Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. The golf, maybe not as much. But with the right equipment, training, and tools, you can dominate on the course this summer—and in any season.
Whether you’re playing in your own town or finally going on that buddies’ trip you’ve been waiting all year for, here are some of the must-haves to help dominate your golf game this summer.
Performance Golf
Anyone who plays golf knows it’s a game of inches—well, millimeters. You can do everything right, but the slightest slipup or accidental alteration can yield suboptimal results. If you feel like you’re going crazy over golf’s minutiae as you record and scrutinize a seemingly endless amount of data from club path to impact location, attack angle and spin, have no fear because help is available.
Rather than spending hundreds or even thousands on instruction or the latest training tool you saw on Instagram or YouTube, Performance Golf offers everything from equipment to instruction and a training platform to help you score lower.
Launched in 2016 by former Division I golfer Brixton Albert, Performance Golf is a leading online golf instruction company that gives golfers the resources and tools to take their game to the next level. Offering world-class instruction from renowned instructors and teachers including Sir Nick Faldo, David Leadbetter, Hank Haney, Martin Chuck, and Nick Bradley, Performance Golf also provides training tools and equipment.
Taking things one step further, Performance Golf has also developed training-like equipment that can be utilized in competition, including the SF1 Driver, AnyLie Hybrid, and ONE Wedge.
Testing the AnyLie Hybrid
One of the most popular problems amateur golfers struggle with is slicing the ball. Whether you’re steep on your downswing or not rotating enough, adding unnecessary side spin to the ball causes even the straightest shot to fly astray.
I also struggle with this problem. As I try my hardest to fix my swing path caused by unchecked bad habits developed in high school when I picked up the game, I turned to the SF1 as another solution. Engineered to square the clubface relative to path at impact, this club can fix your slice in minutes. It certainly helped me regardless of whatever poor swing habits I’ve been dealing with. Playing out of the fairway instead of the right rough like usual, I am now in a better position to, hopefully, reach the green in two or three (if it’s a par-4 or -5).
Grabbing the AnyLie Hybrid, I’m confident I can do just that, regardless if I’m in the middle of the fairway, on the fringe or deep rough. Featuring a speed response spoiler and four-way chunk-resistant forward sole, this USGA-approved club available in 21 and 24 degrees helps keep the club level through the ground so you won’t lose clubhead speed, dig your leading edge, or catch it thin.
I hit arguably my best shot of a recent round with this club from the right rough to set myself up with a nice approach shot on the par-5 18th at Penha Longa Golf Course in Portugal. As if destined by the golf gods, it was time to call upon the ONE Wedge to complete the three-shot Performance Golf trifecta. Available in 50, 56, and 60 degrees, this club offers maximum forgiveness, counterbalanced weighting, and control spin grooves to help you hit the perfect approach shot.
Unfortunately, I hit mine a little long, three-putted, and carded a bogey. Such is golf.
Other Tips and Gear for Better Rounds of Golf
Hyperice Normatec Elite
The key to longevity on and off the golf course is taking care of your body, especially as it relates to recovery. Regardless if you walked or rode, give your legs the much-needed R&R they deserve after a round with the new Hyperice Normatec Elite. These compression boots help increase circulation, revive muscles, and reduce swelling through Hyperice’s patented precision pulse technology. With seven levels of compression, a four-hour battery life, and no additional hoses or units, Normatec Elite makes your post-golf recovery a breeze. If only playing were this simple.
Buy: $999
PUTTR Smart Putting Green
With so much talk about the benefits—and potential drawbacks—of AI in recent years, it’s no surprise it has infiltrated the golf space as well. PUTTR is an AI-powered smart putting green that harnesses the latest technology to not only help improve your game on the green, but, more importantly, make putting fun again. Boasting 27 “tees” ranging from 3 to 11 feet, this interactive putting mat that connects to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth offers more than 50 games and drills. I found tons of actionable data to hone my skills, while competing with friends and other golfers around the world.
Buy: $599
GolfForever
More than its green training bar, GolfForever allows golfers to access world-class coaching at home, the gym, or even on the course. Trusted by world No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, the GolfForever app and Swing Trainer gives golfers individualized warmup, workout, and recovery routines that help increase mobility and flexibility as well as improve strength, coordination, balance and cardio. Featuring two weighted heads as well as the ability to be connected to a door anchor for resistance band training, the Swing Trainer has been dubbed “the most versatile golf training tool ever created.”
Buy: $348.99
Grooveit “The Wet Club Scrub” Brush
If you’ve got a keen eye, you may have noticed a particular piece of cleaning equipment dangling from golf bags across the PGA Tour, LPGA, DP World Tour, and Korn Ferry Tour. “The Wet Club Scrub” Brush from Grooveit features patented pump-action with a simple click that sprays water or cleaning solution on your clubface prior to scrubbing. A detachable magnet that will last the lifetime of your brush makes accessing and stowing this cleaning tool a snap. If you’re looking for a smaller option without the water, Grooveit also sells its popular miniG “The Dry Scrubber.”
Buy: $24.99
Bushnell Pro X3+ Laser Rangefinder
Is there a better laser rangefinder manufacturer in the game than Bushnell? You’d be hard pressed to argue against that fact given that it’s trusted by 99.3% of pros. Bushnell upped its game again earlier this year with the launch of the Pro X3+, which builds on the success of the Pro X3 model by showing wind speed and direction in the display. Featuring 7x magnification and a slew of patented technology to assist with pin location, slope and yardage (it ranges up to 600 yards to the flag), the waterproof Pro X3+ gives golfers all of the data to execute the perfect shot time and time again regardless of situation and circumstance.
Buy: $599.99
Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian Travel Bag
If GolfForever helps you move better on the golf course, the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian travel bag helps you—and your clubs—move about easier everywhere else. Named the Golf Digest Editors’ Choice for Travel Bags from 2016 to ’22, this highly durable bag made of ballistic-style nylon features foam padding through the top to protect your clubs, while an extendable leg mechanism makes maneuvering around airports effortless. Available in 10 colors so you can easily distinguish your bag on the carousel, the ClubGlider is perfect for a golf getaway no matter the season.
Buy: $339.99
KJUS Cool Recovery Midlayer Half-Zip
You might think I’m crazy for suggesting long sleeves in the summer, but hear me out. With many people being more concerned with the sun’s harmful rays and not wanting to apply and reapply sunscreen multiple times per round, the KJUS Cool Recovery Midlayer Half-Zip provides a great alternative to keep you cool and protected no matter the temperature. Featuring strategically placed cooling technology to aid the body’s natural ability to cool down, as well as the brand’s mineral circulation tech that increases blood flow and oxygen levels to enhance performance while improving muscle recovery after your round, this half-zip also boasts 50+ UV protection.
Buy: $219
