Golfweek released its annual “25 Best Public Access Short Courses in the U.S.” compilation and two Branson Golf Destination courses shone, earning top 10 status – Top of the Rock (No. 3) and Mountain Top (No. 8).
The development of short courses has been one of the greatest trends in golf over the past decade. Par-3 layouts have been around for decades, but the recent proliferation of new ones is providing golfers with more options, ones that cost less and take less time to play than traditional length 18-hole courses.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the 30-year-old South African who is a five-time winner on the DP World Tour, two-time Olympian, and Presidents Cup player, has signed a multi-year contract with PXG.
“I love PXG clubs and apparel, which is the non-negotiable starting point for any professional partnership that I enter into,” commented Christiaan, who joins an ever-growing PXG stable of Tour pros across the men’s and women’s game. “I’m also super-impressed by the whole ethos of the company and the way they do business. Innovation, technology, design, quality of materials, and performance – you get the full package with PXG.”
Building on the Generational Technology of the new GT drivers and fairways, Titleist adds to its family of metalwoods with the introduction of the all-newGT1, GT2 and GT3 hybrids. The new lineup offers improved stability and forgiveness along with new flat-weight adjustability, giving fitters and golfers greater control over center of gravity (CG) placement to dial in ball flight and launch conditions.
All three models, each uniquely designed for a different player profile, offer higher inertia setups than the prior generation along with refined shapes to improve playability.
COBRA PUMA Golf, a leader in golf club and apparel innovation, is pleased to announce the signing of Rickie Fowler to a long-term extension that will keep the California native in the CPG family for years to come. Fowler, who initially signed with PUMA Golf in ’09 and COBRA Golf in ’12, will continue to wear head-to-toe PUMA Golf apparel and carry a full bag of COBRA clubs.
“The COBRA PUMA Golf brands are like family to me,” said Fowler. “The clubs and apparel are as good as it gets and the fact that they know what I look for in fashion and style gives me extra confidence on and off the course. While their products are incredible, I also truly value all the relationships I’ve built here throughout my career. Extending this partnership was a simple decision and I’m excited to stay part of these amazing brands.”
Scotty Cameron adds five new configurations to the Phantom mallet putter lineup, introducing the NEW tour-inspired Phantom 5.2 and Phantom 7.2 models to the mallet family, as well as offering the Phantom 5, Phantom 11 and Phantom 11 Long Design models in left-handed setups for the first time.
The all-new Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.2 and 7.2 putters, featuring the popular wingback Phantom 5 and Phantom 7 mallet head shapes, are crafted with an I-beam-style plumbing neck. The plumbing neck setup provides players with alternative toe flow properties and alignment benefits to the shaft and neck configurations already offered in the Phantom lineup.
How does a PING G driver with faster, more consistent ball speeds and higher launch across the face sound? What about higher launching, longer carrying PING G irons with improved stopping power in a more compact players shape?
PING has done all of that and more with their new family of G440 drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and wedges. The new custom-fit, custom-built G440 family consists of three driver models (MAX, LST, SFT), three fairway-wood designs (MAX, SFT, LST) in multiple lofts, six hybrid choices and an iron set (4-9, PW, UW, 52°, 56°).
Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. announced today that the winner of the 2025 PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii, which took place at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, was using a Graphite Design Tour AD DI-95 X-Stiff flex hybrid shaft in his Titleist TSR2 21° Hybrid.
The champion secured his fifth PGA Tour victory with a birdie on the second hole of a two-way playoff.
Combining revolutionary technology with meticulous craftsmanship, SRIXON announces the launch of their all-new ZXi Woods featuring the company’s exclusive i-FLEX technology, bringing tour-inspired performance to every tee box and fairway.
At the heart of the new ZXi Woods lineup is Srixon’s exclusive i-FLEX technology. A completely redesigned face thickness pattern that optimizes energy transfer from the club face to the ball, resulting in maximum efficiency and enhanced ball speed.
With pure performance behind every strike, SRIXON is introducing their latest iteration in Iron design with their all-new ZXi Irons.
Made with groundbreaking i-FORGED technology, these Irons produce superior feel, along with improved distance, forgiveness, and control.
How Forged Should Feel
Srixon’s one-of-a-kind formula called i-FORGED or Impact Forged, is a new achievement in club design and manufacturing, developed to strengthen and enhance each ZXi Iron to create superior all-around performance.
The i-Forging process gave us the unique ability to select which steels would be best suited for each ZXi Iron, promoting a better hitting feel and overall performance. On the ZXi7 Players Iron, we used a softer steel in S15C. It’s the softest steel we’ve ever had in a forged Srixon Iron. Each new material upgrade serves a specific purpose to balance and strengthen each Iron and give players immediate feedback at contact.
Dustin Brekke, Director of Engineering at Srixon
To ensure the Irons maintain their strength and durability, Srixon used Condensed Forging in their ZXi7, ZXi5, and ZXiU Irons. This proprietary technique strengthens specially chosen sections of each Iron to increase their performance.
By doing so, the added support allowed engineers to utilize softer, better feeling material in the construction without compromising durability and maintaining a pure feel. Testing results showed ZXi7 single-piece body material is 7% softer, while ZXiU and ZXi5 face material is 14% softer than the prior generation of ZX Mk II Irons.
Meanwhile, to maximize softness, each ZXi Iron was carefully tempered inside of a long oven to optimize strength and temperature for Srixon’s softest treatment yet.
Consistency in Every Strike
For ball strikers who value Tour-preferred looks, pro-level feel, and precision workability, the all-new ZXi7 Irons are true players Irons that deliver unparalleled performance from top to bottom.
To help deliver a more stable strike, an expanded PureFrame is forged into the body and placed directly behind the sweet spot to reduce undesired vibrations. With these enhancements, ZXi7 Irons achieve a 9.3% reduction in vibration displacement compared to ZX7 Mk II Irons, translating to a remarkably stable feel at impact.
In the ZXi5, ZXi4, and ZXiU Irons, MainFrame technology is back for a third generation. A variable thickness network of grooves, channels, and notches, MainFrame is milled onto the backside of these Iron faces, helping to maximize flex at impact for more efficient energy transfer into the ball. The upgraded design features a wider toe-side channel, allowing engineers to reposition up to 2g of mass for a lower CG and more MOI, promoting better ball speed, consistency and forgiveness.
Like past generations, each ZXi Iron was designed with a holistic, family-oriented approach, so models can be blended seamlessly with similar shaping and nearly identical topline thickness to create similar looks at address.
Every year we’re seeing more people choose combination sets with our Irons. We typically have three specific duo’s that are most popular among players – the ZXiU and ZXi7 is the most used among our Tour staff, pairing forgiving long Irons with highly workable short Irons. The ZXi5 and ZXi7 are for people wanting powerful distance and workability. And we have the ZXi4 and ZXi5 combination that pairs cavity back short Irons with hollow long Irons for maximum forgiveness.
Dustin Brekke, Director of Engineering at Srixon
Additional Features & Benefits
Tour V.T. Sole: Tour V.T. Sole takes turf interaction to a whole new level of detail, with a proprietary combination of sole width, bounces, and notches that encourage cleaner strikes and optimal level of workability to each ZXi Iron model. And for the first time ever, Tour V.T. Sole will be featured on ZXiU Utility Irons for a new dimension of long-game versatility.
Progressive Grooves: The 3i-7i feature wider grooves, while the 8i-AW have deeper, closer-set grooves to ensure consistent spin across the set. Laser milling between each groove, on every loft, adds bite on every strike.
Building upon decades of breakthrough golf ball innovation and excellence in process, Titleist introduces the new2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x, engineered to deliver more speed off the tee, more control with the irons and more spin with the wedges. The new models feature afaster high gradient core, reformulated to maintain low long game spin, increase ball speed and add spin on shots into and around the greens.
“The golf ball has to do everything,” saidFrederick Waddell, Titleist’s Director of Golf Ball Product Management. “It’s never just about maximizing one area – golfers need performance on every single shot. Each of our golf ball models is optimized for distance off the tee, and with 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x in particular, we’ve realized a speed gain while unlocking even better iron and wedge performance. All of which will help players shoot lower scores.”
Flightpath Golf, known for redefining golf accessories with innovation and luxury, is thrilled to announce its participation in the2025 PGA Showin Orlando, Florida. At this premier golf industry event, we will unveil theworld’s most expensive golf tees, showcasing a breathtaking collection crafted fromprecious metals andgemstones, elevating the art of golf accessories to an entirely new level.
The centerpiece of this unveiling is the Diamond Golf Tee, a true masterpiece of craftsmanship. Made from 18-karat solid gold and adorned with over 900 flawless diamonds, this one-of-a-kind creation is valued at over $50,000. This tee is more than a functional piece; it’s a statement of luxury and excellence, designed for those who seek the pinnacle of sophistication in their game.
The new Ai-ONE Silver, Ai-ONE Milled Silver, and Ai-ONE Versa models feature the same core technologies and innovative performance of the existing Ai-ONE lineup, leveraging Callaway’s industry-leading Artificial Intelligence design and super-computing capabilities to create the most advanced putters in golf.
ERC Soft is Callaway’s longest golf ball with soft feel, and it’s built for increased control around the green. Supersoft is designed for increased ball speed with exceptional soft feel, control, and spin from tee-to-green.
In the year 2025, the most powerful toolkit any course manager, golf pro or director of operations, can have is data and systems. Together they unlock opportunities, improve the player experience, maximize staff efficiency, and increase revenue. Leading the way in on-course operations technology is Tagmarshal.
Among the 600+ clubs currently using Tagmarshal’s system to collect and analyze data are two U.S. Open venues, Hazeltine National, a private club in Minnesota, and Erin Hills, a public facility in Wisconsin, which will host the U.S. Women’s Open this spring. Experts from both will detail how technology and data have enhanced their operations, sharing lessons learned at an insightful education session during the upcoming PGA Show on Thursday, January 23, at 9:45 a.m. in Room W230D of the Orange County Convention Center.
The education session—titled “Lessons From Major Championship Hosts Hazeltine and Erin Hills: How Optimization Tech and Data are Reshaping On-Course Operations and How Your Facility Can Benefit Too!”—will showcase Kyle Brandt, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Hazeltine National, and Professor Kris Schoonover, Director of Operations at Erin Hills. Their experiences with data, optimization technology, and Tagmarshal specifically, will be of interest to managers at clubs large and small, public or private:
Erin Hills increased greens revenue by $700,000 a season with Tagmarshal.
At Hazeltine National, Tagmarshal is used to effectively manage pace and flow of play, inform round discussions and member compliance, and assist in optimizing course set-up.
Said Brandt, “With Tagmarshal’s Track Map, it’s point-blank in front of them, making it so much easier to have those (pace) discussions.”
“We’re proud to share lessons from two of our valued partners, Hazeltine and Erin Hills, in what will be a standout education session at the 2025 PGA Show,” said Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO. “For operators looking to drive innovation, automation, and ultimately performance, this session will be invaluable.”
Golf managers and PGA professionals will earn PDR credits while learning more about:
How to optimize pace and flow of play using data insights.
The value of automation and its huge impact on on-course efficiency, saving valuable time and costs.
How to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to drive the economic engine of any course, resulting in substantial revenue gains.
Throughout the PGA Show, Tagmarshal will be at Booth 3123. Course managers and others can view live course demos, engage with the latest devices and technology, and calculate ROI based on their specific course information.
Tagmarshal partners with more than 600 private, daily fee, resort courses—including 40 of the top 100 courses in the U.S.—as well as management companies, while integrating with the most popular and innovative technology.
Ben Hogan Golf will be launching a series of exciting new clubs at the PGA Show which will be on show at Golf Brands Booth #2301.
On the booth will be two new drivers: PTx MAX which offers maximum forgiveness from a 460cc Titanium head that features a deep/ low sole weight to increase MOI for exceptional forgiveness and the PTx LST with Low/forward sole weight that reduces spin.
Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. announces that theGraphite DesignRaune Iron shafts will be available beginning February 10, 2025 through Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. and their Authorized Dealer network in the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada, South America, South Africa, and the UAE.
The new Graphite Design Raune (Raw-nay) Iron shafts offer a unique profile to golfers of all skill levels unitizing high modulus materials as the core for stability and pitch fiber as is outer layer for optimized stiffness and feel.
PXG is pleased to unveil the PXG Secret Weapon, an innovative mini-driver designed to enhance performance off the tee and from the fairway for all golfers.
Thoughtfully engineered for advanced golfers seeking the ideal blend of control and distance, the Secret Weapon offers apenetrating ball flight and tight dispersion, while also providing exceptional distance. And at the same time Secret Weapon design features make it ideal for anyone who struggles to square up their driver.
The Noteefy automated tee time demand system is now available for the three championship golf courses atThe Sea Pines Resorton Hilton Head, Island, S.C.
Harbour Town Golf Links, Heron Point and Atlantic Dunes have integrated Noteefy into The Sea Pines Resort website for golfers to input their desired tee times and receive real-time text and e-mail alerts when they open due to cancellations or new releases, subsequently booking tee times per the normal process. Golfers can select multiple courses at The Sea Pines Resort to increase their probability of a match by joining the standby list. There are no added fees to golfers.
MGI Golf, global leader in technology for the walking golfer and maker of America’s No. 1 electric golf caddy, will showcase its latest electric caddy models at Demo Day and at Booth #3201 during the 2025 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida from January 21-24.
As a pioneer in electric caddy innovation, MGI’s cutting-edge products will be on display during the show, giving attendees the opportunity to explore its most popular models. Featured at the show will be the Ai Navigator GPS+, Ai 500, Zip Navigator, and Zip Navigator AT – each showcasing the advanced features that have made MGI a trusted name among golfers worldwide.
The Golf Club at Crown Colony—part of a private community on Florida’s west coast known for its scenic beauty—has announced plans for a significant renovation to its golf course and other amenities.
Members resoundingly approved a $12 million master plan that includes a total renovation of its golf course, which hosted the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship, 2023 Florida Open, and the 2023 PGA TOUR / Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying. Noted golf course architect Bill Bergin, Bergin Golf Designs, has prepared plans for upgrading the irrigation and drainage on all 18 holes, as well as design enhancements that will make the course both more fun and more challenging for golfers of all levels. Work will begin in 2026.
Sun Mountain Sports, innovation leader in golf bags, travel gear and performance apparel, will be launching exciting advancements in their innovation platforms at the 2025 PGA Show including the performance Eclipse E-Series golf bags, Matchplay stealth luxury golf bags and a premium AW25 Apparel Collection.
These game-changing designs and enhanced technologies represent a new direction as Sun Mountain elevates their product pipeline and solidifies their spot as a leading creator of the world’s best golf products.
Bushnell Golf, the industry leader in distance measuring devices, proudly announces the launch of the Bushnell Launch Pro Indoor (LPi), the next generation in indoor golf simulation.
Developed in partnership with Foresight Sports, the LPi combines professional-grade ball and club tracking capabilities with groundbreaking accessibility, bringing Tour-caliber technology to everyday golfers.
Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. announced that the winner of the 2025 PGA Tour The Sentry tournament held at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii was playing aGraphite Design Tour AD DI-8 TXwood shaft in his Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS 9.5° Driver, aGraphite Design Tour AD DI-9 TXwood shaft in his TaylorMade Qi10 15° fairway metal wood and a Graphite Design Tour AD DI-10 TXwood shaft in his Cobra King RadSpeed Tour 17.5° fairway metal wood.
The champion claimed his eleventh PGA Tour victory after shooting a 4-day score of 65, 65, 62, 65 to win the 1sttournament of the season by 3 strokes.
Mitsubishi Golf has revealed Diamana RB, the final member of the 6th Generation Diamana family. Diamana RB (Red Board) continues to promote the storied brand with its legendary iconography, including the return of the surfboard, flower bands and even the 63/73/83 weight class designations.
Diamana RB also features the most advanced technological package ever assembled in a Diamana structure.
Scotty Cameron’s next generation blade and mid-mallet putters have arrived on the PGA TOUR.
Competitors at this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii are being introduced to more than 10 new prototype head and neck configurations, each built upon the success and feedback of Scotty Cameron players across the worldwide tours.
Taking the next step in their storied history of Wedge innovation and design, CLEVELAND GOLF announces the launch of their all-new RTZ Wedges, featuring the brand’s groundbreaking new steel formula called Z-Alloy.
This new material offers golfers an unrivaled combination of feel, forgiveness, and greenside control for Cleveland Golf’s most complete Wedge to date.
The Callaway Chrome Tour golf ball promised to set the new gold standard in performance for the best in distance, feel, shot shaping, and control when it was released last year and it’s hard to argue with the results.
Callaway earned its highest premium ball share ever in the U.S. at 22-percent, and Chrome Tour captured three major championships and over 19 wins worldwide. Callaway is not shying away from their objective of becoming the number one brand in golf balls.
Srixon’s all-new Z-STAR Series launches into the new year with a record-breaking victory.
The latest line of Z-STAR Series golf balls are engineered to pack an even greater punch, with longer distance, more optimized spin, and tour-level stopping power around the greens.
Utilizing the all-new Srixon Z-STAR XV golf ball, Hideki Matsuyama kicked off the 2025 season in dominant fashion, securing his 11th PGA TOUR title with a victory at The Sentry.
Matsuyama displayed his exceptional ball control throughout the tournament, ranking top three in strokes gained approach, scrambling, and first in strokes gained overall. The Sentry, known for its elite field and course complexities, highlighted Matsuyama’s performance, including his accuracy, hitting over 87% of greens in regulation with the new ball.
Today PUMA GOLF announced the IGNITE ELEVATE 2 and IGNITE ELEVATE X Golf shoes, enhancing golfers’ style, stability and comfort.
Featuring multiple new technologies both inside and out, the new IGNITE ELEVATE 2 and IGNITE ELEVATE X both feature a new FLOATPLATE midfoot shank for maximum control and stability, full-length IGNITE foam for comfort, and semi-translucent carbon rubber outsole with 100+ traction lugs for traction.
As 2025 kicks off, PXG is excited to unveil its annual Aloha Collection, a vibrant and stylish capsule that infuses the spirit of Hawaii in the game of golf. This exclusive collection, available now, features a nautical navy and white Aloha print, complete with hand-drawn designs of native Hawaiian leaves and flowers, along with a new Darkness Insignia with a tiki twist.
Responding to requests from its loyal customers for an “all-over” Hawaiian-inspired print, the PXG Aloha Collection showcases bold, tropical designs and luxury fabrics and finishes. This limited-edition lineup distills the essence of island life though distinctive hibiscus floral prints applied to meticulously crafted apparel, headwear, and accessories.
The new Callaway Golf release of Elyte drivers, woods, irons and hybrids isn’t merely a new product release. For Callaway the new Elyte line is about breaking through to the next level of equipment performance with no weaknesses.
There’s a lot of exciting, disruptive technology and all-in purpose to this new Elyte lineup. So let’s break it all down category by category.
COBRA PUMA GOLF, a leader in golf equipment and footwear innovation, is excited to announce the signing of Max Homa to a multi-year contract that will see the California native playing a full bag of Cobra clubs and wearing Puma Golf shoes. Known for his incredible golf swing, fantastic ball striking, fun sense of humor, and notable social media presence, Homa is not only one of the most talented players but also one of the most popular characters in golf, both on and off the course.
“Max is a great talent who is very popular with fans and players alike,” said Dan Ladd, President of COBRA PUMA GOLF. “He demands the highest level of performance from his equipment, and we’ve been excited to introduce him to our new DS-Adapt line of products as well as our ability to develop 3D printed irons precisely for his needs. Max also has a great personality and is a perfect fit for the COBRA PUMA GOLF family. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the team.”
