News

Morning 9: Is Pebble beach really a “public” course?

Published

6 years ago

Sep 30, 2020

1. Is Pebble beach really a “public” course?

Will Bardwell for his Lying Four blog on the “public” element of the famed plausibly public track…“More importantly, though, is the indisputable fact that Pebble Beach is “public” on technicality alone. In 1982, when Pebble Beach hosted its second U.S. Open, the greens fee was $70 (about $188 in 2020 dollars, when adjusted for inflation). Today, Pebble’s greens fee has soared to a gargantuan $575 – and that doesn’t include the $45 cart fee, or the $95 caddie fee, or the caddie’s gratuity. And unless the player stays overnight at the resort (a two-night stay and play package starts at nearly $2,800), tee times cannot be made more than 24 hours in advance. Pebble Beach is a bucket-list destination – but that’s because few golfers are able to afford the experience more than once, if that.”

“…it is public in name only, and nevertheless is rewarded year after year as the model toward which every public course should strive. If there’s no disincentive for Pebble to make itself more accessible, then why should Sawgrass or any other high-end destination?”

“And ultimately, it’s Pebble’s failure to embody the best – indeed, the most important – qualities of public golf that cries out for its demotion. Any course that deserves to be called the best of American public golf should offer public golfers the best the game has to offer: an inviting environment, creative architecture, and realistic greens fees. On that, Pebble fails…”

Full piece.

2. NGF: Golf participation is booming as coronavirus lingers

Golfweek’s Jason Lusk…“The National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech released a report last week that said rounds played in August in the U.S. were up 20.6 percent over 2019. That was roughly 10 million more rounds played in August 2020 than in August 2019. The report said that was the largest year-over-year monthly increase since Golf Datatech began tracking rounds two decades ago.”

“All that comes on the heels of year-over-year increases of 19.7 percent in July, 13.9 percent in June and 6.2 percent in May. That was after more than half the courses in the U.S. were shut down in parts of March and April because of the pandemic or seasonality – rounds played in April 2020 were down 42.2 percent versus April 2019.”

Full piece.

3. Renee Powell to lead US side at Junior Solheim

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Renee Powell set to lead Team USA at Junior Solheim Cup; Annika Sorenstam will captain EuropePowell forged her own trail as well, captaining both the Ohio and Ohio State University golf teams. She fought through racial prejudice, even death threats, as the second Black player to compete on the LPGA. After retiring from the tour, Powell continued to grow the game as an ambassador, traveling to Africa more than two dozen times.”

Full piece.

4. Johnny’s love/hate

I LOVE that golf equipment is getting better and better as each year passes by. As I get older and the muscles get tighter, it’s nice to know that with a quick tweak or a new setup I can leap back 15-20 years and still play like I used to. Technology as a whole has been so good to this game. It started with the Pro V1, and we stand here today with kids coming up at 200 mph ball speed, what a world.

I HATE how obsessed we are with distance over lower scores. The blame is on all of us, but I’m dying for an OEM marketing campaign centered around Golf IQ, and not all ball speeds and launch. The whole point to any of this is getting the ball in the whole faster and more consistently. How we hit it should be secondary to how we play. Simple as that.

5. Southern courses distancing from Confederate associations

Tom Cunneff for Golf Digest…“The tragic killing of George Floyd caused a lot of people in our country to rethink things, and certainly our situation was no different,” says Mike Gonzalez [Secession Golf Club], the club’s president who, unlike the majority of members, lives in South Carolina. “So, I invited our members to weigh in, and it was clear we needed to do something [to separate themselves], particularly anything that could be deemed to be connected in any way to the Confederate cause, which is certainly nothing we could support. I didn’t want to take any chance that we could be perceived to be something we’re not, because Secession is a very welcoming and inclusive club.”

“Changing the name was also considered, but after speaking with many of the 900 members, including all African-Americans members (the club wouldn’t divulge how many there are), Gonzalez concluded that that step wasn’t necessary because the name is meant to acknowledge the broader history of the area, not the act itself. He cites the fact that the Reconstruction Era that enfranchised African Americans, at least for a while, began in Beaufort in 1861 after the Union Army overtook the Lowcountry following its decisive amphibious assault at the Battle of Port Royal. The white plantation owners fled while more than 10,000 enslaved people, about one-third of the enslaved population at the time, stayed and became free.”

“Also being questioned this year are the handful of clubs named after Confederate generals…”

Full piece.

6. Rory works out? Who knew?

Golf.com’s Luke Kerr-Dineen…“Rory’s issue early in his career is that he was very flexible but didn’t have much strength. And while we often regard lots of flexibility as a good thing, it’s a double-edged sword. You don’t have enough strength to manage that flexibility, your golf swing can veer out of control and create stress in different parts of your body.”

“I wanted to get stronger and build up a little bit of robustness in my body,” he said. “Honestly, make myself a little less flexible, a little stiffer, that was one of the reasons. I had so much movement in my hips and in the lower part of my spine that there was not enough stability to protect the joints and the discs and the vertebrae.”

Full piece.

7. Inside the Ryder Cup postponement

CNN’s Sandy Thin… “At that stage we started making all sorts of alternative options, what we’d do with picking the team, how we get in the right amount of play, and just making all different scenarios for selection, qualification, picks, timings, all that.” But as the pandemic spread and the early optimism over fans returning to the grandstands faded, hope quickly diminished and in July, the decision was announced that Whistling Straits — the Wisconsin course hosting the event — would have to wait another year, as the Ryder Cup was postponed until September 2021.”

Full piece.

8. Best Driver 2020 2.0

If you haven’t checked out our update to Best Driver of 2020 and/or need additional clarity for your driving buying decision-or merely want to see what some of the best fitters in golf have to say about the best big stick based on your swing speed, check out the fall edition of the Best Driver.

Full piece.

9. “I could watch golf until the cows come home’: Ballymena farmer becomes an online hit with the hottest seat at the Irish Open

If you haven’t seen the photos from last week’s Irish Open, moo-ve down the page to have a look.

See the full piece for a talk with the farmer.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.