Inside the Master’s Shop

Nick Sherburne is the Executive Vice President of Operations at Club Champion.  That title might lead you to believe he sits in an office all day rearranging spreadsheets.  However, Nick is one of the most skilled and passionate club builders you’ll find, frequently found in the build shop tinkering.  He sat down with me recently to share some secrets for elevating your club building.

The Right Tools

While you don’t need every one of these tools right away, this is Nick’s list of tools for a complete shop:

• Heat gun
• Shaft puller
• Belt sander
• Swingweight scale
• Cut off saw
• Utility knife with straight and hook blades
• Vise

You’ll also need supplies like epoxy, two-sided tape, and ferrules.

When asked about his philosophy on buying tools, Nick stressed buying quality.  Poor tools create headaches down the road.  Club Champion uses primarily Mitchell tools and Golfsmith digital swingweight scales.

Installing Grips

Replacing golf grips is one of the best ways to get into club building and save some money.  It’s not a complicated process, but Nick noted that there are several mistakes that amateur builders frequently make.

• Scratching the shaft when cutting off the old grip
• Not cleaning the old tape off the shaft
• Not using the right length of tape, leaving the grip uneven at the bottom
• Not getting the grip on all the way on or stretching it out too much

Nick also provided us with several pro tips for making the job go faster

• Having a tape dispenser makes the job easier
• Using a heat gun to heat old tape makes peeling it off much quicker
• Use plenty of solvent for faster and easier installation and alignment

Finally, on the longstanding question of gripping with pressurized air vs. solvent, Nick says that either method works, but he prefers solvent.  He finds solvent to be easier when trying to line up a grip precisely.

If you’re interested in changing your own grips, get the step by step instructions HERE.

Pulling Shafts

Removing a shaft from a club is often step two in a new club builder’s journey.  Nick repeatedly stressed the importance of a good shaft puller for this operation.  Having a quality shaft puller allows you to use less heat.  Using less heat gives you the ability to reuse the shaft and keep the head from having issues with paint or integrity.

Nick also stressed the importance of having a good pipe cleaner to clean out the hosel after a shaft pull.  If you don’t get all the debris out of the hosel, your next installation could be compromised.

I asked Nick how many times a shaft can be used before you lose performance or risk breakage.  He told me that “it’s really hard to screw up steel” but even a graphite shaft can be used many times if it’s pulled well.

On the question of separating pros from amateurs, Nick referenced the ability to pull a shaft without compromising the head or shaft.  “It’s very easy to burn the paint on the head, or discolor the chrome on steel, or in todays multi-material heads ruin the actual materials the head is made from.  Also a professional can pull and reuse a shaft 100 times due to having great pullers that allow for less heat use, keeping all materials like new.”

Weights & Measures

Weighing and measuring golf clubs seems straightforward, but Nick warned that there are several common mistakes that amateur builders make.

• Not using a club measuring jig
• Neglecting how much length the grip cap will add to a club
• Not calibrating your swing weight scale correctly
• Not calibrating your loft and lie machine

If you avoid these common errors, you should be well on your way to measuring like a pro.  Get step by step instruction on how to Measure & Adjust Swing Weight HERE

Prepping Shafts

To prep steel and graphite shafts, Club Champion uses a belt sander with 80 grit sandpaper.  Nick stressed that you do need to be careful with this method as it can remove material quickly.  Prepping the shaft by hand can be safer for novice builders.

The keys to prepping a shaft well are:

• Not over prepping
• Not prepping too high up the shaft
• Making sure you clean the shaft

The trick, of course, is knowing the difference between under and over prepped.  Nick told us that “As long as the surface is rough, you are prepped well enough.”

Get the step by step on shaft prepping HERE

Cutting Shafts

For both steel and graphite shafts, Nick uses a chop saw with a 0.035″ cut off wheel.  Nick states that this creates a thinner, more accurate cut than alternatives like hacksaws or pipe cutters.  It also helps to avoid frayed ends when cutting a graphite shaft.

Find our full Shaft Cutting 101 HERE

Golf Club Assembly

Before you actually put a club together, you need to choose the right epoxy.  Nick told us that any epoxy you buy from a reputable golf distributor – Golfworks, Mitchell – should be fine, and he pointed out the more expensive 810 and 420 from 3M as excellent, also.

Within a given brand, you’ll have the choice between quick setting epoxy – often ready to play in 30 minutes – and long setting which requires 24 hours to cure.  Nick recommended long set epoxy for novice builders as it gives them more time and often creates a better bond.

When you’re ready to glue up a club, here are the key mistakes you want to avoid:

• Not mixing epoxy thoroughly
• Not using enough epoxy
• Not abrading the shaft and hosel enough
• Not cleaning the hosel well enough
• Not having a tight fit

The solutions to these problems are all intuitive.  Take the time to mix your epoxy.  Nick says you can’t over mix, you can only under mix.  Similarly, there’s no such thing as over gluing.  Excess glue can create extra clean up work, but that’s far superior to a club coming apart.  Finally, make sure the shaft and hosel have a tight fit, using shafting beads if necessary.

Find our Club Building 101 lesson on assembly HERE

Ferrules

Ferrules don’t serve a performance function, but they’re the clearest indicator of a professionally built club.  Turning a ferrule properly requires time and the right equipment.

At Club Champion, turning a ferrules starts with a belt sander that has an Egyptian cloth belt.  Nick recommends a ferrule turning arm to make the process easier.  The next step is using steel wool to smooth the ferrule further.  Finally, they wipe down the ferrule with acetone on a paper towel to give it a shiny finish.

Nick also noted that Club Champion always glues the ferrules to the hosel.  This is a small step that ensures the ferrule won’t ride up the shaft over time.

Get the full step-by-step on turning ferrules HERE

Getting a Professional Look

Nick noted three aesthetic checkpoints that can keep a club from looking professional:

• Epoxy left on the head or shaft
• Uneven, unpolished ferrules
• Marks on the hosel from bending

Beyond the looks, Nick says that consistent, accurate swing weight is the #1 thing that separates amateur builders from the pros.

To make that leap to A Tier, Nick emphasized the importance of proper machinery, repetition, and finding a mentor who can teach you the proper technique.

The post Secrets of a Master Club Builder appeared first on Plugged In Golf.

Golf Course Rankings Are Stupid

People love lists, but they rarely make us smarter or happier.  This is certainly true in the world of golf.  The best known list of golf equipment is nothing but a glorified participation trophy for every OEM that buys ad space, but my ire today is fixed on a different set of lists – those that purport to rank golf courses.  My hope is that after you read this, you’ll join me in ignoring them.

Listen to the podcast version of this article HERE

What Are We Ranking?

The stupidity of golf course rankings starts to become obvious with the question above.  Most publications share their ranking criteria, but that only illustrates the inanity of the lists.

There are numerous ways that we can rank golf courses.  We can choose the most historically significant or rank them by the tournaments they’ve hosted.  We might pick the most beautiful, the most difficult, the most perfectly conditioned, or the ones with the greatest variety of holes, and this is only a small sampling of the possible criteria.  But to smash all of these things into one number, to say flatly, “Course X is better than all others,” is to miss the forest for the trees.

Would anyone make a list of “Best Spouses”?  Of course not.  Being a good life partner is a mixture of dozens of different things.  Could I conjure a list of qualities, assign them all a numerical weight, and then make the list anyway?  I could, but it would not make my list any less stupid.

Even if we accept the concept of making this list, what criteria are we using and how do we weight them?  For me, course conditions are a non-factor, but I know many golfers for whom it’s the defining characteristic.  Golfers with a love of history may care that a course was home to a famous golfer or tournament; others may wonder why that ever enters the conversation.  And that’s before we get to the issue of…

Different Tastes

Even if we selected a single criteria for a list, creating a “definitive” ranking is a fool’s errand.  People have different tastes.

This was brought into stark relief on our recent PIG retreat to Fripp Island Resort [learn more HERE].  After our first day of 36, we sat in our house and debated the respective merits of the two courses.  Even on a topic as seemingly fact-based as course conditions, we could not reach a consensus.  Two people felt the courses were dramatically different in conditions; two believed them to be peers.  This group, for what it’s worth, is comprised of four people who are all above average players who have played “good” and “bad” courses across the country.

Subjectivity is present in virtually every criteria that you could use to rank golf courses.  What is beautiful?  What makes a course historically significant?  What constitutes a fun or varied layout?

“But the list is a compilation of many peoples’ opinions, so that makes it meaningful.”

No, what it does is crush the soul out of the opinions of dozens or hundreds of players by turning them into a single number.  Said another way, it is…

The Destruction of Nuance

A large part of my issue with golf course rankings is the finality of them and the way in which they destroy nuance.  What a person likes or dislikes about a golf course is unique to them.

One of the great discussions in golf is, “What is your favorite course at Bandon Dunes?” [the PIG Staff debated that HERE].  A large part of what makes that conversation so wonderful is that no one – at least no one I’ve ever crossed paths with – has ever referenced a stupid course ranking during the discussion.  Golfers use the topic to explore what they value in a golf course and to understand the perspective of others.  I love Sheep Ranch for it’s replay-ability.  You may love Bandon Dunes for its history, the thought of it being the only course on this wild landscape.  The next time we play those courses, we can appreciate the other’s choice more as we see the course through another lens.  It’s a discussion that makes everyone love the game more.  It’s the anti-ranking, and it’s beautiful.

In contrast, course rankings are like GOAT debates.  I’ve never walked away from a LeBron vs. Jordan argument loving basketball more.  The premise of that debate pits me against you in a right vs. wrong framework.  It leads to us tearing down what someone else loves rather than appreciating their view or simply enjoying what we like.  It’s great for ESPN’s ratings, but how does it serve us?

What Is the Purpose?

Zooming out to a more philosophical point: golf course rankings are stupid because they don’t have a good purpose.

Golf course rankings are not a useful guide for where to play.  Every single golfer I know has stories of playing a “highly rated” course and hating it.  They’ll bookend that story with one about a course they love that’s never sniffed a Top 100 list.  Why is this the case?  For all the reasons we just discussed: the rankings are meaningless.

Golf course rankings do serve as a substitute for taste and developing your own opinion, but I wouldn’t count that as a good purpose.  I suspect we all know a couple of gasbags who are quick to boast that they’ve played some number of the Top 100 courses.  Those same clowns couldn’t tell you what they liked or disliked about any of them, nor could they name a single course that’s off the beaten path.

Rankings feed the egos of those who belong to or regularly play highly rated courses, but that seems like an awfully poor raison d’etre to me.

So that leaves us with the real reason that golf course rankings exist: to make money for the magazines.  I’ll get in depth on that after a short detour.

Some Truths About Course Raters

Before getting into this, I want to be clear that nothing here is written to disparage the individual course raters.  I have met numerous course raters, and I expect some PIG readers are course raters.  I’ve found most of them to be good people, and some of them are my friends.  Onward.

Golf course rankings are not handed down from on high.  They’re created by publications which get their information from an army of course raters.  These course raters are regular golfers like you and me.

That information alone may come as a surprise to many.  There is no secret society of golf savants who know the great secrets of golf course architecture.  The opinions of these raters is no more or less valid than yours.  Yes, they are generally low handicap players (every publication has its own criteria), but, again, that does not give their opinion more weight than yours.

Why do regular golfers spend time, effort, and – of course – money to rate courses?  Access.  Being a golf course rater for one of the big publications can get you access to private courses which most would otherwise never get to play.  Again, this isn’t to impugn the course raters; there are several private courses I would like to play, too.  It’s simply to emphasize that these are normal people responding to an incentive.

Another ugly truth about the ratings is that they reward inertia.  If a rater turns in a score that differs too much from the rest of the group, their rating may be thrown out and they might even lose their position.  If you, having spent time and money to attain a spot as a rater, were told that you might lose your spot if you, for example, gave Pebble Beach a mediocre rating, would you?  Most wouldn’t.  This practice further stomps the soul out of these lists, telling each individual that there is a right and wrong answer.

Hey, Must Be the Money

“Matt, if ranking courses doesn’t make sense, why do they do it?”

To quote one of my favorites, Tony Kornheiser, quoting Don Ohlmeyer, “The answer to all your questions is money.”

Golf course rankings are a huge money maker for the magazines that create them, which is why every big publication does at least one (and most do more than one – Top X in the World, in the US, Public, Private, etc).  And the different ways that the lists create revenue may surprise you.

Perhaps most obviously, these lists generate a lot of interest.  People love lists.  That means magazines sold and links clicked.  More clicks mean more ads mean more money.

Next, have you ever noticed how the golf courses that buy a lot of ad space always end up on these lists?  Funny how that works.  A brand new course jumps into the Top 100 following a months-long ad campaign.  That’s quite a coincidence.  And that sponsorship commitment will stay in place once the course is on the list, lest that spot be given to another.  “Nice ranking you got there.  Be a shame if something happened to it.”

Those courses often pay on both ends.  Having attained this vaunted status, they will want to put the Top 100 logo on their website and promotional materials.  Do you think they get to use those logos for free?  Think again.

Finally – though I may be missing other revenue streams – the raters pay the publications.  Every publication I’m aware of charges the raters for the privilege of rating courses.  Some take it a large step further, demanding that the raters attend pricey conferences every few years to maintain their status.

The Alternative to Golf Course Rankings

“But Matt, what will I do if I don’t read these lists?”  I have some radical suggestions.

Trust yourself.  Make your own lists.  Tell your own stories.

I get the allure of lists and the ability to show your “taste” and “status” by rattling off how many top courses you’ve played, but wouldn’t it be more interesting to tell people about a “no name” course that you discovered and what makes it great?

Wouldn’t the discussion be richer if we talked about the three courses you’d most like to play again rather than just enumerating how many “ranked” courses you’ve been to?

Wouldn’t the trip be more fun (and probably more affordable) if it led somewhere you’d never heard of?

Wouldn’t we all love golf more if we helped each other to see what we loved in our favorite places rather than arguing about what is “best”?

I know it’s radical, but I think it’s a good idea.

Share your thoughts on course rankings below

The post Golf Course Rankings Are Stupid appeared first on Plugged In Golf.

In this series, Matt and Andy discuss a golf topic they find interesting or important.  This isn’t an interview or a debate, just a conversation that occurred over email so that it could be shared with you.  If you like it, let us know in the comments.  If there’s a question you’d like to see discussed, share that, too.  Thanks.

MATT: To bookend our podcast about your personal swing changes [listen HERE], I thought we could do an email back and forth about the value of changing your swing for the average golfer.  I’m excited to see where this goes.

I’ll start with this: I’ve been a longtime enemy of YouTube golf instruction and the golf magazine “tips” culture.  I think I’m changing my view.  Making real, big, fundamental changes to one’s golf swing is hard.  It’s time consuming.  It takes more effort and heartache than most people are willing to endure.  So I don’t think most golfers should try to change their swings.  I think that, to the extent they want to practice, they should work on skills [more on that HERE], and I think the little bite-sized tips are fine, because they might buy someone a few swings worth of happiness.

How has your recent experience with swing changes affected your view on teaching significant swing changes?  Are you giving students a caveat that this might hurt and lead to some bad golf?

ANDY: I’ve had the crazy opportunity to spend time with Hank Haney, both watching him teach and having him give me a lesson.  I saw immediate results in the lesson, and was able to hit certain shots I wasn’t able to before.  I knew the changes were worth doing.  It made it feel better and easier to hit a golf ball.  From there I worked on what he gave me and also tried to incorporate a couple other things I had learned, specifically the new grip he showed Tiger.  Come on, who wouldn’t want to have the same grip as Tiger?!  I practiced a lot and was able to hit the ball great indoors on a TrackMan, but then had a lot of trouble when going outside.  I had to do some work to find the “sweet spot” of how much change I could handle and still take it to the course.

At The Golf Practice we mostly work with people on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  It’s very common for someone to make some progress in a lesson, whether it’s skill improvement like being able to hit a different shot, or technical where they are able to change something in their mechanics, and then come back the next week and need to learn it all over again. Usually they pick it up much faster after having already learned it once.  As a coach, I am very cognizant of giving my students the right coaching, and not overloading them with information.  Since my swing changes, it has made me slow down a little bit, and make sure students have actually learned one concept before moving onto another.  Everyone, myself included, thinks we can make more changes than we actually can, so I see it as part of my job to help students navigate this dilemma.

MATT: When you get a new student, how much time do you spend talking about their goals?  And, relatedly, the amount of time and effort they’re willing to commit?

I think the former is the most underrated, under-asked question in golf lessons and club fitting.  So many golfers want to “get better” and haven’t spent any time thinking about what that means.  I think it’s a difficult question that people don’t grapple with enough before they start down various paths of “improvement.”

ANDY: I spend time at the beginning of our first session asking about their goals, how often they play and practice, and if they’ve worked on anything in the past.  There’s a lot of similarities.  Most people just want to get a little bit better, and reach the next scoring hurdle, i.e. breaking 90, 80, 70.  And most people are working on or thinking about something in their swing that has nothing to do with their biggest impact fault.

Often what people are working on is making them worse.  For example, a 5 handicap was struggling with chunking shots or hitting high on the club face.  He was focusing on “rotation” in the down swing.  This was keeping him from getting to his lead side, so when I coached him through not thinking about rotating and instead focus on finishing with his weight in his lead foot, he started hitting it much better very quickly.

I work on helping make students aware of what’s actually going on in their swing, help them understand what needs to be done, and give them a way to move forward.  Sometimes this is done through changing their intention: right now it’s like you’re swinging toward third base, swing toward first base.  Sometimes it’s through mechanics if something is so far “off” like a grip or club face position, that I don’t think they’d be able to get good results unless that is changed.

MATT: Let’s zoom out a bit and get away from your teaching practice and students.  What percentage of golfers should be taking lessons and trying to change their swing?  And what’s the reason for your answer?

ANDY: I think anyone who is serious about improving should take lessons. And this doesn’t necessarily mean changing your swing. A lot of people need help sifting through swing thoughts, tips from friends, and things they’ve seen on YouTube and TV.  They need to understand what their unique tendencies are, and have a good plan to move forward.  There are people who are members of country clubs, have spent thousands on a custom fit set of clubs, and yet when they are slicing they watch a couple of videos and think that will help- what are we doing here?

I know there’s definitely a financial and time commitment aspect to this question, so if someone can’t afford it, at least acknowledge that you’re doing this on your own and it will probably take longer than if you had someone helping you out.  And, don’t try to make big changes based on a 10 minute YouTube video.  A lot of golfers I meet spend tons of time and money on golf, but haven’t had lessons, and this confuses me.

MATT: We’ve finally found a point of discussion and disagreement, though I’ll ask a question first: what does it mean to be “serious about improving”?

Pending your definition, I disagree with your assertion.  I think it is based on the instructors you work with and your own teaching, which, from everything you’ve stated so far, is very thoughtful and holistic.  In my experience, there are a ton of bad golf instructors (in fairness to golf instructors, I think there are a ton of bad everything).  I don’t think rolling up to your average golf course and asking for a lesson is going to yield good results.  Most golf lessons I see could be taught by a robot: “This is your first lesson.  I don’t need to ask questions.  I will fix your grip.  You will hate it because it’s uncomfortable, but you won’t argue because I’m the authority figure.  You will express your disagreement by not coming back.”  Hopefully you read that in a robot voice.

You seem to cite country club membership and custom fit clubs as a reason that players should take lessons, but I think that’s misguided.  I enjoy golf equipment for its own sake, not because I’m under the delusion that it will turn me into a great player.  If I were to ever join a private club (unlikely), it would be because I loved the course and the pace of play, not because I’m a more “serious” golfer than people who play at public courses.

I think a golf lesson CAN be a wonderful thing.  A long term relationship with an instructor CAN be very helpful.  But we live in a time of unprecedented access to information.  If a golf instructor can’t or won’t explain to a player why they’re slicing, why shouldn’t the golfer click HERE so they can learn the physics of it?  I think a lot of players would improve faster by reading a lesson on ball flight laws than having someone force them into a new takeaway procedure.

Finally, I think that the insistence on lessons overlooks another path of joy (for some): figuring it out yourself.  I think it was on your podcast not long ago where someone was talking about Ben Hogan and how he practiced so much that he was constantly “figuring it out” and finding new keys, and that’s why he was so good.  Obviously the average golfer doesn’t have Hogan’s talent or work ethic, but I think the same idea of finding little things to improve on can apply, and that might be more fun and beneficial than having someone else give you a set of answers which may or may not apply to the test you’re taking.

ANDY: There is a common “golfer archetype” I come across frequently.  They want to get better, which means lowering their handicap.  They play a ton. They use the internet for quick tips, rather than “information gathering” or “self learning.”  And they are usually frustrated and don’t enjoy the game as much as I think they could.  This is more the type of person I’m talking about.

The answer on whether to take lessons is indeed a fine line.  I agree there are bad instructors, and so I would definitely not say to take lessons from bad teachers.  I like your robot definition.  Lots of instructors are former high level golfers who just couldn’t quite make it, so their way of saying around the game is to teach, whether or not they have a passion for it.  You should be able to tell quickly if they truly want to help you, or if they just want to sound smart and spout information at you.

This is also getting at a bigger picture point on learning something new.  I taught myself how to play guitar, and I am happy with my progress.  If I wanted to learn guitar by myself, and complained all the time about my ability, well then I should probably go get some professional help or change my perspective.  I may be arriving at a conclusion here, if you want to get better, get professional help, or have the right perspective on the situation.  If you enjoy figuring it out yourself (this is actually the bucket I tend to fall into historically with my game) then stay on it!  If you are struggling and keep trying YouTube and instagram, I think you’d benefit from finding a good coach.  I found through a lesson with Haney that I had a couple of “blind spots” i.e. things I was doing in my swing that I didn’t realize were making things harder than they needed to be.  I wasn’t able to see these on my own and found that allowing someone to give you another perspective can be very helpful.

MATT: That’s fair.  I think what you’re describing is analogous to the club junkies in my world who buy to try, read a million reviews, but never get fit.

I think one of the problems that a lot of readers will have is, “How do I know if this instructor is good?”  Paying to find out is an expensive proposition with lessons in our area being $100 and up, on average.  Do you have a suggestion for weeding out the poor instructors?

Your guitar example is funny to me because I’m largely self-taught on guitar, too, and I go back and forth about lessons.  I think it gives me more empathy toward “the average golfer” because my questions are theirs: Do I want to spend the money?  Am I going to practice enough to make this worthwhile?  How do I find a good instructor?  How am I going to feel playing in front of someone else?  All these questions lead me to a lot of YouTube (which has phenomenal guitar content) but no concerted plan for long term improvement.

ANDY: There’s a few things you can look for in finding a good instructor.  Do you know anyone who’s worked with that person before?  Do they have any reviews on Google?  Do they typically do “one off” lessons, or work with people on a regular basis?  You also don’t need to go in blind to the lesson, you should ask some questions in advance.  Be able to describe your game, and the parts of it you are stuck on.  Talk about what you’ve worked on, and how it’s gone for you.  Ask if they have any ideas on where they would start, and how long they think it would take for you to get where you would like to go.  Having a conversation and talking through these things will give you a sense on if it would be a good fit.

Ultimately, as we’ve discussed, the question on whether to take lessons has many factors.  Money, time, goals, and much more.  The biggest message I’m trying to convey is I see a lot of students who primarily work on their game through YouTube or Instagram, and in most cases it is making things worse, and not better.  Their experience is quite similar: seeing some quick results, but then losing it and needing the next tip.  So for anyone out there who feels stuck on this hamster wheel, lessons can be very beneficial.  One of my favorite coaches, Michael Hebron, describes his role as being a “traffic cop for ideas,” and this person is much more needed in the age of unlimited information.

More from Matt & Andy

Fun vs. Score

The Golf Ball Rollback

The post Should You Change Your Golf Swing? – Matt & Andy Discuss appeared first on Plugged In Golf.

The Best Golf Gifts for Dad

If you started playing golf in your youth, it’s likely that it was your dad who put that club in your hand.  Now is your chance to repay him by keeping him looking stylish and playing his best with these fantastic Father’s Day gifts.

TRUE FS Slide

Whether Dad is a golfer or not, the TRUE FS Slide from TRUE Linkswear makes a wonderful gift.  This modern mule style has a focus on comfort, yet also features traction and durability.  Water friendly and quick drying, the TRUE FS Slide offer Dad footwear he can enjoy poolside or on the putting green.

Shop TRUE FS Slide HERE

PUR Truth Prepare Putting Trainer

If you’re ready to watch Dad start draining a lot more putts, get the PUR Truth Prepare putting trainer.  This is one of the best putting trainers available, and it’s simple to use.  He can practice at the course or in his office, and it will sharpen his skills whether he’s a scratch player or a duffer.

Check out the full review HERE

Shop PUR Trainers HERE – Use code PLUG to save 20%

Caddy Splash Golf Water Brush

Make sure that dirt and sand aren’t keeping Dad from hitting premium shots with the Caddy Splash Golf Water Brush.  This brush has its own water supply for getting Dad’s clubs sparkling, and, unlike wire brushes, it won’t scratch up his clubs.  Dad will be thinking of his thoughtful child every time he sees his set looking photo-ready.

Shop Caddy Splash HERE

Check out the full review HERE

Carl’s Indoor Golf Bundle

This Father’s Day, save some money and help Dad tee off from home with this bundle from Carl’s Place that includes a HotShot hitting mat (with a variety of sizes to choose from), ball tray, and tee pack. Whether he’s a course pro or starting from scratch, Dad will appreciate the convenience and realism of practicing right at home. Give him the gift of endless rounds, rain or shine, and watch his game soar to new heights.

Shop Carl’s Indoor Golf Place HERE

Swing Caddie SC4 Launch Monitor

Whether Dad wants to take full advantage of golf simulation or just drop it down to get data off its built-in screen, the Swing Caddie SC4 is the perfect practice companion.  This affordable, accurate launch monitor will help him dial in his game and get more out of every range session.

Check out the full review HERE

Buy the SC4 Launch Monitor HERE

TravisMathew

If Dad is in need of some fresh clothes, TravisMathew is a great place to shop.  The Heater Polos are more than just great looking, they’re also crafted of either recycled or organic materials – part of TM Eco Collection.  The Legacy Featherweight Jeans are soft and comfortable, plus come in an array of colors besides denim.  The Wanderlust Shorts combine style and performance with their lightweight micro-ripstop fabric.  And for a budget friendly gift, TravisMathew has a vast array of hats.

TravisMathew also has you covered in the shoe department offering both casual and golf shoes – plus the Daily Pro Hybrid.  Beyond comfort and a stylish look, the Daily Pro Hybrid features deep, reverse traction lugs that provide traction when needed on the course.

Shop TravisMathew HERE

Shot Scope Pro ZR Rangefinder

Dads like things that are built to last, so they’ll love the new Pro ZR rangefinder from Shot Scope.  With its Durashield case, this will stand up to all types of abuse.  And, of course, it’s quick and accurate, so Dad can zero in his approach shots and make more birdies.

Check out the full review HERE

Shop Shot Scope HERE

Club Champion Club Fitting

A club fitting is the gift that always fits.  Whether your dad is in need of a new flat stick, a new driver, or a tune-up on his irons, he can get it at Club Champion.  And don’t worry if Dad’s not a gear head – the fitters at Club Champion make it easy to find the best clubs for every swing.

Find your nearest Club Champion HERE

Hyperice Venom 2 Back

If your dad ever complains about a sore back, the Venom 2 Back from Hyperice will be the perfect gift.  This easy-to-use device provides heat and massage to get Dad ready to play or help him relax after a hard day.

Check out the full review HERE

Shop Hyperice HERE

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2024 – Some New Faces, Some Old Friends

Last year, I did a WITB feature [find it HERE] because of the unprecedented amount of changes in my bag.  Despite taking a measure of pride in keeping my bag consistent, 2024 saw even more changes than 2023, so here we are again.  A number of things have stayed the same, but there are nine new clubs in play, so let’s dive in.

Note: This post is accurate at the date of publication.  Changes will continue to be made.  I keep my WITB up to date HERE

The Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver

PXG won the driver spot last year, and they retained it with the new Black Ops driver [review HERE].  It’s a bigger profile than the 0311 GEN6 that I played last year, but Black Ops has better ball speed and more forgiveness.  Once I got the weighting dialed in, making this change was an easy choice.

One thing about the driver set up did not change: the shaft.  The Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro White continues to be the absolute best thing going for my swing [review HERE].

The Fairway Wood: PXG 0311 Black Ops Fairway Wood

The fact that I’m consistently carrying a fairway wood might be the biggest change to my bag this year.  There have been FWs over the years that I’ve thought about bagging, but the Black Ops [review HERE] is so forgiving and easy to hit that it got me over the hump.  My fitter put me into a 17 degree head, which I hit just as far as the 15 degree but with a softer landing angle.  The shaft is a Mitsubishi Diamana S Limited, which helps to keep the ball in front of me.

The Hybrid: PXG 0311 XF GEN6 Hybrid

This is the first carryover from 2023.  Everything that impressed me during my fitting and review [details HERE] has remained true – this club is long, easy to hit, and I love the ability to put some fade bias into it with the adjustable weights.  Like my driver, this hybrid is shafted with a Mitsubishi TENSEI White shaft, which gives me a great combination of feel and control.

Generally, I don’t play courses that require me to carry a hybrid and a fairway wood, so I’ll typically carry one or the other, depending on my mood and how the clubs performed in the last range session.

The Irons: PXG 0317 T Irons

The majority of my bag turnover comes from switching to the PXG 0317 T irons [review HERE].  The PING Blueprints fought off more forgiving challengers for several years, but these irons are simply too good.  The lofts are fairly traditional, they look and feel great, and they’re built for consistency over distance.  These are a few yards longer than my Blueprints, but the reason for the change was the forgiveness: the 0317 T makes my “off” days a lot more enjoyable.

Just as with the driver, I changed the head but not the shaft.  This set was built with PURE’d Nippon Modus 115 shafts [review HERE].

The Wedges: Edison 2.0

My Edison 2.0 wedges were never in danger of losing their spot in my bag.  These remain the best wedges I’ve ever played [review HERE].  There are a lot of things I love about them, but the number one thing is how they don’t care if I practice or not.  In my first rounds of the year, these wedges are helping me to get up and down like I was grinding all winter.  If you haven’t tried Edison, you’re really missing out.

These wedges have the same Nippon Modus 115 shafts as my irons.

The Putter: SWAG Handsome Too

I flirt with a broomstick and a traditional mallet, but when I need to head to the course, this is the putter I pick up.  This is my favorite putter shape, and I think this is the best version of it that exists [full review HERE].  One day this putter will be relegated to a backup role, but today is not that day.

The Ball: PXG Xtreme

The PXG Xtreme golf ball does everything I need it to – goes long off the tee, spins into the greens, and feels great – at a cost that’s below almost every comparable ball [full review HERE].  As someone who is constantly beating the drum for more accessibility in golf, how could I play anything else?

Technology – Shot Scope V5 & Pro ZR Rangefinder

Shot Scope made two non-club changes to my bag this year with their latest rangefinder and shot tracking watch.  The Shot Scope V5 [review HERE] has the same tech as the X5, but I find the old school buttons to be a better fit than the touchscreen for my large fingers.  Shot Scope’s Pro ZR rangefinder [review HERE] is super easy to use with dedicated buttons for each function, and its durability is unbeatable.

The Bag: Koger Sunday Bag

This is the perfect Sunday bag [full review HERE].  It’s light, but the material is incredibly durable.  It has just enough structure to make it easy to slide clubs in and out.  There’s enough storage for the necessities and nothing more.  Carrying this bag makes me happy, which is the single best reason to have any piece of gear in your kit.

The post Matt Saternus What’s In The Bag 2024 appeared first on Plugged In Golf.

Golf Is Not A Journey

As soon as we start going to school, we’re told that life is best understood as a journey with a destination.  There is a goal – to get good grades, and reach the next level.  This continues through college, and into our working lives.  There’s always something more, and we won’t be completely satisfied until we reach that goal.   

There’s a problem.  Does it ever feel like you’ve actually made it?  Or are you always left with the feeling you haven’t quite made it yet?

Scoring Goals

This is the same with golf.  Ever since I can remember keeping score, I felt like I would never be satisfied until I reached the destination, which was the next scoring goal I was up against.

The initial destination was breaking 40 for 9 holes. I made it, but it didn’t quite give me everything I was looking for.  I knew exactly why.  It was because there was a true destination that would fill me with pride and set me apart from other golfers – breaking 80.  I broke 80.  Then I broke 80 consistently.  Then I broke par for 9 holes.  Then I broke par for 18 holes.  Then I broke par for 18 holes multiple times in one year.  

As I was going on this journey, any time I didn’t get where I wanted to go, I was left making excuses to explain away my bad day.  My clubs weren’t right.  I wasn’t feeling 100%.  My swing wasn’t good enough.  I needed thicker grips.  The pace of play was slow.

The Universe is Playful

There’s a philosopher named Allan Watts who says the universe is inherently playful.  The universe isn’t going anywhere, and it doesn’t have any direct purpose.  Because of this, life is best understood by an analogy with music rather than seeing it as a journey with a destination.

If life and golf would be seen as a song, rather than a journey with a destination, it would make a big difference in how we approach our games.  In golf, we’re never satisfied when reaching our scoring goal, so maybe we shouldn’t take it so seriously. 

Playing at Golf

Over the past few years I’ve played golf with a half set of clubs, with no driver, with a persimmon driver, and with hickory shafted clubs.  I shot 6 under at Sand Valley with 6 clubs, a score I somehow know I couldn’t have come close to matching if I had a full set.  I don’t keep score every time.  My favorite way to compete is by playing matches, and my best days are usually when I know the score to the match and forget what my individual stroke play score would be.  I prefer to walk in tennis shoes.  I just got a new driver and wedges, and plan to use them in a set of 10 clubs my next time out.  

I think it’s possible to understand golf as a metaphor with music and still keep count of every stroke, keep your handicap current, and always use the maximum allowed clubs under current USGA rules each time you play.  I just think it’s a bit harder.  We end up treating golf and our games like we are a music conductor who thinks their only job is to play the piece as fast as possible.  It may be an impressive feat, but at the end you’ll be left talking about how you think you could have played a little faster rather than the beauty of the song and how it made you feel.

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A Nice Place for Golf

The following is a loose retelling of the 1960 Twilight Zone Episode “A Nice Place To Visit.”

Rocky McIntosh is a “Capital G,” Golfer.  He’s an 8 handicap, is a member at multiple country clubs, gets fit for new clubs each year, has been to Bandon more times than he can count, and reads Plugged in Golf daily.  No one’s quite sure how he got his money, and they know not to ask about it. 

One fateful fall afternoon, while playing the 10th hole at Shoreacres, Rocky caught a shanked 7 iron to the back of his head and knocked him out right on the spot.

When Rocky came to, there was a man standing above him smiling.  Everything was bright.  He noticed what appeared to be pearly gates, and it felt like he was laying on a cloud.

“Where am I?” Rocky explained, “Is this heav–.”  

“Come this way, I’ll show you to your new home,” the man replied.  “The name’s Peter, by the way.”

Rocky climbed into the back of the Peter’s car, and they drove down some unfamiliar roads for what felt like 15 minutes.  Eventually the car meandered down a long driveway, lined with beautiful trees that felt strangely familiar to Rocky, but he couldn’t quite place it.  As they got to the end of the drive, Rocky saw a white clubhouse, and instantly he knew, “We’re at Augusta!”

“Yes,” said Peter, “I’ll take you to your house.”

Rocky couldn’t remember seeing any homes from watching The Masters on TV, but as they drove through the woods they came to a house overlooking the 18th hole.  The house was massive, and was filled with everything Rocky could imagine.  An indoor putting green, a GC Quad, and a Trackman.  The basement was filled floor to ceiling with more clubs than Rocky could count.

Rocky grabbed a set of clubs, jumped in a golf cart, and headed to the first tee.  It was finally time for him to play Augusta National.

He birdied the first hole.  Then the second.  Then the third.  He had never birdied 3 holes in row.  His birdie streak continued and he made the turn at 9 under par.  He birdied 10, 11, stuck it close on #12.  It was the round of his life.  He made a 6 footer at the last to finish 18 under par, his best ever score by 22 shots!

The next day he headed out again, and made another 18 birdies for his second 54 in as many days.  On the third day, another 54.  Rocky was over the moon.  “It feels so good to finally have everything figured out,” he told Peter after the round.  It continued like this for another three weeks.  21 rounds of golf, 21 rounds of shooting 18 under par.  

Things were starting to feel a little stale.  Rocky tried out a new set of clubs and played a different set of tees.  18 under.  Again.

The next day he needed something new to happen so he topped his drive intentionally on #1.  His next shot meandered up the fairway, and then he holed out from 156 for an opening birdie.  Rocky mishit a putt on #2, but it still somehow found the bottom of the cup.  When he tried to slice it, he hit it off the toe of his driver and the ball still found the fairway.  He begrudgingly made a 10 footer on #18 for yet another birdie and yet another 54.

Rocky was discouraged.  He never could have dreamed of shooting under par, and now he was doing it every time.  He was surprised when he started to long for a lot of the things that used to bring him frustration in golf.  He started to miss the feeling of making a bogey.  He used to hate his first tee jitters, now he would do anything to feel like that again.  He used to get excited about new clubs, but now that he had everything at his disposal there was nothing special about them.  Rocky fondly remembered a past round where he shot 50 on the front 9, but rebounded with a 40 on the back. 

He went to go find Peter.  He didn’t think he belonged in heaven anyway, way too many shady business dealings and shaving strokes back on earth.  Now was time to fess up.

He found Peter at the house, “Peter, I think there’s been some mistake,  I don’t belong here, I’m not a good person.  I shouldn’t be in here, heaven isn’t for me.”

A wry smile crept over Peter’s face, “Oh Rocky, you’re mistaken.  This is exactly where you belong, and this place is definitely not heaven!”

Peter laughed menacingly.  Rocky hung his head in despair, now realizing he’s doomed to make nothing but birdies for eternity.

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It’s Back!

I’ve always loved the PGA Show, but the last few years have been tough.  The show has been so bad that in 2021, rather than write a recap, I wrote a piece on how to save it [read that HERE, it’s all still true].

The 2024 PGA Show was the first true rebound year.  Most of the major players came back.  The floor felt crowded, in a good way.  There was energy in the building.  There were actually new, interesting products!  Here are my Best of Shows, some interesting stuff I saw, and some thoughts.

Matt & Matt discuss the show in more depth on the podcast HERE

Best of the 2024 PGA Show

I won’t make you wait (or scroll) – I’ll get you right to the good stuff.

Best New Product: PuttOUT AirBreak Putting Green

Picking one product is tough most years.  This year it was not.  PuttOUT has created a green with adjustable break that’s not only a usable size (six feet long, roughly two feet wide), it’s affordable.  The motorized, computerized greens are super cool, but unless you have an entire room and tens of thousands of dollars to dedicate to the cause, they’re out of reach.  Look for the AirBreak pre-sale some time in March.

Best Party: Swag

I say this with all possible respect and appreciation for everyone who has ever thrown (or especially hosted me at) a PGA Show party or dinner – this category was never a fair fight.  Swag is different.

Sushi hand rolled on site.  A fire eater.  Signature cocktails.  Freshly wrapped cigars – with Swag wrappers, of course.  And the highlight: a claw machine with covers.  For the four plus hours that we were there, the line was never less twenty people deep and was, on several occasions, out the door.

Oh, and there was this.  If you’re into that kind of thing.

Best New Footwear Line: TRUE Linkswear

There are a lot of cool new shoes coming in 2024, but no one laid out an entire new line like TRUE.  This year, we’re going to see the first TRUE with removable spikes, a return to the original zero drop, wide toe style, and much more.  I’ve been a fan of TRUE since day one, and they continue to impress me with the way that they evolve their line and find new ways to offer better golf footwear.

Best New Rangefinder: Shot Scope ZR

In a show with roughly 20,904 laser rangefinders, the new Shot Scope ZR stood out for its rugged construction.  While Plugged In Golf does not endorse such behavior, we were told by a credible source that the ZR was run over by a golf cart and did not show any ill effects.

Full review of the Shot Scope Pro ZR rangefinder HERE

Interesting New Products

There was a lot of cool, new stuff at the show.  Having not tested any of it, I’m holding off on calling any of it “Best” or even “Good,” but it definitely piqued my interested.

Break7eventy Green Reading Insoles

Through an app and a sensor in your insoles, you can walk from your ball to the cup and get a read on the speed and line of your putt.  Obviously this won’t be tournament-legal, but it’s one of the most novel things I’ve seen at the show in a long time.  And if it works (big “if”), I think it could be really helpful for people who want to improve their green reading.

Trolf Travel Bag + Golf Bag

Trolf is a bag that holds your clubs more securely than any travel bag, then transforms into a usable golf bag for the course.  This was only in prototype form at the show, but, for the frequent traveler, this could be a game changer.

Tour Aim

A simple-looking training aid that checks a lot of boxes for good practice.  I’m hoping to get one in for review this year, as it definitely merits a closer look.

Full review of the Tour Aim HERE

PUR Golf Trainers

Ditto everything I said above, but for putting.  This trainer claims to incorporate all the most popular putting aids into one, and, from what I saw in the short demo, it may have accomplished that goal.

Oakley’s Return to Golf Footwear

Talking with Oakley representatives, we learned that they want to get back to making things are distinctly, obviously Oakley.  On a show floor with a whole lot of copy-and-paste sameness, I give this move two thumbs up.

Puma Phantomcat Nitro

The new Puma Phantomcat Nitro has one of the most eye-catching soles I’ve seen – and not just because of the bright colors.  Each amoeba-shaped spike is thoughtfully placed to prevent slipping and sliding during the extreme forces of the golf swing.

Lemerle Connect Putter

We see plenty of companies claiming to have made better putters.  We’ve seen lots of devices that measure your putting.  Lemerle is doing both.  Their putters have a lot of high end appeal – including a proprietary, ultra-stiff shaft – and also house a tracking device to measure your practice.

Trends & Observations from the 2024 PGA Show

The Biggest Names are Back

Callaway, Cobra, PING, Mizuno, Titleist, Bridgestone, and Cleveland/Srixon were all present and accounted for this year.  The importance of having the major OEMs at the show can’t be overstated.  As much as I love the little guys, the garage inventors, and the upstarts, a show without its tentpole brands doesn’t feel the same.

Shafts In Short Supply

With the exceptions of Nippon and Graphite Design, the big shaft makers did not take booths or even rooms at the PGA Show.  This is a continuation of a trend where more companies are doing off-site events or simply walking the show and taking meetings with the people they want to see.  As a shaft nerd, I found this a little disappointing because there are big new release stories like Diamana WB [review HERE], Project X Denali [review HERE], and the upcoming refresh on Fujikura’s Ventus line.

Too Many Rangefinders.  Too Many Simulators?

As I mentioned earlier, there were roughly 20,904 laser rangefinders at the show this year.  While I’m all for competition, the vast majority of these are just white labeled products – a brand buys the rangefinder from the factory and slaps their name on it.  If we’re going to have a bunch of something, let’s see some diversity – different approaches, different features, different prices.

There were also a lot of simulator companies at the show.  In this arena, I think there is enough diversity for it to be healthy.  There are companies making affordable products and some that only target commercial use or very high end recreational use.  Across the span of companies, there are a lot of different features being offered.  I don’t expect that all these companies will exist in five years, but they can all contribute something to the continued growth of this category.

Better Booths

This was true on both ends of the size spectrum.  Smaller companies like Sandy Par made better use of their space with strong signage and engaging displays.  The bigger companies, too, made the most of what they had.  Cobra, most notably, did a smaller, more considered space rather than claiming a huge footprint and not making the most out of it.  Also, anecdotally, the presenters were more engaged with the crowd – fewer were content to stare at their phones while show goers walked past.

Pickleball

A huge amount of the show floor was consumed by pickleball booths and two full-sized courts.  I understand this from the PGA Show’s perspective, and I can’t knock the idea of making the floor feel more full and lively.  However, as someone who is not a pickleball fan, this felt like wasted space.

Sneaky PING

PING put several clubs on display that have not been officially announced, including the i530 irons and S159 wedges.  I don’t think this can be counted as a spy pic or skirting embargo since there were not only clubs on display but signs advertising said clubs.  If PING feels differently, you can count yourself lucky that you saw this before it got deleted.

The post Best of the 2024 PGA Show appeared first on Plugged In Golf.

In this second installment of what may become a series, Matt and Andy discuss a golf topic they find interesting or important.  This isn’t an interview or a debate, just a conversation that occurred over email so that it could be shared with you.  If you like it, let us know in the comments.  If there’s a question you’d like to see discussed, share that, too.  Thanks.

Matt: A thought that I’ve had in my head for a few years is that playing golf for score and for fun are not compatible.  I think people should pick a lane.

Score casts a giant shadow over the game of golf.  When you check in at a golf shop, they hand you a scorecard.  Golf media drowns you in messages about breaking certain scoring barriers.  Professional golf – the most visible branch of the game – is entirely about score.  Virtually every golf product is sold with the implicit or explicit promise of helping you score better.

Because of this, I think that golfers who want to maximize their enjoyment of the game should abandon score completely.  I see too many golfers enjoy their time on the course then add up the numbers and suddenly become 20% less happy.  It’s madness!

I’ve written dozens of times that I only keep score if I’m compelled.  I play for fun.  My goal is to hit every shot to the best of my ability.  If I can string a few good shots together and make a birdie or two, that’s great.  If I hit a bad shot or two, I’ll forget the score on the hole and just try to hit an enjoyable shot.  And under no circumstance am I going to look back over a round, add up all the mistakes (which will definitely outnumber the birdies for 99% of golfers) and let them steal my joy.

What say you?

Andy: I agree — if you want to maximize enjoyment you should give up on keeping score.  I also think playing golf only for enjoyment is an equally limiting perspective as playing golf only for score would be.  Everyone starts caring a lot about score and lets the bad shots bother them too much.  Most people never move on from this stage.  You’ve gotten to a place where you rarely keep score and this helps your enjoyment.  What if you could get to a place where you cared about score and you didn’t let the bad shots hinder your enjoyment?

Matt: There are several threads I want to pull on, but I’ll try to stick to one or two.

I think there’s a distinction – and it’s one I find important – between being bothered by bad shots and being bothered by the number at the end of the round.  I think that even if we’re playing for fun, you should be a little bothered by bad shots.  If we’re not bothered by bad shots, good shots aren’t much fun.  I think that’s a natural extension of the idea that good golf is satisfying because it’s hard.  Feel free to disagree with me on that.

To answer the question you posed: if we don’t care about the score – which necessitates letting it affect us, I believe – why keep it?  Personally, I don’t keep score because the number annoys me.  I’ve played golf at a scratch level, and it took a lot of work.  I don’t choose to put that work into my game anymore, so my scores are worse than they “should” be.

Ultimately, I look at this from a practical perspective.  What function is the score serving?  For the golfer who is working to improve, the score can tell him something about how he played, if he’s on the right track, etc.  That has value to that player, and it’s worth the potential (likely) negative impact on their enjoyment.  I’m not working on my game, so what function does the score serve for me?  That’s a genuine question, I’m very open to the idea that I’m missing something

Andy: Now might be a good time for some background – I’ve played competitive tournament golf.  I’ve played golf for a season not keeping score at all.  I’ve played for a season only playing match play.  This past year I played hickory clubs and kept score every single round.  So it sounds like we are alike in that we’ve both played for chunks of time keeping score, and not keeping score.

Here’s a thought experiment: let’s use playing guitar as a metaphor for golf.  Everyone who plays guitar is at a different level.  Some are beginners and some are experts.  Regardless of where you are on this ladder, you have a piece of music you would like to play. You try to play the piece to the best of your ability. Sometimes you hit a lot of the notes, sometimes you make a bunch of mistakes.  Either way, it brings more enjoyment to you when you hit more of the notes right.  It sounds better, and you have a greater sense of accomplishment.  This enjoyment and feeling of accomplishment is unique to each player.  Everyone has a standard they set for themselves.  A person preparing for a performance can get just as much enjoyment as a person who is playing only for themselves.  I don’t think anyone would say they just enjoy strumming, and don’t mind if they miss notes or get off beat.

Now, there’s a couple ways people could get off track.  Maybe they’re facing some outside pressure to play differently or better than they are interested in.   Maybe the person is worried too much about what other people think of them.  The person could be playing too difficult a piece i.e. holding themself to a higher standard than is realistic.  In all these examples, playing the instrument would all of a sudden bring more stress than it’s worth.

Even though you’re not working on your game, score can simply be an interesting indicator of how you did that day.  It’s part of the story.  And it’s up to you whether you let anyone else in on the story.  I saw in an article you kept score with a smiley face or frowny face for each hole.  I would count this as keeping score!  I know a guy who once kept score by the amount of airballs he had – literally, how many balls did he hit in the air!

The story of the round adds so much to my enjoyment. I shot a 77, but I was 6 over through 6. I had 2 smiley faces on the front, but 8 on the back.  I had 20 airballs today, which was better than last week.  I birdied the first two and held it together to finish under par.  Golf is so unique in the depth of experience it offers us, and I think getting rid of score altogether makes golf a bit smaller than it otherwise could be.

Matt: A small correction: the smiley face score is not mine, it’s something I got second hand from a caddie who observed it.  I do endorse the idea, though.

Regarding the guitar analogy, I think it serves my perspective more than it does yours.  Playing the right notes is hitting good shots.  No one doesn’t enjoy hitting good shots.  No one enjoys hitting bad shots or notes.  The question is whether you count up the right and wrong notes.

I will admit to feeling a substantial amount of frustration at your response, but I think that the problem is one of definition.  In my initial conception of this question (which I did not share, which is my fault), “playing for score” is narrowly defined.  And again, I fault myself for being imprecise with my language as I’ve veered between “playing for score” and “keeping score,” which are not necessarily the same thing.  To me, “playing for score” means a few things.  First, it requires playing strictly by the rules.  More importantly, it means doing everything in your power to put the lowest number on the card.  That means playing optimal strategy – aiming at the middle of the green, not taking on low percentage shots.  It also means grinding out every putt.  I’m sure this is fun to a certain segment of the golfing population.  Some golfers play only to see their handicap go down, and more power to them.

When I say “playing for fun,” I’m talking about everything that isn’t what I just described.  You can count birdies, smileys, airballs, or nothing at all.  You can hit hero shots on some holes and strategically optimal shots on others.  There are only two things you can’t do, according to me.  One: claim a particular score at the end of the round, if you’re picking up putts, etc.  Two: if you do count a score, strict or not, you can’t allow it to bother you.

Are we on the same page now or is there still a divide?

Andy: Ok, I think we are now getting somewhere!  I like your distinction between “playing for score” and “keeping score.”  I agree, playing for score at all costs, or playing only for score do not lead to having your best experience on the course.  Playing with this purpose also tends to lead to worse scores as well.

I’m a huge believer in playing for more than just the score.  Anytime I talk about score not being the most important thing, or playing golf for enjoyment, people assume this means I don’t try, don’t take golf seriously, or am just out there pretending to be happy when bad shots happen.  Now maybe I should justt not care about what those people say, but there are a lot of them, and I think they, and golf as a whole, could benefit from seeing golf in a different way.  So I think our language around all this needs to improve.

There’s so much more to golf that goes beyond fun and score.  If you pay attention, golf is always asking you questions and offering insights into who you are as a person and how the world works.  How do I respond to adversity?  What tendencies hurt my performance?  Can I be respectful to my playing partners when I’m having a bad day?  Why are certain shots easy and others make be scared?  What situations bring up self doubt?  It also gives the opportunity to notice things.  The beauty and architecture of the course.  The miracle of pulling off an amazing shot.  The unique feel of a perfectly struck iron shot.

When we care too much about the score, it’s really hard to see all these things.  I don’t think it’s wrong to “play for fun,” but golf also gives the opportunity to learn about ourself, be confronted by our tendencies, and grow as a person.  Is this fun?  To me it isn’t always fun, but it’s definitely worth doing and a huge part of why I love playing golf more than just about anything else.

Matt: I don’t know if anyone else will enjoy reading this, but it’s been very helpful for me.

As we’ve gone back and forth, I’ve felt myself getting frustrated at some of your suggestions.  I think that helped me to recognize a flaw in my initial idea, that being, “Why am I telling anyone else how to play?”

I think the fundamental question of score vs. enjoyment is still really important, but I’m hoping that I can prompt the reader to ask themselves what they enjoy about the game rather than trying to tell them anything at all.

A phrase I think we’re both fond of – affected as it may be – is “golf journey.”  We’re all at different places along different roads.  The fact that I’m not interested in score doesn’t mean I’m more or less evolved than anyone else.  That you want to use golf to learn about yourself is not inherently better or worse than someone who doesn’t.

I think my last contribution to this thread will be something I picked up on TikTok a while back about different types of fun.  I’ve found that there are actually several different versions of this from different academics, but I like this conception based on how people play video games.  There are Achievers, Socializers, Explorers, and Killers.  We may have parts of all of these in us at different times, or we may feel connected to just one.  In either case, I find it an interesting framework for understanding our enjoyment and thinking about how we can get the most fun out of our golf.

Andy: Yes, I also hope this helps people ask questions of themselves.  If you can figure out your real reasons for playing you’ll be able to ask yourself, “How’s this working for me?” From there you can make any adjustments and golf will become more enjoyable, engaging, interesting, and just about anything else you would like it to be.

More from Matt & Andy

Should You Change Your Swing?

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Changing the Game

If you’re a regular listener to the Plugged In Golf Podcast [listen HERE], you know that most episodes end with a rapid fire segment we call the Back 9.  One of our staple questions is, “If you were the golf czar, what’s the first thing you would do?” 

The answers run the gamut from practical to off-the-wall and give us a great insight into the way that people think about the game.  At the request of a reader, we’ve compiled some of the best answers here, organized from mild to very spicy.

Fairway Divots Be Damned

Noelle Zavaleta, Social Media Specialist at Cleveland/Srixon, “You can remove your ball if you’re in a divot in the fairway.”

Jason Bruno, Founder of LinksNation, “If you hit it in the middle of the fairway and your ball is sitting in a divot, I feel like that should be ground under repair.”

Tyler Standifird, Biomechanics Professor and sports performance researcher, “Being able to pull balls out of divots in the fairway, without a doubt.  And I would somehow create a system where every recreational golfer played from the right set of tees.”

Corey Gerrard, Director of Marketing for Vokey Wedges, “I’d let people move it out of a divot.”

Pace of Play

Dan Ridgway, Founder of GOAT Grips, “I would try to get away from five and six hour rounds.  That takes away a lot from the game.”

Johannes and Fredrik, Founders of Koger Golf Bags, “Slow play is one thing, but I think I wouldn’t change anything.  I would rather look at going back to our roots.  There is a reason St. Andrews is very popular.  More keeping to our traditions, I think.”  “I would put in the shot clock on the PGA Tour.  I can’t understand at all why they haven’t.  Nobody likes this slow play, and they still don’t do it.”

Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf, “I would figure out a way to speed up play.  You can’t do that in amateur golf with a shot clock, but maybe not booking so many tee times eight minutes apart.  I know it’s less revenue for the course, but we’ve got to figure out a way to not have five, five and a half hour rounds.”

JJ Van Weezenback, Director of Player Promotions at Titleist, “It would have to be something pace of play related.  Maybe eliminate honors on a casual round – first to the tee is first ball in the air.”

Brian Schielke, GM at Srixon Golf, “It would probably be something to do with pace of play and having foursomes go out every ten to twelve minutes instead of eight minutes apart.  Keep the pace up and make sure we can finish in four hours or less.”

Matt Barksdale, Head Pro at Pinehurst, “I would make sure everybody plays ready golf”

Focus on Fun

Terry Hanley, GM of Cantigny Golf, “Add music and make it fun.  Stop all the stuffiness.  The world’s changing everyday.  There are some pure golf courses that will stay pure, and you can go to Augusta and do that.  But for the most part the world’s changing.  I have kids who are 30 years old, they play golf in a different manner than I used to.  You can’t fight it, so you might as well embrace it and have fun with it.”

Garret Krynski, Founder of GEOM Golf, “I would throw away the dress code rule book.  It’s not in the rules of golf, but it’s on the back of every local score card.  I would literally burn it.  Dress code rules are the most ridiculous non-rule rule in the game of golf and I think it’s killing it.”

Jeff Pelizarro, 18Strong, “The dress code thing.  I like being able to go out to a muni course and play in a t-shirt and just have fun with the guys.  I think some places end up being a little stuffy.”

Grow the Game

Keith Karem, Senior Vice President of Marketing, KemperSports, “I’m going to make golf easier to play for kids who otherwise couldn’t.  I think the biggest downside to our game is the location, the cost, where it is; it’s not as accessible as it should be.”

Preston Toulon, Mitsubishi Golf, “I have a lot of people in my life getting into golf, and when they play, they’re so intimidated by golfers behind them or in front of them.  If I could change anything, it would be to make it a lot more welcoming to people who are learning.  I wish people would be more cognizant of new golfers trying to learn the game and help them along.”

Stephanie Luttrell, Director of Metalwoods Development at Titleist, “Make golf affordable and accessible to all.

James Patrick Harrington, Founder of JP Golf, “I’d make it more accessible for kids and everybody to enjoy their version of golf because at the end of the day golf is supposed to be fun but anybody can find enjoyment in golf in their own way.”

Brian Doyle, Founder of AXIUS Core, “I’d do everything I could to make the game more accessible.  I would remove barriers of entry – more courses that are easier to find tee times at lower costs.  More people playing, I think that’s where golf needs to go.”

The Hottest Takes – Rule Changes, Equipment, and More

Dean Dingman, CEO of SuperStroke, “I would have no limits on drivers or golf balls.”

Liam Bedford, Tour Department at L.A.B. Golf, “Add a ring around the cup.  You can – and I don’t know how we do this – have circles around the hole and you can accept a certain score to finish the hole and you can pick it up.  Having some more quirky rules in there.  It’s not for stroke play, but for the casual match.”

Mike Romatowski, creator of Mach 3 Speed Training, “Caddies are not allowed on the green.  I don’t think a Tour player should [let someone else read the putt].  You’re the best of the best.  Why do you need somebody else reading your putts?”

Bradley Hughes, Tour Pro, Instructor, Inventor of the Down Under Board, “Two sets of rules.  The pros are just destroying golf courses with the technology that they’ve got.  The pro is not challenged anymore.  It doesn’t matter how long you make a hole.”  *This answer goes on for several minutes and is worth a listen HERE.

Tom Olsavsky, VP of Research and Development at Cobra Puma Golf, “It always struck me that two footer is worth as much as a 300 yard drive, so if I could wave a wand, I’d make all the holes bigger.  It would speed up play.  We did some experiments with that and it would take a lot of frustration out of it, especially for players higher up the handicap scale.  I wouldn’t go to 15″, but I would go double the size of today.”

Dan Erdman, Founder of Uther Supply, “I would reduce the amount of clubs.  I think that’s a barrier to entry because it’s expensive so if we could simplify it and have seven clubs as opposed to fourteen, it would offer more creativity as well.”

Reed Dicks, Founder of LA Golf, “The game has dozens and dozens of rules that are completely outdated.  There’s things that have nothing to do with giving you a competitive advantage.  There’s a lot of modernizing the rule book.  If I could only change one thing, the idea that a fan can call in because of HD television and call a penalty on a player, I think is the most appalling, abysmal, unacceptable injustice in the world, but when Bryson couldn’t find his ball at The Masters in November, they couldn’t do ask the camera to help him find it, he had to walk around like it’s 1900.”

Jesper Thuen, GM at ECCO USA, “I think the length thing has gone too far.  I would like to see the golf ball rolled back a little bit.  I think it’s a shame that a lot of these fantastic old golf courses are a little bit obsolete now because they’re not long enough.”

Andy Staples, Golf Course Designer, “As a player, I’d bring back anchoring because I was a decent putter when I could anchor.  The fourteen club rule.  I still don’t carry fourteen clubs.  I don’t know how many golfers use all fourteen clubs.  And when you actually get down to the amount of clubs you actually need and are forced to play the game with less options, I think that’s better.  I’d go to probably ten.”

Mark Stewart, CEO of Stewart Golf, “One thing that’s done way better in the US than it is in the UK is the different tees.  In the UK you have reds, the front tees for ladies and juniors, yellow, for mortals, and white, which is competition.  It just doesn’t make any sense.  The distance of the golf course shouldn’t be based on your sex or your age, at all.”

Brandel Chamblee, Former Professional Golfer, Golf Analyst, “In professional golf, I would eliminate the exemptions for top 50 and top 25 career money earners.  It’s a safety net that has no place in sports.  Sports should be based on merit and what you can do right now.”

If you were the golf czar, what would you do?

Share your thoughts in the comments

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