Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Golf Magazine

THE U.S. OPEN IS RETURNING TO TORREY PINES after 13 years. I’m psyched about that. In this fan’s opinion, it was the last Open to deliver the thrills and chills you’d expect from our national championship. Don’t get me wrong—there’ve been some great Opens since Tiger out-willed Rocco Mediate on the cliffs above the Pacific, just north of La Jolla. But none have matched the theatrics and heroics of those five mid-June days in 2008 (p. 84). I can still feel the roars, and I wasn’t even there. I was there in 1986. That year, the captain of my high school golf team (of which I didn’t make the cut) qualified for the Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open at Torrey. Instantly, it became a must-attend event for me and…

GOLF BALLS AND LINE COOKS. Wildly different, you say? Not quite, at least according to the late chef and writer Anthony Bourdain. “Line cooking—the real business of preparing the food you eat—is more about consistency,” Bourdain wrote. “Mindless, unvarying repetition, the same series of tasks performed over and over and over again in exactly the same way.” In that sense, the process of creating a golf ball is no different from a line cook whipping up a risotto. If it is to be done right, it must be done consistently. Even the slightest shift in ingredients or placement can cost dearly. Consistency is king for golf ball producers like Callaway, who have built out multimillion-dollar facilities and staked their reputation on dependability. It’s a good thing, then, that Callaway’s line…

The partnership that is Dogleg Brewing began on a golf course. That’s where Christina and Nick Lumsden met their co-owners, Jim McCaskey and Corey Gustafson. It was Nick who realized there were no golf-themed breweries among the many in San Diego, and Dogleg was born. Head brewer McCaskey was a Navy aviator for more than two decades and no little legend in home-brewing circles. The gang opened the brewery in November 2019, timed perfectly for a pandemic disruption. What they learned from that unfortunate alignment, however, was that the San Diego brewing community is clutch. Christina, who stuck it in the ground as a collegian at Kent State, and Nick, who has played in a few U.S. mid-ams, discovered they loved the people who underpin America’s craft beer capital. “You…

ON FATHER’S DAY in 1980, Jack Nicklaus was doing what he loved most—being a dad. And I—18 years old at the time—was being selfish. I had just completed my second round in a Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association tournament. I was at the scorer’s table that late-Sunday afternoon signing my scorecard when somebody yelled over to me that my dad was on the telephone. I was a little frustrated about the timing of the call because the tourney was still being played. At that moment for me, this junior golf tournament was the most important thing going on in the world. I had just graduated from high school and signed a golf scholarship to play at the University of North Carolina. I picked up the telephone receiver. Dad asked…

There are not many 19th holes more inviting than the bar at Torrey Pines Lodge. If you’re lucky enough to be there during this year’s national championship, get into the spirit (literally) with a wee dram of Dewar’s, the official blended Scotch whisky of the U.S. Open. Dewar’s and the USGA have entered into a multiyear arrangement in which the 175-year-old brand will produce a special, limited-edition blend and bottle each summer to commemorate the event. “There’s without doubt a link between Scotch whisky and golf that goes beyond the provenance from the same great country,” says Brian Cox, vice president of Dewar’s North America. “Our whisky is really ‘from the land,’ crafted often in remote distilleries by passionate people dedicated to the craft. The parallels to golf are obvious,…

MOST GOLFERS HAVE never even considered playing without a 5-iron in their bag. Michelle Wie West, however, recently replaced her 5-iron with a Callaway Rogue 11-wood at the 2021 Kia Classic. I know what you’re thinking: An 11-wood?! Yes, an 11-wood. Traditionally, high-lofted fairway woods were thought of as great options for slower-speed golfers who needed help getting the ball airborne. But with high-lofted fairway usage increasing on Tour, the stigma is slowly being lifted. In the name of experimentation, I recently put my 5-iron (Mizuno JPX 919 Tour) to the test against an 11-wood (Callaway Epic Max model) on a Foresight Sports GC Quad launch monitor at True Spec Golf headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., to figure out the differences. Testing revealed the 11-wood produced 10.4 mph more ball speed,…

1. PING G425 LST DRIVER, 10.5 degrees, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange shaft, 290 yards (carry); $500 2. PING G425 MAX FW, 14.5 degrees, Aldila 2018 NV Green 75X shaft, 265 yards; $300 3. PING G425 HYBRID, 19 degrees, Aldila ATX Tour Green 85X shaft, 230 yards; $270 4. TITLEIST PRO V1X BALLS; $52 per dozen 5. PING i210 IRONS, 4-9, PING JZ Stiff shafts; 4-iron 215 yards, 5-iron 205 yards, 6-iron 191 yards, 7-iron 177 yards, 8-iron 164 yards, 9-iron 151 yards; $125 each 6. AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CONCEPT WATCH; $198,000 7. ALIGNMENT STICK WITH PING TOUR DANCING COVER; $35 8. PING KNIT FAIRWAY WOOD HEADCOVER; $30 9. PING CORE DRIVER AND HYBRID HEADCOVERS; $35 (driver), $33 (hybrid) 10. PING TOUR MELON HEADCOVER 11. PING SIGMA 2 FETCH…

BLACK’S BEACH Just below Torrey, swells rising from deep offshore canyons produce some of the most powerful waves on the West Coast. TERRA MAR POINT A sweet, consistent surf spot in the heart of Carlsbad, popular with short and longboarders. SWAMI’S An internationally known surf mecca with a primo reef break, named for the ashram that overlooks it. GOAT HILL PARK Beach culture is alive and well at this par-65 short course, where surf wax can be bought in the pro shop. FIREWIRE This Carlsbad-based surfboard company is known for its innovative use of materials and design. HANSEN’S One of San Diego’s original surf shops, it remains family-owned after nearly 60 years. SCOTTY CAMERON GOLF GALLERY A retail shop and fitting center, its offerings include surf-inspired putterheads. THE CARLSBAD GOLF…

ALMOST A YEAR Lest we forget, it was only nine months ago that Bryson DeChambeau steamrolled his way to a six-stroke victory at Winged Foot. His bombing and gouging still have ripple effects, with many golfers attempting to follow in his power-hungry footsteps. 10 YEARS It’s been a decade since Rory McIlroy dominated the U.S. Open field at Congressional (–16). It was also the year he collapsed at the Masters with a final-round 80. Rory missed the cut at Augusta this year. Maybe a good omen for Torrey? 15 YEARS Hard to believe, but it’s been that long since Phil Mickelson uttered, “I’m such an idiot,” in reference to blowing what coulda shoulda been his first U.S. Open victory. Lefty hit driver on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot into…

THOUGH THE GAME itself can never be mastered, one thing is for sure: The most affordable way to pursue our sport is by playing municipal golf courses. For that reason, none of our Top Courses lists is, arguably, more important than this one, the first such compilation of munis ever put together by GOLF. Every player around the globe would be welcome at these 30 courses and could play them without taking out a home equity loan. Like at St. Andrews, the ultimate town-owned course, the heart of the game beats at these bastions of inclusiveness. That’s why we’ve been celebrating them every week in our long-running Muni Mondays series at GOLF.com. Whether you’re a clerk or a CEO, everyone is treated the same at a muni. Indeed, lost on…

1. Mark the bottom groove Using a Sharpie, color in the last groove on the wedge (or wedges) that you use most often around the green. 2. Line up your wedge At address, set the side stamp on your ball so it runs north-south and parallel to your target line. As you sole the club, align the colored-in groove with the side stamp on the ball. 3. Slide it under the middle Your new chip thought: Slide the colored-in groove under the middle of the ball (indicated by the side stamp). Simple! And, yes, it’s legal to mark your wedge like this and play with it so long as you do it before you start your round. Joe Hallett is the director of instruction at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin,…

THE CLOSING STRETCH AT Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course—site of June’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—is rife with trouble. At the 2011 PGA Championship, Keegan Bradley found that out the hard way. His chip shot at No. 15 ran into the water, leading to a triple bogey and apparently drowning his chances at the title. But Bradley bounced back with a birdie at 16 and poured in a 50-footer on the par-3 17th (above). An hour later, Bradley was a major champ. Here’s how you bounce back from a crooked number. 1. Take 10 steps Don’t bottle it up. Instead, follow Tiger Woods’ longtime approach: Let yourself get mad about the shot you’ve just hit for 10 steps. When you take that 11th step, move on. 2. Regulate your breathing It’s…

FORGET QUANTITY. Focus on quality practice for 30 days and you’ll reap huge rewards this season. This short-game improvement plan mandates you hit about 150 balls per session; you can do it at the range or from a golf setup in your backyard. Visit GOLF.com for an expanded version of this routine from Top 100 Teacher Debbie Doniger. BALL-FIRST QUARTER SWINGS Take a pitching wedge, narrow your stance with pressure lightly forward. Choke down and hit 50 balls with a quarter swing. Focus on contacting the ball first, ground second. NET-RATTLING HALF SWINGS Hit 50 balls with your lead arm reaching no more than parallel to the ground on your backswing. Finish your follow-through with your chest pointing at the target, left wrist flat. BENCHMARK TEST Using a Flightscope MEVO…

Lonely Star State Only three Texas courses have hosted a men’s U.S. Open, all one-and-out: Fort Worth’s Colonial (1941), Dallas’ Northwood Club (1952) and Houston’s Champions GC (1969). Illinoised The Prairie State has the distinction of a record five one-time-only hosts: Glen View Club (1904), Onwentsia (1906), Minikahda (1916), Skokie (1922) and North Shore (1933). California Schemin’ Los Angeles CC has gotten the nod (its first) for the U.S. Open, in 2023, but don’t bemoan nearby rival and one-and-doner Riviera CC (1948)—it will host golf for the 2028 Olympic Games.…

THE PGA TOUR no longer hands out an award for Comeback Player of the Year, but we all still love return-to-greatness stories. And in 2021, there hasn’t been a bigger one than Jordan Spieth, who, in early April, captured the Valero Texas Open to end a nearly fouryear victory drought. Spieth is a fan favorite, and his win was wildly popular. But how did his return to the mountaintop measure up statistically? I thought it would be fun to turn an analytical lens on the subject to arrive at a ranking of players who had the longest time between two great stretches of golf. To start, some parameters were in order. Looking solely at the time between wins wasn’t going to cut it in my view, because one win isn’t…

COMPLACENCY IS THE BANE of innovation. To truly break ground, limits need to be pushed, and Bryson DeChambeau is wired to push them. Nicknamed “The Scientist” (but more specifically, he’s a physicist) for his science-based approach to the game of golf, DeChambeau combines unceasing curiosity with a relentless pursuit of improvement and willingness to try anything. And after spending a day at Cobra Golf’s headquarters in Southern California, it seems that he’s literally tried everything when it comes to wild golf club designs. While not a club builder himself (although he’s dabbled on the grinding machine), DeChambeau has access to all of the resources he needs to push the envelope of club design. He works closely and constantly with Cobra’s team of equipment experts—the pit crew to DeChambeau’s race car—to…

TWO-TIME PGA TOUR winner Max Homa recently joined GOLF’s “Fully Equipped” podcast to discuss a myriad of topics, including his Titleist gear setup, new mindset and a whole lot more. Below are a few highlights. On embracing a positive mindset: “It’s all based off being in the flow state and trying to get your brain in the best possible setting to succeed. It’s about being positive and happy and in a good spot—just trying to be a little bit more conscious of expanding that part of not just my golf game but my everyday life.” On the driver setup change more golfers should embrace: “If you change your setup a shade, you get more tilted to hit up on it more than you would an iron. That helps get the…

A COOL HEADCOVER is one of the easiest ways for golfers to express themselves, and because of their unique, customizable nature, they make for thoughtful and expressive gifts. (Hi, Dad!) If you’re more traditional, maybe opt for matching leather covers that prove you appreciate style and quality craftsmanship. A knit cover feels both fun and vintage—particularly with a pompom attached. Did you get that coveted tee time at a famous course? Let it be known and rock the logo on your putter. With the U.S. Open around the corner, a lot of our favorite brands are celebrating the heritage of that event with limited-edition covers. Perfect! Your headcovers should be representative of your personal style and personality. Now you just have to be able to back it up on course.…

For most golfers, game improvement is a journey that takes place over a lifetime. For 17-year-old Paris Hilinski, it happened in a flash. She took up golf when she was 12, had her first lesson at 13 and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open when she was 14. Her coach, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Claude Harmon III, has been with her every step of the way. Now, he’s here to share their secrets about how Paris got so good so quickly—and how you can apply those lessons to improve your game in a hurry. 1 Putting: Keep Your Head Still This time-tested tip remains the secret to making the short ones Learning this game requires working from the hole backward, even when putting. Paris started by learning how to perfect…

Who has eight wins on the same course? Tiger Woods Torrey Pines Tiger’s win at the ’08 U.S. Open gets most of the press, but it’s only one of eight times he’s left Torrey Pines with hardware. Bay Hill Club & Lodge Only two players have won in back-to-back years at Bay Hill: Matt Every and Tiger. The Big Cat has done it four times, including a four-peat from 2000 to 2003. Firestone CC (South) From the first time Firestone hosted an event, Tiger was dominant. He won the first three WGCs in Ohio and added five more wins by 2013. Six wins Jack Nicklaus Augusta National GC No one has owned the Masters like the Golden Bear. With six green jackets in his closet, Jack knows Augusta National better…

After four years of imposed rationing on meat and coffee, milk and sugar, gasoline, nylons, coal and shoes, and four years of death tapping on the front door with a Western Union telegram and blue and gold stars displayed in windows by hopeful and mourning mothers, and four years of herculean industrial effort to arm the nation and its allies, Americans on the home front longed for a return to normal and maybe even hoped to have a little fun. World War II was over. A collective exhale of joy and relief swept the nation. Jitterbuggers jit-tered like there would be nothing but tomorrows, kids played with new toys called Slinkys and Silly Putty and on Saturday, June 15, 1946, on the outskirts of Cleveland, Americans showed up in unprecedented…

ON THE DRIVING RANGE at Westchester CC, where I teach, I help two kinds of students: 1) athletic, young golfers like my junior student Steven Lee, pictured on these pages, and 2) avid, 50 years and older rec golfers (represented in this story by yours truly). Both of these demographics come with their own advantages and limitations, necessitating different subsets of advice. Depending on which category you fall into, here’s how you can adjust your swing and start playing the best golf of your life. 1. Match Your Posture to Your Age With more hours working hard behind a desk, older golfers should embrace a more relaxed posture—a “curved” back here is just fine. Just make sure to keep your chin up, which will straighten your thoracic spine without adding…

THE ESSENCE OF A GOOD bunker shot is the clubface sliding under the ball, creating a cushion of sand to send it high into the air so it can land softly on the green. Doing this requires two “opens:” 1) an open stance and 2) an open clubface. To help you visualize both of these, get into what you feel is an open stance and ask a friend to lay an alignment stick or club inside your lead foot. If you do it correctly (with your front foot flared out), the stick or club will point between the ball and the hole (below). When you swing, keep your weight over the stick throughout, which will help you create a descending blow into the sand. The stick also serves as a…

IT’S TRENDY THESE DAYS to eliminate any excessive wrist motion during the swing, but it’s important to recognize that your wrists play an integral part in boosting clubhead speed and squaring the clubface at impact. I teach my students to “flick” their wrists through impact—a necessary move found in all good golf swings. As the clubhead approaches the ball, notice that your right wrist is bent and your left wrist is flexed (top right). After impact, however, the opposite is true: Your left wrist is bent and your right wrist is flexed (bottom). That means somewhere in between (i.e., through impact) your wrists need to flick. A great way to develop a feel for this is to practice flicking only your wrists at the bottom of your swing. Start by…

G: Your father got drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Was he disappointed that you chose golf as your sport and not football? MM: Football was king in Texas. I decided I didn’t want to play and thought, How am I gonna tell Dad? One night he came to my room and I said, “Pop, I think I wanna play golf.” He said, “Great idea, son.” I went, “What?” And he goes, “Let me ask you a question. Can you tell it’s me coming to your room before I get there?” I said, “Yes sir, I can.” He goes, “You can hear me because I got a five-inch plate in my back, four screws in this ankle and two in this knee. Buddy, play golf. You can play it till…

Your favorite golf podcast now has merchandise! GOLF’s “Subpar” has launched a brand-new line of T-shirts, hoodies, hats and visors for its loyal listeners to wear proudly. Hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz have captivated audiences with their freewheeling conversations and must-listen interviews with golf’s biggest names, including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and more. Their reach goes beyond the golf world with celebs like Charles Barkley and Tony Romo stopping by the studio for candid banter you won’t find anywhere else. Pour out some birdie juice and get amongst it with the boys in your one-of-a-kind “Subpar” swag. ($30 to $50) Take a photo of this code to shop all of the new “Subpar” merch in the Golf.com Pro Shop…

A WELL-POURED DRAFT and comfortable barstool is the precise recipe for professionals of a certain age to remember the 5¢ and 10¢ lagers they enjoyed around the time of their first shave. Beer was simple then, even if my own engagements with dearly departed mugs o’ fun began in the 35¢ era. Still, at that steep price, mi amigo Caveman and I had plenty enough dosh from his job at a drive-in movie theater and mine looping at the Road to slurp Pabst and play shuffleboard until last call at 02:00. None of us perceived beer as boring in the day, but we erred in thinking that just because it was cold and cheap it had reached perfection. Yuengling Lager was brewed less than 50 miles from where I grew…

EVERY YEAR, GOLF EQUIPMENT companies release their latest and greatest in the driver category, each packed with an abundance of speed and performance. In a market that’s jam-packed with an ever-revolving door of new options, it’s natural for consumers to want to reduce the noise and simply test the “best” driver out there. The problem is there’s no one-size-fits-all driver that’s ideal for every individual golfer. Instead, the more useful question to ask is “What’s the best new driver for my game?” Each manufacturer has different design philosophies, materials and technologies. Most companies also release more than one model to help golfers with differing needs. Simply put, a holy grail of drivers does not exist to suit the gamut of players whose swing speeds vary from modest to super-fast. Moreover,…

WELCOME TO A NEW FRONTIER in wedge design. When it comes to drivers, and even putters, the gear market has seen weightadjustable technologies work wonders for golfers looking to fine-tune performance. That’s because small adjustments in weight can help a club match up to a particular golfer’s swing dynamics and feels. Edel, a golf company that specializes in making irons, wedges and putters, has found weight-adjustable technology to be effective in wedge design too. The company’s Swing Matching System wedges ($199) are designed with three interchangeable weight ports that house a combination of light and heavy weights. The stock wedges come with two 2-gram weights and one 8-gram weight. Through Edel’s player testing, it was found that spin increased, on average, by 10.4 percent when the weight was in its…

Each and every one of Tiger Woods’ 15 major championships has had its own identity. The 1997 Masters? Historic. The 2000 U.S. Open? Dominant. The 2019 Masters? Iconic. The 2008 U.S. Open? Excruciating. Arguably one of Tiger’s greatest triumphs, that 2008 Open at Torrey Pines was also his most heroic. Just two months after undergoing his fourth knee surgery, Woods arrived in La Jolla, California, with the state of his game an enormous unknown. Would his knee hold up in grueling U.S. Open conditions? And where was he mentally? Legit questions, even for—at that time—the top-ranked player in the world. Despite limping his way around what was then the longest course in U.S. Open history (7,643 yards), Woods found himself in the mix after the first two days of the…

For many players (especially Americans), winning our national championship marks the pinnacle of golf greatness. It’s arguably the toughest major of the year, requiring contestants to perform at the highest level off the tee, from the fairway, from the rough and—perhaps most crucially—on the putting greens. But any living player on this list is likely to tell you that it takes much more than superior skill to capture this coveted prize. It takes focus. Desire. Stamina. Grit. And maybe most of all—fearlessness. 1895 Horace Rawlins Newport Country Club Newport, RI 1896 James Foulis Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Southampton, NY 1897 Joe Lloyd Chicago Golf Club Wheaton, IL 1898 Fred Herd Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton, MA 1899 Willie Smith Baltimore Country Club Lutherville, MD 1900 Harry Vardon Chicago Golf Club…