Our goal at GolfWRX is to provide the very best content on the web for those who love golf as much as we do. That includes equipment, instruction, club reviews, tour news… you name it.

We’re lucky to have Featured Writers who are experts in a variety of different professions within the golf industry contributing to our site on a regular basis, and we’re proud to honor many of them in the Top-16 GolfWRX Stories of 2016.

We also owe a major thank you to our readers, and especially our members. Day in and day out, it’s you who make GolfWRX the best online golf community in the world. Thank you so much for taking the time to read, post and share, both on the Front Page and in the Forums.

Enjoy this list of our Top-16 Stories of 2016, which were selected by our editorial team based on community impact (views, comments and shares).

1. The statistical differences between a scratch golfer and a Tour player

By Peter Sanders

If there’s one thing guaranteed about sports, it’s that people love debating whether top amateurs have a shot against professionals. Could Alabama’s football team beat the Cleveland Browns? Could Kentucky’s basketball team beat the Charlotte Hornets?

In golf’s version of the argument, we get the answer quite regularly, since the yearly U.S. Amateur champion and the runner-up earn a spot in the Masters… and it often doesn’t end well for them.

In this article, which was the most read story on GolfWRX in 2016 that wasn’t named Gear Trials, PGA Tour Statistician Peter Sanders examines the statistical differences between a scratch golfer and a Tour player. Think your club champion at has a chance to win the U.S. Open? Read this article. LINK

2. Golfers are going CRAZY over Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls

By Andrew Tursky

Golfers love a deal, and there may be no better deal in golf equipment right now than Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls, which use a tour-quality, four-piece urethane construction yet sell for only $30 for two dozen.

News about the ball and its performance spread like wildfire in our forums, with golfers comparing the performance of K-Sig (gotta love the nickname) to their favorite golf ball models. Our front-page story highlighted the most compelling posts at the time. LINK

3. Nike is getting out of the golf equipment business

By Zak Kozuchowski

The decision heard round the golf world; Nike exits the golf equipment business. It was possibly the biggest golf equipment news in the last 10 years, so there’s just no way this story could be kept off of the list.

Of course, in true WRX fashion, the news brought speculation as to what golf clubs Nike staffers would put in their bags going forward. We’re still ironing out those details as the Nike staff tests clubs and signs new contracts. We’ll keep you up-to-date in 2017 on our WITB page. LINK

4. Forgiving irons? A perspective you may not like

By Stephen Altschuler

A comment section divided. This story, which questions the true benefits of game-improvement irons, has an undoubtedly enticing title, and in the comment section you’ll find everything from outright anger to agreement to highly informed rebuttals.

If an award could go to “best comment section of the year,” it’d certainly go to this story. If you have time, read both the story and the comments for both a good laugh and some serious insight on the benefits of forgiving irons. LINK

5. Titleist’s concept clubs are its best ever, but you won’t see them on Tour or in stores

By Zak Kozuchowski

A $1,000 driver and $3,000 set of irons from one of the most respected golf equipment companies in golf? It’s no wonder this was one of the most popular stories of the year among GolfWRXers.

This story takes a deep dive into the process behind making these ultra-limited golf clubs. If you’re into golf equipment, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not read this story in its entirety. LINK

6. Tiger Woods is finished as a professional golfer

By Tom Stickney

A bold claim by Tom Stickney about one of the most beloved professional athletes of all time. You don’t have to agree with Tom Stickney’s argument about Tiger Woods (and most commenters didn’t), but at least hear him out.

This article was voted “Shank” more often than any other story of the year not written by Swanson, but sometimes the truth hurts, right? Or maybe Tiger can win another major. Either way, we’ll be watching how history unfolds. LINK

7. Five things you didn’t know about Callaway golf balls

By Andrew Tursky

If anyone ever asks what direction Callaway’s seam run on its golf balls, now you know.

This story takes GolfWRX readers inside Callaway’s golf ball factory, offering five things you probably didn’t know about the company and its golf balls. There’s a history lesson involving George Washington and James Naismith as well. LINK

8. Ten Unwritten Rules of Golf Etiquette

By Andrew Tursky

Golf is a complex game, and it can be quite overwhelming for beginners to learn all the rules and etiquette. GolfWRX Senior Editor Andrew Tursky uses his lifetime of experience playing the game to keep golfers from uncomfortable situations on the golf course… or, maybe he has no understanding of the game at all, as “Mmmmm” bluntly observed.

We’ll leave that for you to decide. LINK

9. Bruce Sizemore to release fully adjustable, 100 percent milled wedges

By Zak Kozuchowski

You heard about it first on GolfWRX. Our Editor in Chief Zak Kozuchowski broke the news about Bruce Sizemore’s new adjustable wedge company. Yes, adjustable wedges.

Although it’s easy to do, don’t fall into the trap of just looking at the photos and then posting your thoughts in the comments section. There’s a reason why these wedges look like they do, which Kozuchowski explains. LINK

10. What I learned from my single-length irons experiment

By Barney Adams

Was anything hotter this year than single-length irons? Thanks to Bryson DeChambeau, it seems as though 80 percent of the 2016 Masters coverage was devoted to the concept.

In this story, golf equipment legend Barney Adams weighs in on the hype with his experience on the matter. He previously experimented with the single-length concept, but ran into a number of issues. LINK

11. Eight common sense tips to lower your scores

By Tom Stickney

It’s easy for golfers to get wrapped up in technique and highly technical swing thoughts, but golf doesn’t have to be that complicated.

Stickney’s common sense tips remind golfers not to make golf harder than it is. And no matter what your handicap, skill level or the time you have available for practice, you can surely find a tidbit in this article that will have a positive affect on your golf game. LINK

12. Snell: The pros and cons of premium golf balls

By Dean Snell

Do you really need to use a premium golf ball? Golf ball guru Dean Snell breaks it down using years of expertise to back his argument. For someone who has skin in the premium golf ball industry via Snell Golf, he keeps it surprisingly real with GolfWRXers. LINK

13. GolfTEC’s groundbreaking study shows you why you aren’t a professional golfer

By Ben Alberstadt

Using measurements from more than 90 million golf swings and six million lessons, a study from GolfTEC helps explain why you’re not a professional golfer… and the findings may even help you improve your game.

GolfWRX Staffer Ben Alberstadt spoke with Nick Clearwater, Senior Director of Instruction at GolfTEC, to get a deeper look at the ego-killing study, and what it means for amateur golfers. LINK

14. Want to break 80? Here’s what to practice

By Alistair Davies

If you’ve never broken 80, you’ll want to read this article from UK PGA Professional Alistair Davies. Already accomplished that feat? Here are Davies’ tips to help you break 70.

15. Hamilton: A trick I give my students to make their ball position automatic

By Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton coaches some of the best golfers in the world including PGA Tour players Hudson Swafford, Boo Weekley, Aaron Baddeley, Chris Kirk, Russell Henley and many more. In this story, which features a brief video explanation, Hamilton teaches golfers a simple trick for ball position alignment that works for everyone from Tour players to beginning golfers.

The video is a must watch to ensure you’re addressing the golf ball properly, every time. LINK

16. Nine things that stop top amateurs from realizing their pro dreams

By Mark Donaghy

Why do some extremely talented and hard-working amateur golfers never pan out in the pro ranks? Accomplished writer and golf enthusiast Mark Donaghy spoke with Johnny Foster, who runs a top Irish coaching academy targeting elite young players to figure out the differences between those who go onto to have successful pro careers and those who never make it.

For accomplished junior or amateur golfers, or parents of the like, this story will be both eye-opening and inspiring. LINK 

Related

• GolfWRX’s Top-15 stories of 2015
• GolfWRX’s Top-10 stories of 2014