Lee Smith Named Executive Director of The Players Championship

The PGA TOUR announced today that Lee Smith has been named Executive Director of THE PLAYERS Championship and replaces Jared Rice, who has taken a new role leading business development for the TOUR’s Championship Management portfolio of events.

Smith comes to THE PLAYERS Championship after spending the last five years as General Manager at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he was instrumental in helping the PGA TOUR contest THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2019 and 2021. While overseeing an onsite staff of nearly 150 team members at the club, he secured the LPGA Tour’s Mizuho Americas Open, which will debut at Liberty National in June. Since 2008, Smith has been a key member of the TPC Network, serving as Head Golf Professional at TPC Sugarloaf outside Atlanta; General Manager of TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas; and Regional Director of Operations for TPC Networks, a role he held concurrently with his position at Liberty National. He has been a Class A member of the PGA of America for more than 20 years.

Charlie Mechem Launches Arnie and Jack Audiobook

Charlie Mechem is proud to announce the release of the audiobook version of his popular book, Arnie and Jack: Stories of My Long Friendship with Two Remarkable Men.

In the Arnie and Jack audiobook, you’ll enjoy a front-row seat to many of golf’s cherished moments in locales rich in history, as narrated by 92-year-old Mechem with a combination of wit, humor, and emotion. Through his stories, he’ll take you on the course at pro-golf’s famous Bay Hill, Camargo Club, Muirfield Village, Tradition, and Augusta National and off the course at the Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant, the Captains Club, even the White House and Congress.

Club Champion Arrives in Three New Markets

Club Champion, the globe’s top custom golf club fitter and builder, continued its steady climb into the new year. With three new stores opening so far in 2023, the company is continuing to bolster its identity as the industry leader.

With studios now open in Kingwood and Midland, TX; and Farragut, TN, Club Champion is primed to hit over 125 domestic and international locations by the end of the year. There are now fitting studios in 42 U.S. states and partnered locations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Edel Golf Under New Ownership

Premium golf equipment manufacturer Edel Golf has been acquired by former CoorsTek executive Doug Coors. Hailing from the Coors Brewing family, his background resides in engineering physics and manufacturing processes. What stands out about Coors is his passion for golf, knowledge of the biomechanics behind the golf swing, and keen sense of club fitting processes.

Coors’ relationship with Edel Golf first started when he was asked to be a manufacturing consultant where he became familiarized with the company, its products, and fitting processes. “I learned so much from my putter and wedge fittings that I was shocked how little the industry shared with the casual golfer,” said Coors. “There is so much to this game, and I wanted to learn everything I could. Acquiring Edel Golf has given me the platform to share what I learned.”

Uneekor Golf Simulator Brand Acquires Evnroll Putters

Uneekor is delighted to announce the acquisition of a controlling interest in US-based premium putter brand Evnroll.

The deal sees Creatz Inc., parent company to the South Korean golf technology company Uneekor, acquire a 70% share and controlling interest in Evnroll putters with immediate effect.

First Nicklaus Heritage Course Breaks Ground in the Bahamas

Nicklaus Design—the world’s leading golf course design company— announced today they have commenced work on an 18-hole championship layout at Jack’s Bay, the one-of-a-kind exclusive resort club and residential community that features four miles of magnificent white sand beaches on the Atlantic coastline on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas.

Jack’s Bay will be the first Nicklaus Heritage® course in the world, as well as include the rare Nicklaus real estate branding rights as a Nicklaus Community—a distinction afforded to only a very select collection of developments around the world and the very first in the Caribbean.

USGA Unveils $30 Million Commitment to Advance Water Resilience Efforts in Golf

The United States Golf Association (USGA) is accelerating its work toward a more sustainable game with the deployment of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment toward reducing golf’s use of water.

The organization’s $30 million commitment over the next 15 years will advance underutilized strategies and technologies that golf courses can use to economically reduce their use of water, a vital and increasingly regulated natural resource with near- and long-term cost and availability concerns. The work will focus on irrigation optimization, advanced conservation innovation and water sourcing and storage.

Two USGA Senior Amateur Championships Coming to The Omni Homestead Resort

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that The Omni Homestead Resort’s Cascades Course, in Hot Springs, Va., will host the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and the 2029 U.S. Senior Amateur. They will be the ninth and 10th USGA championships hosted at the historic resort.

The 63rd U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur is scheduled for Sept. 13-18, 2025; while the 74th U.S. Senior Amateur will be played Aug. 25-30, 2029.

Mizuno Releases Special Edition Black Ion Mizuno Pro 225 Irons

Mizuno, the Japanese manufacturer renowned for crafting the finest and most versatile forged irons, has announced that its Black ION Mizuno Pro 225 irons, showcased in January at the Orlando golf show, will be available globally from April 2023.

A Black ION plating with a striking, lights-out look will match the special edition Mizuno Pro 225 irons with its hybrid cousin, the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi. The irons will initially be available as standard sets in either 4-GW, 4-PW and 5-GW and with Dynamic Gold 105 Black Onyx S300 shafts (US only) and 4-PW with KBS S-Taper Lite black for EMEA.  Australia will offer the special edition in 4-PW with custom options.

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Title Update 2.0 and 3-Click Swing Now Live

Since EA SPORTS PGA TOUR’s launch on April 7, the dev team has been listening adamantly to the community and incorporating their feedback into the game.

And Title Update 2.0 is now live which brings a myriad of improvements such as new fast play presentation settings, green grid changes as well as bug fixes, UI updates, PC-related issues, in-game content and much, MUCH more. Of course, the 3-click swing is now available in the game as well. This gameplay mechanic was always part of the development timeline, so the team is stoked to have players give it a shot as an alternative control method.

PXG Opens New Retail and Fitting Studio in Cincinnati

PXG, a global research and development company dedicated to creating the world's finest golf equipment and apparel, continues down its path of strategic store expansion by opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Ohio. A premier golf destination, PXG Cincinnati supports a top-quality golf club fitting experience and presents high-performance golf apparel.

"We are always on the hunt to find more ways to serve our PXG Troops," said PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons. "The Cincinnati area is chock full of golfers, and PXG Cincinnati will deliver the best apparel and equipment to help them look and play their best."

PGA Tour Announces Reimagined 2023 FedExCup Fall

The PGA TOUR today announced its schedule for the 2023 FedExCup Fall, consisting of seven official PGA TOUR events that will provide greater drama and more immediate consequence than ever before.

The significant benefits to winning during the FedExCup Fall remain – including a two-year PGA TOUR exemption, 500 FedExCup points, entry to the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions and the PLAYERS Championship as well as eligibility into those Major Championships that have invited PGA TOUR winners in the past. Added drama comes as players utilize the seven fall events to lock up or improve their positions in the priority ranking and secure additional playing opportunities for the 2024 FedExCup Season, which returns to a calendar-year schedule (January-August).

Duca del Cosma Unveils Stunning Tour Level Pro Spike Collection

Luxury golf shoe brand Duca del Cosma is introducing a stunning PRO SPIKE COLLECTION of Tour-level waterproof shoes incorporating technical game-enhancing features that deliver unrivalled stability and comfort to help more golfers play like a pro in all playing conditions.

The innovative BERNARDO and ORLANDO men’s shoes and SABINA and AVANTI styles for women golfers use advanced technologies in every detail of the handcrafted build to offer dependable performance and a super-stable fit. Optimized outsole traction helps to achieve a solid stance, increased speed and enhanced stamina for top performance from the first tee to the closing stretch.

Grace Kim Wins Lotte Championship With Full Bag of Srixon and Cleveland Golf Equipment

In just her third start on tour, LPGA rookie Grace Kim, wins the Lotte Championship in a three-way playoff to capture her first LPGA Tour title with 13 Srixon/Cleveland Golf clubs in her bag and the Z-STAR golf ball.

Heading into the final round, Kim was T-2, and one back of the leader after opening rounds of 71-67-70. Making the turn at 1-under, Kim made four birdies on the back nine, two of them coming on the tough 17th hole, and the par-5 18th to force her way into a playoff. Playing the 18th hole again, Kim made a 5-foot birdie to win on the first playoff hole, finishing the tournament at 12-under par.

USGA Accepts Record 10,187 Entries for 123rd U.S. Open

The USGA has accepted a record 10,187 entries, including 15 champions, for the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club’s North Course. The U.S. Open will be held at the club for the first time on June 15-18, 2023.

The number of entries eclipses the total of 10,127 accepted for the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2. It is the 11th consecutive time and the 14th time overall that entries have surpassed the 9,000 mark, and just the second time entries have exceeded 10,000. The USGA accepted entries for the 2023 U.S. Open from golfers in all 50 states, including 1,282 from host state California, as well as Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and 87 foreign countries.

Edel Golf SMS Pro Irons Review

The new Edel SMS Pro irons are unique irons.  And I mean jaw-dropping wow unique.  SMS Pro are a cavity back design but almost feel like blades.  Lofts are slightly weaker than comparable cavity backs on the market but distances actually rival players distance irons.  And the forgiveness you get in such a compact shape is pretty much off the charts.

SMS Pro irons would be compelling just for these reasons alone.  But what makes these SMS Pro most unique, really what separates and distinguishes them from all other irons is their ability to optimize performance for a variety of swings in a way that actually matches your unique swing.

First Look at New St Andrews Links by TravisMathew Tartan Collection

TravisMathew has launched their St Andrews Links by TravisMathew Tartan Collection, the second collection in the partnership between the California-based lifestyle apparel brand TravisMathew and St Andrews Links, “The Home of Golf”.

The collection seamlessly merges classic with contemporary, on-trend with the explosive resurgence Tartan has had in the fashion industry.

Cobra Golf Unveils Limited Edition 50th Anniversary AeroJet Drivers

COBRA Golf has reached the incredible milestone of fifty years of industry-leading golf club innovation, and to celebrate their journey, they have unveiled two Limited Edition 50th Anniversary AEROJET drivers.  Like the standard AEROJET, the 50th Anniversary models feature aerodynamic shaping, PWR-Bridge Weighting Technology, and PWRSHELL with H.O.T Face, allowing for faster ball speed and longer distance.

The limited-edition drivers, available in both AEROJET and AEROJET LS models, have a sleek look with a black and gold color scheme as well as unique 50th Anniversary graphics and headcover.

Major Success at Augusta for Fujikura Golf

Fujikura, the leader in performance golf shafts, was honored to be the #1 driver and wood shaft at the first Major championship of the year.

At the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, Fujikura dominated the standings with the #1 spot in the driver and wood shaft counts during the event. A total of 39.1% of the field used a Fujikura driver at the Masters, with another 30.0% of the field using a Fujikura wood shaft.

Shot Scope Launches PRO L2 Laser Rangefinder

In combination with the recent launch of the X5 GPS Golf Watch … the Next Generation in the Company’s Award-Winning Performance Tracking and Distance Measuring Smart Watch Technology  … Shot Scope (www.shotscope.com), a leading international manufacturer of GPS-based golf management systems, today introduced the PRO L2 Laser Rangefinder, a multi-function, high performance distance measuring device (DMD) at an unmatched $149.99 price point.

The easy-to-use PRO L2 offers a breadth of advanced innovation that cannot be equaled for a DMD under $150. Hit the target quickly and accurately with Shot Scope's rapid-fire technology and every time a golfer locks onto a target, the target-lock vibration inside the PRO L2 sends a short pulse, confirming that the golfer has hit their target. What's more, the PRO L2 easily mounts on your cart or pushcart with the extra strong built-in magnet.