By Joel Beall
A golf industry staple has become the latest COVID-19 casualty.

The PGA of America announced Wednesday that its PGA Merchandise Show is moving to an all-virtual format for 2021. The show, touted as the largest annual gathering in the golf industry, hosts a crowd of 40,000 in Orlando, including some 1,000 companies and brands. It is a meeting of business, networking and education, showcasing the newest trends and technology from the sport.

However, the PGA of America, in partnership with PGA Golf Exhibitions, decided to cancel the in-person show, releasing a statement that the entities are “prioritizing the health and well-being of the global golf community during the ongoing pandemic.”

“Working in partnership with the PGA Show team, we are pleased to continue the longstanding tradition of connecting PGA professionals and the global golf community with a new virtual PGA Merchandise Show experience and marketplace in 2021,” said PGA President Suzy Whaley. “The interactive virtual format will allow even greater participation from all corners of the U.S. and around the world and, together, we can collectively make the most of the surging interest in the game. We share an optimistic outlook for the future of the sport and look forward to an exciting industry reunion when we all can meet face-to-face at the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show.”

In a statement, the PGA of America said PGA professionals, golf retailers, industry leaders and manufacturers will be able to attend the show from the safety of their homes or offices and afforded the same ability to connect with others in the golf realm through the show’s virtual platform. It will become available for appointment scheduling in mid-December, with full content provided live during PGA Show week, Jan. 26-29, 2021, and available on-demand for an extended period of time after the show concludes.

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By Golf Digest Editors
ORLANDO — The 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, golf’s yearly feast of golf products of all shapes and sizes, is upon us, showcasing the latest innovations in our industry—from clubs, to swing aids, to apparel, to gadgets, to … well just about anything. After combing the range at Orange County National on Tuesday, Golf Digest editors are on the floor of the Orange County Convention Center Wednesday through Friday for the freshest and most intriguing new products that golfers should know about. We’ll update as the week rolls on, so check back to see what we’ve surfaced.

Mobile massages made possible by Lenny Dykstra’s son

The Theragun G3Pro looks like a cordless drill but behaves like a jack hammer. “Percussive therapy” is another name for the type of massage it delivers with various attachments. Cutter Dykstra, son the famous baseball player, leads the company and was running the booth at the PGA Show floor.

The ultimate indulgence is when he directs one of his helpers to hold two against your back simultaneously, but at $599 per unit, more likely is you’ll buy one and self-administer. Cutter says the product is gaining popularity among athletes across other sports, but he’s taking orders this week from golf pro shops. The battery lasts 75 minutes per charge and the motor delivers 60 lbs. of pressure. Which is more than enough if you’ve been walking the halls of the Orlando County Convention Center in wingtips, and probably enough if you’ve just played 36 holes in soft spikes. —Max Adler

Global Golf’s You Try program offers golfers an opportunity to try clubs before they buy

You desperately want to try a new driver or fairway wood or perhaps even a full set of irons, but you know your local golf shop isn’t going to give you a driver without putting impact tape on it and they probably want it back before the shop closes. They’re also sure as heck not giving you a full set of irons fit to your specs to try. Enter Global Golf with its Try Before You Buy program.

The program was still in the planning stages at last year’s PGA Merchandise Show but has since been rolled out. Here’s how it works. Go to the “Try” area of Global Golf’s website and select whether you want to try a driver, fairway wood, driver or iron set. Up will come the available models and options for shaft, etc. A single club is $25 and an iron set is $100 and you get to try it for a full two weeks. After two weeks you can either purchase or return the clubs (the company picks up the shipping and sends a label along with the box it came in to make it easy). If you elect to purchase the club, your trial amount is deducted from the price—plus you’re keeping the actual club and not having to wait for an order to be filled.

“We’re trying to establish You Try as a true brand,” said Ed Byman, founder and CEO of Global Golf. “We send new clubs out every time and there is a good menu of loft, shaft and lie angle options to choose from. Plus you get to try these clubs at your convenience on your home course and compare it to your current clubs.”

Byman noted that about 40 percent of those trying clubs end up purchasing them and the rate is slightly higher for iron sets than single woods. Clubs hit that are returned go into the company’s used-club inventory. Global Golf is an industry leader in the sales of used clubs as well as in the area of taking in trade-ins from golfers, something every golfer who has clubs gathering dust in their garage or downstairs should be keenly aware of. –E. Michael Johnson

These shoes come in something way better than a cardboard box

The golf shoe company True Linkswear, whose creative director is Jason Moore — PGA Tour pro Ryan Moore’s brother — won’t be delivering their shoes in boxes anymore. Instead, shoes will arrive in this reusable bag:

Once you take your shoes out, you can use the bag as a shoe bag, a shag bag for all of your practice balls, or put it in your cart and use it to hold your beers. No judgement.

True Linkswear shoes range in price from $130-$180. — K.L.

Putter Upgrade: U.S. Kids reveals new putter line

The team at U.S. Kids has added a new club line to their offerings: putters made in a collaboration with former PGA Tour player Kenny Knox. With 93 putts, Knox’s record for fewest putts in a 72-hole PGA Tour event still stands. He’s taken his putting expertise and put it into the mallet and blade putter offerings sized for young players.

The heads are carbon steel, there are three different hosel designs, and the putters are custom fit for top junior players. The putters feature U.S. Kids Golf’s variable loft technology, which is designed to help putts come off the face consistently — even ones that aren’t struck dead-center. The putters will be available at retail for $200. — K.L.

New smartphone, GPS devices from GolfBuddy part of complete relaunch with GolfZon acquisition

A recent acquisition of GolfBuddy by GolfZon has led to a complete rebranding and relaunching of GolfBuddy’s GPS and accessory offerings. Perhaps most impressive is the company’s partnership with Samsung, leading to an impressive smartwatch offering to be released toward the end of 2019. The Samsung Watch by GolfBuddy ($400-450 retail) comes with an extensive green-mapping display, showcasing range of undulation—features also available in GolfBuddy’s new products, the V10 (a refined version of its existing basic product); the W10; and the H10, a handheld, five-inch tablet-like device that allows casting to a smartwatch, tablet or phone). All of which would be impressive on its own, but the company hopes its smartwatch becomes the industry standard for what’s available on watches. For those who own a Samsung smartwatch, a GolfBuddy app can be downloaded for $100 (flat, one-time fee). —Stephen Hennessey

A highly mobile hitting net for training on the go

The Quick-up Range is a highly mobile training net that folds up in less than a minute, allowing golfers to bring their practice with them anywhere. It’s one of the more innovative products we’ve seen at the PGA Show. The Atlanta-based company has developed the product over the past four years, refining its design to make it more resilient before showing it to customers for the first time here in Orlando. Here’s a quick video of how it works.

One of the cooler things I’be seen at the #PGAShow: The Quick-Up Range folds up into a portable back in less than a minute. New product at retail this year. #pgashow2019 pic.twitter.com/9WN4fTsRvm

— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) January 24, 2019

Samples brought by the company to Orlando sold out in two hours, but the company will sell its two products—a smaller size with a chipping net included, or its “deluxe” version, which folds out to about 40 feet wide—to the general market this year. Suggested retail is $200-300. —SH

Learning in motion: the Guided Knowledge smart suit

Contact with your golf coach at your convenience. That’s the pitch of Guided Knowledge’s smart suit, which is a base-layer garment embedded with sensors that measure swing speed, angle and direction at a range of 1,000 samples per second.

he motion system also allows analyzes a player’s biomechanical movement patterns, all of which is transmitted to an algorithm to breakdown a golfer’s performance. The information can be sent to your coach, as well as stored in the Cloud for reference at any future point. On Thursday it was awarded the United Investor’s Association’s Pinnacle Award for best in show. —Joel Beall

Stop wrestling with your push cart

While push carts continue to make inroads both technologically and socially as a better way to experience a walking round of golf, unpacking your push cart can be as cumbersome and unwieldy as packing up your baby stroller on a jet bridge just as the boarding door is about to close.

Bag Boy’s new Nitron push cart is taking the erector set approach of most push cart assembly mechanisms and juicing it up through the use of a nitrogen-powered opening system that automatically allows the cart to spring open from a folded position in two nearly instantaneous steps. The three-wheeled design’s front wheel instantly pops out, allowing the user to easily unfold the handle. The cart folds back to barely the size of its back wheels in just as simple a two-step process. The idea for the spring-loaded system grew from Bag Boy’s parent company Dynamic Brands, which once owned the Baby Jogger brand and its easy-folding baby strollers.

The full-featured cart includes a beverage holder, umbrella holder, storage bag and handle-mounted parking brake. The Nitron push cart ($250) will be available starting April 25.—Mike Stachura

Reducing Single Use Plastic: Lynx Golf

New golf clubs come covered in plastic. Plastic shrink around the grip and head, the plastic bubble wrap around heads, and even plastic tape. The British golf club company Lynx took note of the amount of plastic waste they were generating and decided to come up with a different solution. They’ve started using greener methods of keeping clubs safe during travel: biodegradable paper. -K.L.

The mobile simulator: PhiGolf

Owning a simulator is a dream for golfers. It’s also a pricy dream, with most costing in the $40,000 range. But those on a budget don’t have to be denied the pleasures of such an experience thanks to PhiGolf.

PhiGolf is a smart stick that serves as the golf club, capable of connecting to a smartphone or TV. Golfers can not just use this for entertainment (there are several game modes, including 18 holes, match play, driving range or closest-to-the-pin), but the stick also provides data and analysis of your swing and stroke. All which can be yours for $249. —JB

Smart Shoes: Salted Shoe Company

Balance plate technology has become popular amongst teaching pros — the mats that you stand on when you hit balls that measure how your weight moves during your swing. The team at Korean-based Salted Shoes Company has taken that idea and shrunk it to fit in your golf shoes. Pair the shoes with the app on your phone, and you’ll see a readout of how your weight moved during the swing, allowing you to see what changes you need to make in how you shift your weight. The shoes retail for $360. —Keely Levins

The “Tinder” of Golf: FourballApp

Tired of playing golf solo, or perhaps you need one more to round out your foursome? Fourball is a network created to help get local golfers connected.

Using the same interface seen on dating apps like Tinder, players can swipe left to play through or right to connect with people in your area! Once you swipe they will be notified immediately and respond. You can refine your search based on gender, age, handicap and distance to find the ideal partner for your round. And if you have a work or vacation on the horizon, you are able to search in advance. The Fourball app launches at the PGA Show on Thursday. — Joel Beall

The sunglasses that capture your swing: Live View Sports

There are countless products that help a golfer film their swing. Few, however, have the ability to capture and diagnose the swing through sunglasses.

Using motion anchor points, SwingMap’s Live View Sports glasses capture a golfer’s swing and send the analysis to an app on your phone. The package also comes with additional cameras and sensors you can position behind or on the side during practice to get a full view of what you’re doing right—or wrong. The LVS is patent pending. —JB

Bushnell introduces its first rangefinder to ‘predict the elements’

Accurately—better yet, precisely measuring temperature and altitude in calculating yardages to is a useful tool for any serious golfer. Being exact with how current conditions will influence your shots is what every PGA Tour-level player seeks. Bushnell’s Pro XE, the company’s latest laser rangefinder, uses internal sensors to gauge temperature and adjusted altitude, along with a refined ‘Slope’ algorithm.

Of course, these features are non-conforming for competitions, so the device offers a switch to turn off slope capabilities. The Pro XE also includes the company’s new PinSeeker with Jolt technology, enhancing a user’s confidence they have locked in on the flag with a red ring that flashes upon accurate measurement. All of this, plus enhanced magnification (up to 7 times) makes the Bushnell Pro XE, being introduced to golfers for the first time this week, the company’s most complete laser rangefinder. It will be available at retail in mid-March ($550). —SH

A new, fun way to get kids into golf: The Stadium Concept

For parents searching for a conduit to get their kids into the game, the Stadium Concept training program could be the answer to their prayers. The Stadium is part golf course, part obstacle course:

The golf portion involves a complete short game practice area and a net/bull’s eye to allow participants to take full swings, all set on synthetic turf. Where the Stadium differs itself from other training aids is that the program incorporates non-golf exercises—imagine a layout seen in “American Gladiators”—to not only keep kids entertained but that are scientifically designed to improve hand/eye coordination, spatial awareness and cognitive function. Your young ones will get a memorable introduction into golf, all while receiving the proper challenges for a healthier lifestyle of mind and body. —Joel Beall

A new electric motorbike from one of golf’s most well-respected bag companies: Sun Mountain’s FinnCycle

You’ve seen motorized pushcarts, and the golf surfboard, and probably even a golf bike, but now Sun Mountain is introducing the FinnCycle: an electric motorbike.

It tops out at 15 miles per hour, the same speed that a golf cart travels. Your clubs are held in place in the middle of the bike with supports and straps. It will fit pretty much any bag other than a staff bag; Sun Mountain’s biggest cart bag fits. Rest your feet on the footbeds, and control your speed with a small thumb lever on the right handlebar. Both the right and left handlebars have breaks, and there’s kickstand to keep the bike upright while you’re hitting.

Besides being fun to ride around on, FinnCycle’s benefits extend to pace of play. In testing, the team at Sun Mountain found it easy to play 18 holes in under two hours. Obviously, that’s reliant on not having to wait on play in front of you. Right now, it’s not available for individual consumers to buy. They’re selling to golf courses as rental fleets. — Keely Levins

A simple training aid that makes a lot of sense: Pendulum Pro

The PGA Merchandise Show is riddled with new training aids, alignment tools and gadgets that claim to be the end-all-be-all for golfers looking for improvement. A new product launching Tuesday at Demo Day seems so simple it could be the fix for many golfers. The Pendulum Pro is a device aiming to train the proper takeaway and path for putting, chipping and full-swing motions.

The padded, adjustable strap is designed to wrap around your upper back and shoulders, setting up the reverse-triangle setup. By design, the device will give you feedback if you hinge your wrists too early on the full swing or chipping, and it’ll let you know if you’re taking your putter too much on the inside or outside in your stroke. Simple yes—and that seems to be the idea. The product, which golfers are seeing for the first time Tuesday, can be pre-ordered for $197 on the company’s website. —SH

A simple way to recognize our swing faults: Strike Spray

Face impact is imperative to understanding your iron game, and where you want your iron game to go. Though launch monitors and simulators can help in this pursuit, the truth is not all golfers have the resources to tap into such technologies. But most can afford $30 for three cans of Strike Spray.

This product spritzes a substance on the face of your golf club, allowing you to see precisely where you make contact on every shot, and won’t leave a permanent mark on your club or ball. As off-centre strikes are the No. 1 cause for amateurs losing distance, by illustrating the pattern of your misses, you can get to the root of your swing problems and begin to get your game back on track. — JB

Finally, providing video of our hole-in-ones

Ever make a hole-in-one, or know someone who has? Do they have footage of that moment? Probably not. Photos of the aftermath, sure, but not the swing or the ball rolling in. As part of the SKYiGOLF system, which was just launched in October, the company offers a designated hole to have video captured on the tee and the green of every group that plays through—meaning that if a golfer on that hole aces the hole, they have the footage to last a lifetime.

The feature is just one component of the company’s services and solutions offering up to facilities and their PGA pros. Essentially, SKYiGOLF is meant to provide advisory services, technology and events to run a more efficient operation. Partnering with On-Pin for GPS technology and foreUP for cloud-based management allows facilities to make operations as efficient as can be. For golfers, the hole-in-one component is especially intriguing, as are the company’s rewards program to incentivize golfers to return to earn points for discounted greens fees and merchandise. The company is also offering events, such as a global scramble championship, and monthly regional sweepstakes, to encourage repeat business. At a time when every industry is attempting to become as efficient as possible, SKYiGOLF seems like it will attract the type of golf facility that has some modernizing to do. Perhaps the cherry on top? If a golfer makes a hole-in-one on the designated hole where the company’s software is, the golfer will receive $10,000. As if making an ace couldn’t get any better. … The company also signed Paula Creamer as an ambassador, who will wear the company’s logo on her hat this year. Click here for more. –SH

Ferdinand Rivera/courtesy of SkyiGolf

The latest in counterbalancing—with a twist: Switch Grips

Counterbalancing putters has been a hot topic in putting over the past several seasons, especially with the enactment of the anchor ban. The idea is to shift the balance point higher in the putter by putting more weight into your hands when you putt. The goal is to improve control. Switch Grips sells putter grips that have a weight port at the end of the grip. You can screw in any of three weights: 8 grams, 14 grams, or 20 grams to find the weight that’s right for you. The Player putter grip with the full set of weights is $40.

Switch Grips also makes grips for your whole set. Counterbalancing through the bag isn’t unheard of, tour players have done it, including Jack Nicklaus and Sergio Garcia. If you’re curious to see if counterbalancing could help your game, the full-set grips have the same weight port as the putter grips. There’s also a 2-gram placeholder weight, to give you the option of not counterbalancing if you end up not liking the feel. –KL

One of the best ways we can imagine practising your short game

When you’re practising your short game, how often are you giving yourself good, flat lies? Probably pretty close to all the time. The problem with that is when you get out on the course, you’re going to face plenty of uneven lies. It’s that issue that Tough Lie 360 is combating with their short game practice tool.

The turf is at an 8-degree angle and can be spun around to give you uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies to practice off of. (Pricing depending on retail location, Weight: 30 pounds) –KL

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Jones Golf’s Utility Rover, $169.

There’s something nostalgic about playing with a Jones Golf bag, The way you sling it over one shoulder and lay it on the grass as you hit your shot pays homage to the early days of golf.

But a single-strap bag isn’t for everyone and it takes a good bit of getting used to.

Enter, the Utility Rover, Jones’ first-ever double-strap bag.

The sleek, leg-less bag that Jones fans love will soon be designed with the more comfortable double-strap system we all know and love. Indeed, the Rover is the product of feedback from many golfers who said they wished Jones would make a carry bag with two straps.

It has plenty of pockets (including a large, insulated compartment that accommodates multiple beverages) and its aesthetic is inspired by the Air Jordan kicks shown in the image. It lands on May 1. –Ashley Mayo

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Hand-painted Seamus headcovers

Seamus, who is mostly known for their patterned-wool headcovers and sharp accessories, has ventured into uncharted territory by making hand-painted headcovers—bringing literal works of art to the golf equipment space.

The idea came from something Seamus saw in Matt Kuchar’s bag. Artist Dave Baysden had painted Seamus headcovers for Kuchar, and the team at Seamus realized they had the opportunity to do something really cool and original—and bring it to average players.

The folks at Seamus worked with Baysden to make some prototypes, one of which you can see here. Akbar Chisti, one of the co-owners, says that the price of these hand-painted headcovers depends on the piece, and right now all pieces made are only via special orders. —Keely Levins

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Cornhole Meets Night Golf?

Visitors to the Indian Wells Golf Resort in Palm Springs, Calif., have already experienced NextLinks’ “patent-pending pinpoint spotlight technology.” Say that five times fast. Basically, it’s a system of spotlights that project spots and shapes onto a putting green to guide players through games. The light can project the cornhole rectangle (pictured), the rings of a bocce court, and a host of other games that use putting as the fundamental element.

Though Indian Wells has erected spotlights on its practice putting green for night use, the company is also aiming at indoor uses. Later in 2018, an version is scheduled to open inside a casino run by the Lummi Nation near Seattle.

How will that work? Varying length putts on the contoured green will have different odds values (3:1, 5:1, 35:1, etc.) and so a player could buy balls just as one would chips to go try his or her luck.

The inventor, Dave Schultz, a former engineer for G&E, also has plans to incorporate the technology with full swing simulators so players can “putt out” to score a round after hitting greens virtually. Stay tuned. –Max Adler

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Transrover (not at retail yet).

Stories like Thinh Tran’s are what the PGA Show is all about.

Tran quit his job after 10 years of being a graphic designer at a marketing firm to pursue a dream: Developing a golf bag that people could convert into a push cart. Nearly eight years later, Tran’s product is generating buzz in Orlando.

You might’ve seen Tran discussing his journey and his product—the Transrover convertible hybrid push cart meets golf bag—on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive show on Thursday morning.

The Sacramento-based inventor went through thousands of hours of building prototypes in his garage with materials he’d buy from Home Depot to develop this product. He took some time with Golf Digest to explain his invention—as you really need to see it to understand how the wheels fold out of the lightweight bag.

The videos below are split into two parts, with partial overlap between the beginning of the second. It will give you an idea of how Tran’s product works. Though it’s not at retail yet, Tran hopes to have products ready for golfers to purchase by May. –Stephen Hennessey

You might’ve seen Thinh Tran on @GCMorningDrive this morning. He has invented a product, the Transrover, on the heels of liquidating his 401K and refinancing his house, in order to bring this foldable push cart to life. pic.twitter.com/ARdU18Vjp0

— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) January 25, 2018

Inventor Thinh Tran on Transrover, continued. pic.twitter.com/uXgfFteLyL

— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) January 25, 2018

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“The Caddy” Clips Your Tablet/Smartphone to Your Cart

This will be most exciting to instructors and parents of junior golfers. Founder Humphrey Wesenhagen has developed what he calls a GPS sidekick—a contraption that allows you to clip an iPad or iPhone to a golf cart, so you don’t have to be holding it as you drive or ride in the cart.

The neat thing, too, is that the design allows you to rotate the device up to 140 degrees, so you can play it while you’re standing outside the cart.

You can picture instructors driving around the course, being able to play captured video in front of their students—while not having to hold the device. Seems like there’d be good utility for parents who could play movies for their kids via the tablet, too.

Wesenhagen says the prototype needs a little work: In order to accommodate any size phone, he will tweak his design to include a rubber top-half of the case that will snap in the phone/tablet, so it doesn’t move at all.

It’s a neat idea that we’ll look forward to tracking in the future. –SH

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U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance

While products are marketed in the town-square parameters of the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance center—including carts, clubs and apparel—the real pitch involves awareness.

“Everyone here loves golf, right?” asks Mark Johnson, director of advancement. “So do we. And we just want to make sure the industry recognizes that push too.”

The USAGA is an umbrella organization for 23 groups, all which act as their own entities. They’re spread throughout the country, but all have the same mission: to help those with disabilities golf. The Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association of Blue Bell, Pa. gives blind and visually impaired men and women access and opportunities to the sport. Fairways for Warriors, based in Orlando, provides hope, healing, and camaraderie for combat wounded veterans and their families. North American One-Armed Golfers Association caters to, you guessed it, one-armed golfers.

Together, these organizations have come together to promote and advance the game to a part of society that’s often overlooked. Which sounds like an easy concept, but often runs into obstacles. Many courses still prohibit handicap carts from touching their greens, while the group is still awaiting USGA certification to allow their players a chance at the amputee world rankings (a necessity to get into the Paralympics). This group merely wants to be treated like everybody else.

“There are 20 million disabled people in the United States, a large majority we’ve identified as having interest in golf,” says Johnson. “If you want to grow the game, starting with us might help.” — Joel Beall

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Putt Out, $30.

Sometimes, the most simple designs are the ones that bring the most utility. The Putt Out is a cool little putting device that helps you work on both your aim and your speed.

The ramp makes your ball roll back the same distance it would’ve rolled past the cup—showing you how far off you might be. It conveniently folds up for easy transport to your home or office or practice green. For more, click here. –MA.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZEa3LyDggw/?utm_source=ig_embed

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LPGA Women’s Network

The PGA Merchandise Show isn’t just about merchandise: it’s also about having conversations about how to improve the game and launching initiatives that take on that task. One conversation was about how to improve the golf experience for women. To help do that, the LPGA announced the LPGA Women’s Network.

The overarching message from the launch was that for the number of women golfers to increase, it’s not enough for women to know that they can play golf, there needs to be a community for them to join. In the past, the majority of girls and women who’ve stuck with golf have had to be comfortable learning the game and playing it almost entirely with boys and men. And not all women or young girls want to do that – they want the opportunity to learn how to play with other women, in an environment that’s less intimidating. So, to help support and grow the women’s golf community, the LGPA Women’s Network was launched.

On the site you’ll find instruction tips, a blog and video series featuring LPGA players, a platform to connect and share stories with other female golfers, stories about fashion, discounts from LPGA partners, and more. It’s an online golf hub for women that promotes inclusion, education and works to inspire. Check it out here.

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Bushnell Hybrid, $400.

As golfers continue to crave more and more data, companies are developing products that cater to our needs. Bushnell’s latest product introduction, a rangefinder meets GPS the company has dubbed the Hybrid, offers the benefits of laser and GPS technology.

The company says it’s the first combo unit that integrates laser and GPS into one LCD screen. Upon locking in your target, yardages to the front and back of the green, plus the distance to the flag. And the exterior GPS readout includes that yardage, too.

James Schierman

The Bushnell Hybrid features the same vibration-JOLT technology that previous models have featured. It also has Bluetooth technology to identify course updates, which will also pop up within the Bushnell app. The unit comes pre-loaded with 36,000 courses across 30 countries, as does all the company’s products. It will be at retail in mid-April, says Bushnell marketing manager Derek Schuman.

The company also announced two other new products: a handheld GPS device, the Phantom, which will be available at an affordable price ($99) in late February. A magnetic clip on the back allows users to place the unit on your cart. And the iON 2 watch ($180) will be available in late April, and includes a reversible band to switch up color schemes. It also includes fitness-tracking, so you can track your steps in addition to keeping tabs of your score. —Stephen Hennessey

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Chef’s Cut beef jerky, 16 pack of 10 oz. sticks for $30.

If you’re tired of the same-old golf course snacks—a hot dog or a candy bar at the turn—you’re not alone. Eating healthy on the golf course can be a struggle. But if you pack a healthy snack before you get to the course, your on-course eating habits can rapidly improve.

Gaining popularity over the past couple of years is beef jerky. It’s a great option because it’s easy to toss in your bag; and it’s high in protein, so it’ll keep you satiated longer.

The guys who started Chef’s Cut were both working as caddies when they decided to start their own jerky business. They wanted to bring homemade jerky made from real ingredients to the masses. And they have a ton of tasty options.

One of their new products is the Turkey Pepperoni Stick. What’s great about it is that it tastes like beef, but since it’s actually turkey, it’s lower in fat. It’s a healthier option without compromising taste. —K.L.

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GolfLogix’s Putt Break Maps, $50 a year, available for trial basis

The impressive green-reading books that tour players use to figure out the breaks of putts has inspired companies to offer this data to average golfers.

GolfLogix’s new Putt Break green-reading technology is now available to golfers—bringing 5,000 charted courses to users of the app. More than 6 million data points are gathered by GolfLogix’s greens-charters in registering the breaks on just one green. The result is tour-caliber advice on how your putts will break.

One of the coolest gestures by GolfLogix this week: It is offering its services free of charge to PGA professionals. Pros are encouraged to head to the company’s PGA Booth (#900) to sign up.

GolfLogix says you can download the Putt Breaks version on a trial basis for a small fee before upping to the yearly amount. And if your course isn’t already charted, you can submit a request for GolfLogix to come chart your greens. If they get enough requests, they’ll make sure someone gets out. —S.H.

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OnCore’s Genius Ball, price TBD.

A golf ball that’s trackable via an app? Yes, OnCore is close to releasing one.

The Buffalo, N.Y.-based company, which first made a name for itself by making hallow metal-core golf balls, then released a tour-level urethane ball last year, has officially announced a new project they’ve been working on: the Genius Ball. And there’s more technology to this prototype than simply locating your golf ball.

The accompanying app to come from OnCore will show stats from each shot: carry distance, velocity, spin rate, how much it rolled, launch angle, etc. The app will also have a map of the course you’re playing and show you all of your yardages.

So, while it’s awesome that you’ll be able to find your ball no matter how wayward your tee balls are, the Genius Ball will also be able to teach you a lot about your game so you’ll know what you need to work on to improve.

There isn’t a price on this product yet, but Oncore is planning to launch in the end of the summer. Here’s a photo of the design of the prototype:

The company has the prototype in-hand at the Show, too:

–K.L.

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Limited-Edition ‘Art Polos’ from J.Lindeberg

The always style-conscious J.Lindeberg is mixing up the golf-shirt game yet again with a limited-edition line of hand-painted shirts. A New York artist painted four designs that will be transformed into a screen print.

The traditional right-breast logo will be replaced with the signature of founder Johan Lindeberg. This ‘Art Polo’ line will be available this summer, if you can grab one before they sell out.

The company also just announced a few additions to its team of ambassadors, including long-drive champion Troy Mullins, who stopped by to check out the new additions to the women’s collection. She highlighted a navy bomber and quilted skirt ensemble from the Fall ‘18 collection.

–Brittany Romano

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Zamst, Filmista Series wrist band, $30

Products for sports-injury prevention might not be considered thrilling, but Zamst is launching a new wristband that is worthy of our attention.

Aimed to replace ratty medical tape, the Japanese company announced a non-adhesive wristband as part of its Filmista Series for comfortable wrist support. After heeding feedback that the current wristband is too bulky, the company designed the Filmista to fit seamlessly under a golf glove to prevent or recover from sprains or tendonitis and combats instability.

Launching in May, Filmista’s material is washable and developed to hold up for long-term use. It’s also been popular in baseball and tennis. The Filmista wristband joins the collection’s similarly designed ankle brace that is available now ($39.99).

And if knees are the bigger problem, the IW-1 is a gamechanger for post- or between-round icing. The compression knee band ($54.99) holds a reusable ice bag to make recovery portable, so no more excuses on skipping ice sessions. For more information, click here. –B.R.

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Links & Kings headcovers, $85

You might know Links & Kings for its sharply made golf bags, satchels and belts, but it’s the company’s headcovers that grabbed our attention at this year’s PGA Show. Made from select leathers with cushion lining for protection and contrast stitching, the headcovers’ artistry is really strong, offering an aesthetic rarely seen in this forum.

They are available for custom design and offered in driver, fairway wood and hybrid. Given the company’s recent acquisition by Titleist, it’ll be exciting to see how the brand grows beyond this year. –JB

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Garmin Approach X10, $200

Some GPS golf watches have it all, which is great, but the newest addition to the Garmin collection aims to keep golf, and golf only, the centerpoint of your wrist game. The Garmin Approach X10 is a simplified version of the Garmin X40, which launched in 2016.

The X10 is designed for those who want to focus on golf—those who quite frankly don’t need the text and email alerts clouding their minds. The X10 has a touchscreen display that shows the distances to the front, back and middle of the green, in addition to each hazard. The band also automatically transitions holes as you progress, so you’re getting the correct yardages every time. It comes with 41,000 preloaded courses on a slim, barely-know-it’s-there band design in matte black or bolt blue.

As with the company’s other models, the Garmin Golf app adds a competitive edge to any experience-level. Players can set up virtual tournaments and compete with other golfers playing the same course each week. That way, beginners can start competing day one, without the pressure of competitors staring down your tee shot. –B.R.

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NormaTec Recovery, $1,895

Golf might not be a contact sport (unless your usual foursome includes one prone to chucking their sticks in anger), but it can still do a number on the body. From walking an arduous 18 to the soreness indigenous to the swing, golfers need to recover after their round. The NormaTec aims to alleviate that pain by acting as a dynamic squeezing device aimed at rehabilitation and rejuvenation.

Used for the legs, arms and hips, the NormaTec uses compressed air to knead and stroke your body, much in the same manner as a massage. It reduces aches and improves circulation, getting you back on the links for an emergency nine in no time. — J.B.

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Weatherman Golf Umbrella, available in 62-inch ($89) and 68-inch ($95) options.

TV meteorologist Rick Reichmuth has designed a golf umbrella that does all of the basic things really well. It’s made out of teflon-coated fabric to keep you (and your clubs) dry. It also has extra supports attached to the ribs so that it can withstand high winds (up to 55 mph). And it’s available in four different colors.

It’s the small details, however, where this umbrella really shines. Up in the canopy there’s a mesh pocket where you can store your glove between shots or while you’re on the green, so it’s staying safe and dry. You can also store your scorecard there. One of the ribs is coated with silicone, making it nonslip. Hang your towel there, and the silicone keeps it from slipping out and falling to the wet ground.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeS5rYTgeFQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

If you’re the kind of person who has a tendency of losing things, you’ll like the Bluetooth feature that umbrella has as well (yes, we said Bluetooth). The umbrella has Bluetooth tracking that pairs with an app on your phone to show you the location of your umbrella if you lose it. The app also can tell you the weather at the course you’re going to be playing, letting you know if you actually need to bring your umbrella or not. That’s next level. —K.L.

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TaylorMade’s Spider Interactive, powered by Blast Motion, $399.

We’ve seen a handful of major manufacturers partner with golf-data companies in recent years to create smarter products that offer significant knowledge to the golfer. TaylorMade did so with Microsoft in creating MyRoundPro fitness tracker a couple of years ago. Now, the company is bringing intelligence to a putting product.

TaylorMade has partnered with the motion-capture company Blast Motion, and SuperStroke, to create Spider Interactive, allowing golfers to analyze their putting strokes based on data captured in each stroke.

Blast Motion’s sensors have been built into the grip of TaylorMade’s Spider putters (similar to Arccos’ sensors within Cobra’s drivers) to deliver information to golfers via an app that will be available on iOS on March 1 and for Android devices in Q2 of 2018, according to the company. —S.H.

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Phat Scooters’ Phatty HD and Sport HD riders, $2,399 to $2,999, depending on volume.

Innovative golf-course transportation products have really taken off with the success of GolfBoard’s launch at the 2014 PGA Show. Subsequent items like the Golf Bike and others have followed suit.

The next product to enter this space aims to take it up a notch. Enter the Arizona start-up company Phat Scooters, which launched its Phat Golf brand on Tuesday at Demo Day. The Phatty HD and the Sport HD, the company’s first two vehicles, each can hit 20 mph, have front- and rear-wheel suspension, and come equipped with removable, rechargeable electric batteries that last about 36 holes.

Already touting a relationship with PGA Tour player Pat Perez and his wife, Ashley, it appears PhatGolf means business.

The company says its lighter weight will not harm turf, and its 28-inch height provides a comfortable seating surface to sit as you motor around the course. The company, which launched a lifestyle cruiser as its initial product in 2017, says its vehicles are available on just three golf courses right now, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on this up-start vehicle. —SH

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Putt-Rite Speed Trainer, $30.

A product doesn’t need bells and whistles to be a damn-fine instrument. The Putt-Rite Speed Trainer is an uncomplicated contraption, almost resembling a lid, with a goal to aid pace on the greens. By placing the Speed Trainer in a cup with the lip up, a player can practice dying the ball into the hole, with the Trainer kicking out balls with too much oomph. Turn the lid down, and a golfer can see how far their putts would fly past the hole if the cup didn’t get in the way. It’s a simple concept, yes. But those often make the best products. —J.B.

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Big Max, Blade IP ($350)

Big Max, a push cart and bag company that’s popular in Europe, continues to introduce its products to the American market. Their newest push cart is the Blade IP.

This is the fourth generation of Big Max’s flatfold technology. Aptly named, because if you look at the photo you’ll see that these push carts really do fold down flat. The Blade IP folds flatter than any of Big Max’s previous versions, folding down to a slim 5 inches in height. This, coupled with the fact that it weighs less than 15 pounds, makes it easier to transport and store. Their new folding mechanism allows for the push cart to fold smaller than previous models. It takes three steps to fold it down and then again three steps to unfold it when you’re ready to play.

The Blade IP has three wheels, and adjustable straps to secure your bag so that many different bag sizes can fit on the push cart. Though its frame is efficient size, it has everything you need: There’s storage space and the ability to attach your umbrella. It’s available in five different colors, and retails for $350. —KL

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Putting Stick training aid, $80.

The Putting Stick is a putting training aid that’s 46-inches long and 1-inch wide. It’s made out of cast acrylic, which means it rolls very fast. That’s important, because it makes your putting mistakes more apparent, more quickly.

There’s a small section of the stick that’s a mirror. In the center of that there’s a spot marked where you place your ball. The mirror is there so you can check and see if your eyes are over the ball. A few inches behind the ball, there’s a bumper that you can slide and secure. Put the bumper further back for longer putts and closer to the ball for shorter putts. (It’s designed to be used to practice putts around six feet and shorter.) Its purpose is to prevent you from making too long of a backstroke. The issue with long backstrokes is that people often compensate for them by decelerating as they through the ball. And that produces inconsistent rolls.

So, set your bumper and take your stroke. If you hit the ball square, it’ll roll straight down and off the track. If you hit it with a slightly open face, the ball will roll off to the right. It’ll roll off to the left of you shut the face at impact. Try to get your putter to follow the straight line of the Putting Stick to help you take it straight back and through.

One of the best things about this putting aid is that you don’t have to be on a putting green to use it. You can do this on your carpet in your living room just as easily as you can do it on a practice green.

This version, the Sir Nick Faldo version, retails for $80. —KL

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Momentus Sports’ Bomb-It Mini, $150.

If you’ve been around golf awhile, you know the evolution of clubhead design has continued to get bigger and bigger over the years—all the way to the 460-cubic-centimeter driver heads that are sold at retail. This product is the opposite of the trend.

One of the most unusual things we saw on Tuesday at 2018 PGA Merchandise Show’s Demo Day was the latest training aid from Momentus Sports. You’ve probably seen the commercials for the company’s Swing Trainer or Weighted Driver. This is a little different.

At just 37 cubic centimeters, the Pro Mini is just about the size of a golf ball. Momentus founder Jim Sorensen, a member of the 1987 U.S. Walker Cup team after winning the ‘86 U.S. Amateur Public Links, says his latest training aid is meant to instill proper contact. “If you can make good contact with this, you can hit the sweet spot on any club.”

The company also has a 55cc clubhead it dubs its Am Mini. We’re told the company has an innovative solution to replace bunker rakes that will be released in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for that, too. —SH

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Although Tiger Woods is out in La Jolla, Calif., getting ready for his return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open, the Big Cat was making big news some 2,500 miles away at the PGA Merchandise Show.   TaylorMade officials announced Wednesday morning that Woods has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with the company. The news comes on the heels of Woods’ recent signing with Bridgestone to play its golf balls, meaning Woods is beginning to settle on the equipment he will use in 2017.

Terms of the TaylorMade deal were not disclosed, but it includes Woods playing the company’s driver, fairway woods, irons and wedges. TaylorMade CEO David Abeles said that Tiger will have the driver and metalwoods in play this week. The deal does not include apparel, as Woods will continue to wear the Nike swoosh and his own TW logo. There will be no TaylorMade logos on Woods hat, bag or clothes.   With Nike’s exit from the equipment business in August, Woods was expected to have new gear in play once be made his return to regular tour competition after recovering from back surgery in 2016. During his first appearance back at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, he played a TaylorMade M2 driver with a Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70TX shaft at 9.5 degrees, commenting that using an adjustable driver was taking some getting used to as he had previously only played glued-in model. This is the same driver that Tiger will be playing at Torrey Pines, according to Abeles, who said that Woods will also have the new 2017 version of the company’s M2 3-wood (13 degrees) in the bag as well as the company’s 2017 M1 5-wood (19 degrees).

After several months of testing and all brands to choose from, the choice is clearly @TaylorMadeGolf. Proud to join the family! -TW pic.twitter.com/Ist3bA5tqN

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) January 25, 2017

Down the road, Woods is expected to work with TaylorMade’s club engineers in the design and development of a “new, personalized iron model” that the former World No. 1 will eventually put in play.   The signing bolsters a TaylorMade tour staff already rich in big names, with Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia among its players. Woods, however, brings the company something it has not had in a long time—one of the game’s true icons, which could possibly make the company more attractive as it continues to look for a buyer.

Whether the investment in Woods proves to be a wise one remains to be seen and is largely dependent on Woods’ ability to stay healthy enough to be productive on the course. But for one day, the news was all about Tiger and TaylorMade.

Main photo by Getty Images

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