Opinion & Analysis

Easy ways to ruin a round of golf

Published

6 years ago

Aug 17, 2020

We’ve all been excited for a round of golf, whether it be at a course you’ve been dying to play or even just an afternoon out with friends. We anticipate great shots and having a great time, and as the old saying goes “a bad day on the course is still better than a great day at work.”

But is it really?

A few things can really put a damper on that fun day of golf, and although I can’t confirm or deny that any of these specific scenarios recently played out during a round of golf, at some or another they have happened—and I don’t wish them upon any other golfer.

Launching your first shot out of bounds

This is really one of the worst ways to starts a round of golf and it can happen to anyone, even Rory McIlroy at The 2019 Open Championship, or the author of this piece (twice) during a recent round.

Terrible weather

At your home course, this might not be a big issue—you can always come back tomorrow. But if you’ve traveled halfway around the world and spent a lot of money to play a bucket list course, having it be a four-hour walk in the rain or even worse being rained out could easily be considered a worst-case scenario.

A slow group in front of you

It’s one thing to play a busy course during peak times and understanding the pace of play might be a little slower than usual, but it can get beyond frustrating when you are waiting on a group that is being inconsiderate as far as looking for balls and hanging around the green after finishing out—might be time to skip a few holes.

The shanks

It’s the dreaded “S-word” in golf.

They can happen anywhere at any time. Not only that, but beyond a hole bordered by out-of-bounds and water, there are few fears in golf as overwhelming as standing over your next shot after a shank—it can make golfers weak in the knees. The good news is, many teachers will say that a shank is still closer to being a great shot than a bad one, so keep your chin up.

Losing a piece of equipment

Losing anything stinks, but losing a piece of gear, whether it be something small and sentimental like a divot tool, or misplacing your range finder to never be found again can leave you dejected.

The only thing worse is when it happens on a busy course and somehow not a single group behind you “never came across it,” if you know what I mean.

What would you add to this list, GolfWRXers?

Opinion & Analysis

AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience

Published

5 days ago

Jun 5, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.

I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.

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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.

With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.

Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!

Club Junkie

Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast

Published

7 days ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.

Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.

If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.

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Club Junkie

Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie

Published

2 weeks ago

May 28, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.

I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.