I own both the  Bushnell Tour V4 and the older Bushnell Tour V3 so I'm able to compare these two excellent devices with some authority and in this article, I'll run through the key differences and similarities between the two.  

Before we do some comparisons with the Bushnell V3 vs V4, it's important to state that a golf rangefinder is the easiest investment to make in your game for maximum return. It's not complicated, you don't need to grind out hours on a driving range or go to the gym to use one. It's a point and shoot device that helps you pick the right club in every situation without doubt. 

Onto the rangefinders...

The V4 and V3 from Bushnell are very similar in features and within the housing, there isn't too much to differentiate between them. Performance-wise, they perform similarly in terms of speed of use, ease-of-use and accuracy - two of the most accurate and quick golf rangefinders on the market. 

Below I've highlighted the noticeable differences between in the Tour V4 model that may affect a buying decision. Both are great little devices and you can't go wrong with even the Tour V3 if you can find one.

The Tour V4 is a much newer model which naturally brings a feeling of an upgrade or redesign. And the housing is certainly much nicer and newer looking than the Tour V3. The Tour V3 looks quite clunky and feels old school with a less ergonomic design. 

Aesthetics aside, the ergonomics are marginally nicer for smaller hands on the V4.

On the Tour V4, your thumb padding slots in nicely to the bottom of the device and the added grip on the top of the device is a nice touch for single-hand use without it slipping and dropping to the ground. 

The Tour V3 performs equally as quickly as the Tour V4 but the Tour V4 is much smaller in size and weighs 15% less than the Tour V3. I have size 23/24 hands which are not very big and the Tour V4 fits nicely into my palm with my fingers curled around it.

For guys with bigger hands, the Tour V4 might feel quite small. 

While the housing and the size has changed, the performance of the Tour V3 and V4 are pretty much identical. The JOLT technology which notifies you with a vibration that the device has found the distance is the same in both devices. Range and magnification are identical but where the Tour V4 seems to edge the V3 is in flag-seeking range. It can pick up a flag from 400 yards while the V3 can pick flags up at 300.

Why would anyone need to shoot a flag at 400 yards? Well, I thought the same and then one day I wanted to know how far the flag was and it was 369 yards away instead of the 397 yards on the card. That made a huge difference to my tee shot where I would rather hit a 3 iron  instead of the driver off that tee.

The Tour V3 is an old model and with all obsolete models, support and interest from the manufacturers dwindle. If you can find a good second hand Tour V3, go for it because it's an amazing product but if you're buying new, I would always say go for the Tour V4. I love mine. 

But if you want to spend less on your rangefinder, there are some cheaper golf rangefinders available like the Precision Pro range.

I admit, I'd never heard much about Volvik until Bubba started playing that pink ball. But living in Asia, Volvik golf balls are everywhere and we are the first to bring so many Volvik golf ball reviews.

In total, I've played all the Volvik golf balls available and in fact in September of 2021, I decided that the Volvik S3 and S4 are both my golf ball of choice if I am to play only one golf ball full time. I bought up as many as I could and have 20 packs in my home.

It all depends on your priority.

The urethane golf balls in the Vibe, S4 and S3 range as well as the Vivid XT Soft will suit the better golfer who wants a ball that spins more and is a multi layer golf ball.

The Volvik Vivid, Volvik Crystal and Volvik Power Soft will suit most golfers who want to maximize distance with a swing more in the moderate swing speed range. 

Volvik Vivids are long. I even noticed a couple yards increase in distance on my irons. On drives, they're very long with minimal movement. If I try hit a big Bubba slice, the Vivids just don't want to co-operate, preferring to go straight.

They're by far the easiest golf balls to see while tracking in-flight and what you'll notice is they seem to stay in the air just a second longer than other balls. I often overshoot my usual distances especially into the wind with a penetrating ball flight that rarely balloons.

You won't be ripping the ball back on approach shots with a Vivid but I found on pitching wedge shots from 135 yards, the ball consistently ends about 2-3 feet from the pitch mark. If, like me, you chip with a lot of bump and runs, the Vivid is a consistent performer and the ball I chip in with the most often. The matte-finish seems to take a bit more grip on the green than other surlyn covered balls.

The matte finish of the ball makes it feel a lot softer than it is. The ever-reliable "bite test" tells me the cover is softer than a truly hard Rock Flite golf ball but not soft enough to be a Tour level ball. It feels like a Srixon Z Star or Titleist NXT Tour. Off the putter, the ball actually feels quite soft.

Overall the Volvik Vivid is a seriously fun golf ball to play with. I love the green as well as the dark & light orange design. The little arrow on the side of the ball makes it simple to line up to the target off the tee and on the greens. For a mid-range golf ball, this is great value especially for guys swinging it below 90 mph.

I tried the Vivid XT's out for a round at Dynasty Golf Course in Bangkok and instantly I noticed they make a much more muted sound off the club face than the Vivids. The compression rating of the Volvik Vivid XT is 100. The ball flight was pretty similar to the Vivids, but the biggest difference came on shots inside 150 yards. 

The Vivid XT sat down within 3 feet on very hard greens which were not friendly in accepting my Callaway Supersofts the week before. 

Even more of a surprise was how much more bouncy off the putter face the XT's are. With the normal Vivids, it's harshly apparent when you mis-strike a putt, the XT bounces off the face more like a premium ball giving you a softer feeling feedback. 

If you look in my picture above, you'll see the yellow Vivid XT has a wrap-around arrow that circles the entire ball. This makes it extremely easy to align your ball to your putting line or line off the tee without needing to draw a jagged one on with your shaky hands. 

The ball stopped much quicker than the plain Volvik Vivid. On the par threes, I compared the performance and the Vivid XT stopped around 3 feet from the pitch mark with an 8 iron, while the Volvik Vivid were closer to 6 feet. Off the putter, I'd say the feel was more like a slightly harder Pro V1.

Overall, because I swing the club at 109 mph, I will replace the Volvik Vivid in my bag with the Volvik Vivid XT from now on. The performance was far superior with my swing speed being much higher than the recommended for normal brightly lit Vivids. 

I couldn't really tell the difference between the two. They both have extremely soft covers where the S3 feels very similar to a Pro V1 and the S4 feels even softer - almost like you'll rip the cover right off with a single hard lob wedge. Both balls also have a seam running around the middle of the ball like the Pro V1's used to - and I like that.

Performance-wise, these balls are the business. The $40+ price tag is no surprise because the White Color S3 and S4 performed exactly as a Pro V1 with long tee shots, and back spin I don't even get with Pro V1's anymore. On the 135 yard pitching wedge test, the S4 ripped back to usually around a foot behind the pitch mark while the S3 stuck exactly where it landed. 

The S4 was especially easy to check up on 30 and 50 yard pitch shots while off the putter face, the S4 felt very buttery soft while the S3 had the same click as the Pro V1. If you're a bump and run fan like me, you want to be more aggressive with these balls because their softness means they run out much less.

As with all urethane balls, the cover scuffs really easily particularly the S4. The S3 seems a bit more resilient. I play these golf balls almost exclusively now and I think they are perfect for my swing and my spin rates. 

I like this ball because it's just insanely long.

The Crystal is just so long compared to other balls in the Volvik range, that if you're a slower swinger looking for a boost in distance and accuracy it's for you. The ball doesn't shape much and prefers to go straight too - it just feels so similar to a Bridgestone E6.

But make no mistake, this ball is hard. And by hard, I mean yes, it can feel like hitting a rock. On the 135 yard pitching wedge test, the Crystal usually finishes about 8 feet from the pitch mark - I just couldn't stop it quicker. On bump and runs, you want to be a little gentler because the ball runs out a lot more than others.

I gave a sleeve of these to my playing partner, Dietmar who plays off an 8 handicap and plays any golf ball, as long as it's free! Dietmar isn't long off the tee (230 yards) and likes a firm golf ball for more rollout to reach the greens easier. He shot a 78 with the Crystals so it just goes to show that hard balls can also produce good results, depending on your priorities.

A couple points he noted were that the ball felt like a Top Flite Infinity but he noticed more carry with the Crystals and hit more hybrids instead of fairway woods into the greens. Off his Odyssey Rossie putter insert, he liked the firm click of the ball. It took him some time to adjust to the chipping though because these balls run run run.

The VIBE has been produced to compete in the low compression market and is often compared with the Chrome Soft. Volvik have put a urethane cover on the low compression VIBE though and this gives it a much softer feeling around the greens with way more bite than any Surlyn covered ball. 

There's something about this ultra low compression trend that is a bit maddening so it's nice to see Volvik responding with a more moderate 65 compression instead of the sub 40 and even zero compression balls you see released lately.

With that low compression, you get the lower spin off the longer shots which means higher distance numbers. But couple that with the urethane cover, and you're able to stop the ball quicker and get more control in the short game than most other low compression distance-oriented balls.

It's very easy to gauge the roll out of the ball almost immediately and this makes playing bump and runs and pitch shots much simpler. The feel off the putter is marshmallowy and while a turn-off for me, it does feel great off a steel faced putter.

On the 135 yard pitching wedge test, the VIBE stops almost on the the pitch mark and overall gives me similar performance to a Chrome Soft I prefer the VIBE mainly because I love Volvik. 

I played this golf ball with Pro Mo at Lam Lukka Golf Club..

I swing well over 110 mph with the driver and yet this ball still reacted well. It's officially for swings under 95 mph, but just check out the final tee shot in this video. I outdrove Mo (a professional) with my 3 wood and he hit a driver. 

The ball sits down big time, and you can see that on the final hole in this video too where I stopped a iron from 200+ and holed out for eagle. Brilliant golf ball.

This is a value ball for high handicappers who need some high visibility and distance. 

The price is low enough that losing a few is fine without much dread and pain. It's a two piece ball so the cover is made of ionomer and not urethane. That's where the distance comes from and with that, there is less spin on the ball for approaches and chips.

It's a good ball for you if you're looking for distance at slower swing speeds and higher handicaps. If you need performance on the greens like a lower handicapper, this ball is not for you.

Volvik's T2 was designed for straight distance with little spin left and right so it's a great ball for hitting long, and less offline.

With a compression of 77, the ball is made for the average swing speed with the focus on increasing distance. It's a two-piece so it's a firm ball to help generate some more carry and roll out off the driver face.

If you have an average swing speed and you want some more boom boom, the DS77 is for you. While they do promise extra control and soft feel around the green, to be honest, it's not going to give you some kind of crazy touch around the greens. This a pure, hard distance golf ball with a very durable cover - the feeling would be similar to a Titleist Velocity or a Srixon AD333. 

If you're looking for some extra distance and swing below 95 mph, this is a nice option. My swing is a bit fast to take advantage of the benefits of the ball. The pitching wedge from 135 yards usually resulted in the DS77 finishing about 8 feet from the pitch mark and on bump and runs, the ball runs out very long but very consistently.

This ball ticks all the boxes of a distance golf ball and if that's your priority, don't get too hung up in the marketing and sales talk about this ball feeling soft and unique. It's a nice colorful distance golf ball plain and simple.

I hear this phrase every time I bomb one down the middle. According to federal law, Volviks are not illegal and you won't be put behind bars for owning them or even selling them. It should be illegal to have them though, because they're as addictive to hit as taking a hit of other illegal things.

In terms of the USGA rules though, all Volvik's balls do confirm to the required standards for tournament play. Only the Volvik Magma doesn't meet the USGA regulations on golf balls and can't be used in tournament play. Like all things in golf, during social rounds, if your friends don't mind, anything's worth a try.

Volvik golf balls do go further. In my experience, the S3 and S4 are the longest golf balls I have hit with my irons. The Volvik Crystal has produced some of the longest drives I have ever hit in my life. Try a few of them out and compare them to your current golf balls.

Some of the golf balls in the Volvik range are matte colors. This means they are not the normal shiny covered golf balls. The matte finish makes them feel stickier off the club face and seem to produce more spin. The matte finish also covers scrapes and the balls do not flake as much after hard sand wedge shots.

The Volvik matte golf balls are:

1. Volvik Vivid golf balls
2. Volvik XT golf balls
3. Volvik XT Soft golf balls
4. Volvik T2 golf balls

Your priority will determine what type of ball you use whether it's for Tour performance for advanced players or just some extra yards off the tee with less errant shots as a higher handicapper. Volvik might be new kids on the block but they've got a range of balls to fit everyone and it you love colored golf balls, there just isn't a better option for high visibility.

Bushnell Pro XE Rangefinder

The most accurate and reliable distance readings to be 100% certain

The Bushnell Pro XE is the very best rangefinder I've ever used. 

Voice Caddie L6 Rangefinder

The best value golf rangefinder in the world

Nikon put the focus of the Coolshot Pro 2 Stabilized in removing the shaking that stops you getting quick readings to the actual target. If you have trouble keeping your hands still while using a rangefinder for anything over 125 yards, this is the one for you.

• Brightness levels of the viewfinder are the best on the market
• Extremely stable for anyone who shakes and can't get readings voer 125 yards
• Readings are done in 0.3 seconds or less
• Red optics in general but when it finds the pin, a bright green ring appears on screen
• Stabilization technology from cameras has been used - full gyro mechanism
• Fog proof and waterproof so use it anywhere anytime

• No magnet on the rangefinder and the case is not very protective of such a sensitive piece of equipment. I recommend buying a separate case to keep it safe.

The Shot Scope PRO LX+ is the best laser rangefinder combo on the market. It's a rangefinder with a GPS unit that sticks to it by magnet.

When I received the Shot Scope Pro LX+ for my trip in Scotland, I was surprised how much you get:

• Pro LX Rangefinder 
• Shotscope H4 GPS unit with extremely strong magnet as well as magnetic clip
• 16 plastic sensor tags to screw into your grips and tap against the H4 GPS unit to track all your shots!
• Software to download to sync with your device to review your data and statistics

I used the Pro LX+ for a month in Scotland, playing 25 rounds with it and I found these features outstanding:

• Red optics make it very easy to see measurements - sounds minor but it's the biggest improvement I noticed from Shotscope
• The H4 GPS unit tracked all the shots I remembered to tap the sensor for. I forgot a few times so I needed to edit in the app.
• Distances to hazards that you can't see are available on the H4 which is a game changer
• Sturdy and large construction of the rangefinder is solid but the ergonomics are the best in the business to prevent shaking in your hand
• Consistent and accurate readings over and over without problem

I use the rangefinder and GPS unit combo like this: I attached the 16 sensors to the top of my clubs and set up the H4 software. On course, I use the rangefinder for lasering distances and I didn't attach the GPS unit to the rangefinder. I placed it in my pocket instead for quick access to distances when i don't need the rangefinder. I also tapped the sensor against the unit inside my pocket to track all my shots. 

I thought I would lose the GPS unit, but I place it into the magnetic hold on the rangefinder after the round wheres it's safe and sound. It never falls off the rangefidner.

I recommend the Pro LX+ package to anyone who needs the whole package: distances to obstacles, distances to the front, middle and back plus distances to hazards that you can't see. 

The most advanced golf rangefinder on the market

Instead of only measuring distances to the pin, you can also use the rangefinder to determine how long your drives are.

When you're on the tee, pick a tree, or marker or bench in line with the tee box and then once you reach your drive, measure the distance from where your ball is, back to the preselected bench, tree, ball washer, concrete marker. This is the ideal way to know your total distance.

This will help you when you measure a distance to a hazard from the tee and know exactly which club to use because you'll know if the ball will reach it. You’ll be able to swing with total confidence knowing that you’ll be safe.

When looking through the rangefinder, you’ll see your target, magnified so it’s similar to looking through a monocular. There’s usually a crosshair in the middle of the display that you point onto the target and when you press a button on the top of the device, a distance will pop up on the display once the rangefinder has settled on how far you are.

The tricky part comes when you have a pin in front of a row of trees because it can be difficult for the rangefinder to pick up the pin. That's why when looking for a rangefinder it’s always good to find one with a technology that finds the pin and puts the priority on the closer object. That’s why I always recommend rangefinders made exclusively for golf - like all the devices in this list.

This is the big difference between hunting and golf laser rangefinders. Hunting laser rangefinders will put the priority on the moving object which is very often behind trees and bushes whereas in golf, the priority is on the item in front of the bushes - the pin.

How accurate is a rangefinder?

Rangefinders are incredibly accurate distance measuring devices and most of the top professionals use them during their practice rounds to calculate the distances so if it's good enough for guys earning millions per shot it's definitely good enough for us.

The only time it’s difficult to use a rangefinder will be when you can’t see the pin because you’re behind trees in the deep trouble.

AVOID: The very cheap models that copy their design and accessories to look similar to the top brands. Unique design on a cheap rangefinder means they put more effort into their product. Anything trying to look like a Bushnell or has a Bushnell style carry pouch will be junk. 

What’s the difference between GPS watches and rangefinders?

GPS watches use satellites to pick up your location on the course in relation to the middle, front or back of the green. You’ll generally only you get a reading to those three points and in some of the higher end models, you’ll get readings to a selection of hazards.

A rangefinder shoots a laser directly toward your target and once it hits the target it sends back the message to give you the exact distance. These distances are accurate to 1 yard and you can select the target yourself, while GPS gives you distances to spots on the course that you have no control over.

So while a GPS will tell you how far it is to a bunker, it doesn’t tell you how far it is to carry the bunker. A rangefinder allows you the freedom to select the target and get multiple customized targets for distances.

Should I get a rangefinder with slope or no slope?

Almost all rangefinders now come with slope. I would recommend buying a model with the slope function and merely toggle the slope function on and off when needed. If you're going to spend the money, get the maximum and scale back what you don't need. No one ever regretted. buying higher spec. 

Who should buy a golf rangefinder?

Golf rangefinders are suitable for every level of player and there's not a single golfer who won’t benefit from a golf rangefinder.

Benefits of having one of the best golf rangefinders

• Learn the distance you carry every club in your bag
• Calculate true distances in practice rounds before competitions
• Calculate your real driver and fairway wood distances off the tee
• Never be short on an approach again
• Have confidence you know the distance to a hazard and select a club to avoid it
• Essential equipment for breaking 90 and 80
• If you follow a strategy like my breaking 90 or 100 guides and want to calculate distances to split your shots.

Prices are coming down as more competitors enter the market of rangefinders making it one of the best times to buy right now. 

You can get a good rangefinder for between $200-250 that works as good as anything on the market.

At $400-550 you get features and more features. Mostly you'll enjoy the pin-lock, vibration, slope function but the speed difference is quite noticeable. 

The Callaway Chrome Soft is made of four layers. By default this means it's a ball aimed at the better player looking to shape the golf ball left and right as well as for golfers who want to get more grip and rip on the greens. 

Coupled with the multiple layers, the ball is encased in a urethane cover to spin a lot more on every shot than a low compression two piece surlyn covered ball. You can expect some golf balls spinning backwards with these especially with a wedge in your hand.

Soft urethane also generally scuffs easier but in the Chrome Soft, you'll find one of the more durable covers currently available.

The Callaway Supersoft is a two-piece golf ball consisting of the inner core and the outer cover which is surlyn or as Callaway named it, Trionomer. 

Surlyn covers are much firmer and less 'spinny' than urethane and are supposed to be more durable. However, the Supersoft cover is not as durable as the Chrome Soft which is a surprise. It does cost half the price though, so that makes sense.

The two-piece design of the Supersoft provides a core with low compression of 38 which in combination with the low spinning cover, reduces the spin of your shots for longer bombs. You'll have a higher ball flight which compensates for the lower spin rate, to help stop the ball on the greens. 

A surlyn and two-piece construction means you'll like this ball if you just want more distance especially if you swing your driver under 90 mph. The name of the game with this ball is LOW SPIN. It will feel super duper soft, but it will not spin as much as a premium golf ball.

Callaway's Chrome Soft feels exactly like a Tour ball because it's actually played on Tour. Around the greens, it provides  gentler feel than the Supersoft. Off the putter face, the Chrome soft feels bouncy and reactive so overall, the Chrome Soft ball is competing with the Titleist Pro V1.

You'll notice the big difference between the balls in terms of spin when you're inside 130 yards. The Chrome Soft checks up and spins a lot more than the Supersoft on the shorter approaches. If you're a generally high spin player, you'll stop a Supersoft within a a couple feet of it's pitch mark but rip it back with the Chrome Soft.

The Supersoft runs out a lot more and won't check up on the green like the Chrome Soft. It's best for bump and run chips on the greens which is strange but it just goes to show, SOFTNESS does not equal SPIN. Off the putter it feels a bit marshmallowy like a piece of soap. Off the tee and with your irons, if you're an average to slower swinger, you very well might notice a slight distance increase.

Supersofts come in more colors than the Chrome Soft, but the Chrome Soft does have the Truvis soccer ball pattern option. If your eye-sight is not so great and you're a slower swinger, the Supersofts are a fantastic choice. 

Get the Chrome Soft if you want a Tour quality ball that spins on the greens. If you're after more distance and less shape, particularly with a speed around 85 or 90 mph, the Supersoft is a great choice.

Diabetic golfers are at high risk of developing nerve damage as well as poor circulation in the feet. Impaired circulation causes wounds on the feet to heal slower, which increases the risk of infection. Nerve damage can cause numbness in the feet, which means you might not be able to feel heat, cold, or pain in your feet.

A golfer with diabetes and these complications might not notice that his shoes are rubbing or pinching his feet as well as not noticing when there are sharp objects inside the golf shoe such as stones or even a paperclip. That can wreak havoc on your feet over a 4 or 5 hour round.

Impaired circulation and the damage to nerves when combined make feet more susceptible to foot ulcers. Bad-fitting shoes increase that risk exponentially from friction and rubbing, but finding the best golf shoes for diabetics is easier than ever with the new styles released by the top golf shoe manufacturers.

Your feet will thank you and you'll be golfing for years to come.

This is where your toes and ball of your foot go. The shoe should be long enough so the toes don't hit the front and have enough space for toes to wiggle and wide enough to not pinch the balls of the feet. 

Breathable material is preferred to keep your feet dry - perforated leather is good while cloth can be better as long as you're not playing in wet conditions. Sweat will evaporate and keep you drier. A nice soft toe box that won't rub and irritate your foot is a good idea. 

A drier foot is less likely to develop an ulcer or wound as you walk around the course.

The tongue should be wide enough with enough padding so that the laces don’t dig into the top of your foot. Some shoes tongues have slits in the middle so you can thread the laces to hold the tongue in place. This will prevent it sliding around as you walk for hours on the course.

This is the opening where you stick your foot into the shoe. The rim of the throat should be well padded and low enough so it doesn't rub your ankle bones where the skin is very thinly stretched making it more susceptible to friction injury.

This is the area that cups your heel. A higher heel counter will provide more support and less rubbing as you walk. Shoes with a high heel counter have a notch for the Achilles tendon to avoid digging into it. 

This part of the shoe usually made of carbon rubber that comes into direct contact with the ground, so it must be long-lasting and flexible.

Slip-on loafer style golf shoes are no good because there is very little of the shoe covering the top of the foot so they provide inadequate support. They're also often made of unpadded, rigid leather, which can be a source of friction.

Golf sandals are unsuitable because the straps cause friction.

Stud pressure from golf shoes can cause pain especially in the balls of the feet. The new and increasingly popular spikeless golf shoe adds comfort to the walk and in my spikeless golf shoes, I can play 36 holes easily while traditional golf shoes with hard insole really hurt after 14 or 15 holes.

Laces threaded through leather or fabric loops or punched-out holes have more give than through plastic or metal eyelets. We want some give so the shoe can morph to the shape of your foot as you walk out there on the course.

Round laces stretch more than flat laces which can be beneficial for those long walks that you spoil with golf shots. Rigid and inflexible laces can crate pressure on your skin.

A great solution by many manufacturers is to have a tightness adjuster on the tongue or heel of the golf shoe that you can turn like a wrench to tighten or loosen the shoes. They're convenient and make life very easy for a golfer with diabetes.

These TRUE Linkswear shoes are the best golf shoes for diabetics without a doubt. The TRUE Original has a minimalist look, wide toe box and zero drop to maximise all round comfort. These are essential features for diabetic golfers. These shoes are specifically engineered for walking, and can keep you going without a problem on 36 hole days!

The wide sole of the Original 1.2 creates a massive amount of surface contact giving you a great connection to the turf and unbelievable traction in all conditions. Walk and feel the course like you've never felt before with a flexible, ergonomically designed sole that eliminates all inhibitions between you and the turf. 

These shoes are made with super premium materials and they just feel so nice straight out of the box. The upper is "alternative" leather which is scratch resistant but feels and looks like the real thing. The sole is made from a nice bendy rubber which doesn't go hard in colder conditions which is something I've experienced with other shoes from big brands. 

The real showstopper of this shoe though is the waterproofing. Rain, dew, snow whatever you are not getting wet feet with these on. TRUE have built a waterproof "bootie" into the shoe with a neoprene tongue to keep all moisture out. What is surprising is that your feet don't feel like they're inside a wetsuit and they are super breathable. Winter or summer you're going to have dry feet and this is a must in senior golf shoe. All of the seniors I play with are out there in all conditions, so this is a shoe which will keep delivering round after round.

The Ecco Pro Cage BOA has everything you could want to protect your feet. It's encased with a 'cage' that supports your foot from heel to toe. The laces are easy to adjust by turning the little knob on the top of the tongue to give you an even fit that you can adjust to perfection to prevent rubbing especially on the top of your foot.

The throat is well padded with a high heel section but lower around the ankle. The spikeless design ensures none of that pesky stud pressure that can really hurt the balls of your feet at the end of the round. You do pay for the privilege though and these shoes, like all Ecco's are expensive.

Very breathable upper with GoreTex incorporated into the shoe keeps your feet free from outside water and dries them from the inside with breathable material. The best golf shoe for diabetics and with the soft insole it should be great out of the box, but you can also get yourself some orthotics to slip in for a more comfortable bottom.

The Tour360 Boost is a more 'traditional' looking shoe and less like the comfy trainer types you see which are made for comfort and a casual look. 

But make no mistake, these are excellent shoes with unique features for adding flexibility and comfort. The area under the middle of the shoe provides for more flexibility between the ball of your foot and the heel for better arch support. Above that area, around the middle of the foot is a 360Wrap which, when tightened, provides extra support and fit to the middle of your foot.

The laces are flat and thread through eyelets but do thread through a slit in the tongue. The tongue will stay in place all round long. The eyelets may not be totally ideal, but with the extra tech under in the sole and the Wrap360 add that extra level of support.

Special foam in the soles give you extra bounce and support for those long walks. A very good looking shoe that keeps the water out and aids in dispersing the sweat on the inside. 

Improved traction pattern on the spikeless shoe means that the weight is distributed evenly without leaving any stud or spike pressure. 

The foam in this shoe is immensely soft and really comfortable. You won't want to wear this one in wet climates though as soggy ground will make it a very tough walk and the water will come in through the mesh.

For firm and warm conditions, even cool conditions on firm ground will make this the type of shoe that lets you walk two 18 hole rounds. They are very very comfortable and provide very little harsh friction on the foot when walking. If you're a cart rider, this will be super comfortable.

You can buy a pair of shoes, send them back if they're the wrong size and get your perfect fit. Once you find that pair of shoes that keeps your feet feeling fresh all round long, you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier. Imagine sitting int he clubhouse with no pain under your feet and ready to play another 18 holes. Those beaten up old 'classic', 'traditional' golf shoes aren't doing you any favors. Try a pair of Eccos and you might end up using Ecco for every shoe in your closet.

There's a bit of a stigma attached to both recycled and refurbished golf balls. While that stigma may be valid particularly against the refurbished balls, there's a bit more to it.

We'll dive into the issue together in this article and we'll take a look at 

• What's the difference between refurbished and recycled?
• How do they refurbish a golf ball?
• What are the pitfalls of recycled, refurbished and new golf balls?
• What's the performance difference between the three?
• How your priorities affect your buying decision

In essence, you're getting a golf ball that looks brand new but is a second hand ball that has been stripped of some of the outer layer and repainted. 

A recycled ball on the other hand is a ball found on the golf course and resold in the condition that is was found. The seller will more than likely clean it with some soapy water and a towel but you're getting a ball that hasn't been altered other than by nature.

Refurbished golf balls are sandblasted by the company that purchases/finds the, In the sandblasting process, a fraction of the cover is stripped away to remove all exterior scratches. After the sandblasting process, they then paint the cover with a glossy finish and restamp the ball with the desired brand and model.

There's something untrustworthy about these balls.

In general, you're getting a recycled ball that's been made a bit smoother with sandblasting and a new coat of paint plus a new stamp of the brand you're looking for. 

Now is that ball with the Pro V1 stamp on it, really a Pro V1? In other words, did they sandblast and repaint another brand and trick you into buying a fake Pro V1 by stamping it with Pro V1? Those are the questions I ask myself which means I don't recommend playing refurbished balls.

The only problem you're going to have with new balls is the price, especially if you lose a few! If you do lose a few, you can always get them back with a high quality golf ball retriever. 

New balls perform best and as advertised.

The refinished and repainted covers of the refurbished golf balls wear off and reveal the worn out old cover underneath pretty quickly. In terms of performance, they'll perform similarly to a new ball if they're not too old or too waterlogged, but how can we know what condition they were in before they were repainted? And is that Pro V1 really a Pro V1?

Recycled balls perform very well and it's easier to see what condition they're in before you hit one! You'll noticed immediately if the cover has been worn away by the sun or water. In general, with the huge demand for used golf balls, lost balls don't spend too long in the water or the woods. There's always someone finding them and reselling them so you can bet on them performing very close to a new ball. 

Which one you buy all depends on your priorities. 

Are you a new golfer? It's best to get second hand golf balls and anything will do. Lost Golf Balls are a reputable company.

Are you a high or mid handicapper who doesn't lose many balls? Buy new and get the best you can afford to maximize your performance. Check out my guide for high handicappers here and mid handicappers here.

Does the thought of losing an expensive or new ball make you tense up and hit poor shots? Downgrade to a lower priced ball or buy used.

Do you need the best performance possible and have unlimited funds? Buy the best new balls you can.

There's no right or wrong answer really but I urge you not to be suckered into buying refurbished golf balls.

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I'm sure you've heard some stories about Thailand and yes, they're all true. But the untold story you might not have heard is how it's a golfing mecca.

As a golfer, you're immediately looked at as the upper echelon in the Land of Smiles and everything about the golfing experience in Thailand oozes regal style and decadent exceptionalism.

From the moment you enter the gates, you feel like a boss. When you leave again, you realize why so many people claim golf is the sport of kings. In Thailand, they do it properly. You very often never even touch your bag until you unload it back at your room.

If you're planning on playing golf in Thailand or are just curious about what it's like, keep reading because there are a few tips to make it more enjoyable. Let's get on with it...

In Thailand it's compulsory to take a caddie and the price is usually about $10 paid to the cashier when you pay your green fee. 

If the course requires a cart, you'll need to have a cart as well as a caddie. The caddie is always compulsory and it's expected that you tip them too.

Important tip: 300 - 400 Thai baht ($10-$12) is an acceptable tip and you pay her after the round when she hands over the bag into your possession. If after nine holes, you'd like to change your caddie, don't be shy to do it. You'll pay half the caddie fee to the cashier again and have your new caddie waiting on the 10th tee. You're then free to tip the new caddie accordingly.

All caddies are Thai ladies and I've had them ranging from 17 years old to 57 years old. And yes, I can confirm they're generally good looking. In fact, courses often stipulate they need to be trim and wear make up!

In the years I've played golf in Thailand, I've never had an unpleasant caddie on the bag. It's best to remember that these ladies don't play golf but use their experience on the course to help you with distances and reading greens but only one out of five will be really proficient. 

So have fun, crack some jokes and SMILE. A relaxed smile is currency with Thai people and whatever you project, they'll mirror directly back at you. Make the five hours together with them fun and you'll really enjoy your game.

Golf courses insure the carts with the condition that only the caddies drive them. I'm sure they've seen too many of those golf fail videos in real life.

Don't be surprised if all you do is  swing the club and then walk between shots.

Here's what the caddies do (and this is no joke):

Of course, like me, you can tee it up yourself and retrieve it yourself from the hole. But if you do drink a little too much swing lube on the course, the caddies are great at lining up the chyron on the ball to the putting line and instructing you how to hit the putt.

It's quite normal to see six carts or twelve people (golfers and caddies) walking the fairways in front of you. Sit back, relax and enjoy the sun because fighting it will only hurt you.

On weekends, you'll routinely see six golfers in a flight with one caddie and one fore caddie - 18 people!

The fore caddie isn't to find the ball and speed up play. She's there to watch to make sure the other players aren't cheating. Let's just say as delicately as possible, some guys bring some money to the course and the game gets very intricate so the occasional leather wedge could win a few bucks.

Stuck behind a four, five or six ball means you'll be there the whole day. Golf etiquette regarding playing through hasn't been discovered in Thailand yet so bring a book or take nice long stops at the multiple drinks stations on the course.

Golf is for the elite here. Club houses and locker rooms are huge, ostentatious and scream "money". You'll receive what feels like a brand new towel, a large locker for your stuff and all the soap, powder, gel, deodorant and creams you could need. Hell, some courses give you toothbrushes and cotton ear buds. 

Remember when you quickly learned that you need to wear closed shoes and remove your hat in the club house? Not here. Anything goes: sports shirts and flip flops are common.

Bring a lot of golf balls. Between nine and all 18 holes will have water in the form of a lake, pond, river or stream on them. Thailand isn't known for it's droughts which means...

There's always someone working on something on the golf course and with the low minimum daily wage ($10 per day), it's no surprise.

Some courses even stipulate that the caddies need to do one day per week of weeding on the fairways. They'll sit in a group and groom the fairway gossiping with each other. They smile and wave as you walk by and they're happy, so none of the usual politically correct western "poor them" attitude applies here. 

In Thailand it's forbidden to put down stray dogs which means there is a LOT of them. So with the cities so crowded and full of undesirables, some dogs prefer to retreat to the quiet life on a golf course. It's a slow life and quality of sleep is much better.

From the moment you pull up to the bag deposit to the time you leave the course, you're treated like a god. Keep a smile on your face and embrace the "sabai sabai" lifestyle of Thailand and you'll want to come back to this golfing mecca again and again.

Top 9 golf course I highly recommend in Thailand in any order but particularly...Nikanti Golf Club being the best!

1. Black Mountain - Hua Hin one of my favorites
2. Thai Country Club - Bangkok surrounds
3. Siam Country Club - Pattaya (4 golf courses)
4. Springfield Golf Course - Hua Hin
5. Suwan Golf Course - Nakhon Pathom
6. Rancho Charnvee - Khao Yai
7. Toscana Valley - Khao Yai
8. Aquella - Phangnga
9. Rajaprappa - Surat Thani
10. Blue Canyon - Phuket 
11. Nikanti Golf Club - Nakhon Pathom

This is the guide to show you how to be the ultimate solo golfer - a Jack Reacher of sorts. Roaming from course to course looking for a game before just walking off into the sunset, onto the next course.

Follow these principles and you too can be a lone wolf eternally looking for that elusive wolf-pack.

It can be a very rewarding lifestyle: endless rounds as a solo flight, just you, the course and no one - not even a caddie. And when the weekend rolls around it's always refreshing to have a new four ball every week instead of a boring regular game with the same old guys you've known for the last 8 years. Golf also becomes a lot cheaper when there's no one to buy drinks for after the round. Keep reading to find out how you too can attain this life.

"I noticed you telling John to keep his spirits up after he missed that 3 footers. That's giving advice and therefore breaches Rule 8-1." is an example of something you could say to help the guys out in your group to better understand the rules. Penalize them the required number of shots and wait til the end of the round to tell them. This game is nothing without rules.

The rules do get complicated so it's always great to have someone in the group who knows the whole book by heart to point out instances where the other guys unknowingly commit breaches. They'll value your input and remember your helpfulness for eternity.

Caveat: knowing the rules and following them are two totally different concepts and just because you know them does not mean you need to actually play by them. 

It's always best to lie and pretend that you shot 75 in your previous round to cover up for the impending 100+ you're about to shoot. And make sure you tell everyone in the group more than once because people are skeptical and the more you repeat it, the more they'll believe you. Even if they played with you in the last round.

Include lots of putter drops, hands-on-head freeze frames and an "I can't believe I hit that shot" or two to really drive home the point an convince them.

Everyone loves free stuff especially pointers and tips on the golf course. But people are shy to ask for your expertise because of Rule 8-1 governing shot advice, so take the initiative and offer some tips to your partners when they duff a chip or yip a putt.  

It's just the right thing to do because we're all born PGA pros, we just didn't get the same opportunities as those guys.

It's always polite to let the group in front finish putting in case you really catch one from 290. Most of the guys you'll play with are inconsiderate and will hit up to within 100 yards of the green! You don't want to take a risk in this situation - it's always better to wait even if your 3 wood tops out at 200 yards.  

Throwing clubs is the ultimate stress relief. You need to learn how to do it though. Rory McIlroy and Sergio have text book form below:

It's pretty much a waste of time if you're not going to throw the club into the water or out of bounds. You never want to actually have to retrieve a club - once you throw it, it must stay gone. You do need to lead with the hips and come through with the arms later though to get enough distance to get the ball into the middle of the drink.

Breaking clubs is not an option because once again you still have it in your possession and the shame of putting it back in your bag is unbearable. Unless you break them all, leave them right there and storm off the course. That's powerful.

My personal hero, Mr Roy McAvoy didn't do it quite right but close enough:

Rangefinders are awesome, there's no denying that but where the real benefit comes is inside 40 yards. There's nothing more valuable than knowing you have exactly 31.5 yards instead of guessing it's 32.

Particularly useful is knowing how long a putt is so you can accurately recount the distances to your wife when you get home. You bought the rangefinder, use it.

It doesn't matter if it's a one-footer for a 10 or you're lying 8 on the fringe, this game is not a joke. Any insinuation that you're holding up play should be ignored because you paid your green fee and you need to get full value. 

When you use this technique in conjunction with "don't play too quickly" and "be perpetually shocked at your bad play", you'll multiply your results.

When you hole out and your marker asks how many, 5 is always a good number. You can use 6 if you think you took 10 or more shots. 

In general though 5 has a good ring to it. If anyone questions your score, look back at the tee box and slowly count each shot with a running commentary with the argumentative chap. When it appears your score is closer to 8 or 9, say "oh yeah I forgot about that" but never apologize. We're never sorry on the golf course. Sorry is for weaklings.

Memorize this list and use it where appropriate. Golfers absolutely love this stuff:

1. Drive for show putt for dough: Use this after someone hits a long drive and makes a bogey after 3 putting. Another good one to use is "Nice drive, nice five". If you want low handicapper friends, they love this one.
2. Never up, never in: This is one of those that is not obvious to everyone. Sometimes people don't understand if you don't hit the putt hard enough, it won't go in the hole.
3. You lifted your head: The all-time classic. This one never gets old and despite the problem usually being a change in spine angle, no one has time for that long winded technical stuff. You lifted your head is so much simpler.
4. When someone knocks the ball off the tee, always say "one". If you don't say it every time it happens, you will have bad luck for 17 years.
5. When someone hits it fat, you're not Captain Obvious if you say "You hit the big ball before the small ball". It's always polite to let other golfers know exactly what went wrong in case they don't get it first time.
6. You're standing to close to the ball after your follow through: really helps a golfer know they have more potential than they're displaying and is incredibly motivating.
7. Whenever someone is still away/out on the putting green: "the 3 saddest words in golf... you're still away/out."

If you want further reaching notoriety, this is a great technique to get a wider audience of golfers not to play with you so you can scale up your mission. We all have an inner-Miguel Angel Jimenez, so let him out to play.

You never want to insult a golfer by searching for his ball in the long rough. Most guys overestimate how far they hit the ball and you don't want to be the guy who searches in the more realistic area of the rough for his ball.

Imagine if you found it, how would that look? You'd firstly be showing he hits it like a girl and secondly, he would have to play from that awful lie. It's always better to stand in the fairway and politely shout-ask if they've found it yet. If not, play your shot to speed up play and wait for the rest of the group to catch up.

No one wants to rush on a leisurely Saturday or Sunday. It's all about relaxing and since you've paid the same green fee as everyone else, it's always best to make it as relaxing and enjoyable for yourself as you can. 

With strict adherence to the rules you should always wait for the person furthest from the hole to play even if he can't find his ball. 

Rushing and playing ready golf is new-age nonsense and little do most people know, the saying is not "a good walk spoiled", but actually "a very long leisurely walk spoiled". That's your new motto.

Most of the time the ball doesn't really need cleaning anyway so there is actually no point in marking it. Usually the coin glints in peoples eyes and when you use a copper coin, it gets lost on the green anyway.

People complain if you use a tee peg and they don't like poker chips. It's not worth the effort of bending down and perhaps pulling a sciatic nerve. If anyone has anything rude to say, just putt your ball first, problem solved.

There is only one place to stand behind any golfer playing his shot - right behind the ball. Nowhere else.

You're an important person and a busy person cannot go without their phone. In the updated Rules of Golf, they decided they need to move with the times and golfers with mobiles take preference over golfers hitting the ball. Who knows, you might be from MI6 or the CIA.

In other words, you're more entitled to answer the call on someone's back swing than he is to be making the back swing. Offer mulligans every time it happens if they hit a bad shot.

A common theme throughout this guide is the fact you've paid the same green fee as everyone else, you are allowed to do whatever you want - it's your party.

Whether you're having a bad day, hit a few in the water, took a 10 on a par 3 or just can't buy a putt, sulking is by far the most effective way to let others know how poorly you're playing. Most people are totally unaware of another players' performance so it's always a good reminder to walk far ahead of them and answer their chit chat with one or two word answers. Throwing in a down-turned mouth and making threats to never play golf again are cherries on the top.

No one likes a guy who is happy when he's playing badly. It's just weird.

Who doesn't like a free Pro V1 or Chrome Soft? Golf becomes an expensive game when you need to buy golf balls. The solution? Always carry a golf ball retriever and fish those balls out the pond.

It's also a good idea to hit it into the woods every now and then and go find yourself some little treasures. Try to find two balls per hole and you'll never pay a cent for golf balls again.

The quick-step just at the top of the guys swing is an excellent way to keep him alert and ready for anything. It takes some practice but if you get this right, you'll really have some great interactions on the golf course.

Some weirdos might find it distracting for some reason but as mentioned already, we never apologize on the course. If anyone mentions your quick-step, you should do it on the next tee just to show you didn't mean anything by it.

You should never wear any other color on your body at the golf course besides pink and white. I mean belts, shoes, socks, caps, gloves, pants, underpants, shirts, undershirts, sunglasses, everything. You can mix and match your clothes, but like the great car manufacturer, Harrison Ford said "It can be any color as long as it's pink and white"

If your quick-step is a bit delayed, taking your glove off on their back swing is generally the only time you should be taking off your glove. There's just no time in a 5 hour round to be taking it off after everyone has hit or between shots. That's ridiculous and if you've hit a bad shot, you're more entitled to rip the Velcro on someone else's swing. 

Modern golf shoes don't really do anything to the greens anymore so don't go to all that unnecessary effort of avoiding people's lines on the green. They'll probably miss anyway so whatever.

It's highly unethical and immoral to bet on a golf game and if you find you're on the losing end, it's always best to drop the bag in the car, retrieve your bag from the locker and go home immediately.

If you win, you should stick around for a drink after the game but once you have your winnings, you should leave ASAP in case they order another round and they expect you to waste your hard-fought winnings on alcohol. 

What are the best golf travel bags for airlines? You want a strong bag to protect those valuable clubs because airlines do not like paying you for broken clubs.

I've traveled to 15 countries with my clubs and never had a single breakage. That's a combination of both the right golf club travel bag and expert packing.

I've been on some of the worst airlines you can imagine and never had a breakage. I'm confident that you'll make the right choice after reading this article. The best golf travel bag currently is the SKB Deluxe Hard Cover golf bag. 

*All of these bags are compliant with airline policies. The only thing to remember is the weight restrictions and to double check the airline policies to ensure once the bag is packed, it doesn't exceed maximum weight - usually around 50 lbs.

The American-made SKB Deluxe is made of molded polyethylene which makes it not only dirt and moisture resistant but extremely strong. So strong in fact, that the manufacturer offers $1500 club coverage and a million mile guarantee on the case.

With that sturdiness and strength comes a bit of extra weight though and at 18 lbs, the SKB travel bag isn't light. With your bag loaded inside, you might have enough airline weight allowance for a pair of golf shoes.

You'll be able to put pretty much any bag in here but it works especially well for good 14 way stand bags and push cart bags. It's a tight fit for larger cart bags and staff bags but with a bit of effort, it'll hold it all. The inline skate wheels make wheeling this solid structure around very easy.

There are three locks on the bag and keys are included. A TSA lock is included which is fantastic because this bag is a magnet for TSA and will be checked. It's always best not to put too much loose stuff in the case because the ever reliable TSA will reliably lose it for you.

One of the other areas that could be improved actually, are the locks. They could be made of a material more in-line with the sturdiness of the case but are made of a hard plastic. They do however work very well. 

This is easily the best hard case golf travel bag on the market.

This travel golf bag from Club Glove is spacious and strong enough that it is the most trusted bag on the PGA Tour among the pros. It's water resistant and comes in 20 colors. 

it can hold even a big Tour bag and two pairs of shoes. There's just so much space and with the light weight, you have 40 lbs to stuff everything you can into your golf bag. It's made in the USA and includes high quality YKK zippers and ITW Nexus buckles and if you know anything about zippers and clasps, these are the highest quality. Placing your clubs inside the bag is easy and once you zip it closed, you can then connect the buckles for a tight fit without any club rattle.

Materials: 1000 D nylon/cordura
Dimension: 51 x 19 x 16 inches
Weight: 10.6 pounds
Wheels: 2

If you want to add another level of club safety in a soft cover bag, take a look at the Stiff Arm and for TSA approved locks, you can't go wrong with a cheap Master lock. 

The CaddyDaddy Enforcer Hard top is a hybrid golf travel bag so it has a soft body but a top piece which is hard. There are two huge pockets on the side of the Enforcer which hold your shoes, jackets and some sneaky extra luggage. 

When I store the Enforcer when I'm not traveling, the soft part of the bag folds into the top hard case. You zip it closed and it's a compact package to put inside a cupboard. Easy storage.

Materials: 1800D fabric
Dimension: 51 x 13 x 15 inches
Weight: 9 pounds
Wheels: 2

The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian golf travel bag will glide with you at the airport on the four wheels with ease. This golf travel bag won the Golf Digest Editors’ Choice award six years in a row.

There is a second set of wheels that retract along with the built-in inline skate wheels. You can pull your bag everywhere around the airport, never feeling the full weight of the bag. The ClubGlider takes all thr weight off your arm. The bag never topples over despite being top heavy with your irons.

The Sun Mountain has enough space for your golf bag with club, a small carry on and golf shoes. There's a one year warranty on the Club Glider Meridian travel bag itself but not on your clubs which the SKB does offer at a lower price point.

Overall, a nice bag that will need a bit more support around the club heads but there is no easier golf travel bag to wheel around.

Material: Ballistic nylon
Dimensions: 52 x 14 x 14 inches
Weight: 11 pounds
Wheels: 4

Excellent external pockets and riveted handles make the Caravan 3.0 extremely high value. There is little difference between this bag and the Constrictor 2. The weight is similar and the setup is almost identical.

There's plenty of space inside to pack everything you could need on your golf trip. The two pockets on the exterior easily fit one pair of golf shoes each. While this bag isn't going to last forever like an SKB or Club Glove, it's a great budget option if you don't travel extensively with your clubs.

Lightweight is best because of baggage weight restriction

This is very important because some airlines restrict the weight of sports equipment. Do you travel low-cost or full-service most of the time? Check airline rules - generally 50 lbs total is about the norm for sports equipment.

Depending on how frequently you travel, it’s important to get one that is relatively easy to transport back and forth. If you’re older or have some back issues, I recommend getting a lighter, soft shell bag to ensure it’s easy to get them in and out of the trunk.

No need to suffer a pointless injury on the way to your golf vacation. Plus, weight is a big factor for how much it costs to shipping your golf gear as well. Depending on the airline, if you go over a certain limit you’ll have to pay even more money each way.  

Also, it’s important to note unlike bags, these do not come with a shoulder strap and you’ll always have to push or pull it. 

High quality wheels makes transport easy

The wheels make moving the bag around so much easier than carrying so I've featured only wheeled bags here.

I struggled for too long with a carry travel bag.

Some bags have spinner wheels to change direction easily but most will only have two and you have to hold the handle at the top of the bag as you wheels it around. This can be cumbersome to change direction but if the airports are not too crowed, you'll be okay.

Side pockets can contain more gear

You need pockets for accessories, clothes and golf shoes. On the trips where weather may be variable and you need a lot of layers or jackets, it's always better to have too much storage than too little. 

You want to know how much space is inside the bag as well.

Outside the bag, the soft cover cases are better as they have zippable pockets whereas the hard cover have none. 

Hard shell or soft cover bags need different storage space

Hard cases will be heavier and more difficult to store in a small space when you're not using them.

A soft cover bag can be folded up and placed in a cupboard.

The hard case offers superior protection to your shafts and clubheads while the soft cover will need a stiffener like a bag boy stick or a lot of extra padding made up of golf shoes, towels, clothes and headcovers.

I use a hybrid bag which has a soft cover around the bottom of the golf bag but a hard cover on top just around the clubs. 

Warranties are important for protection

Double check the warranties of the companies who make the bags. Some of them extend for a year or two and you might even find some that cover the damage to clubs, as well as even damage to clubs inflicted upon your bag by the airlines!

Approve locks and padlocks make TSA inspections easy

TSA will check certain bags and some do come with TSA locks otherwise purchase a TSA-approved lock from Master.

High price high quality

Like anything in golf, you get what you pay for.

When it comes to a golf travel bag, I like to get the best travel bag for my golf bag that I can.

I do not have much storage space at home so I prefer not to go with an entirely hard case. I like to fold it up and place it in the closet. That led me to the case which has a hard top and a soft bottom but with a lot of external storage because I go for longer trips and I like to squeeze in extra jackets and socks.

I got the most expensive one I could afford and I have not experienced a single breakage.

This is by no means pretty, but it is effective. If you don't want to buy a travel bag or you want a soft cover travel bag, you can do this.

1. Clip on your rain cover and unzip to let it hang loose. It's easier to do the final step if you put the cover on now.
2. Unscrew the driver head from the shaft and put the shaft into the bag with the clubs. If your driver doesn't unscrew, go to the next step.
3. Put your woods and hybrids upside down into the bag. Be sure to put some old socks on the heads to prevent scratches.
4. Bunch the shafts that are sticking out the top together and put your umbrella in the bag to act as a splint for more support.
5. Turn your irons in so the toes are all facing your woods' shafts and bunch them all together and wrap a towel (or two) around the whole set.
6. Once the towels are tightly wrapped around the club heads, zip up the club cover.
7. Put the driver head and wrench into a jacket and place it in a secure pocket.
8. Use cellophane wrap and masking tape to wrap it all up for a budget version of the airport service

The best travel bags are expensive and they're expensive because they last.

An SKB hard case will serve any golfer well and for the price, there is little reason to get a soft cover travel bag for airlines.

If a hard cover bag is not ideal and storage becomes a pain in the butt, the high-priced Club Glove is virtually indestructible and protects your golf clubs amazingly.

For those who don't like lugging a golf travel bag around by a flimsy handle, the Sun Mountain makes travel easy.

These three are the best golf travel bags for airlines hands down.

Getting hooked on golf is a terrible terrible thing! You want so desperately to improve every single round and when you do, you expect every shot and round to be the same but it never is!

In this guide, I want to help you if you're want to know how to break 100 in golf, consistently.

Too many guides out there don't really show you the actual way that a beginner or 100+ shooter plays, meanwhile some pro is telling you to do this and do that without seeing it in reality. 

About Brian

• Lowest score 121 - average score unknown because of picking his ball up on so many holes
• Pain in his left wrist, forearm and shoulder from swinging made him always want to leave the course after 3 holes
• He hadn't completed 18 holes in since 2012 due to the pain in his arm from swinging
• When he did play 9 holes, he would pick his ball up after eight shots 7 out of 9 holes

Sounds like an impossible task right? Well truth be told, we didn't break 100 first time out. Brian shot 105 and that's amazing - 16 shots off his best score! With some extra work on bunkers and putting and Brian can easily shoot in the 90's.

But what was even more amazing than finishing every single hole and actually posting a completed scorecard?

Brian actually enjoyed a full round of 18 holes for the first time in years. Why?

Because I showed him how to THINK like a golfer and use good habits and solid fundamentals. And you'll learn these things from this guide. That's the main point of this guide, to show you how to better think your way round the golf course.

I was so confused every time Brian told me about the pain in his left shoulder and arm when he swung a golf club. He never wanted to play golf because of some mystery 'pain'. I actually thought he just didn't like me.

So I forced him to go to the driving range one fateful Sunday.

For the life of me I couldn't see what he was doing wrong because his swing is quite good especially for a beginner who hasn't taken lessons. But then I saw it...

He was setting up to every shot like it was a chip shot, standing far too close to the ball and getting so cramped at impact, having to do something nasty with his left shoulder. In the left picture below noticed how cramped he was at setup. He fixed it very quickly and after a few adjustment hits, Brian was A for away.

This little trick will tell you if you're the right distance from the ball. You can do it on the range, just before you hit your shot or whenever you're feeling a bit cramped and it's how we fixed Brian.

Place the top of the grip on your front leg about an inch or two above the kneecap and where the club head rests on the ground is where the ball must go.

This works for every single club from driver to wedge.

Here is a video to help understand this little drill to ensure you're standing the correct distance from the ball.

With Brian swinging with no pain, we hit about 20 more balls on the range and went home and meditated on the changes we'd made. Aummm....

You want to understand the following and you can get it from a great coach if you have one near you.

1. The ball position
2. The posture and stance
3. The grip

If you can get those nailed down, and understand impact position, you will be a very good golfer quickly. For some people like Brian, they skimmed over lessons so we have to forget about it and play with what we brung.

I'm not going to bore you by telling you it's easy - just make 9 bogeys and 9 doubles. Yeah we all know that, but it's not realistic to expect you to score like a machine.

Brian certainly didn't but there are ways to work around your game and maximize your strengths and practice your weaknesses to make some pars and minimize the triple bogeys! These are outlined below.

You'll find out by reading further that the strategy of hitting shorter but straighter tee shots will keep you from going into bunkers in the fairways as well as not being able to reach the deadly out of bounds and water hazards. We'll also be hitting more short irons and wedges which are easier to control so it makes it very difficult to blast or slice them into the wet stuff.

If you're playing off the correct tees, you can reach these in one shot. If you can either hit the green or be chipping from green side, you're going to be making pars and bogeys here maximum.

These appear tough. But let's simplify them by saying we hope to be on the green or around the green in three shots.

A 420 yard hole is only three shots of 140 yards. Can you hit a 140 yard shot straightish? Yes you can! The reason you get into trouble is hitting a long club off the tee because you think it's a long hole and you need a boomer.

With this tactic of getting on or around the green in 3 shots, you don't need more than 150 yards off the tee and any club you have that goes further and straight is a bonus!

These will be easiest to make bogey on by being around the green in two shots. You might sneak in a few pars! If you're not in a position to hit a 7 iron or an 8 iron onto the green with your 2nd shot, I still say you should split the distance in two and hit two wedges onto the green.

Tee shots and 2nd shots need to be in play without penalties on these holes. Those two shots are important because most danger on these holes are 250 to 300 yards from the tee. Once you get past those two shots and have 200 to 250 yards into the hole, you can hit the green in 4 shots and target bogeys and at worst double bogeys.

This club needs to go 150 yards or more and reliably straight. Brian likes his 3 hybrid. Pick whatever club you really feel great hitting off the tee with full confidence. It's totally your game.

Avoid putting yourself in danger off the tee is the first step and the next step is to assess your approach and divide it into smaller shots. If you have 200 yards left to the green, two pitching wedges of 100 yards is much more reliable than a fairway wood and a 20 yard pitch from the rough or a bunker shot. Let's simplify this game. Look at the diagram above, it illustrates the strategy for all holes. Control and simplicity!

Be realistic with your game and if you need to move up a tee box, that's alright. Most courses have color defined tee boxes. A quick guide to know if you're playing the correct tees:

• You can reach three out of four par 3 greens quite easily
• Most par 4's are under 400-420 yards
• You can reach the fairways from the tee on almost every par 4 and 5

When it seems like every par 4 is 420+ and you're in the rough before the fairways on solid shots, you should move up a tee box.

Tell your playing partners that you don't want to know your score after 9 holes and don't keep track of it. 

Keeping track throughout the round will put more pressure on you. Imagine you find out you shoot 48 on the first nine. What's going through your head the second nine? All you're going to be thinking about is shooting that 51 to shoot a 99. Forget it all! Just play and count later!

Your perfect 7 iron goes 170 yards, right? That's great but what distance does your 7 iron go MOST OF THE TIME? That's the distance you need to use as a gauge for all your clubs. The distance they go MOST OF THE TIME.

Pulling the right club is essential and in this plan, you're swinging easy and not looking for more distance at all. We want to improve accuracy and consistency through shorter shots into the greens. If you hit your pitching wedge 160 yards once, please don't use it as the norm, because you're going to be in a lot of front side bunkers! A golf rangefinder like the ones in this guide I wrote can help you. 

It sucks when you're trying to break 100. You think everyone's impatient and waiting for you and your shots all the time. 

The truth is, we don't care about your score. We enjoy hanging out with good-humored and fun guys who enjoy the game and make it a blast on the course. There's only one thing other golfers in your group don't like and that's when you "cannot believe you hit that shot" or "cannot believe you missed that 6 footer". It's best not to stand with hands on your hips or head looking flabbergasted on every second shot.

Hit your shot, and then walk to play the next one without too much theatrics. It's the incredulity expressed at a bad shot that slows down play and annoys lower handicappers. Have fun, keep moving without rushing your shots and everyone is gonna love you 100%.

I won't be giving you tips on hitting long bombs here. Just practical advice that you can genuinely use if you stay disciplined out there on the course. Leave the driver at home. Remove problem clubs for you. Hell, you could break 100 with half your clubs if you wanted to. But resist the temptation to hit shots that are low percentage and high risk. Is it glamorous? No, but it's reliable and it can help you break out of that scoring barrier.

You need these shots to be able to avoid penalties like out of bounds and dropping the ball at the water hazards. The driver is alway the main culprit getting 100+ shooters into trouble and messing up the scorecard.

Pick anything you like - whatever you can hit really consistently from the tee onto the fairway. Whether it's a hybrid, 6 iron or 7 iron, I know you have one club in your bag that you hit straight! 

Like Brian did in our experiment, leave the driver at home. He says that it's the sole reason he would need to pick up his ball after exceeding his maximum on each hole because it gets him into too much trouble. He loves his 3 hybrid and he used that off the tee most often.

We really want to stay in play off the tee. We don't want to be hitting our second shot from the ladies' tee or reteeing after hitting it Out of Bounds. Our goal is to break 100, not audition for Bubba Watson impersonations.

We don't need your clubs to go far. We just need them to go straight and to the distance you determine through practice. This plan doesn't focus on increased distance but rather it focuses on splitting the course up into smaller shots to get you to score 99 by swinging easy and hitting it straight. You never really have to smash the golf ball with this plan but you do need to know how far you hit it.

By solid, I mean learn your distances and shot shape. Learn how much your ball fades or draws and aim for that shape when you're on the course. If you fade, aim left. If you draw it, aim right. By knowing your distance, you'll select the right club for each shot and be more likely to hit the green than be short.

The basic bump and run shot is a chip shot where you get the ball onto the green as soon as possible and let the ball roll up to the hole. I like to use a pitching wedge, but have used as low as a 7 iron. 

Sometimes we leave ourselves tough shots inside 50 yards. These are hellishly difficult and get more difficult when you put too much pressure on yourself to hit it close. Your sole focus should be to just get it on the green.

Pick a club like a sand wedge and focus on just hitting the green. It doesn't matter where it goes on the green, just get it on somewhere! Sometimes that even means hitting 30 foot right of the hole intentionally to avoid a bunker between you and the hole. More on this further in the guide.

We'll find in the videos below this is a key concept. When you do hit a green, you want to two putt everything over 10 feet and try hole your short putts. Three-putts are what we want to eliminate and if you can just eliminate the three-putts while keeping the ball in play off the tee, you'll find your scores drop quickly!

You actually don't even need THAT MUCH practice. You just need to practice the basics really well. Two hours at the range and two hours on the chipping and putting green a week and you can break 100 within two weeks. The biggest improvement is going to be when you combine your comfort on these shots with the strategy outlined in the next section.

You want to mix up your hitting on the driving range. You need to groove your main shots like your tee shot and your favorite iron as well as your wedge by hitting twenty of them in a row focusing on swinging easy. But you also want to 'play a round' on the range as if you were on the course. So you envision every hole you're playing and use the appropriate club for the imaginary distance to the green.Our subject, Brian did this:

• 20 x PW; 20 x 6 iron; 20 x hybrid off the tee
• Played 9 holes on a golf course in his mind. Fairways are decided by you before the shot, between markers on the range for example. Greens are generally the 100, 125 or 150 markers on the range. Pretend you're on a course for more mindful practice.

Remember on each shot to take your full pre-shot routine and focus on swinging easy. There's no need to try murder every shot as hard as you can. Concentrate on making a very nice, easy, Ernie Els style swing. Don't just beat balls for 20 minutes and go home with blisters and a dented ego.

This range session should be anywhere from an hour to two hours. Really be conscious of how it feels when you hit a good shot. 

Top tip: As silly as it sounds, when you hit a great shot on the range, pretend to put the 'fairy dust' of the shot into your hand and deposit it into a pocket in your golf bag so you'll have a supply of good shots in the bank to bring out when you need one on the course. Sounds stupid, but it works.

For short putts, you can use a rug or get yourself a piece of artificial turf. You can putt the ball into table legs, big coffee mugs or small plates. You must only focus on keeping your head down forever and hitting the ball into your target from 7 or 5 or 3 feet away depending on available space.

I have a step-by-step guide to putting right here. Try to hit the practice greens for two hours per week. One hour putting and one our chipping. 

What I worked on with Brian while we were on the course was the lag putting. You probably have an issue controlling the distance of your long putts. 

So what I did with Brian was make him look at the hole while he swung the putter back and forth to get the feeling of how hard to hit it. He showed immediate improvement and when he gets lethal inside 6 feet by following my advice in my putting guide, his scores, and if you follow the advice, yours too will drop.

Take your chipping club of choice: it could be anything you like. I used to use a 7 iron when I started playing but now I use my pitching wedge exclusively as my chipping club around the greens. 

Pick a spot on the chipping green where you want your ball to land. Put a large coin or poker chip exactly on the spot you want the ball to land. Try land your practice chips on the coin/chip. This is the secret to chipping. Learn your trajectory and how the ball runs out and then adjust where you land the ball. Pick a spot on the green and land the ball on that spot. There's nothing else you need to focus on!

1. Blue tees were the wrong tees. They measured 6550 yards while the whites measure 6250. This was an oversight by me and recommend he plays off the white tees in future.
2. Hitting a good tee shot is as important as chipping and putting. Choosing a reliable club that will get you in the fairway and not the water or OB will exponentially increase your chances of breaking 100. Hitting your 2nd or 3rd shot from the ladies' tee will hurt you.
3. Chipping and putting is vital. Chipping is not as complicated as you think. All you need to do is be aggressive enough to get the ball ANYWHERE on the green and then two putt from there. No need to get cute or try chip it in every time. Sometimes the best chip is one hit away from the pin, avoiding the bunkers or water between you and the pin.
4. Two putting from distances over 12 feet is essential. Meanwhile, draining your 3 to 6 footers is as important. Practice these by putting on the practice green from 20 feet or longer and try get the ball consistently within 2 or 3 feet of the hole. Practice 3 to 5 footers placed around the hole until you can drain them with ease. TOP SECRET: keep your head down forever! Brian and I didn't go through putting together but he improved over the round as I showed him.
5. Avoid bunkers at all costs. Leave yourself full shots into the greens and not the 30 to 75 yard pitch shots that are so difficult. Here is my guide to bunker shots.
6. Don't use your low wedge from the fluffy rough. The club goes right under it and results in 20 yard shots. Use a sand wedge with more bounce. 
7. Don't feel rushed by other people. Just play your game and if anyone behind you is on your butt, let them play through. Brian was a bit frazzled on the 11th hole because of some guys hitting balls within 40 yards of us. It affected his game later on. Keep up with the group in front of you.
8. Swing easy. Don't try to smash any of your clubs. This strategy to break 100 doesn't call for maximum power. It calls for finesse and control of yourself. You just need to get the ball in play and break up your approach shots into shorter shots. Smashing the ball results in freshies, slices and bladed shots.
9. Have fun! Don't count your score. Enjoy talking to your partners and have a great time. By being relaxed, you'll break 100 easily. 

You're equipped with everything you need to break 100 now. You have the swing, you have the game, now it's time to just use your brain! Go out there and do it!

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