National Golf Foundation Reports 4 Million U.S. Golfers Took Lessons Last Year: Representing Almost 17 Percent of the Overall Participation Base

The positives of an improving golfer are plentiful .  Most notably, they express increased comfort and confidence, while playing more frequently and spending more money on the game. 

 

And according to a report by the National Golf Foundation, the quest to get better led more than four million golfers to take lessons last year in the U.S., a figure that represents almost 17-percent of the overall participation base. 

Golf Datatech Reports August 2019 Rounds of Golf Played Up Compared to Last Year

The National Golf Foundation and Datatech Golf have reported that rounds of golf for August 2019 were up 3.5-percent compared to the same period last year, although the increase is attributable at least in part to more favorable weather conditions than a year ago. 

 

While the August increase brought the year-to-date rounds-played total up, it's now flat compared to the first three quarters of 2018, which overall was a down year.  The total rounds-played number dipped to 434 million last year after hovering around 460 million the previous five years, a decline caused in part by the third-wettest year for the continental U.S. dating back to 1895. 

COBRA Golf T-RAIL Iron Hybrid Preview: Baffler Rail Technology Used to Design COBRA's First All Hollow Iron-Hybrid Set

Cobra Golf is releasing their first all-hollow iron-hybrid set called T-RAIL (Transitional Rail) to take super game improvement clubs to the next level.  T-RAIL combines the forgiveness of a COBRA Baffler hybrid with the precision of an iron in a one-of-a-kind set of clubs that are designed for anyone looking for a better game. 

 

The COBRA T-RAIL irons fuse a hollow, hybrid shape with an iron face and topline, creating an iron-hybrid design that delivers the perfect blend of distance, forgiveness and accuracy.  A hollow body construction creates a lower, deeper CG than traditional cavity-back iron designs allow and makes getting the ball airborne and on the desired target line easier than ever before. 

Next Gen COBRA Golf KING Forged Tec Irons Preview: A Powerful Combination of Accuracy, Feel, Distance, and Forgiveness

COBRA Golf is releasing its next generation 2020 KING Forged TEC irons featuring a traditional muscle-back shape with a hollow design for softer feel and improved power. 

 

Available in a variable or ONE Length set make-up, the new gen KING Forged Tex irons fuse a classic look with modern, cutting-edge face, finish and feel technologies, to provide golfers with the ideal balance of precision and distance. 

Mitsubishi and Aldila Shafts Pick Up Two More Victories on the PGA and European Tours

Mitsubishi and Aldila golf shafts picked up two victories on the PGA Tour and European Tour this weekend when Lanto Griffin won the Houston Open, and Bernd Wiesberger won the Italian Open. 

Griffin's maiden victory on Tour moved him to number 1 in the FedExCup Playoffs and Wiesberger's win moved him to number 1 in the Race to Dubai. 

 

The driver was instrumental in both Griffin's and Wiesberger's victories.  Griffin used a Mitsubishi Kuro Kage TiNi 70 X shaft in his driver to average 324.5 yards off the tee on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston, and found 78.6-percent of the fairways. 

Lanto Griffin WITB What's In The Bag: The Golf Equipment Griffin Used to Win the 2019 Houston Open

Lanto Griffin has toiled on various mini-tours for most of his career, broke on to the PGA Tour in 2017 only to lose his card the following year, and overcome the life-shattering loss of his father to brain cancer. 

 

So when Griffin won his first professional Tour win Sunday at the Houston Open, emotions poured out.  Griffin's fought and clawed his entire life for this moment.  And persistence is in his DNA. 

Wynn Golf Club Returns with Championship Course Designed by Tom Fazio

The only resort golf course on the Las Vegas Strip returned to Wynn Las Vegas this weekend with the grand reopening of the Wynn Golf Club. 

 

The original 18-hole championship course established in 2005 has been reimagined by legendary golf course architect Tom Fazio to give players a new golf experience from the first drive to the last putt. 

Detroit Golf Club Named 2019 Michigan Golf Course of the Year

Founded in 1899, Detroit Golf Club has evolved for over a century into a graceful, challenging and picturesque property with history and pedigree at every turn. 

 

Accolades have been many and the latest is its selection as the 2019 Michigan Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA). 

Troon and True Spec Golf Enter Partnership

Troon, the leader in club management, development, and marketing, has entered into a strategic partnership with True Spec Golf, the worldwide leader in custom club fitting and building, with more than 20 studios located around the world. 

 

Through the partnership, Troon will collaborate with True Spec Golf to expand their Mobile Fit program and studios at Troon locations around the country.  True Spec Golf will offer Troon customers and members special rates and exclusive offers for club fitting and building services. 

Tour Edge Golf Launches New Bazooka 370 and Bazooka 470 Black Complete Sets

Tour Edge Golf has released their new Bazooka 370 and Bazooka 470 Black complete sets, designed as part of their "Get in the Game" products designed to be the highest quality complete sets in the game. 

 

Their purpose is to make it easier for new golfers and golfers coming back to the game to get new high-performance, game-improvement technology that will make the game easier to play.

PING Golf Offers Free Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors on Eligible Products

As part of its ongoing effort to encourage owners of PING clubs to take advantage of the numerous benefits of Arccos Golf technology, PING has announced a program providing a free set of Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors exclusively to golfers who have purchased an eligible PING club or buy one before the end of the year. 

 

More than 30 PING clubs (listed below) are eligible in the promotion that runs through December 31, 2019, while supplies last.  The promotion also includes a 90-day free trial of the Arccos Caddie app. 

Callaway Footwear Introduces Oceanside and Oceanside LX Oceanside Spikeless Golf Shoes Feature PLUSfoam Insoles

Callaway Footwear is expanding its spikeless offerings for 2020 with the introduction of the new Oceanside and Oceanside LX golf shoes. 

 

The Oceanside line combines a lightweight sports-fusion design with superb comfort and traction features, providing style, stability, and responsive cushioning in every step. 

TRUE Linkswear Launches 10 Year Limited Edition Golf Shoes

To commemorate 10 years of crafting footwear for the walking golfer, TRUE linkswear has announced the launch of a limited edition #/500 TRUE Original golf shoe. 

 

Paying homage to the TRUE Tour (T1), the first TRUE model prototyped in 2009, the OGX echoes the iconic black and white reverse saddle colorway.  The OGX includes several upgrades to the core Original model which include a Bulletproof Vegan Leather upper, reflective rope lacing, commemorative diamond pattern and 10-year anniversary detailing. 

Golf Datatech Unveils 2019 Summer Golf Product Attitude and Usage (GPAU) Study

Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry's leading independent research firm for consumer, trade and retail golf trends, has unveiled the 2019 Summer Golf Product Attitude and Usage (GPAU) Study. 

 

A bi-annual study, and the 40th edition produced by Golf Datatech, the serious golfer research report has become an in-demand resource for the golf marketing community over the past 20 years. 

THE PLAYERS Will Broadcast Every Shot by Every Player for the First Time in History

For the first time ever in golf, every shot by every player will be live-streamed from a full-field tournament when THE PLAYERS Championship returns to TPC Sawgrass, March 12th through the 15th, allowing fans to follow any player in the elite field, for all four rounds. 

 

All of this revolutionary coverage will be available to PGA Tour LIVE subscribers on either NBC Sports Gold or Amazon Prime Video Channels. 

Aerotech SteelFiber Golf Shafts Win LPGA 2019 Volunteers of America Classic

Aerotech SteelFiber composite iron shafts topped the Texas leaderboard this weekend at the Volunteers of America Classic as Cheyenne Knight won for the first time on the LPGA Tour. 

 

Knight played SteelFiber i70 shafts in her irons and i80 shafts in her wedges, and hit 12 of 18 greens in the final round en route to 5-under 66, and 18-under overall score for the tournament. 

Bryson DeChambeau and LA Golf Shafts Make Equipment History

Bryson DeChambeau became the first player on the PGA Tour to play with all graphite shafts for every club in his bag last week at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. 

 

Using shafts he co-designed with LA Golf Shafts for every club in his bag, DeChambeau finished T-4 in Las Vegas.  DeChambeau first used LA Golf graphite shafts two weeks ago in his wedges at the Safeway Open. 

Kevin Na WITB What's In The Bag: The Golf Equipment Na Used to Win the 2019 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

It took Kevin Na 10 years to win his first professional PGA Tour Event.  But with three victories in his last 30 starts, including a dramatic playoff win at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Na is catching up on lost time. 

 

Na has been a professional for almost 20 years, and for many of them he was fighting with himself to get comfortable over the ball, exhibiting a maddening array of idiosyncrasies that dismayed fans and fellow players alike.  But Na has found his way back, and is now confident, comfortable, and even dominating at times when he tees it up. 

Aldila Golf Captures Win at Open de Espana

Jon Rahm defended his Open de Espana title with a dominating performance at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, finishing 22-under par for the tournament in a 5-stroke romp. 

 

Rahm relied on an Aldila ATX Green shaft in both his driver and fairway wood, and shot a course record 8-under, 63 on Saturday to open up his lead heading to the final day. 

French Lick Resort Awarded Top 100 Resorts in North America Distinction

French Lick Resort, Southern Indiana's iconic golf and vacation destination and home to two of the state's most lauded golf courses, has been awarded "2019 Top 100 Resorts in North America" honors by GOLF Magazine. 

 

Restored to its historic glory, French Lick Resort is home to the expansive and captivating West Baden Springs Hotel, French Lick Springs Hotel and French Lick Casino, as well as two top-ranked public layouts, The Pete Dye Course at French Lick, and The Donald Ross Course at French Lick.