Tried, tested & explained
Every review, head-to-head, explainer and opinion piece we've written — honest, plain-English, and gear-led. Looking for a category round-up instead? Those are our buying guides.
Review
Single products, tested and scored.
Review
8.3/10Bridgestone Tour B XS review: the soft-feel tour ball for fast swingers
A three-piece urethane tour ball built around Bridgestone's fastest staffers, at the soft, spinny end of the line. Who should play it over a Pro V1 or TP5?
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8.0/10Under Armour HOVR Drive 2 Wide review: the golf shoe wide feet have been waiting for
A spiked, waterproof shoe built on a genuine wide last, at a value price. For broad feet, it solves a problem the big brands mostly ignore.
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8.4/10TaylorMade TP5x review: the faster, firmer sibling — and who it's really for
Same five-layer tour pedigree as the TP5, tuned for speed and a flatter flight. The question isn't whether it's good — it's whether you're the swing it was built for.
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8.0/10Skechers GO GOLF Elite 6 review: is 'most comfortable shoe in golf' enough?
Skechers keeps winning the comfort argument on golf shoes. Whether that's the shoe you should buy depends entirely on how — and where — you play.
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8.4/10TRUE Linkswear LUX Pro review: the cult walking shoe that plays 18 then goes to the pub
A premium leather spikeless shoe built around walking comfort rather than a tour athlete's swing — for the golfer who walks and hates changing shoes afterwards, it's a revelation.
Review
8.3/10Square Golf launch monitor review: the camera unit that undercuts the radar crowd
A newer camera-based monitor that reads club data the budget radar crowd can't — and never charges a subscription. Here's honestly where it fits in a home sim.
Review
8.0/10Wilson DUO Soft review: how soft is too soft?
At 37 compression it's about the softest ball you can buy. But soft isn't a performance stat, it's a feel — so here's what that daft-low compression actually does for your game, and what it quietly costs you.
Review
8.0/10Bushnell Phantom 3 review: the no-faff GPS that costs less than a wedge
No watch on your wrist, no laser to aim, no subscription — just big, glanceable yardages and slope in your pocket. For a lot of golfers that's the whole job, done, for the price of a decent round.
Review
7.6/10Callaway REVA review: the golf ball that admits the game is hard
Every other ball on the shelf promises you tour performance. Callaway's women's ball promises something rarer — that the game gets friendlier while you find your swing. It keeps that promise, with caveats.
Review
8.6/10Srixon Soft Feel review: the ball to play if you lose more than one a round
Premium urethane balls are brilliant and, for most amateurs, quietly the wrong purchase. The Soft Feel is soft, genuinely long at real-world swing speeds, and cheap enough that you swing without flinching. Here's who it's right for and who should still pay up.
Review
8.4/10Shot Scope V5 review: the golf watch that tracks your whole game for free
Most game-tracking systems hand you tour-level stats and then charge you monthly to keep them. The V5 gives you strokes gained and 100-plus stats on your own game with no subscription, ever — and that changes the maths entirely.
Review
FootJoy just wrapped a golf shoe in the only fabric with its own act of parliament
The FJ x Harris Tweed Premiere Series Packard landed on July 14 — the third and final drop of FootJoy's 2026 Legends Series, seeded to tour feet before the 154th Open. Here's what the fabric actually is, what's genuinely new underneath, and who should chase a pair before it's gone.
Review
8.5/10HackMotion Core review: the wrist sensor that shows you why you slice
Clubface control is the hidden cause of most slices, and until now it was invisible. HackMotion straps a sensor to your lead wrist, measures what your hands are doing 800 times a second, and beeps when you square the face. For the improver obsessed with ball-striking, it's genuinely revealing tech.
Review
8.6/10Sunday Golf El Camino review: the featherweight bag that made walking cool again
At 1.8kg the El Camino weighs less than two dozen balls, yet it still carries ten-plus clubs, keeps two cans cold and stands rock-steady on the tee. For the walking golfer who's cut back to a half-set, it's close to perfect — as long as you're not trying to lug a full 14.
Review
8.7/10Garmin Approach S50 review: the golf watch most people should actually buy
The S50 takes nearly everything that made Garmin's flagship special — the gorgeous AMOLED screen, slope-adjusted distances, shot tracking, wrist heart rate and Garmin Pay — and sells it for a lot less than double. For most golfers, this is the sweet spot.
Review
8.9/10Callaway Chrome Tour review: the longest premium ball just got faster
For a fast-swing player who wants maximum distance without giving up greenside control, the Chrome Tour is the premium ball to beat — it topped a major robot test for distance, and the latest version adds ball speed without softening its short game. The one thing to check is the firm feel.
Review
9.0/10Srixon Z-Star review: the tour ball that out-spun the Pro V1 — for less
Most golfers default to the two obvious names and never try the Z-Star. That's a mistake: it's a genuine three-piece urethane tour ball with elite greenside spin, a softer feel than almost anything at the top, and a lower price. Here's who should be playing it.
Review
8.7/10FlightScope Mevo+ review: the launch monitor home simulators are actually built around
While the internet argues about budget camera units and the Garmin R10, the Mevo+ quietly became the default brain of the serious home sim — tour-grade radar heritage, full ball and club data, and out-of-the-box simulator connectivity. It needs room to breathe, and the add-ons push the real cost up.
Review
8.8/10Precision Pro NX10 review: the laser that makes Bushnell money hard to justify
The NX10 is the first sub-flagship laser in years that genuinely rivals a top Bushnell — perfect-scoring accuracy, fast pin-lock and switchable slope for roughly half the money. Here's what you give up, and who should still spend more.
Review
8.6/10Wilson Staff Model X review: America's oldest golf company makes the ball nobody plays
Wilson has been making golf equipment in Chicago since 1914 and claims more majors have been won with its irons than any other brand's — yet its tour ball is invisible next to the wall of Titleist. The Staff Model X won a major 2026 robot test outright, costs meaningfully less than the big premiums, and deserves far better than obscurity.
Review
8.3/10Bushnell Wingman Mini review: the speaker that made music on the course respectable
Music on the golf course went from etiquette scandal to default in about five years, and this is the device that did it — a pocket-size speaker that clips to a bag, snaps to a cart frame, and reads out your yardages on demand. For cart and buddies golf, it's the one to get.
Review
8.2/10Shot Scope LM1 review: has the launch monitor finally got cheap enough?
The LM1 drags personal launch-monitor pricing down to impulse-buy territory, and for most golfers chasing a real carry number, that is the whole story.
Review
8.8/10L.A.B. DF3 review: the putter the tour keeps switching to
The zero-torque putter that won a US Open and rewrote the category. We score the most talked-about flat stick in golf — and tell you who should skip it.
Review
8.4/10Garmin Approach Z30 review: the connected laser, if you're already a Garmin golfer
Garmin's first new rangefinder in years beams the pin number to your watch. Whether that's worth the money depends entirely on what's on your wrist.
Review
8.4/10Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond review: distance for the faster swing
A low-spin head built for golfers with the speed to use it — not the forgiving all-rounder, and it's not pretending to be.
Review
8.5/10Galvin Green Dixon INSULA review: the half-zip you'll wear nine months a year
Thin but deceptively warm, and stretchy enough to swing in — the mid-layer that earns its place from October to April.
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8.7/10Bushnell Tour V7 Shift review: the rangefinder most golfers should buy
Fast, confident lock-on, switchable slope and Bushnell's reliability — the all-rounder that tops the lists, and the one we recommend by default.
Review
8.5/10FootJoy StaSof review: the premium glove tour pros have trusted for decades
The best feel and grip money can buy in a glove — as long as you accept that premium Cabretta leather wears faster than synthetic.
Review
8.6/10Sun Mountain C-130 review: the cart bag with a place for everything
Cavernous, brilliantly organised and built to lock onto a trolley — if you ride or push every round, this is the one.
Review
8.9/10Galvin Green GORE-TEX jacket review: the waterproof that ends the search
Expensive, yes — but it keeps you genuinely dry, lets you swing freely, and lasts the decade. For golfers who play through real weather, it's the one.
Review
8.8/10PING Hoofer 14 review: still the stand bag to beat
Not the lightest, not the flashiest — but the most sensible carry bag in golf, and the one we keep recommending over everything else.
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8.5/10PowaKaddy CT8 GPS review: the compact trolley with GPS baked into the handle
It folds smaller than almost anything in its class and puts a colour touchscreen GPS on the handle. Is the integrated screen worth the premium?
Review
8.4/10adidas Tour360 25 review: the classic golf shoe with trainer comfort
Twenty years of adidas's flagship, now with BOOST cushioning and proper waterproof leather. Is it the best blend of tradition and tech yet?
Review
8.6/10Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird review: the value pick of the zero-torque boom
Reviewers keep calling it the most stable zero-torque putter they have tested — at roughly half the price of the big names. Is it the smart buy?
Review
8.7/10TaylorMade Spider ZT review: the zero-torque putter for Spider loyalists
The first zero-torque mallet from a major brand, with a Tour win already on the board. Is it the most natural way into 2026's biggest putting trend?
Review
8.4/10Garmin Approach R50 review: the all-in-one launch monitor with the screen built in
Three cameras and a 10-inch touchscreen in one box, so you can run a full sim session with no laptop, phone or projector wired in. Convenient — at a serious price, and with a few rough edges.
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8.4/10Vessel Player V Pro review: the carry bag that feels like a luxury good
Stupidly nice to own, genuinely good to carry — if you can stomach the price, almost nothing else feels like this.
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8.7/10TaylorMade TP5 review: the tour ball that asks less of your swing
Five layers chasing one promise — premium greenside spin without punishing you for moderate speed. It mostly delivers.
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8.5/10TaylorMade MG5 review: the wedge that keeps spinning when it matters
Fresh grooves bite hard out of the box — but the real win is how long that spin survives the wet, the rough and the range.
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8.6/10PING i240 review: forgiveness you can feel, feedback you can trust
A compact cavity-back that flatters mishits without numbing the good ones — the set most mid-handicaps should actually be playing.
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9.1/10Bushnell Pro X3+ review: the laser other lasers are measured against
It's the rangefinder you see in more tour bags than any other. Here's whether the premium price holds up.
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8.7/10Zero-torque putters: golf's fastest-spreading idea
Tour bags are quietly being rebuilt around a putter that won't twist. Here's why — and where it started.
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8.4/10The launch monitor that broke the price floor
Personal launch monitors used to start in the thousands. This one moved the floor — and dropped the subscription.
Review
8.8/10Garmin Approach S70 review: the GPS watch that does almost everything
A gorgeous AMOLED screen, full course maps and a battery that lasts. Is this the only piece of distance tech most golfers need?
Review
9.2/10Titleist Pro V1 review: still the ball the whole game is measured against
The most-played ball in golf, full stop. Here's who should actually play it — and who's quietly wasting their money.
Review
8.2/10Read your divots: the cheap board that fixes ball-striking
It's all over golf TikTok for a reason — instant, brutally honest feedback on where your club actually bottoms out.
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9.0/10FootJoy Pro SL review: still the spikeless shoe to beat
The most-worn spikeless shoe on tour, and the one the rest of the field is measured against. Here's why it keeps winning — and the one golfer who should look elsewhere.
Review
8.8/10TaylorMade Qi4D driver review: forgiveness you can feel, speed you have to earn
The driver TaylorMade is keeping in the bag through 2027 — the first time since 2001 they've skipped an annual release. Here's whether it's the one to settle on.
Review
8.7/10SkyTrak+ review: the home-sim launch monitor that earns its price
Near sim-grade accuracy without the five-figure outlay. If you're building a serious garage setup, this is where the numbers get real.
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8.7/10Garmin Approach R10 review: the launch monitor that started the home-data boom
Portable radar, app simulator, on-course tracking — and a price that put real numbers in reach. Does the value all-rounder still hold up?
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8.9/10PING G440 Max review: the forgiveness benchmark, quietly brilliant
If you slice, spray it, or just want to stop losing balls off the tee, this is the 2026 driver to buy — the most forgiving big-stick going, and a genuine buy-once club.
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8.8/10Takomo 101 MKII review: the irons quietly embarrassing the big brands
Half the price of a name-brand set, and good enough that you'll feel a bit silly for not trying them sooner. The direct-to-consumer irons reviewed.
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8.5/10Kirkland Signature golf ball review: the cult value ball, honestly assessed
Costco's tour-level ball at a fraction of the price has a near-religious following. Is it really a Pro V1 killer, or just very good for the money?
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8.9/10Scotty Cameron Phantom review: the mallet that justifies the obsession
The most coveted putter brand in golf, in its most forgiving form. Is the Phantom worth the premium, or are you paying for the script on the sole?
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8.8/10PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer review: the {{price:25}} aid that actually gets used
Most training aids end up in the garage. This little ramp is the rare one that earns a permanent spot — here's why it works.
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8.7/10Titleist GT2 driver review: the easy-launching all-rounder most golfers should hit
The forgiving heart of Titleist's GT range. Here's who it's really for.
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8.6/10Rapsodo MLM2 Pro review: the camera-and-radar unit that punches above its price
Video, real numbers and simulator play for the price of a posh rangefinder. The step-up launch monitor, honestly assessed.
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9.0/10Titleist Vokey SM11 review: the wedge that wins scorecards
The most-played wedge in golf gets a consistency-first redesign. Here's why getting it fitted matters more than the badge.
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8.8/10Nikon Coolshot Pro II review: the mid-tier laser with premium glass
Nikon makes optics for a living, and it shows. The smart-money rangefinder that gives you most of the flagship for less.
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8.7/10ECCO Biom C5 review: the comfort benchmark, with a price to match
ECCO makes the leather and the shoe, and walks the comfort everyone else chases. Is the premium worth it?
Review
8.8/10Motocaddy M5 GPS review: the electric trolley that does the thinking
GPS course maps, downhill control and a battery that shrugs off 36 holes — the do-it-all electric trolley most walkers should buy first.
Versus
Head-to-heads — two contenders, one verdict.
Versus
Nikon Coolshot Pro II vs Precision Pro NX10: how much rangefinder do you need?
One buys you the best optics and a gyro-stabilised picture; the other gives you most of the experience for a little over half the outlay. Which is the smarter buy?
Versus
GoGoGo Vpro vs Bushnell Tour V7 Shift: do you really need to spend 5x?
A budget-laser icon against the tour-caddie standard — one costs roughly five times the other, and only one specific golfer actually needs the expensive one.
Versus
Garmin Approach S50 vs Shot Scope V5: slick watch or free game data?
Two very different GPS watches at two very different prices — one is the polished all-rounder, the other quietly tells you where you actually lose shots.
Versus
SkyTrak+ vs FlightScope Mevo+: your room decides this one, not your budget
Two of the smartest sim-grade launch monitors under camera-system money, and golfers agonise over the spec sheets. But the choice between them really comes down to one unglamorous thing most buyers measure last: how much space you actually have.
Versus
Rapsodo MLM2 Pro vs Shot Scope LM1: measured spin and sim golf, or just the number?
Two launch monitors golfers cross-shop constantly, sitting either side of the same question — how much do you actually need? One films your swing, measures spin and plays sim courses all winter. The other strips the whole idea down to a carry number on a screen.
Versus
Kirkland Signature vs Titleist Pro V1: is the Costco ball really 90% of the Pro V1 for a third of the price?
The cult Costco ball has become the internet's favourite way to call out premium-ball pricing. The robot data says it's genuinely close — closer than the price gap has any right to allow. Here's exactly where it matches the Pro V1, where it doesn't, and who should stop paying full whack.
Versus
TaylorMade Qi4D vs PING G440 Max: the 2026 driver decision most golfers get backwards
Two of the year's biggest drivers, cross-shopped in every fitting bay — and most players walk in chasing the wrong thing. One wins the robot test outright; the other quietly saves more rounds. Here's which head actually belongs in your bag, and why the answer probably isn't the one you'd guess.
Versus
Titleist Pro V1 vs TaylorMade TP5: which tour ball actually fits your game?
The two balls tour players genuinely cross-shop, and the difference isn't distance — off the tee they're within a yard of each other. It's feel, flight and greenside spin, and most golfers pick on the badge instead. Here's how to choose on the thing that matters.
Versus
Radar vs camera launch monitors: the home-sim decision nobody explains
Two completely different technologies hide behind the words launch monitor, and picking the wrong one for your room is the most expensive mistake in home golf.
Versus
The only three projectors worth buying for a golf simulator
Forget the spec-sheet rabbit hole. For a golf sim the projector decision comes down to two things — your room's light and your budget — and it lands on one of three.
Versus
Vice Pro Plus vs Bridgestone Tour B XS: the tour ball you won't find in the pro shop
Two urethane tour balls for fast swingers, built on opposite bets — and most golfers never even consider one of them. Vice skips the shop to sell tour spin for less; the 2026 Bridgestone Tour B XS chases soft feel and biting wedge spin for swings over 105 mph. Here's which one is actually right for your game.
Versus
Titleist Players 4 Plus vs Sun Mountain 2.5+: the tour default takes on the walking specialist
The walking revival has made the ultralight stand bag the most competitive category in golf, and this is its classic head-to-head: Titleist's do-everything carry bag against the featherweight from the company that invented the modern stand bag. One wins on storage and looks, the other on your shoulders after ten thousand steps.
Versus
Stewart Q Follow vs PowaKaddy RX1 GPS: follow-me or remote-control?
The robot-caddie era has quietly arrived, and it has split into two philosophies: a trolley that follows you down the fairway on its own, and a trolley you drive from a handset with a GPS brain bolted on. Here's which robot deserves your money — and the honest case for buying neither.
Versus
Bushnell Tour V6 Shift vs Shot Scope Pro L2: do you really need the badge?
Two of the best value lasers in golf, from opposite ends of the value argument. The Shot Scope is the giant-killer on pure accuracy-per-pound; the Bushnell sells trust, optics and that famous pin-lock. Here's which one actually deserves your money.
Versus
Garmin R50 vs SkyTrak+: which premium home-sim brain should you buy?
The big home-simulator decision. One does everything in a single box; the other gives you sharper numbers for far less. Here's how to choose.
Versus
Motocaddy M5 GPS vs PowaKaddy CT8: the electric trolley to buy
The two brands that own the fairway, head to head — it comes down to the screen, the fold and how your course slopes.
Versus
Bushnell Pro X3+ vs Garmin Z82: which premium rangefinder wins?
Two flagship lasers, two philosophies — the purist's tool versus the do-everything device. Here's who should buy which.
Versus
GPS watch vs laser rangefinder: which should you buy first?
They solve the distance problem in opposite ways. Most golfers only need one to start — here's how to choose.
Versus
Push vs electric trolley: which is actually worth it?
One saves your back for not much money; the other saves your legs for rather more. How to spend wisely on carrying nothing.
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Stand bag vs cart bag: which one's right for you?
Buy the wrong one and you'll fight it every round. The choice is simpler than the wall of bags suggests — it's about how you get round.
Versus
Pro V1 vs Chrome Tour: the premium ball question
The two balls most good players agonise over. They're closer than the tribalism suggests — here's how to actually choose.
Versus
TruFeel vs Supersoft: the best value-ball face-off
The two value balls smart golfers actually play. Both are a fraction of tour-ball money — here's how to pick between them.
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Spider ZT vs Odyssey Jailbird: two routes into zero-torque
The big brands' answers to the zero-torque craze, head to head — and which one suits how you actually putt.
Versus
Garmin R10 vs Shot Scope LM1: the budget launch-monitor face-off
Two ways to get real numbers without remortgaging — which one fits how you'll actually use it.
Versus
Pro V1 vs Pro V1x: which Titleist is actually your ball?
Same family, two different balls — and most golfers pick wrong out of habit. How to choose between the two best-sellers in golf.
Versus
Takomo vs PING: are direct-to-consumer irons really as good?
A value upstart against an iron-making institution. The honest verdict on whether skipping the big brand costs you anything.
Versus
Garmin R10 vs Rapsodo MLM2 Pro: which budget launch monitor wins?
The two devices most home-data golfers agonise over. They're closer than the spec sheets suggest — here's how to choose.
Versus
Spikeless face-off: adidas S2G SL vs FootJoy Pro SL
Two of the best spikeless shoes in golf, head to head. Both brilliant — here's which suits your feet and your wallet.
Explained
Plain-English guides to choosing well.
Explained
The 200-yard 7-iron just landed, and it's the most overrated number in golf
Across 81 irons tested this year, one 7-iron carried 202.2 yards and finished about 10 yards clear of the field. That is a marketing triumph and a scoring problem, and the reason is stamped on the sole.
Explained
Wedge Spin Rate Is the Worst Number to Buy a Wedge On
A 20-wedge spin test separated third place from tenth by about 200 RPM, and put two brands most golfers have never heard of above the entire major-brand field. Here is what to shop on instead.
Explained
You're upgrading your golf sim in the wrong order
The most common home-sim regret isn't a launch monitor's accuracy. It's a room you flinch in and a picture you can't see in daylight — and both get budgeted last.
Explained
The 7-wood takeover: how to replace the long iron you can't hit
Tour bags and better amateur bags have quietly deleted the 3- and 4-iron. The hard part isn't the deletion, it's choosing between the three very different clubs fighting over the empty slot.
Explained
New drivers, wedges and putters just dropped for 2026 — should you actually upgrade?
Titleist's GTS drivers, Ping's S259 wedges, TaylorMade's Qi Max HL irons and fresh Scotty Cameron mallets have all landed. The answer-first truth: for most golfers the honest answer is 'not yet' — here's the short list of when it's genuinely worth it.
Explained
The 2026 golf ball launches, decoded — does the new tech actually change anything?
Callaway's refreshed the Chrome Tour, XXIO's chasing easy speed, and every brand claims a breakthrough. The honest answer-first version: the year-on-year gains are tiny, and picking the right ball for your game matters far more than the model year.
Explained
How to get a golf handicap (and why it's cheaper and easier than you think)
You no longer need a pricey club membership or a stack of medal cards. Here's the fastest route to an official Handicap Index in 2026 — and the everyday rounds that now count towards it.
Explained
Your launch monitor has a second price tag — and the box won't show it
More golf tech now ships with its real cost hidden in an app: simulator rounds behind memberships, stats behind annual plans, features that switch off when you stop paying. Here's the honest map of who charges what — and the brands quietly winning by charging nothing.
Explained
5 tiny upgrades that never leave a golfer's bag — unlike most of what you buy
No swing promises, no subscriptions — just 5 small, cheap bits of kit that each solve one genuine on-course annoyance so well they stay in the bag for years. The list, and exactly what each one fixes.
Explained
Golf GPS in 2026: what's actually worth buying now
Golf GPS had a big year — laser-and-GPS hybrids, connected rangefinders and slope displays that finally earn their keep. Here's the landscape: what's worth your money now, and the new arrivals worth knowing about.
Explained
The four home golf simulators: what each budget threshold actually unlocks
Spend twice as much and you don't get twice the simulator — you cross into a different kind of room. Here's what genuinely changes at each tier, and the exact point where more money stops buying you more golf.
Explained
The golf glove is the cheapest upgrade in golf — and most golfers get it wrong
A glove touches every full swing you make, costs less than a sleeve of premium balls, and most golfers play the wrong one for the conditions. Here's the small rotation of gloves that keeps your grip locked in — dry, wet, cold and sweltering — for the price of one premium dozen.
Explained
You're told to buy 15 things to start golf. You need about 6.
The golf industry loves a beginner with a credit card. But most of the starter shopping list exists to sell you gear, not to get you playing — and half of it will actively slow your progress. Here's the honest list of what a new golfer actually needs, and the expensive stuff you should absolutely not buy yet.
Explained
The guy grooving 60 straight 7-irons is wasting his afternoon
Most range time never touches your scorecard — it's mindless bucket-bashing that feels like practice and transfers to nothing. The fix is counterintuitive and cheap: practise what you can measure, then practise the way you actually play.
Explained
Age steals 20 yards off your tee — and a new driver isn't how you get them back
The decline is real and it's measurable, but the industry's answer — buy the newest driver every two years — targets the smallest lever. The three that actually move the needle are recoverable clubhead speed, a ball matched to your slower swing, and the weight you're carrying up the fairway.
Explained
The best golf GPS watch is the one you'll actually wear
Golf watches now range from a simple yardage display to a rugged solar computer that tracks every shot. The trick isn't buying the most features — it's matching the watch to how you actually play and what you'll genuinely use. Here's how to pick the right tier.
Explained
Beyond 'shrink it and pink it': what's actually engineered for women golfers now
For decades 'women's' golf gear meant a smaller men's product in a pastel colourway. That's finally changing — and the difference between real engineering and a marketing paint job is now worth knowing.
Explained
Where to spend and where to save: the dollar-per-stroke map of a golf bag
The golf industry has trained you to spend your money in exactly the wrong order. The driver and the tour ball give you the least improvement per dollar; the boring middle of the bag gives you the most. Here's the map, category by category.
Explained
You'll spend five hours under peak UV today. Your kit is treating it as a rounding error.
The cost of playing golf in a baking sun isn't a red neck at the halfway house — it's cumulative skin damage over a lifetime of Saturdays, and a back nine played by a golfer whose head has been cooking since the turn. Here's what actually helps, and what's just fabric with a marketing tag.
Explained
The cheapest edge in golf is the one nobody wears
Golfers will drop a mortgage payment on a driver that adds a spreadsheet's-width of distance, then spend four hours a round squinting into glare that flattens every green they try to read. Proper polarised sunglasses fix a real problem for coffee money — with one honest catch the marketing never mentions.
Explained
July is the smartest month to buy golf waterproofs. Yes, really
Nobody shops for rain gear in a heatwave — which is precisely the point. Last season's stock is being cleared, the new ranges land at full price in September, and Open week is about to remind everyone that the best golfers on Earth carry waterproofs in high summer. Here's how to buy once and buy right.
Explained
The best putters on Earth practise with cheap plastic — and you keep buying putters
Walk any tour practice green and it's covered in mirrors, gates, string lines and chalk — a full putting station for less than a dozen premium balls. Meanwhile amateurs respond to missed putts by buying a new putter. Here's how to decode the tour putting station, and which pieces actually move your handicap.
Explained
Your yardages are fiction — and millions of tracked shots prove it
Ask a golfer how far he hits his 7-iron and you'll get a number. Ask a shot-tracking database and you'll get a different, shorter, truer one. The gap between the two is costing you more strokes than your swing is — and the fix costs a month of honesty, not a new set of irons.
Explained
How good are cheap rangefinders now? Good enough to embarrass a Bushnell
The gap between a pocket-money laser and a flagship one has quietly collapsed. For most golfers a value rangefinder now does the whole job — here's the ladder from dirt-cheap to feature-loaded, and exactly where the extra money still buys you something real.
Explained
Your back-nine collapse isn't fatigue — it's dehydration, and it's costing you strokes
Sports science puts the threshold at around two per cent of body mass: lose that much to sweat and your fine motor control and decision-making measurably degrade. A four-hour round in July heat gets you there easily if you drink on autopilot. Here's the protocol — and the gear that makes it effortless.
Explained
The five most underpriced things in golf
Golf is famous for charging you three figures for a fractional gain. So here's the inversion: the five pieces of kit that cost less than a nice lunch and protect the most expensive technology in your bag. Tees, a towel, a brush, a divot tool and a pouch — the best value-per-stroke money in the game.
Explained
Swing speed training, explained: distance stopped being something you buy
MyGolfSpy's 2026 Most Wanted test hit 20,580 shots with 42 drivers and found the gaps between them are tiny. The gap between swing speeds is enormous — and overspeed training is the one proven way to move yours. Here's how speed sticks actually work, what they cost you in time, and who should skip them.
Explained
The best short-game facility in town might be your backyard
America just played one of its busiest golf weekends of the year — and most of those strokes were lost inside 60 yards, not off the tee. A chipping net, a bag of foam balls and a putting mat turn a garden and a long July evening into the practice station that actually moves your handicap. Bonus: it's how kids and partners get into the game without ever facing a range.
Explained
Why tour pros wear sunglasses all day — then take them off to putt
Golf lenses genuinely work: contrast tints pull the ball out of the sky and lift the slopes out of a green. But depth perception is personal, which is why some very good players pocket their glasses over the ball. The honest buying rule: treat sunglasses as health kit first, performance kit second — and buy the pair you'll actually keep on for five hours.
Explained
Florida golf trip guide: the winter-sun capital, decoded
A Florida golf trip is the winter-sun capital for Americans and Brits alike: huge density, easy logistics and family-friendly resorts. Here's where to play, when to go, and why you pack a waterproof even in the sun.
Explained
Your polo has a spec sheet now: inside golf's cooling arms race
A January 2026 LifeLabs study found 84 percent of golfers now put cooling technology first when they buy apparel — cooling is the new waterproofing. Here's how to decode the fabric weights, ventilation zones and wicking claims, and why the cheapest tricks in the bag still beat any polo at 95 degrees.
Explained
Golf in Dubai: the winter-sun trip guide
Golf in Dubai is the premium winter-sun escape: immaculate desert courses, five-star hospitality and an easy long-haul hop. Here's when to go, what to expect on the course, and exactly what to pack for the heat.
Explained
Belek golf holiday guide: Turkey's value golf capital
Planning a Belek golf holiday? Here's why Turkey's Antalya coast is Europe's standout value destination, when to go, how the all-inclusive resort golf works, and what to pack for the heat.
Explained
Myrtle Beach golf trip guide: America's golf-trip capital
Planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip? Here's why the Grand Strand is America's buddies-trip capital, when to go, how many courses you can play in a week, and what to pack for warm, humid golf.
Explained
Costa del Sol golf holiday guide: the Costa del Golf, decoded
Southern Spain's Costa del Sol packs so many courses into the strip from Marbella to Sotogrande that it's earned a nickname: the Costa del Golf. Here's where to base yourself, when to go, and how to plan a trip around the warm climate and long season.
Explained
Golf in the Algarve: the complete trip guide
The Algarve is Europe's golf-holiday heartland: reliable sun, a dense cluster of quality resort courses on Portugal's south coast, and short flights with easy transfers. Here's when to go, where to base yourself, and how to plan a week.
Explained
Ireland golf trip guide: links, legends and where to base yourself
An honest Ireland golf trip guide: the great links of the Southwest, North and East, touring versus basing yourself, when to go, and what to pack for the weather.
Explained
Scotland golf trip guide: where to play, when to go, what to pack
Planning a Scotland golf trip? Here's where to play, when to go, how the Old Course ballot works in general terms, and exactly what to pack for links weather.
Explained
The best golf trip destinations: where to play for every kind of golfer
A no-fluff guide to the best golf trip destinations worldwide, what kind of golfer each one suits, when to go, and the kit that travels anywhere.
Explained
Sneaking a round into a work trip: the minimalist golf kit
A spare afternoon on a business trip is a round waiting to happen — if you've packed light and smart. Here's the minimalist kit and the low-stress way to fit golf around work.
Explained
The only part of the club you touch is the part you never replace
Golf Pride just launched a whole new grip geometry out of Pinehurst, which is a good moment for an awkward question: when did you last change yours? Worn grips force tighter grip pressure, which quietly wrecks face control — and fixing it costs about a dozen premium balls.
Explained
Should you rent clubs abroad or take your own?
Renting clubs on arrival or hauling your own across the world is one of golf travel's recurring dilemmas. Here's the honest answer, and the kit you should pack either way.
Explained
The cotton polo is why you play badly in the cold
Most golfers ruin a winter round before the first tee by dressing for warmth instead of movement. The fix is counterintuitive: fewer, thinner layers — and never the one fabric almost everyone reaches for.
Explained
Match the ball to your game: spin, feel, and what your shots are telling you
A simple decision framework for choosing a golf ball based on your speed and your misses, not on what the tour plays.
Explained
The mid-handicapper's gear guide: what actually helps, and what's a waste
For the 10-to-20 handicap improver, here is where new equipment genuinely lowers scores and where the money quietly disappears.
Explained
How to choose a golf bag: cart, stand, or carry for how you actually play
The right bag is decided by how you get round the course — so match it to your real golf, not the bag the pros carry.
Explained
Women's golf gear grew up in 2026 — here's what's actually worth it
This year brought a real expansion of women's lineups, but the gear that genuinely helps a smoother swing has less to do with the label than the spec.
Explained
One round, three budgets: a full golf setup for less, for more, and no limits
Three coherent setups at three very different spending levels, and the honest case for stopping at the first one.
Explained
The summer practice kit that actually lowers your scores
Long evenings are the cheapest strokes you'll ever buy, but only if your practice tools turn range time into feedback instead of repetition.
Explained
Flying with your golf clubs: how to protect your bag (and what it costs)
Airlines are hard on golf bags. A little planning — and a few quid of protection — is the difference between your clubs arriving ready to play and arriving in pieces.
Explained
Five gear trends that defined golf in 2026 (and which deserve your money)
Mini drivers, zero-torque putters, sub-grand launch monitors — the shifts that actually reached your bag this year, ranked by whether they're worth it.
Explained
What to pack for a golf trip: the kit that actually matters
The difference between a smooth golf getaway and a stressful one is mostly in what you pack. Here's the away-day checklist that earns its place in the bag.
Explained
Playing links golf for the first time: what's different, and what to pack
A links trip to the coast is golf's great rite of passage — and it punishes the unprepared. Here's what changes, and the kit that makes it playable.
Explained
The hot-weather golf holiday survival kit
A golf holiday somewhere hot is a different physical test from a round at home. Here's the kit that keeps you swinging well when it's 35 degrees and glaring.
Explained
Starting golf? The gear that matters — and the gear that doesn't
New golfers waste the most money on the wrong things. Where your first spend actually buys progress — and what to ignore until you're properly hooked.
Explained
How to plan a golf trip with your mates (without it falling apart)
The golf is the easy part. Organising a group of adults to actually turn up, pay and play is where trips live or die — here's how to run one well.
Explained
Resort, links or desert: which kind of golf trip is right for you?
Not all golf holidays are the same sport. Picking the type of trip that suits your game and your group matters more than the brochure — here's how to choose.
Explained
The 36-hole day: how to play (and survive) a marathon golf trip
Golf trips tempt you into dawn-till-dusk doubles. Done wrong, the second round falls apart and you're wrecked for the week. Here's how to last the distance.
Explained
Shoulder-season golf trips: better courses, smaller crowds, lower prices
The same course costs a fraction in May or October as it does in peak summer — and plays better, with fewer people on it. Here's how to time a trip right.
Explained
AI swing apps and smart wearables in 2026: worth it?
App coaching and swing sensors can genuinely help — but only if you'll do the reps. The honest take on what moves your scores and what's just expensive data.
Explained
Are lake balls worth it? The honest answer
Grade-A lake balls give you most of a premium ball for a fraction of the cost — if you buy the right grade. Here's how to tell recovered from refinished, and who should bother.
Explained
How long do golf clubs actually last? Longer than the marketing wants you to think
Drivers and irons stay competitive for years. Wedge grooves are the real wear item, and grips are the cheap refresh almost everyone neglects. Here's the honest timeline.
Explained
A slower swing isn't a problem — it's a spec sheet most golfers get wrong
If your driver speed is under 90 mph, almost everything golf marketing sells you is built for someone else. Four cheap, counterintuitive changes hand back the yards you thought you'd lost for good.
Explained
Why golf is quietly happening indoors now
Simulators, bays and bright-lit ranges have pulled millions into the game without a tee time in sight. Here's what the off-course boom means for the gear you buy.
Explained
Will your golf ball be banned in 2030? No — and here's the 5-yard truth
The headlines want you scared into buying something. The reality: a tour-level rule that costs you about five yards no sooner than 2030, that keeps slipping, and that over 30% of today's balls already pass anyway.
Explained
What shaft flex do you actually need? Most golfers play too stiff
If your driver swing is under about 95 mph, you almost certainly want regular, not stiff — and playing stiff is quietly costing you distance and height.
Explained
A fitting won't add 20 yards — and that's exactly why it's worth it
The marketing sells fittings as free distance. The honest case is better: it's the one golf spend that reliably pays for itself by stopping you buying the wrong club. Here's who gains, and who's wasting their money.
Explained
Is a slope rangefinder worth it? (And is it legal?)
Yes for practice and casual rounds — it makes you a smarter club-picker. No for competition, where it's illegal unless you can switch it off.
Explained
Most of your range practice is wasted — here's how to fix it
Beating a bucket with your driver feels productive and changes almost nothing. The fix is unglamorous, proven, and takes half the time.
Explained
Steel vs graphite iron shafts: which one is actually for you
The old 'steel for good players, graphite for everyone else' rule is dead. Here's the honest way to choose.
Explained
What is a mini driver — and do you actually need one?
Suddenly they're everywhere on tour. Here's what a mini driver really is, who it genuinely helps, and why most amateurs are better served by a club they already understand.
Explained
What actually adds driver distance (and what doesn't)
Spin, speed, strike and fit — the four things that move the needle, and the marketing claims that don't. In plain English.
Explained
Wedge bounce and grind, explained
The two numbers that decide whether your wedge digs, glides or skips — in plain English, with how to pick yours.
Explained
Launch monitors explained: what your money actually buys
Radar vs photometric, the numbers that matter, and where to jump in at every budget — in plain English.
Explained
Zero-torque putters: hype or help? (And the cheaper alternatives)
Golf's hottest putter category, decoded. It's genuinely useful if your short putts miss left and right — and you no longer have to spend L.A.B. money to get it.
Explained
What 'waterproof' actually means in golf kit
Water-resistant, waterproof, breathable, taped seams — the labels hide more than they reveal. Here's what to actually look for.
Explained
Spikeless vs spiked golf shoes: how to choose
Grip, comfort, versatility and weather — what actually matters in 2026, and which type fits your golf.
Explained
Most golfers play the wrong ball — and it's the expensive one
Compression charts, dimple counts, fitting flowcharts: noise. The ball you pick comes down to one honest question, and for most amateurs the right answer costs a third of what they're spending now.
Explained
How much should you spend on a rangefinder?
They all measure the same yardage. Here's what your money actually buys above the basics — and where it stops mattering.
Explained
Do expensive golf balls actually make a difference?
Yes — but probably not the difference you think, and probably not for you. The no-marketing answer, with the robot-test data to back it.
Explained
GPS watch vs phone app vs handheld: how should you get your distances?
Three ways to know how far it is, and they suit very different golfers. The honest pros and cons of each.
Explained
Do golf gloves matter — and how many do you actually need?
It's the cheapest bit of kit you touch every swing, and most golfers treat it as an afterthought. Here's what actually matters.
Explained
Blades vs cavity-back irons: which should you actually play?
One looks the part; the other saves your scores. The honest guide to picking the right iron for your game, not your ego.
Explained
Mallet vs blade putter: which suits your stroke?
It's not about looks — it's about how your stroke moves and where you miss. The plain-English guide to choosing the right head.
Explained
How many wedges do you actually need? (Wedge gapping made simple)
Three? Four? And what lofts? The simple way to set up your scoring clubs so there are no awkward in-between yardages.
Explained
How to dress for winter golf (and actually enjoy it)
The golfers who keep playing through winter aren't tougher — they're dressed better. The layering system that keeps you warm, dry and swinging freely.
Explained
How to practise putting at home (and actually get better)
You hole more putts than you think on the carpet and fewer than you'd like on the course. Here's how to make home practice that transfers.
Explained
How to build a garage golf simulator on a budget
Year-round golf in your garage is more achievable than you think. The honest shopping list, what to spend on, and where to save.
Explained
Golf ball compression explained (and why it matters less than you think)
Low compression, high compression, swing speed — there's a lot of myth here. The plain-English truth about what compression does for your game.
Explained
How long do golf balls last? (And when to actually bin one)
That ball in your bag from 2019 is probably fine. The scuffed one you played last week probably isn't. The honest guide to golf-ball lifespan.
Explained
Adjustable drivers: what all those settings actually do
Loft sleeves, movable weights, lie adjustments — most golfers never touch them, and the few who fiddle often make things worse. The plain guide.
Explained
Is a rangefinder legal in competition? (The slope rule, simply)
Yes — usually — but one setting can disqualify you. The plain-English guide to using distance gear within the rules.
Opinion
Our take — argued, honest, occasionally spiky.
Opinion
Tour Bags Are Now a Year Ahead of the Shop, and That Is the Point
Ryan Fox won the Open with a driver you cannot buy, at any price, on any date. Days later Srixon put more unreleased gear into play. The gap between the tour truck and the pro shop has stopped being an accident.
Opinion
The ball rollback just got kicked to 2030 — and the USGA admitted it isn't enough
On 17 June the R&A and USGA backed off the distance rollback and pushed it to 2030 at the earliest. The delay is defensible. What replaces it should worry you more than the original rule ever did.
Opinion
The smartest time to buy a golf simulator is the middle of summer
Nobody is thinking about indoor golf in July — which is exactly why the golfer who builds now plays all winter while everyone else is fighting over stock in November.
Opinion
48 golf balls are headed for a robot — and the marketing should be nervous
MyGolfSpy is prepping its 2026 ball test: 48 models, one swing robot, every distance and spin claim on trial. Before the data lands, here's what published robot testing keeps agreeing on year after year — and the one buying mistake to avoid until the results drop.
Opinion
A scarf in July: golf's majors have become merch drops
At least 10 limited-edition products landed around Open week from four brands — a polo dearer than most wedges, a winter beanie in a heatwave, a headcover styled after the venue. Golf marketing has gone full drop culture. Here's what's actually being sold, and the only two buyers it makes sense for.
Opinion
Garmin built a GPS watch just for juniors — and it's smarter than it sounds
The Approach J1 is the first golf GPS watch designed specifically for kids. It sounds like a gimmick — it isn't. Here's what it actually does, who it's really for, and where it fits.
Opinion
The fastest-selling golf clothes of 2026 may never see a golf course
Retailers say the pieces flying out of golf shops this year are the ones that work everywhere else too. That's not a fashion footnote — it's the clearest sign yet of who's actually joining the game.
Opinion
You learned golf on a simulator. Here's where the grass disagrees
Roughly half the people swinging in sim bays have never played a hole outdoors. If you're about to change that, your numbers, your ball and your feet are in for some news.
Opinion
The mat is the one part of a home sim your body pays for — don't cheap out on it
Everyone agonises over the launch monitor and grabs the cheapest mat to save a few quid. It's backwards: the mat is the only component you physically feel on every single swing.
Opinion
You're playing the wrong driver loft — and it's costing you the easiest distance in golf
Most amateurs play too little loft, chasing tour spin numbers they physically can't produce, and leave yards on the tee for it. The launch data says the opposite of the range-buddy wisdom: the average golfer needs more loft than they think — and firm summer fairways move the target again.
Opinion
The Open starts today — and it'll be won with the club you practise least
By Sunday, Royal Birkdale's trophy won't go to whoever bombs it furthest. It'll go to whoever controls the ball on and around firm, wind-scoured greens. Links golf is a short-game championship — and it's a live rebuke to every amateur grinding the driving range.
Opinion
How to watch The Open like someone who actually knows gear
The 154th Open tees off tomorrow at Royal Birkdale, and the broadcast will spend four days telling you about grit and destiny. The real drama is in the bag. Here are the equipment storylines that actually decide links golf — and which bits of tour tech are worth buying and which are pure theatre.
Opinion
Watch the Open this week and unlearn everything American golf taught you
The best players on earth arrive at Royal Birkdale and immediately start playing a different sport. High-spin everything, fly-it-to-the-flag wedges and a soft ball that balloons in wind — the parkland setup most of us default to is exactly the wrong kit for links, and Open week is the free tutorial.
Opinion
Your golf umbrella is probably a toy — here's the real thing
The freebie brolly that inverts on the 3rd is not an umbrella; it's a liability. A genuine storm-proof golf umbrella is a piece of performance equipment, and the difference is measured in ribs, vents and inches of span. With The Open back on the Lancashire coast, this is the week to learn it.
Opinion
"Golf isn't a sport" is a dead argument. The players adding distance already know it.
The modern game is an athletic, speed-obsessed pursuit, and the amateurs actually gaining yards are the ones treating their bodies like athletes do. The gap almost nobody works on isn't swing reps — it's recovery and mobility, the cheapest speed you're leaving on the table.
Opinion
The buggy is quietly making your golf worse. Walk.
Ride-everywhere culture has convinced a generation of golfers that a cart is a convenience rather than a compromise. It's costing you rhythm, course feel and the low-grade fitness that keeps you sharp over eighteen holes — and the modern push cart that fixes it is nothing like the clattering trolley you're picturing.
Opinion
Royal Birkdale will humble them — and that's exactly why you should watch
One week from now the 154th Open begins in Southport, and the most optimised power golfers in history will spend four days negotiating with wind, firm turf and pot bunkers. It's the best golf-watching week of the year — and the gear lessons for the rest of us are hiding in plain sight.
Opinion
Golf shoes stopped looking like golf shoes — and got better for it
The saddle-shoe uniform is dead. The best-selling golf shoes of 2026 look like running shoes and lifestyle sneakers, the upstarts that forced the change came from cricket and the minimalist-comfort school, and the real spec now is whether you can wear them home. That's progress, not decline.
Opinion
Golf gave up on the handheld GPS. Golf was wrong.
Watches won on convenience, lasers won on precision, and the humble handheld got left in the cup holder — where, inconveniently for the narrative, it still does things neither rival can: a full-hole map you can actually strategise from, battery life measured in rounds, and nothing buzzing on your wrist mid-swing.
Opinion
Golf's smartest gadget doesn't measure your swing — it fixes the thing swinging the club
Massage guns, heat-and-vibration patches and guided mobility work went from tour physio trucks to mainstream in five years, and July is when they earn it: heat, 36-hole trips, back-to-back weekend rounds. Our position: a recovery routine adds more playable golf per season than any club purchase — because you can't turn through what you can't stretch.
Opinion
The push cart won America — riding should be the exception now
Walking golf boomed in 2020 out of necessity and never receded: a walked round is roughly five miles and comfortably north of a thousand calories, the old trolley stigma is dead, and the courses that banned push carts have quietly given up. On the busiest golf weekend of America's year, here's the case for making the cart the exception.
Opinion
America turns 250 on Saturday — and golf owns the long weekend
The semiquincentennial lands on a Saturday, the tee sheets are already carnage, and the smart play is a two-act day: the dawn round before the heat, then the backyard 19th hole for the barbecue-and-fireworks hours. Here's the full battle plan.
Opinion
New, last year's, or used: how to buy golf gear smart in 2026
With a flood of new launches this year, here is a money-savvy framework for when full price is worth it and when it absolutely isn't.
Opinion
What the 'longest driver of 2026' number won't tell you
Every year a chart crowns one driver the longest, and every year thousands of golfers buy the wrong club because of it.
Opinion
The most overrated gear in golf (and what to buy instead)
Golf is spectacularly good at selling you the wrong thing. Here's where the money quietly leaks out of your bag — and the unglamorous stuff that actually drops shots.
Opinion
Your 60-degree wedge is costing you shots
The club you grab to look like a tour pro is quietly wrecking your short game. For most golfers it should rarely leave the bag.
Opinion
Buy last year's driver — it's the smartest club purchase in golf
The new flagship is a few yards and a big premium away from the one it replaced. Let someone else pay for the newness.
Opinion
You don't need a new driver. You need a fitting.
Every January the longest driver ever arrives — again. The dirty secret is that the gains are tiny and the real distance is in a fitting bay, not a new badge.
Opinion
Stop buying premium balls if you lose three a round
The Pro V1 is a magnificent golf ball. It's also a waste of your money if it spends half its life in the trees. The honest maths.
Opinion
Spikeless won. Stop arguing about it.
The 'spikes for grip' line is a decade out of date. For the golf most of us play, spikeless is simply the better shoe — and it's not close.
Opinion
A cheap launch monitor will help your game more than any club you buy this year
We'll happily spend {{price:500}} on a driver we guessed at, but flinch at {{price:150}} of data that would tell us what to actually practise. That's backwards.
Opinion
Slope is the most overhyped feature on your rangefinder
It's the headline selling point on every laser — and the one feature you legally can't use when it matters most. Here's the honest take.
Opinion
Direct-to-consumer irons are the smartest buy in golf right now
You're paying a brand tax on irons and the independent data has finally called the bluff. Here's the case for buying DTC — and the one catch to manage.
Opinion
Stop buying alignment sticks you'll never use — the only 3 training aids worth it
Your garage is a graveyard of gadgets. Here are the three that actually earn their place, and why everything else is clutter.
Opinion
An electric trolley is the best money I've spent on golf
Not the clubs, not the gadgets. The thing that made me enjoy walking 18 again was the least glamorous purchase in the bag.
Opinion
You're not good enough for blades — and that's completely fine
Blades look incredible in the bag and cost you shots on the course. A loving intervention for the ego-buyer.
Opinion
Get a putter fitting before you get a driver fitting
You use it on nearly half your shots and almost nobody fits it. The most neglected, highest-value fitting in golf.