF plans to do a proper ranking in the near future.) Doing so underscores just how popular par-3 courses have become recently. More than a third of our list opened in the past five years, including two this year, making par-3 courses maybe the hottest trend in architecture. Just look at the design names attached to these tracks: Nicklaus, Fazio, Dye, Doak, Hanse, Coore, Crenshaw Many of North America’s high-end resorts have cottoned to the fact that not every golfer needs or wants to play a full-length course twice in a day. From Bandon Dunes to Sand Valley and Cabot Links to Pinehurst Resort, par-3 tracks now thrive. “The growing popularity of par-3 courses is…

IN GOLF YOU DON’T HAVE the luxury of starting blocks to help you “burst” into action. Here’s the next best thing Place a $100 bill on the inside of your trail foot, as shown in the photo above. Why the C-note? You wouldn’t want to lose it by performing the drill incorrectly. (Spikeless shoes recommended, obviously.) The goal of the drill is simple: Keep the bill under your foot (so that it won’t blow away). That means, during your backswing, keeping your weight over the inside of your trail foot. It’s a subtle move that ramps up the torque between your upper and lower body, priming you for a powerful transition. Keeping your weight over the inside of your foot also stops you from swaying, boosting accuracy. On the downswing,…

TO HIT BETTER DRIVES, you must trace the correct clubhead path: 1) oriented from slightly inside the target line before contact, 2) square at impact and 3) back up inside the target line on the follow-through. Careful not to overdo it; some players unwittingly end up swinging too much from the inside, forcing them to rely excessively on their hands to twist the clubface so it’s square at impact and back up to the left through the strike—hardly the path to consistency. Here’s an image to put it all together. As you swing past your front thigh, picture your right hand in position to catch some raindrops (i.e., palm facing the sky). This is one of those “feel versus real” moments—your right hand won’t actually lay perfectly flat with palm…

By now you’ve probably heard of the term “ground reaction forces.” Put simply, they’re a measurement of how successfully you leverage the ground during your swing—a vital power source. GOLF Hall of Fame Teacher Mike Adams recommends The Force Pedal ($50; the-forcepedal.com) to boost your leverage game. These colorful disks (one soft and one firm) train you to use the ground more effectively. Start by placing the soft pedal under your lead foot. Now swing. The pressure you feel under your foot helps you torque against the ground like a Tour pro. “Ground reaction forces are one of the hardest things to teach,” Adams says. “The Force Pedal makes it easy.” After a few swings, remove the disk. You’ll soon develop an awareness of how pressuring the ground boosts speed.…

I’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT a player who makes more than their fair share of short putts doesn’t necessarily have the best stroke, but instead has a better mindset. Confidence is huge on the greens and can often mask mistakes in technique that cause less-assured players to squander opportunities. Self-belief isn’t something you can snatch out of thin air, however. It’s rooted in successful reps in practice and reinforced by your performance on the course. You may need to fake that confidence at first, but in the end you’ll need that poised practice to truly reap the benefits. There are countless drills for building confidence on short putts. Regardless of the type of drill, make sure you always have two things as a constant: Practice your full, on-course putting routine and…

G: You’re retiring at the end of this season. Is it so you can play more golf? JJ: I’ve had the best job in the world for 19 seasons, driving the 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports. There was a point where I wanted to race every weekend. Now I’m ready to slow down. All I can tell you is it’s just time. G: What was more memorable, the first time you broke 100 on the speedometer or on your scorecard? JJ: Definitely on the golf course. Like a lot of people, I’ll work hard at something and be able to measure my success—but the golf course isn’t that place. I sometimes wonder why I voluntarily do something that makes me so angry. G: As someone paid to go fast, does…

You have an uphill, left-toright 20-footer that needs to go down or you’re on the hook for post-round drinks. You need to see the break, and the late-afternoon sun is not helping. Torch Eyewear sunglasses will. Torch offers a large selection of UV-protected lenses for all types of outdoor activities. Their violet-rose-based, emerald-mirrored golf lenses highlight specifically the color green while minimizing other colors, allowing you to better see grain direction and subtle undulations. They’re available in seven stylish models (HotTea pictured) and multiple colors. With their superior craftsmanship and attention to detail, Torch has you covered. And since, of course, you dropped that putt, your partners can cover drinks. ($160–$210; torcheyewear.com) —Nick Piastowski From motorsports to golf, pro athletes trust Torch sunglasses to cut the UVs and make the…

Carrying On THE 350 OR SO CADDIES at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort are a special part of the experience, shepherding blissed-out golfers across the heaving, windblown terrain while dispensing yardages, jokes and life lessons in equal measure. For the lucky golfers who return year after year, intimate relationships are often forged, and favorite caddies get reserved months in advance. The loopers are also a big part of the fabric of Bandon, Ore., with its petite population of 3,130. They’re married to teachers and nurses, they put kids in the school district and all those crisp greenbacks exchanged behind the 18th green flow through the local economy. The caddies, of whom about a third leave town for the winter, know that their profession carries the whiff of scallywag, and so they…

Shem Creek Shrimp Salad Serves 4 1 cup mayonnaise1 tbsp sweet pickle relish1 ½ tbsp ketchup1 tbsp lemon juice¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika3 dashes Tabasco½ tsp Worcestershire¼ tsp coarse kosher saltFreshly ground black pepper, to taste3 tsp Old Bay1 ½ lbs South Carolina white shrimp (21 to 25), peeled and deveined2 tbsp finely diced celery Whisk mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, lemon juice, paprika, Tabasco and Worcestershire until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Prepare an ice bath for shrimp in a bowl. Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Stir in Old Bay. Reduce heat to simmer. Add shrimp and poach until just cooked through (3 to 5 minutes). Transfer shrimp to ice bath. Drain shrimp, pat dry. Dice into bitesize pieces. Add shrimp and celery to bowl with…

THE DRIVE to help others can take hold at any stage in life. Sometimes a specific experience changes a person and inspires them to give back. Others describe a philanthropic spirit that comes from the soul. For Rafe Cochran, the calling came at the ripe old age of nine. When the now-14-year-old junior golfer isn’t swinging a 7-iron, he’s swinging a hammer, helping to build and raise money for new homes and schools for underprivileged kids in Haiti and Jamaica. He’s been at it for almost six years. It all began for Rafe in third grade. A local organization called Food for the Poor visited his class at South Florida’s Palm Beach Day Academy to teach children about global citizenship, social responsibility and, specifically, the suffering of people in Haiti…

Unprecedented times have spurred many companies to roll out ideas they’d put on hold. Callaway had been considering offering free, over-the-phone fittings for a while; in early April, the time seemed right to get golfers, and their gear, dialed in. The company launched Distance Fitting” and tasked eight of its certified master fitters with getting on the horn for half-hour interviews with interested, often housebound and stircrazy golfers to help them find the right stuff, from drivers to balls. As of late July, about 800 people had gone through the process, including myself as well as a lonely trucker who just wanted to talk golf with someone—anyone—despite having no desire to, you know, buy anything. I filled out the surprisingly unfussy pre-fitting interview form (callawaygolf.com/distancefitting) and got an email confirmation…

LEGENDARY BROADCASTER and former pro Gary McCord recently joined the Fully Equipped podcast on GOLF.com to discuss everything golf equipment. Below are a couple standout quotes. On bifurcation and rolling back on the golf ball: “I don’t know how you slow down without getting sued and without losing all your sponsors for television. As the commissioner? Wow. I wouldn’t bifurcate, and I’d just play the game as we have it right now.” On his putter collection getting torched: “It was a Halloween party and we’re all just having a good time, and I smelled something. I look over, and Andrew [Magee] got with the guys and he got a bonfire going in my backyard. And he went into the garage and he took out every putter that was in my…

VOKEY TOUR REP AARON DILL has noticed a growing trend among the pros in recent years. A traditional chrome finish remains the most popular option on the PGA Tour, but more elite golfers are starting to warm to the idea of using a dark finish. Namely, Vokey’s Jet Black SM8 wedge ($179) that’s currently used by Tour winner Cameron Smith. “Players love the look of it,” Dill said. “And the contrast you get when you add custom stamping and paintfill— it just pops.” The black finish not only looks sleek, it offers another important benefit: reducing glare on sunny days. The wedge is available through Vokey WedgeWorks and comes with all of SM8’s groundbreaking technology, in addition to a True Temper Dynamic gold black onyx shaft and Golf Pride New…

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT on a wedge with regularity is every golfer’s dream. Actually accomplishing it is another story. More manufacturers have begun to focus on the importance of internal weighting in an effort to improve launch, spin and distance consistency. Cleveland’s RTX ZipCore is the latest to embrace the idea with a forward-thinking design built around a low-density core housed inside the hosel, which helps reposition the center of gravity closer to the center. The design ensures you’ll have no trouble finding the middle on a more regular basis. And if you need stopping power, the UltiZip groove brings it with a deep, razor-sharp edge. The end result? More groove contact at impact to boost spin. Sign us up. ($150; clevelandgolf.com) —J.W.…

How hard is it to win a USGA event at Winged Foot? Check this: On his 72nd hole played in the 1984 U.S. Open at Mamaroneck, N.Y.’s finest, Greg Norman holed a par putt from the Hutchinson River Parkway. When he signed for his 69, his 72-hole total of 276 was four less than par. In the years, hours and minutes prior to Norman’s bomb, not one of the 943 players who preceded him in USGA stroke-play competition at either of Winged Foot’s courses had finished with an under-par aggregate regulation score. In other words, no player in the 1929 U.S. Open, 1954 U.S. Women’s Open, 1959 U.S. Open, 1972 U.S. Women’s Open, 1974 U.S Open or 1980 U.S. Senior Open had beaten par. For the sake of comparison, in…

His lead was two with three holes to play—a combined 1,377 yards of iconic Winged Foot’s closing stretch. That’s all that separated 36-year-old Phil Mickelson from an elusive U.S. Open victory. It was June 18, 2006, and Lefty was closing in on his third consecutive major title. But in reality he’d been leaking oil all day. Things didn’t improve on his next hole, the 16th. After carding his fifth bogey of the day there, Mickelson had found just two fairways in the entire final round. Then he deposited his next drive into a trash bin in the rough along the left side of the 17th fairway, prompting longtime NBC Sports play-by-play man Dan Hicks to quip, “He’s gotten it up and down from every other place this week at Winged…

Start by locating Mamaroneck on a map: leafy New York suburb, just north of Manhattan, and home to Winged Foot Golf Club, host of the 2020 U.S. Open. Now push outward in expanding circles, up into Connecticut, east onto Long Island, across the Hudson River into New Jersey. The geographic territory you’ve traced, with a radius of roughly 100 miles, contains a couple dozen Top 100 courses, a greater concentration of such designs than you’ll find in any patch of the planet of comparable size. This unmatched constellation includes works by Donald Ross, Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor and William Flynn, among other giants of golf’s Golden Age. But for quantity of layouts within this cluster, one architect outstrips all the rest. He is the author of Winged Foot’s East and…

There are many factors that affect ballflight and your ability to achieve optimal launch with your driver. You wouldn’t guess it, but one of the most important is how high you tee the ball. As a rule of thumb, the higher you peg it, the more shallow your swing becomes, since you’re forcing yourself to hit up more on the ball. Tee it low and the opposite happens: Your angle of attack gets steeper, because you’ll instinctively swing down more on the ball in order to make contact. So what’s the right height? From a poll of GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers, the ideal tee height is about 1.5 inches for driver. A good checkpoint is that half the ball “peeks” above the crown after you sole the club at address.…

YOU NEED TO LIFT your left arm during the backswing to make a good swing—but if you lift it too much, the clubhead will have a tendency to drift too far from your body, fueling an outside-in downswing and a glut of hard pulls and nasty slices. Ouch. To fix the problem, and allow your body to rotate while motioning the club on a lower and wider arc, try making a few rehearsal swings with a cackhanded or reverse grip. With a few swings at about half or three-quarter speed, you’ll feel that the club is more inclined to swing low and to the inside. (The reverse grip makes it very difficult to lift the club straight up.) At the top of the backswing, your right elbow will naturally “pin”…

STILL SOCIAL DISTANCING from your makeshift practice area in the living room? If so, here’s a simple drill to help improve your downswing, add speed and prevent casting—all at once. Grab your driver and flip it upside down. Next, get into a position with your lead arm and the clubshaft forming a near 90-degree angle (photo, below). “Pinch” your trail elbow against your rib cage as shown and rotate your hips open to the target (like I’m doing here). Now, go back to address and swing the club to the top. From there, do a few pump fakes to the position I’ve just described. With each pump, you’ll train your body to initiate the downswing and lessen your tendency to cast the club with your hands. After a few pump…

Here’s a great move to strengthen your hip flexors and increase lower-body strength (and pile on extra yards, too). Stand on your right foot and bring your left knee up to waist height (1). Use your left hand to rotate the knee away from your trunk 90 degrees (2). Rotate your knee back to the starting position. Slowly extend your leg then cross your left ankle above your right knee. Now sink down slightly into a one-legged, “prayer” pose (3). Hold and breathe deep. Exhale, rise and return to start. Reverse the move using your other leg.…