Swing Thoughts: January 2021

That was fast. January flew by at TGJ HQ as we put on our first event of the year at Rams Hill, which, in case you didn’t hear, was awesome. And with a flurry of incredible experiences and No. 15 on the way, the next few months are jam packed and jelly tight. There’s just one thing we need to know: are you still saying “Happy New Year?”

Golf Concerto No. 10

Life comes at you fast. Your golf game can go even faster. Over the next year on golfersjournal.com, TGJ Editor Travis Hill will attempt to navigate toddlers, deadlines and a global health crisis, all in pursuit of a 10-handicap. In the first installment, we find our man on a range in Jacksonville, working on Step 1: a long overdue technology update.

Read Now

---

IN OUR FEED

---

GOOD READS

Short Iron: East Bay man achieves golf’s rarest shot

“Albatross, shmalbatross. You can keep your little double eagle.” Or at least that’s what we imagine Kevin Pon of Oakland said after jarring his second shot on the 649-yard, Par-6 18th hole at Lake Chabot Golf Course. His buddy better have been up at least five heading into the last.

The Mercury News

Mid-Iron: Justin Thomas in Hawaii

Voices from across the golf world weighed in on Justin Thomas’ Hawaiian hot-mic incident earlier this month. But the perspective that stuck the most came from the music industry. Here, Jamieson Cox takes a break from his weekly song recs newsletter to explain the complex relationship between an openly gay golf fan and a game that often doesn’t love him back.

One Good Song

Long Iron: Hamilton’s hobby takes Rhode Island golf world virtual

If 2020’s demands for more time inside meant more virtual golf than ever, you weren’t alone. For one fan, the myriad offerings on PGA Tour 2k21 just weren’t enough. Get to know Michael Hamilton, the man meticulously recreating Rhode Island’s top private clubs for public play.

The Providence Journal

---

NOW PLAYING

Ep. 72: A Compendium of Golf’s Cheaters

Sandbaggers, ball-droppers and lie-fluffers, oh my! Getting cheated in golf can stay with you—just ask host Tom Coyne, who still can’t forget an interclub incident from 1986. So we decided to name names: We speak with experts who break down golf’s various scammers (behold, the “cheating non-liar”) and investigate what exactly leads someone to cheat at the ultimate game of honor.  Along the way, we hear some of the wackiest cheating stories ever recorded, as submitted by listeners.

The Dirty Groove Vol. 23

Solo (cup) listening.