Apparel, tech, accessories and more, we’ve curated a list of items that are sure to bring a smile to dad’s face while leaving your wallet unscathed.
Not finding something dad will like? Check out some of the best polos, shorts, hats, sunglasses and more to piece together dad’s new favorite golf outfit.
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Check out the clubs that are in contention at the 2023 PGA Championship.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The weather on Saturday soaked Oak Hill Country Club, but Sunday has proven to be a perfect day to contest the 2023 PGA Championship.
At the start of the day, Brooks Koepka held a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland and Cory Conners, but Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy were also in hot pursuit.
See a complete list of the golf equipment all the contenders at Oak Hill are using as they try to win the Wannamaker Trophy.
We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Finding the perfect golf ball to match your game and budget can be tricky, so here’s a guide to help you find options.
You can’t play the game without a ball, and while many golfers don’t think they are good enough to tell one ball from another, all of them perform slightly differently.
The golf balls used by stars such as Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are multi-piece balls with urethane covers that reduce spin off the tee to maximize distance, but they spin like crazy for extra control on approach shots, chips and pitches.
However, with prices ranging from $45-$60 per dozen, tour-level performance doesn’t come cheap. Brands know those balls are out of reach for many players, so they offer alternatives at lower prices that cater to specific needs. Some are designed for pure distance, while others have soft feel or enhanced spin.
The best way to find your ideal ball is to think about what you need and how much you are willing to spend, then buy a few three-ball sleeves of a few brands and try them out. Play six holes of an 18-hole round with three different balls and think about how each performed off the tee, from the fairway and around the greens. Many shops also offer two-ball promotional packs of premium balls, which is a great way to see if a tour-level ball is right for you.
Below are many of the golf balls you can test now or that are coming soon in pro shops and golf specialty stores. This is a starting point in your journey to finding your perfect golf ball.
Who They’re For: Players who don’t want to spend a lot of money on golf balls but want a soft feel and distance off the tee.
The Details: Srixon updated the Z-Star, Z-Star XV and Z-Star Diamond golf balls for 2023 and loaded them with premium features. Major winners such as Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley and Graeme McDowell use them, but with a price tag of $47.95 per dozen they might be out of reach for many golfers.
For value-minded players, Srixon offers an updated version of the Soft Feel ball. This is the 13th version of Soft Feel, and it remains true to its mission: to provide distance along with the soft feel at impact that many players like.
The Soft Feel has a large, gradient core. (Srixon)
At the heart of this two-piece ball is a large FastLayer core that is soft in the center and gradually grows firmer toward the perimeter. Srixon said the core’s gradient firmness allows it to compress and snap back into shape quickly for a better transfer of energy, which can produce more distance.
The cover was designed with Srixon’s Speed Dimple pattern, which consists of 338 dimples arranged to create more stability and reduce drag, so the Soft Feel will hold its line through the wind more efficiently and produce a piercing flight.
The Soft Feel comes in soft white and tour yellow, while the Soft Feel Brite is available in bright red, orange and green matte finishes.
Take a look at this list of the best drivers for 2023 for every playing style and handicap level.
In the golf equipment world, drivers are the stars of the show. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther and straighter, and with exotic materials like titanium, carbon fiber and tungsten used to make today’s drivers, the dream of more distance can be a reality for many players.
The best way to discover the driver that is best suited to your swing and game is to work with a good custom fitter who has a launch monitor, try several models (along with different shafts) and see which performs best.
To give you a running start on the process and reveal which new offerings you might want to talk about with your fitter, take a look at this list of the best drivers for 2023 for every playing style and handicap level.
Srixon made unique cores for the Z-Star, Z-Star Diamond and Z-Star XV balls with an improved outer coating for extra spin around the greens.
Gear: Srixon Z-Star, Z-Star XV, Z-Star Diamond golf balls Price: $47.95 per dozen Specs: Three-piece construction with a large core, casing layer and urethane cover. Colors: pure white or yellow for the Z-Star and Z-Star XV; pure white only for the Z-Star Diamond Available: Feb. 15 for the Z-Star; April 14 for Z-Star Divide and Z-Star XV
Who They’re For: Golfers who want tour-level spin around the greens and distance with a choice of firmness off the tee.
The Skinny: For 2023, Srixon has updated its premium golf balls by giving them new cores and improving the spin- and friction-generating coating that is allied to the urethane covers. The Z-Star feels the softest, the Z-Star XV is the firmest and the Z-Star Diamond fits between them.
The Deep Dive: Srixon has released the eighth generation of its premium golf ball family, the Z-Star line, and instead of making radical changes, the Japanese company opted to make refinements to the three-ball stable.
The FastLayer DG cores of the Z-Star, Star Diamond and Z-Star XV are each slightly different. (Srixon)
Each of the three balls has a unique FastLayer DG Core that is soft in the center but grows progressively firmer toward the perimeter. Srixon said the standard Z-Star has the softest mid-layer and lowest overall compression, providing the softest feel at impact. In contrast, the Z-Star XV ball has a soft core that is drastically firmer around its outer area for more distance and long-iron spin. The Z-Star Diamond was made to fit between the standard Z-Star and the XV ball, and it has a firmer feel and higher compression than the Z-Star but will feel softer than the Z-Star XV.
All three Z-Star balls have a 338-dimple pattern on their cast urethane covers to increase stability in the wind and improve aerodynamics.
For 2023, Srixon has improved the Spin Skin coating applied to the cover, referring to it now as Spin Skin+. The coating increases the level of friction created when an iron or wedge hits the ball on greenside shots to boost the level of spin and enhance control on chips, pitches and bunker shots.
Srixon Z-Star Divide for 2023 (Srixon)
In mid-April, Srixon plans to bring a Divide version of the Z-Star and Z-Star XV ball to retailers. Split into a white half and a yellow half, the Divide editions make it easier to track the ball in the air and create a visual alignment aid on the greens. If players line up the seam between the two colors when they putt, a wobbly roll can also reveal when a golfer has cut across the ball on the stroke instead of hitting it squarely, which can help players hone their putting stroke.
As with the other Divide-edition Srixon balls, the Z-Star Divide and Z-Star XV Divide conform to the USGA and R&A’s Rules of Golf and are legal for play.
New muscleback blades for elite golfers, cavity-back irons that blend forgiveness and feel, they’re all here.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday season and throughout January, equipment makers released several new sets of irons designed for players at every game level. New muscleback blades for elite golfers, cavity-back irons that blend forgiveness and feel and offerings made for inexperienced players and slower swingers, they’re all here.
The trouble is finding the new set of irons that will complement your game. The best way to do that is to work with a custom fitter and hit lots of different options under the watchful eye of a launch monitor, but the list of irons below will give you a great place to start your research and narrow down your search.
The Srixon Z-Forged II irons are designed to maximize feel and control for elite golfers with powerful, repeatable swings.
Gear: Srixon Z-Forged II irons Price: From $1,142.84 with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. Specs: Forged 1025 carbon with progressive grooves. Available: Jan. 20
Who It’s For: Elite golfers who want tour-level feel and control in a compact, muscleback blade iron.
The Skinny: The Srixon Z-Forged II irons are designed to maximize feel and control for elite golfers with powerful, repeatable swings.
The Deep Dive: When it comes to designing irons for the game’s best players – tour pros, collegiate golfers, teaching professionals and aspiring club champions – it is as much about what designers leave out as what they add. Golfers who make solid contact shot after shot and want to make the ball curve and bend at their will are not looking for the newest distance-enhancing technologies or sound-improving materials. They want control, consistency and a classic look in the address position.
For those golfers Srixon has updated its muscleback blade and has released the Z-Forged II irons.
Extra mass behind the hitting area enhances feel in the Srixon Z-Forged II irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Forged from a single billet of 1020 carbon steel for a soft feel, the Z-Forged II irons have a compact blade length, thin topline and virtually no offset. They do, however, have PureFrame, Srixon’s new shaping feature that puts more mass directly behind the center of the hitting area, where a good player makes contact. While perimeter weighting and a cavity-back design can boost forgiveness for less-accomplished players, concentrating mass heightens feel and the sensations created at impact.
The Srixon Z-Forged II irons have a narrow topline, minimal offset and a classic look at address. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
As with the new ZX-7 Mk II irons, the Z-Forged II irons have a progressive groove design, with the 3-iron through 7-iron having wider grooves better suited for full swing shots. The 8-iron, 9-iron and pitching wedge have grooves that are narrower, deeper and packed together more tightly to get more edges on the ball on approach shots for added spin and control.
The Tour V.T. Sole increases the bounce to help the Srixon Z-Forged II irons maintain speed through the turf. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Finally, Srixon designed the Z-Forged II irons with the company’s Tour V.T. Sole, which has a seam running through the club’s bottom from toe to heel. The front portion of the sole has extra bounce to keep the leading edge from digging into the turf so the club can maintain speed through the strike, while the back of the sole has less bounce but significant back-edge relief.
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