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Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Golf Equipment.

For some golfers, mid-layers can feel too bulky to swing a club in. Even though modern golf sweaters and jackets are made from stretchy material so as not to restrict the golf swing, many would still rather play in a tee shirt all year round if the weather allowed it.

This is where a gilet, or vest, becomes a fantastic option. These garments tick many boxes for those who would rather not play with long sleeves.

Sound like you? You’re in the right place. Here are some of the best golf gilets for ladies on the market.

GOLFINO Berarda Gilet, RRP £149.95

This windproof, water-repellent gilet is made from durable synthetic material. The comfortable lining is made from a blended cotton fabric with good breathability. The lining keeps you cosy and warm out on the fairways but prevents an unpleasant build-up of heat around the body. The sporty design also features two closable side pockets and an inside pocket, giving the wearer plenty of room to store accessories. Meanwhile, the high collar and the impermeable two-way zip fastener offer additional wind protection.

Adidas COLD.RDY Gilet, RRP £64.99

This stylish full-zip mid-layer, made from PRIMEGREEN recycled materials, has been designed with a combination of textured herringbone and flat-knit panels. The brand’s COLD.RDY technology works by trapping heat against the body, and it’s also brushed on the inside for increased warmth and a soft feel. It has been cut to provide a regular fit and is highlighted with the Adidas badge of sport on the left lower hem.

Ping Cece Quilted Gilet, RRP £95

The stylish Cece is a lightweight vest with stretch properties that offers wind and water resistance, plus it is highly breathable for extra performance. It’s designed with a full-zip opening with front pockets and full zip opening and is reversible for a combination of distinctive styles. It comes in two colours: Navy/Aquatic and Black Multi/Black.

J.Lindeberg Rosetta Double Diamond Logo Hybrid Vest, RRP £220

This lightweight style is waterproof and has been prequilted for optimal insulation. A high collar and elasticated hem help provide additional warmth and protection from the cold and wet, while the contrast chevron design creates a flattering silhouette that’ll undoubtedly make this a wardrobe favourite. In fact, this particular gilet has plenty of off-course appeal as well.

Galvin Green Lene Vest, RRP £189

Galvin’s Lene vest features INTERFACE-1™ technology. These garments are made with materials that offer optimum protection and comfort in windy conditions. The soft materials also offer high levels of breathability as well as windproof and water-repellent properties. It includes front pockets with zippers and is suitable for wear off the course as well on it.

Puma Cloudspun WRMLBL Vest, RRP £89

The Puma Cloudspun vest offers lightweight comfort and warmth due to the Primaloft gold insulation in the front and back panels. It features a full zip, zip hand pockets with soft, brushed lining and cloudspun side panels for additional comfort. The quilted detailing is a popular style.

Under Armour Storm Revo Vest, RRP £75

As the name suggests, the Storm Revo vest offers protection from the rain. The brand’s Storm technology repels water without sacrificing breathability. Meanwhile, the stretch-woven outer fabric with soft fleece lining keeps you warm without excess bulk or weight. The reflective details enhance this garment’s style, while the zip hand pockets offer the wearer a good amount of room for accessories. For those who don’t like pink, this gilet is also available in Black/Metallic Silver, which looks particularly smart.

Sunderland Tania Gilet, RRP £75

Sunderland’s Tania vest is an ultra-lightweight shell with ripstop fabric for increased weather resistance. Active smart fibre thermoregulates to climatic changes to release excess heat. It also recirculates body heat to maintain body temperature for thermal warmth. Smart and stretchy, it stands up well to rain showers and wind.

Abacus Elgin Hybrid Vest, RRP £88.95

The Elgin Hybrid vest has a seamless quilted windproof fabric that is padded at the front and back. The side panels and shoulders are made of stretchable fleece, allowing you to swing the club without feeling restricted. It’s also brushed on the inside and has a square pattern for better air circulation that will keep you nice and warm. Meanwhile, elastic binding at the armhole keeps the wind out. It also features a full front zipper with reflective piping and two front pockets.

Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Debates.

The article below was written by Steve Carroll of National Club Golfer.

I’ve known a few people who could best be described as temperamental. As the shots got wilder, the clubs went flying. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

If I’d played enough with them, I’d be used to it. The moment was a split second of age before being instantly forgotten. But it turned some otherwise very pleasant people into a real-life Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

It was much more disconcerting for anyone who didn’t know what was coming – or didn’t care for the distraction.

The one that really sticks out in my mind is when a player, after a wild approach to a green, sent his 7-iron soaring high and long into a group of bushes.

His playing partners spent more time looking for the club than the ball. The third member of our group decided it was all a bit beyond the pale and, to be honest, I’d pretty much lost my patience too.

I’ve seen people do all sorts of things in the wake of a less than perfect strike. There have been clubs that bent and broke, umbrellas smashed in fury into bins, even trolleys dismantled.

Look, we’re all human and when we’re not having the day we expected, or hoped for, it’s only natural to let off a little bit of steam. We’re not robots.

But when does a strop become too much? When is the line crossed? When does golf etiquette become bad golf etiquette? Is it ever really OK to throw a golf club on the course?

The Rules of Golf don’t really come to the rescue. Slamming a club into the ground, damaging it, throwing it towards a bag only for it to hit someone – these kinds of irritants are classed as misconduct but are unlikely to be serious.

So, unless you’ve done it on purpose, you probably won’t get disqualified for chucking a club unless it spears someone in the side of the head.

Your club committees can do something about it in a Code of Conduct, but even the repeat offenders are going to have to get pretty regularly out of order for even that to make a difference.

So what can we do? Is just hoping people won’t sulk enough? A one-off should be treated as such, as I said we’re not machines, but it really isn’t acceptable to throw your clubs – even if it is out of anger or frustration.

You could injure someone, or damage the course, and you’ll quickly become a figure of fun at the club and, perhaps, someone that everyone stays away from.

Easy to say, in the heat of battle, that it’s only a game. But if you’re the sort that just can’t stop performing the Highland Fling with your driver after an errant tee shot, perhaps it’s just time to accept you’d probably be better off doing something else with your time.

Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Golf Equipment.

Finding the best golf club sets for beginners can be difficult, especially when you’re new to the game.

There are many different club combinations and specifications, so it’s easy to become lost in the jargon.

Here you’ll find the best beginner’s golf clubs in the UK, from premium products to more budget-friendly options. We’ve also included tips for choosing the best club sets.

1. Inesis 100 package set, £199.99

One of the most budget-friendly golf club sets for beginners, the Inesis package has everything you need to get started.

There are seven clubs included, with a 15-metre difference between each of them to ensure you can cover all distances. Each features an enlarged clubface for more forgiveness on off-centre hits, making them ideal for improving your technique.

The clubs are incredibly lightweight and won’t weigh you down. They also have an ergonomic grip to improve hand placement, so you can stay focused on the key elements of mastering your swing.

2. Wilson ProStaff SGI graphite golf club set, £399.99

One of the biggest names in golf, Wilson surprisingly offers some of the best beginner’s golf clubs in the UK at a fair price.

This set comprises of a driver, fairway, hybrid, and 6-SW irons, all of which have a lightweight graphite shaft to provide a higher ball flight if you have a slow to moderate swing. What more could a beginner need?

The Wilson bag included in the purchase is extremely high-quality, lightweight, and has a divider to make organising your clubs a breeze.

Overall, the set has a real premium feel, which is exactly what you’d expect from this brand.

3. Callaway Edge complete golf set, £689.59

There are ten clubs in this set from Callaway, each specially designed to help you hit straighter, longer, and more consistent shots.

The 6-9 irons each have large cavity backs and a stabilising arch to increase stability and tolerance, even on mishits.

The Odyssey White Hot Pro Putter is a unique selling point, as the smooth-rolling white hot insert provides quality stabilisation and precision. It also comes with a SuperStroke golf grip for extra feedback and comfort.

4. Confidence Power III beginner’s golf club set, £179.99

Want to avoid those difficult-to-hit longer irons? This set from Confidence Golf contains a 24-degree hybrid iron, so you needn’t worry about those lower loft, thin-face clubs.

All clubs within the set are fitted with regular flex steel shafts, ideal for golfers looking for extra control over their shots.

Confidence has created one of the best beginner’s golf club sets in the UK regarding value for money. The bag has an upgraded five-divider design, auto-pop legs, a rain cover, and a dual padded carrying strap.

5. TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite set, £949

TaylorMade has just the answer if you want to invest in a high-end beginner’s golf set.

The irons are massively forgiving, as each is designed with a large cavity back and advanced weighting. This prevents the clubface from twisting on off-centre hits and provides much more consistency.

You’ll also benefit from the tolerance the 4 and 5 hybrids bring compared to long irons. This is ideal for beginners and means you can get straight to mastering your technique.

The bag is high-quality and lightweight for easy carrying across the course. It also comes with wood and putter headcovers, a nice extra touch.

How to choose the best beginner’s golf clubs

It’s not easy to determine what you need from what could help you become a better golfer.

That said, we have a few tips to save you the extra time and energy that goes into researching this, the first being that beginners don’t need custom-fitted clubs or those manufactured by top golf brands.

When purchasing your first set, make sure you have the essentials:

a driver
a 3-wood (or a hybrid)
at least two irons
a putter

The best golf club sets for beginners will include these, alongside a sand wedge, pitching wedge and perhaps some additional irons to aid your game.

Other than this, here are a few factors to consider when checking out individual clubs.

1. Loft

If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it simply relates to the angle formed between the clubface and the ground. The higher the loft number, the bigger the angle.

Loft directly impacts how far the ball travels after the clubface makes contact. Clubs with a lower loft number will give the ball greater distance, and vice versa.

Check out this complete golf club loft guide to boost your understanding and ultimately learn more about the loft you want for each of your clubs.

2. Grip

Before buying a beginner’s golf set, it’s a good idea to test your swing with a few different clubs. This way, you can get a feel for the grip thickness that works best for you.

Clubs with a thinner grip can increase your hand actions at the start of your swing, while a thicker grip can limit your hand movement.

Both can cause issues on impact, so it’s best to eradicate any grip types that hinder your progress early on.

3. The shaft

There are two factors to consider when selecting the correct shaft for your clubs: length and flex.

The taller you are, the longer the shaft you’ll need to get the best out of your clubs.

Flex relates to how stiff or soft the shaft is, which can affect your technique. Too much stiffness causes slicing, while a soft shaft can hook your ball flight to the left.

The best golf sets for beginners feature well-balanced clubs that help you perfect your swing.

4. Price

Rather than going for the most expensive clubs that money can buy, it’s best to focus on getting a reasonably priced set that suits your needs.

There’s no need to go for the same clubs as your favourite golfer. After all, brands create custom-fit sets for professionals, so what works for them might not necessarily work for you.

Be open-minded and prepared to research different brands to get a feel for what’s best for your game. That’s the best way to find a great set of beginner’s golf clubs.

Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Blog.

So, you’ve put in what you think is a competitive score that surely has a chance of winning; you then hear someone has matched it.

What then? Who scoops first prize? You may have your own way of deciding who takes the honours when playing with a group of friends—perhaps a game of rock, scissors, stone—but most club competitions use the countback system.

This isn’t The Open—extra holes don’t come into it. Instead, a simple bit of number crunching is used to determine the winner. We say ‘simple’, but in some cases, it can get a little complicated.

However, here’s how countback generally works in golf…

If a competition reaches its conclusion and there are players tied at the top, the winner is determined based on the scores for the last nine, six, three, and the 18th hole. It can be a frustrating way to lose, but this is the way a lot of club competitions are settled. If unsure, you can always consult your club’s Terms of Competition for each event.

What if there’s still a tie?

It’s unusual, but this does happen, and in this case, the competition committee can look at the last six, three, and the final hole of the first nine.

Countback is usually only used to determine first, second and third places. After that, if there’s a tie, they remain that way. In other words, it’s not used to determine every single place. For example, if you shoot 75 and finish in a tie for 12th, you finish in a tie for 12^th—no one will be looking at your last three holes to separate you from the other 75s.

What about multi-tee starts?

If you’re playing in a shotgun or two-tee start, your ‘back nine’ is obviously going to look different. Consistency is recommended, so the ‘back nine’ taken is generally holes 10-18 on a standard scorecard, regardless of which hole you teed off on.

How does countback work in Stableford golf?

The process for a Stableford competition countback is the same as a stroke play competition. However, the countback uses the total Stableford points instead of the standard net or gross scores. The number of holes used in the countback is the same, starting with the back nine, then the back six, back three, and the final hole.

The way countback is calculated can vary according to club rules or the rules of a particular competition, but this is generally how countback works in golf.

What about handicap competitions?

If a competition committee sets a stroke index allocation, you’d apply those handicap shots as you would for the competition itself.

Confused? Your competition committee will probably be only too happy to answer any questions you may have.

You may also want to check out the R&A Committee Procedures.

Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Playing Tips.

The article below was written by Hannah Holden of National Club Golfer.

How to break 70 in golf

I met up with PGA Professional Jack Backhouse to take a look at five tips to break 70 in golf…

Have a repeatable ball flight

Lots of golfers overthink their long game when it comes to shooting lower scores. Despite popular beliefs, with your tee shot you don’t need to shape the ball in both directions to shoot lower scores.

Lots of tour players have shown us you can play exceptionally well while exclusively hitting one-shot shape off the tee. Just take a look at how much money Dustin Johnson has won recently…

The most important thing is to have a repeatable ball flight off the tee so you know what shot shape you are going to hit and can set your aim and target relative to that.

Dominate the Par-5’s

Par 5’s are statistically where the best players make their scores. Hitting driver off the tee and giving yourself a chance to get to the green in two is a huge part of driving down your scoring.

If you want to break 70 you need to be making birdies and the best way to do this is to get to as many par-5 greens in two as possible.

Have a good pitching control system

To shoot in the 60s, you need to hit your wedges close. You are never going to have a full shot into the green each time so having a system where you can hit numerous distances with all your wedges is key.

Practising your pitch shots and being able to hit numerous yardages with the same club is hugely important for driving down your scoring.

Don’t miss a green inside 100 yards

When players get inside 100 yards, it can be easy to get too aggressive and start firing at pins, but the last thing you want to do from this distance is get too aggressive and end up missing the green in regulation.

Even with a wedge in our hand, we want to be picking a strategic target that gets us on the green and gives us a birdie putt.

Be bulletproof inside 5ft

You can’t shoot low scores if you’re not holing out from near the pin. Five foot and in, is statistically the most important length putt to hole. This is because strokes gained-wise, you need to hole four 5-footers to balance out missing one.

To be good at 5 footers you really just need to dial in your aim and face angle at impact which can be done with simple drills on the putting green.

Using tee pegs on each side of your target line creates a small gate for you to thread your ball through. Practising this on the putting green will make it much easier to hole those knee knockers next time you are out on the golf course.

Posted December 8th, 2022 by TheGolfersClub & filed under Blog.

We all dip into the second-hand market from time to time. Of course, the chief reason for not buying new is the money it saves. It’s no different with used golf clubs—and various reputable websites specialise in selling second-hand golf gear.

However, just like you’d do your research if you were buying a second-hand car, due diligence is also required when forking out hard-earned cash on used golf gear. Here’s what to look for when buying a set of used golf clubs.

Specs

We echo the advice of every PGA professional: to get the most out of your clubs, you should always get custom fitted. If you’ve been fitted previously, you’ll want those specs to hand—loft, lie, shaft type, and so on.

Of course, this won’t be a problem if custom fitting doesn’t matter to you. If you’ve always bought straight from the shelf and are happy with that, that’s your decision. However, it’s still important to know exactly what specs you’re getting, as you may end up with clubs that have been fitted for someone a lot taller or shorter than you!

Do your research

what to look for when buying second hand golf clubs

You wouldn’t go and spend £1,500 on a new set of clubs without doing some research beforehand, so don’t do it with second-hand golf gear, either. There are so many golf equipment reviews online, so it’s usually fairly easy to find out the original RRP and when it was released. Armed with these key figures, you should be able to weigh up whether you’re getting a good deal or not.

Condition

If you’ve decided to buy used, you’ll have accepted that you’re going to buy a product that’s not quite in perfect condition. However, just how used is acceptable?

Golfbidder uses a rating guide: 10 is brand new or mint; 9 is new without the wrapper; 8 is very good condition; 7 is good condition, and 6 is fair condition. Each rating is also broken down further for each equipment category.

For example, irons rated 6/10 are described as “in perfectly usable order but cosmetically not quite deserving of a ‘good’ rating.”

Grips

Your grips are the only piece of equipment you touch on every single swing, so they must always perform at their best. If your first swing with your ‘new’ 5-iron sees the club go flying off down the fairway, and you end up gripping extra tightly for the rest of the round, you’re unlikely to play your best golf.

So, it’s important to check the grips before you buy—something that might not be obvious if you’re purchasing online and looking at photographs. If that’s the case, do they look slick? Is the rubber crumbling? Is the paint on the grips discoloured? Have a good look for signs of wear. You don’t really want to spend £100 on a second-hand set of clubs, only to end up spending the same again on having them re-gripped. Suddenly, it’s not such a great bargain!

Postage and packaging

If you’re buying second hand clubs online, check how much extra postage and packaging costs, as it’s not always clear. You could be looking at a minimum of £20.00, which may be perfectly acceptable—after all, you don’t want your clubs getting knocked about in transit. Those long cardboard boxes cost a few quid, as does bubble wrap. Add on the cost of the courier, and that figure soon rises, especially if you’re buying a full set.

Reputable websites

Several reputable online retailers specialise in selling second-hand golf equipment, and there are certain advantages to using such sites. For example, Golfbidder, one of Europe’s busiest online golf retailers, individually inspects and photographs each club. This means that you don’t have to worry about getting counterfeit products.

All clubs also come with a full 12-month warranty and a seven-day, no-quibble, money-back guarantee.

Other retailers worth browsing include affordablegolf.co.uk and golfclubs4cash.co.uk.

Ex-demo clubs

Getting your hands on ex-demo clubs can be a great way of getting cheaper clubs. It’s worth asking your club pro if they offer such deals, as well as your high street retailer. You never know; you might grab yourself a bargain on a display model that’s just about to be replaced with a new arrival.

New releases

It’s not an exact science, but you might find yourself a better deal on second-hand clubs when a new model comes out—so it’s worth keeping an eye on the market.

All equipment manufacturers tend to work to a product cycle. Your club pro will normally have a good idea of what’s coming.

Accessories

So, you’ve hit ‘buy’ on a second-hand driver—the perfect model in the right spec—and you then release it doesn’t come with a headcover. Worse still, it’s missing the wrench that allows you to make adjustments.

Be sure you know what the model originally came with to avoid spending further time and money on essential accessories.

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