⛳️ Titleist's Market Dominance & The Secrets Every Tour Pro Knows

June 19, 2011 — Two months after his Masters collapse, 22-year-old Rory McIlroy wins the U.S. Open at -16. He hit 62 of 72 greens.

You don’t need a new driver. You need to find the middle of the one you already have.

Lou Stagner, performance data lead for Arccos Golf, recently analysed 5,477 driver shots from 27 amateur golfers, all captured using a GCQuad launch monitor. His findings spotlight a critical (and often overlooked) detail: where you strike the ball on the club face matters. A lot.

Let that sink in. Same club. Same swing. Just 21 yards gone because you hit it low on the face instead of high-centre.

🎯 Why It Matters

Hitting the upper-centre of the face typically produces the optimal launch and spin conditions for maximum carry.

Miss low and you’re not just losing height and distance—you’re compromising your entire ball flight.

If you've ever seen close-up shots of Tiger Woods’ irons from his prime, the story becomes clear: wear marks the size of a penny, dead centre every time. That kind of precision leads to repeatable distance and tight dispersion. For the rest of us, it's the benchmark.

🏌️‍♂️ The Fix

Instead of chasing more speed, try chasing better contact. Next time you’re on the range:

By Drew Hinesley, B9B Resident Caddie

A U.S. Open is never easy.
But Oakmont? That’s a different beast entirely.

It’s not just a test—it’s psychological warfare with flagsticks.
You don’t beat Oakmont.
You outlast it.

As a caddie, your job is crystal clear:
Get your player to the final nine holes on Sunday with a shot.
That means 63 holes of tactical survival through visuals that mess with your head and greens fast enough to turn a good shot into a three-putt.

Everyone cracks here.
The trick is making sure your guy doesn’t crack first.

📊 Know Your Numbers—or Pack It In

This week, analytics matter more than attitude.
Where do you gain strokes? Where do you lose them?

Iron play will separate contenders from carnage.
Miss your spot by three feet and you're staring at a double.
If your guy gains off the tee, go aggressive.
If he’s striping irons, play surgical.

🧩 The 14th: Drivable or Deceptive?

Oakmont’s 14th is the prettiest bear trap you’ve ever seen.
Yes, it’s driveable.
But also, yes—one wrong bounce and you’re carding a 6.

The smartest teams won’t be the boldest.
They’ll be the most disciplined.
Sometimes laying up to 100 yards and playing for par is the real power move.

🧘 Emotional Control > Pure Skill

This week isn’t about clean cards—it’s about damage control.
A double bogey doesn’t kill your chances.
Dwelling on it does.

The team that wins will manage emotion like capital:
Spend it wisely, protect it aggressively, and never go all-in on one bad swing.

Expect the big names—Scottie, Rory, Bryson—to be in the mix.
But don’t rule out an Andrew Landry-style breakout either.

Hot take:

Bryson finished T15 here as an amateur in 2016. We wouldn’t be shocked if he leaves Oakmont with major No. 3.

🎯 Bottom line

If you’re a player, this week’s a nightmare.
If you’re a fan, it’s must-watch mayhem.

Welcome to the U.S. Open’s toughest test.

Watch The Good Good team navigate golf’s ultimate test prior to the major championship

In 2021, Mukesh Ambani bought Stoke Park for £57 million— in doing so, flipped a centuries-old golfing institution on its head.

This wasn’t your average course renovation. The historic 300-acre Buckinghamshire estate—known for James Bond scenes, Harry Colt greens and a mansion fit for royalty—closed for a three-year overhaul.

The result? A stunning 18-hole championship course redesigned by Mackenzie & Ebert and a radical new model for elite golf access.

Now, anyone can tee it up at Stoke Park—if you’ve got £125 and a slot on the app. Tee times are capped at just 30–40 players per day.

The feel? Premium.
The fairways? Pristine.
The crowds? Non-existent.

While the course draws attention, the Grade I-listed mansion is quietly transforming into a “seven-star” hotel and wellness retreat. It’s pay-to-play golf with the feel of a private members’ club—immaculate conditioning, zero crowding, and a team that treats every guest like they’re wearing green jackets.

I played it last week—and yes, it’s every bit worth the price.

⛳ Why this matters:
This isn’t just another course upgrade—it’s a signal to the industry. Legacy clubs may guard tradition, but Stoke Park is betting on a new model: experience over exclusivity, without sacrificing either.

Could this be golf’s luxury pivot?

When it comes to golf gear, not everything needs a premium price tag.

In fact, knowing where to save and where to splurge, can make you a sharper golfer and a smarter consumer. Here’s your cheat sheet on where to invest and where to tighten the belt.

✅ Where to Save

Irons:
Modern irons hold their performance for years. A set from 2–3 seasons ago can cost one-third of the original price without sacrificing quality.

Drivers:
Unless your swing has changed dramatically or you were poorly fit, a 5-year-old driver can still go toe-to-toe with today’s models. Case in point? Brooke Henderson won an LPGA event with Ping G400s—two generations old.

Putters:
Putters haven’t changed much in decades. You can grab a top-performing model for under £100.

💰 Where to Spend

Footwear & Apparel:
Painful feet ruin rounds. High-quality golf shoes and socks (like those from FootJoy or G/FORE) keep you focused, fresh and playing your best.

Rangefinder/GPS:
Precision matters. Cheap rangefinders can be off by 10–20 yards. Get one that locks on fast and accurately.

Rain Gear:
Miserable weather is manageable with the right kit. Invest in outerwear that actually keeps you dry.

In 2003, Mark Stewart didn’t set out to start a golf company—he set out to solve a problem.

His grandfather had once sketched an idea for a golf bag that kept grips dry by flipping the clubs upside down. That prototype never made it—but it sparked something bigger: What if golf gear could be radically better by design?

That question launched Stewart Golf from a small workshop in Gloucestershire.

In the early days, they built prototypes from Sky TV remotes and football cones. Today? Every model is engineered in-house, tested for years, and hand-built in the UK to aerospace-like standards. Everything from stability to aesthetics is dialled in for performance and pride.

While most golf brands chase annual refresh cycles, Stewart Golf has taken the road less travelled. In 22 years, they’ve launched just five genuinely new models. “We’ve only released five genuinely new products in 22 years. That’s not slow—that’s intentional.”

Their deliberate pace has paid off. Stewart is now a global brand known for one thing: trolleys that follow you. Literally.

They pioneered the Follow function—a remote-controlled trolley that glides behind you, syncing to your stride and freeing golfers to enjoy the walk without the drag.

The results speak for themselves.

In 2024, Stewart Golf was recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the fastest growing brands in Great Britain.

Now shipping to over 50 countries—with nearly half of its revenue coming from the U.S.—Stewart Golf is scaling smartly. They’ve been a direct-to-consumer brand for over a decade—long before it was trendy. This year with the addition of bespoke customisation and a selective return to retail, their growth remains intentional and industry dominating.

Stewart Golf isn’t just making electric caddies—they’re building a better way to experience the game.

Want to hear the full story?

51% +

of all golf balls sold carry the Titleist stamp.

If you’ve ever teed up a Pro V1, you’re not alone. You’re actually part of a global golfing phenomenon that’s rewriting the economics of the sport.

Titleist isn’t just dominating the leaderboard. It’s dominating the market.

🧨 The Numbers Are Absurd

In 2023 alone, Titleist raked in $761 million from golf ball sales — more than double Callaway’s haul. It didn’t stop there.

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour’s Favourite Tee-Up

Curious what’s in the bags of the best in the world? Let the numbers do the talking.

🌍 World Domination, One Fairway at a Time

Titleist’s reign isn’t just a U.S. affair. In the UK:

With innovation in its DNA and tour validation in its back pocket, Titleist is doing what most brands dream of: turning performance into profit — dominance into dynasty.

By Miles Taylor, PGA Professional at Liphook Golf Club

This is where the glove earns its keep.

🏌️‍♂️ Wear It: Full Swings & the Long Game

Driver to 7-Iron? Keep it on.
• Grip Security: On full swings, a glove keeps the club locked in place, especially when hands get sweaty or the weather turns.
• Relaxed Pressure: With a glove, you don’t need a death grip — which means better tempo, more fluidity, and fewer tension-induced misses.
• Consistency: Tour-level Cabretta leather delivers a feel you can trust shot after shot.

🎯 Ditch It: Chipping, Pitching & Putting

50 yards and in? Take it off.
• More Touch: The glove adds a layer between your hand and the club. For delicate shots, that layer can dull your feel.
• Better Feedback: You want to feel the clubface — every millimetre of it — during finesse shots. Bare hands give you that sensory edge.

🎒 Pro Tip: Tiger wears a glove for every full shot — but the moment he steps onto the green, it’s off. That’s not a superstition, it’s strategy.

"The glove is built for speed. Bare hands are built for touch."

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North Course hosts the action this week for the very first time. Expect precision over power on this tactical par-70 layout, as a stacked field battles it out just one week before the U.S. Open.

New venue. New stakes. Same electric energy.

📆 Date: June 5–8, 2025
📍 Location: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario, Canada
⛳ Par / Yardage: Par 70 / 7,389 yards
🏆 Defending Champion: Robert MacIntyre
💰 Prize Pot: $9.8 million
💸 Winner’s Share: $1.764 million

🔍 Players to Watch:

📺 Thursday Feature Groups Schedule:

🎯 Winning Odds (via Bet365):

📖 Read: “Links From The Road” - a captivating collection of short stories and stunning golf photography from 100+ courses across the U.S., offering a rare, soul-stirring glimpse into the game’s most scenic and storied landscapes.

🎥 Watch: Highlights From Round Four at the Memorial Tournament - watch Scottie Scheffler clinch his third PGA Tour win of the season at the Memorial Tournament.

🎧 Listen: “Women’s US Open Recap” - Listen to Drew Hinesley our Resident Caddie, share insider stories, on-course insights, and what it’s really like walking inside the ropes with the pros.

📊 Trending Stat: 80% of golfers believed golf helped them get ahead in their careers - Forbes

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