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How to build an intimidating bag of clubs

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It’s said that scratch golfers are among the top 1 percent of golfers worldwide. They are the Sasquatches of the golf world — often heard about, but seldom seen or played with. Some people think you can recognize these golfers not just by their fluid swings, soft touch around the greens and rhythmic putting strokes. According to a lot of golfers, most good golfers can be recognized with a simple peak into the bag to see what clubs they are playing.

There’s something telling about a golfer’s bag and the clubs in it. Maybe it’s the wear spots on the irons and how old the wedges are. Is there a classic club in there? A Titleist 905R driver perhaps? Does he or she have an old Ping Anser style putter, or rusty Cleveland 588 wedge?

We all play this game because we want to be that golfer, the one who no one wants to play against, the golfer who makes every 5-foot putt he or she looks at and the one who can get up and down from anywhere. It’s time to be honest, though. There’s a solid chance that golfer is never going to be you. You work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have a wife and children. You aren’t the golf Sasquatch, you just use a Nike Sasquatch (not the tour model, the retail version with the Mitsubishi Rayon’s made-for yellow Diamana).

I’m not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings. Remember, the average handicap of male golfers is 16, which is a really long way from scratch.

Here’s the thing with golf though — when you’re on the course with three other people, even a fairly open course, only those three people (and possibly the three people in the group behind you) are the only ones who will ever see you hit a shot. So does it matter if you are a scratch? Maybe to some. But for most golfers, looking like a scratch golfer will be much easier and more fun that being one.

If I’ve learned one thing from golf, it’s that the golfers who look good on the course also have a tendency to play better. That’s why I’ve created a step-by-step guide on how to build an intimidating bag of clubs, one that will make you look like a scratch golfer. Getting better is up to you.

Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum.

Step 1: Bagging the right bag

Let’s start with the bag. You have a staff or cart bag you say? Great. How big is your fireplace? Go throw it in there.

I’ve played with some great players who’ve had cart bags, but that’s not the point. We want to make this a slam-dunk. You know what a cart bag says about you? It says you like to ride in a cart (and you probably drink beer during rounds too). That means you are probably not a scratch golfer.

Go buy a Ping Hoofer carry bag and thank me later. You get bonus points if you carry it during the round. I’ve never seen a bad player lug a Ping Hoofer around for 18 holes and neither have you.

Step 2: Covering those clubs

Don’t stop there while you’ve got the fire going. Here’s another piece of golf equipment that never hits a shot, but can make a world of difference in how you’re perceived by the golfing community: head covers. No scratch player is going to lose to a guy with a set of head covers that look brand new say “Rocketballz.” You can use TaylorMade RocketBallz products, mind you, just make sure to get a sock head cover for them. Put your Rocketballz under a Rocket Tour and you are in business! (If you don’t get that reference, you are probably one of the golfers that should re-read this).

If you want to take your head cover street cred a step further, drive over your head covers a few times with your car. Head covers are like jeans – they look better broken in. As for iron head covers, throw them out because no good player has ever used them. Dings are like divots — if you’re a good player, you can’t escape them.

Step 3: Choosing the right driver

First off, trade in your square driver unless your name is Lucas Glover. Ditto for any driver with a significant offset.

Great players use drivers from all makes and years, so it’s really tough to go wrong. If you want to seal the deal, though, buy a Titleist 910 driver. Great amateur players use Titleist drivers, but you don’t necessarily want it to be too “new” because that has its own implications. The 910 models are in the sweetspot — a couple of years old, but holding strong on Tour.

The aforementioned 905R is another good choice, but it’s been around so long it’s made it into a lot of hacks bags through eBay or used bins. If you have a Titleist 907 and think that’s fine, it’s not. Drive into a bad part of town and leave your door open (I am doing you a favor. You’ll just have to trust me). The 907 drivers were only created because TaylorMade got a Manchurian candidate into Titleist for two years to sabotage them. That’s at least what I read on GolfWRX.

Step 4: Picking a 3-wood

A good 3 wood needs to be old enough that you’ve hit it a lot, like a 1000 times. It also needs to look like it’s made par 5s just line up and surrender to you.

A good 3 wood is your most trusted club, but also one of the hardest clubs to hit. Scour eBay and find a TaylorMade V-Steel, the holy grail of modern 3 woods. You get bonus points if it’s beat to within inches of its life. If it isn’t, just smack it with a rock a few times so it is. Done and done. Actually, while you’re at it, make sure to get the 5 wood too, because great players don’t use hybrids. I don’t know why, but Tiger and Rory don’t use them, so that’s good enough for me.

Step 5: Bagging the proper irons

Irons present the biggest opportunity for posing of any club in the bag. Miuras might mean you are a player, but they also might mean you have a lot of money and just want to play the clubs Tiger used while with Nike, I mean … never mind.

Titleist blades? You might be one of the many 15 handicaps who actually think blades are the best way to improve. I’m not going to judge, actually no wait that’s what we are doing here. In fact that’s the whole purpose of this article. So let’s judge: I don’t trust people with blades. Some golfers with blades are great players, but some guys are trying to appear like great players. I’m trying to give you a chance to not appear like you are appearing, are you still with me here?

Here is what you do: buy a set of Mizuno MP-60s. They are tasteful and elegant forged cavity backs. No one “poses” using cavity backs, and Mizuno somehow manages to be a players club while simultaneously avoiding the pitfalls of being a magnet for wannabes. Your irons better be dinged up too, because nothing says “I like to take drops when my ball is on a root” more then pristine clubs. So bang ‘em up a bit. Scratch players punch out. Guys that get beat by scratch players use their foot wedge and say things like “leaf rule” or “root rule.”

Step 6: Adding wedges

Scratch players pretty much all play the same wedges. I’ve never met one who didn’t have a Vokey or some form of rusty Cleveland in his bag. So when you’re choosing why risk it? Get yourself one of both. I’m thinking a 53-degree rusty old Cleveland 588 and the 60-degree Vokey of your choice.

Step 7: The putter

Probably half the great players you’ll ever meet use Scotty Cameron putters. I’d guess those players make up less than half Cameron’s business, however. Horrific golfers who happen to have great wives use the rest of Cameron’s putters. If you choose to go with a Scotty it had better be an old one because the absolute truth of golf is that guys with shiny putters make absolutely nothing.

If I were choosing (and I am), I’d go with an old Ping Anser style putter. You might be thinking, “Aren’t there like a million Ping Ansers out there? Aren’t most of them in the bags of total hacks?”

The answer is yes, but an old Anser putter in the bag of a guy using MP60s and a Titleist 910 driver — there’s not too many of those. That guy isn’t missing inside 10 feet and you know it. At least that’s why you think when you see his bag.

I shouldn’t have told you all this, because guys with intimidating bags don’t lose. But just by hanging out by the putting green with your new bag, 97 out of 100 of them will think you are the best player they’ve ever seen. Impressing the other three is on you though.

The range is that a way.

Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum.

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Jeff Singer was born and still resides in Montreal, Canada. Though it is a passion for him today, he wasn't a golfer until fairly recently in life. In his younger years Jeff played collegiate basketball and football and grew up hoping to play the latter professionally. Upon joining the workforce, Jeff picked up golf and currently plays at a private course in the Montreal area while working in marketing. He has been a member of GolfWRX since 2008

95 Comments

95 Comments

  1. Alex

    Mar 30, 2019 at 9:34 pm

    New school scratch guys go Taylormade driver, Taylormade 3 wood, driving iron of any variety, Mizuno Jpx 900 tour, Titleist CBs, Ping S55, Callaway Apex pro, or srixons. Any poser that plays blades is a poser because the reality is the only one good enough to actually play blades is a tour player not a scratch club player. Any scratch club player is still gonna want a little forgiveness and know they aren’t gonna hit it like Greg Norman or Tiger Woods day in day out. Wedges are a toss up lots of vokeys, clevelands, and mack daddys. Never CB wedges above pitching wedge unless they play a bag full of ping or cobra and then well that takes them out of being scratch because no scratch player plays an exclusive brand through the bag except maybe Titleist…and I don’t know why because every titleist driver until the new TS2 and TS3 has sucked all the way back to the 910. Look at every free agent on tour, they don’t play one brand throughout and there is a reason for that. Putters are a mix of older Scotty’s, a banged up Odyssey, a ping anser or something that looks like trash because putter technology doesn’t matter its all about comfort. Also don’t automatically write a 2 ball off because some guys would divorce their wives before they gave up their 2004 2 ball that is a lag putting machine and automatic within 6 feet. Again scratch players aren’t automatic from 10 because if they were they’d be playing golf for money. Balls are usually heavily Pro V1 or x, chrome soft, Bridgestone, or Srixon. A few young guns will also play the TP5 and x from Taylormade, but much more rare and always under the age of 26. Clothing is also much more of a mix as very few scratch players roll up in head to toe Nike. Much more of a mixed bag of FJ, Nike, Adidas, Travis Mathew, Dunning,Puma, Greg Norman, or something basic. Anyone thats in J Lindberg or Polo is either a rich douchebag with a full set of shiny clubs and a habit of hitting on cart girls, or likes giving himself 4 mulligans a round and only posting his “good” scores… which any good players knows is stupid and will kill you in a money game. Polo golf probably means he’s a frat boy that doesn’t have enough focus or work ethic to be better than a 2. Being a scratch golfer is about grinding and just being more consistent than the people they play with. A 6 can most definitely beat a scratch…but the law of averages says a scratch will win way more rounds out of 20 because they never go above 80 and turn bad days into 77 instead of 83. Lastly a scratch golfer will not brag about being scratch because they know that while they might be a great club golfer they’d get the absolute brakes beat off them 9/10 times by the worst player on the Web.Com tour. Kind of a know your place on the food chain thing. Shoes are whatever because nobody cares and bags are Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Cobra, Srixon, or a no name brand that looks worn out…because again your bag has no impact on your game.

  2. ben

    Jan 8, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    this is horrible. great job outfitting a whole bunch of people with mp60s who can’t hit them. excellent way to slow the game down. plenty of scratch golfers have used x14/x12 and eye2’s through the years. i get the point here, but what you did is detrimental to golf. maybe i’m taking it too seriously, i don’t know, but when you outfit some1 like a scratch who’s more like a 16, they start playing slowly like the typical scratch, and you just help ruin golf for us masses.

  3. Leigh

    Nov 5, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Awesome article, doesn’t matter who says what, yet you have an opinion and you are clearly passionate about it, the club’s you have chosen would be very hard to beat by any golfer and if I started with those clubs I would still have them.. 905R is the better choice in my opinion tho. Just because it is non adjustable.
    Thanks loved it, I always come back to this bag.

  4. Frank Tank

    Apr 26, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    This article applies to old guys. Look at the young hotshot am players and they use mostly latest clubs.

  5. Haaank

    Mar 3, 2015 at 11:17 am

    I don’t think I’ve ever beaten a guy with an old Adams Idea Pro A2 hybrid (beat to hell, of course).

    Also, if I get to the practice green and see my opponent hitting only 3-4 footers, I know I’m in trouble.

  6. Golfraven

    Jan 7, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    Just love to read this over and over again every year round. Classic!

  7. Caine

    Dec 21, 2014 at 3:56 am

    Funny article. I am a +2 and get new clubs every 6 months.

  8. Double Mocha Man

    Dec 11, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    As a very young (and naive) man I moved to Miami to work on my golf game. Dressed pro style, had McGregor’s, Titleist balls. Met another young guy on the first tee at the Miami Springs Golf Course… barefoot, cut-off jeans, beat up bag of clubs. He suggested a little bet. I saw easy money.

    I shot a respectable 76. He shot a 67.

    Lesson learned.

  9. Oldplayer

    Dec 3, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    I hope you can recognize that this article is almost identical to a famous thread here on WRX. I think it was started my Mtl Jeff. He should be given compensation for this plagiarism.

  10. Ponjo

    Nov 30, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    Alpha 10.5 Driver,
    Tom Wishon Fairwar 3 Wood/Hybrid
    Allpha Hybrid
    Alpha Irins 4 – PW
    Miura Wedges 51, 55 and 59.
    Putter personally made by club builder no make as such
    Bag Miura Tour Bag
    Balls PRO V1

  11. Yao

    Oct 17, 2014 at 4:27 am

    I really hope this is a troll post. I would rather pair up with someone that suck at golf and knows it than a guy that pretend he can shoot single but he can’t even drive the ball off the tee.

    • dan

      Mar 10, 2018 at 11:40 am

      Agreed. This article is the most pretentious thing I have read in a while. No wonder why golf is struggling to gain new players. Calling players, more likely new ones, “wannabes” and “hacks” really attracts people to the game. Nice job Jeff.

  12. Beacher50

    Oct 4, 2014 at 3:31 am

    You forgot a couple; be the guy that every guy on the Ground Crew, the Starters, Marshalls seem to know and wave at, and smile. This says you’re on the course a lot, you could still suck, but you’re spending a lot time doing it, most likely your pretty good. Also only one kind of ball in your bag, not tons of hawked balls from the course. And having a spit set is also and indicator that you have something going in your iron game. And it never hurts to have some kind of weird rescue club in your bag. Have have my Dad’s bag and clubs, and interesting set to say the least, he was a great golfer in his prime, slowed down a bit in retirement, he always told be, beware of the guy with an odd 7 wood or long iron, and a putter that looks like he as been using his entire career.

  13. ScooterMcTavish

    Oct 1, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    Close but no cigar.

    An anser style putter is good, but the 8802 (mentioned above) or a Bullseye says “game”.

    As does a 2-iron, wedges that are older than the golfer (anything that says “Dual Wedge” or “11i” is a warning), a driver that is at least 6 years old, an old bag, and blades or Eye2s for irons.

    Seriously, a guy with a 2i, Eye2s, G5 driver and a bullseye is “the man”.

  14. bradford

    Aug 19, 2014 at 9:26 am

    It’s really not that elusive…Realize that the scratch guys are the ones coming up the 9th when you pull up for your “early” 9AM tee time. They play early to avoid playing in the droves of “normals”, and they play together.

    • bradford

      Aug 19, 2014 at 9:29 am

      Also…16 may be the “average” hcp in some group you’ve selected, but even that is about 10-12 shot lower than the actual average score for amateur golfers. Average is around 100, which would put the average hcp closer to 26. The average golfer does not shoot 86-88.

    • Mark Reckling

      Sep 30, 2014 at 6:07 pm

      Your correct. I’m a 3.1 and always play the 1st tee slot ever day. Also work 50 hours a week. Perk of working afternoon shift lol

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  16. Tom

    Jul 24, 2014 at 11:40 am

    I actually felt like I was giving something up over the last 2 years with an almost complete equipment overhaul. Granted, having a real job and a wife has taken it’s toll on my game, but here is the old followed by the new. I was a much cooler golfer in the past!

    2006-2012 – Driver Ping G5 7.5 with a 1/4″ short shaft (Repainted after wife messed with my bag on the cart and it fell off when we pulled away chipping the hell out of it).
    1998-2011 – Callaway Big Bertha 3 wood memphis steel shaft (Before the Warbird- had a Flat Bottom)I actually flattened the face it was hit so many times. Had to replace.
    2011-Current – Titlest PT 906F2 bore through shaft ($15 and repainted in garage to get rid of 1000 sky marks from previous owner).
    2000-2012 – Hogan Apex Plus Forged minimal cavity back irons w/ turned over tour velvet grips. Still love these sticks and will go back to them.
    2003-2012 – ONE Wedge – Hogan Riviera 56
    1997-2003 – Knock Off Panzer sand wedge with some scars in the leading edge that looked like they might have happened by hitting the curb of a sidewalk. Resembles the Eye2 wedges.
    2000-2012 – Odyssey #2 with the 1st gen white hot face with the course logo that i worked at in High School printed on the toe. Also beat to snot with no cover.
    1997-2011 – Jones stand bag intermittently swapped out for the Highschool bag, then a junior college ping Hoofer. Stitching finally gave out on the strap loops, but the leg system was still perfect.
    2011-2012 – Replaced Jones reluctantly with a Callaway hyperlite black stand bag with the Jack Daniels Logos all over it because I won it in a captains choice tourney.
    1996-Current – Red Macaw Parrot Daphnies Headcover on 3 wood. 4 years of HS golf with 1 team state championship, 1 year of Junior Co. golf, and a host of captains choice wins.

    I’ve since replaced the driver with an XHot Pro, the Irons with much needed forgiving Ping i15’s and after loosing my 3 iron (Who does that?), added a cobra hybrid. However the driver is now covered by a hand made black and yellow plaid one that i made myself, and the hybrid has another hand made tweed cover. It still looks like I know something, but man did the forged hogans look good too.

  17. Steve

    Jul 15, 2014 at 9:42 pm

    Great Article…It sounds like he was writing the article about me and he was at the range looking at my bag!

    Taylormade SLDR 9.5 Driver
    Taylormade R11s 3-Wood
    Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Tour 5-wood
    Mizuno MP-68’s 3-PW
    Mizuno MP-10 52*
    Vokey Oilcan Rusted 56* & 60* wedges
    Bettinardi/Mizuno BC-4 Black and yellow Putter.

    Oh and by the way I throw on the Bright Orange Puma golf shoes every once in a while. LOL

  18. Doctor Phil

    Jul 11, 2014 at 7:22 am

    This article is just fantastic. Boys and girls, don’t forget the Dyna-Powered sand wedge. Just showing my age a bit. Congrats to all who encapsulated the spirit of the article.

  19. Mike

    Jun 27, 2014 at 4:12 am

    haha.. i have both 3 and 5 wood V-Steel..

  20. Ken

    Jun 25, 2014 at 1:54 am

    If Mr. Wonderful throws down a Dunlop X-Out on a water hole … Well … He’s just a poser.

  21. Mithrys

    Dec 17, 2013 at 12:13 am

    Bumping the thread because I am curious. No one mentioned the pitching wedge. I just swapped my r7 pw for a cleveland 588. Who all still plays the stock set pw? I feel the rest of my wedges (All 588s) feel better so I swapped the pw to get a more consistent short game.

    • richie65

      Jun 20, 2014 at 12:17 am

      My 3-wood is even older……..KZG CH-1 with a stiff Dynalite. Every year for the last 9 I’ve tried to replace it, but nothing has stuck. Only an old Steelhead + 4-wood came close.
      Ping L8 bag. Old.
      Nike wedges…..very straight leading edge.
      2-Ball. old original grip
      Don’t really play more than 8-10 times a year. (3 young kids)
      Holding on to an 8 hncp. I wish I could still score!

      • Terry Michaelson

        Jun 22, 2014 at 11:14 pm

        The KZG CH-1 3 wood is an awesome club. I have the Harrson low launch shaft in bight yellow. Can’t miss it Can’t replace it. KZG forged cavity backs are pretty sweet too.

  22. russ

    Dec 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm

    Not a bad article, I conform to most of it. I was a scratch golfer 6 years ago but gave up due to a child coming into my life. I sold everything but last week I started back up.

    Basically I have gone secondhand on the irons mizuno mp 37, I love blades and no cavity back touches them. I’d rather hit a shit blade shot than awesome cavity.

    I’ve gone for TM r1 driver new club,
    Titleist 913H hybrid #3 (never used them in the past hated the things but gave one a go yesterday and Christ they are awesome)do miss my TM burner 3 wood from the early 90’s though.
    I still use 3 iron and don’t bother with a 3 wood.
    I have secondhand ghost putter, but if I could put I would be plus 4 golfer not just scratch.
    Cleveland secondhand wedge 54 degree

    I use a carry bag (Cleveland)new. I played my first 18 holes on a new course yesterday and the first comment I got was about my bag and clubs within it. At the moment it’s all show though as I shot a 78 not bad for first hit but pretty shit really.

  23. realist kenan

    Sep 12, 2013 at 9:53 am

    i love putting a new club in the bag and experimenting with equipment.

    New technology and tinkering with your bag is a part of golf that makes it fun

  24. Carlos

    Aug 21, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    This article is greatness. Thanks for sharing.

  25. tyler

    Jul 29, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    This is dumb. I am pretty good player and i love putting a new club in the bag and experimenting with equipment.

    New technology and tinkering with your bag is a part of golf that makes it fun.

  26. Rixirox

    Jul 11, 2013 at 6:22 am

    Ho Hum. I love golf. I have a nice brand new Titleist bag and sock covers. My clubs have each earned their slot in my bag. I play for money. I don’t try to look like an intimidator. I look like “easy money” In Drag racing we call them “sleepers”. I am not laughing at your article but I am laughing all the way to the bank. New Titleist cart bag and all.

  27. Jeffrey C Daschel

    Jun 22, 2013 at 11:54 pm

    Another Step- Tan your legs, only the calves need be paid any attention to. Do not, ever, allow sun-tan to form on ankles, there should be a white line, from ankle socks that go just fully past the ankles, as everyone knows no scratch golfer has ever worn no show shocks. Those are for the kids.

    • bradford

      Jun 20, 2014 at 7:38 am

      Not sure I agree here…in fact, almost all of us (not that I’m scratch) that walk wear the best socks we can get, and most of those are no-shows.

      What I will agree with is that the tan line is a dead giveaway, but it’s the hands. If there’s a clearly white hand (usually left), that’s a pretty good sign that anytime the guys outside, he’s on the golf course.

  28. Jeffrey C Daschel

    Jun 22, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    Great read, but the first paragraph, its peek, not peak. Hopefully that will allow more people like me with OCD to enjoy the article

  29. manlong

    Jun 3, 2013 at 1:37 am

    Enjoyed your article so much. It gives pleasure to “act” like a scratch. However, the best thing to copy or “act” is how the scratch player react to their own game. Most of this scratch players I played with have great calmness during their game apart from having the equipment’s you mentioned.

  30. GO

    May 18, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    You can fake it to about the 2nd shot, maybe 2nd tee . . . I’ve made mistakes on the first tee looking at bag, made mistakes looking at grip, but it doesn’t take long watching a player, . . . and it doesn’t take long to figure out a golfer that wants to look good compared to a player that wants to play good . . . and that’s when you hope the wager is auto 1downs.

    Kind of sad actually that someone wants to buy status . . . it’s a parasite on our current culture, I see it with the cars my neighbors drive, and the jeans kids buy new that are already worn out (my kids too) . . . what ever happened to wearing out your own jeans, driving something that is practical, and being proud of the player you are becoming instead of the player you want to be perceived as. I’d much rather play with a 15hcp player who is learning/working it than a 15 that carries ‘the sticks’… not many winners i know that are faking it.

    But I did enjoy the article, well written and aside from the Titleist affiliation accurate with my experience…. Jeff must be hanging with a bunch of All American AJGA Club Champions.

    This coming from a guy who has played a bunch of golf,

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  34. mike

    Jan 15, 2013 at 1:18 am

    ” im trying to give you a chance to not appear like you are appearing ”
    this line got me. funny stuff

  35. mike

    Jan 15, 2013 at 1:15 am

    hey Jeff, this article had me in stitches. i really enjoyed this . really funny yet some weird truths in there.
    keep’em coming.

  36. TXgolfer

    Dec 7, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    great article, oh and shoes MUST have spikes and preferably footjoy icons. grips need to look good cuz every scratch golfer knows good grips are a must, and if not gp multi compounds then logo down. scratch golfers also dont buy a large bucket of balls and only bring their driver. if you are wondering why then youve got a lot to learn my friend

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  38. Paul

    Nov 30, 2012 at 9:00 pm

    This article does not wash with me. I play a nice cart bag, with shiny Tour Edge exotic CNC forged irons, R11’s all the way around. I play to a 2 and have never thought about what I carry making any statement. I hope others view me as a poser, fine with me. They better come with game, and old clubs. And my putter is shiny too!! lol

  39. Dannyboy

    Nov 14, 2012 at 9:20 am

    Also, take the decals off your iron shafts, knock in and replace your divots rather than filling them with sand and only use a tee for your driver (which you should also knock to correct height using the club)… Hoofers, 588’s and 975D’s all the way! Used to see a few sets of DCI’s around too…

  40. Vansmack73

    Nov 14, 2012 at 1:59 am

    Add bonus points to guys who have real deal shafts. Not the ones the that say deigned for titleist

    Also beware of the guy with a Wilson 8802

    • Doctor Phil

      Jul 11, 2014 at 7:03 am

      The 8802 is a dead set give away, much better than a Johny come lately Scotty!

  41. LOL

    Nov 13, 2012 at 1:24 am

    Im laughing at all of the people that seem to be taking this article seriously based off the comments their leaving…

    • Paul

      Nov 30, 2012 at 8:57 pm

      Agreed. They think they are scratch because their bag looks like junk? Play what you have and play them well. I do. Shiny new Tour Edge CNC forged.

  42. GolfTecHogan

    Nov 12, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    How about this:

    Callaway Ft-9ta w Matrix tp7hd X flex

    Tour Edge Exotics cb4 tour 3 wood w Graphite Designs Tour BB

    Miura Limited Black Blades 3-pw KBS c-taper S+

    Miura 54 C grind and Miura 59 y grind
    dynamic Gold Spinner + Shafts

    and yes i do carry a staff bag.

    • Paul

      Nov 30, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Amen, I have played with awesome players with shiny new clubs and staff bags. This article is bull, plain old bull. I carry a staff bag and play to a 2 and will take scratch players most the time.

      • Mick

        Jun 27, 2014 at 2:01 am

        then why arent you playing off scratch??

      • bradford

        Aug 19, 2014 at 9:18 am

        If you’re beating a 0 “most of the time”, either you’re not a 2, or they’re not 0’s.

      • Joe

        Apr 4, 2015 at 11:14 am

        I play off a 3 and play with some scratch guys i beat them once in a while but i have to be on my game and get a little help from them.

    • Doctor Phil

      Jul 11, 2014 at 7:06 am

      CB1 3 wood. Then you would be talking. Throw in the 5 as well. That’s what I’ve got 🙂

  43. GOLFLB33

    Nov 11, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Great post. obv there are variations but you hit the nail on the head here.

    So true about the ping hoofers. When i was growing up that was the 1st indication of a player.

    Then scottys camerons, clevelands or vokey wedges and a 975d sweet

  44. WOW

    Nov 11, 2012 at 4:06 am

    My WITB currently: 905R w/ Diamana BB, Callaway Warbird 5 wood, Mizuno MP-60 irons, 588 gunmetal wedges, Bullseye putter. I have yet to find that elusive, hard to find 3 wood….but i will try the v steel. These clubs were all in my bag before i read this interesting and entertaining article cause it speaks the truth.

    • renoir99

      Nov 12, 2012 at 11:27 am

      The V-Steel is a good one…others you may want to look at if you haven’t…Titleist 906F2 or the Tour Exotics CB4 Tour which is a rocketship

  45. Desmond

    Nov 11, 2012 at 2:37 am

    Seriously? A scratch golfer plays new-grooved clubs and a Sun Mountain bag. Hoofers? Maybe if you’re still using one from the ’90s. But c’mon, no longer.

  46. Renoir99

    Nov 10, 2012 at 10:16 pm

    Great article…one thing I’m surprised I haven’t heard yet…alignment rods!!! Put those in your bag, and everyone thinks your a ‘grinder’. Not only do you practice, but you lay these down and line it all up…for about 7 shots…then you get right back to the old ‘hit and rake’

  47. jbob

    Nov 10, 2012 at 9:31 am

    currently have rusty vokeys and 910 driver also have 608.mb irons and get alot of questions about if i will sell irons. also 3hcap enjoy

  48. Orangebang

    Nov 10, 2012 at 3:12 am

    Great article. I laughed myself silly convinced you couldn’t keep a straight face while writing this as well.

  49. MarcB1

    Nov 10, 2012 at 12:13 am

    I took 15 years off of golf (wife issues) and came back to it this year (no more issues). I decided to up-grade some of my equipment so I visited the local driving range pro shop. I would look at the shiny new stuff gleaming on the racks but my main focus was the used rack at the back of the shop. Sometimes a clubs would appear and I would try them on the range. I did this almost every other day until something striked my fancy. Eventually, I rebuilt my bag with some near new and some a few years old. I also made new friends in the people that practticed, worked and owned the range. I now regularly practice , hangout and play with all of them. 15 years ago I was a 3 cap….there is so much more to this game that I will ever know or perhaps understand, but really, the people I have met? Priceless! Great article, thanks.

  50. Blake

    Nov 9, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    My WITB…
    Driver: Ping G5 9* w/ a Grafalloy Epic X
    3 Wood: Mizuno MP Titanium w/ a MR Fubuki S
    2 &3 irons: Titleist 704 CB’s with dy gold s300’s
    4-PW: taylormade rac forged with dy gold s300’s
    54*: Cleveland CG10 w/ wear spots on face and sole
    58*: Titleist Vokey 200 Series (Raw)
    Putter: Scotty Pro Platinum Delmar 3 (Rusty)

  51. Bogeytrain

    Nov 9, 2012 at 6:10 pm

    Throw on an Amino Vital towel to that bag and one gets 10+ points for style.

    • gallas2

      Nov 14, 2014 at 3:09 pm

      Ran into a guy that worked the back shop @ Cdn Open at our course and he had a stack of 15 Amino Vital towels and was kind enough to give me one….thx EP

  52. sean_miller

    Nov 9, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    I aspire to appear to be better than I am, so I’ll trade in the Sun Mountain for a hoofer, the MP-11s for my old TA3s, and my Scratch wedges for my old Mizunos (can’t use the 588s since they match). I’ll keep the MP600 and Launcher 3-wood, but I’m gonna miss my 2-hybrid (even though it has a DGS300 in it). My Cleveland Classic putter doesn’t have enough dings so I’ll put the Anser 2 back in, but I hate the pingman grip. Which aftermarket grip can I use?

  53. John Wunder

    Nov 9, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    This was such a fun read. What a great way to start a Friday. Thanks Jeff. If I would add to the equipment I would take it one further and mention an old JONES bag with no stand that is just dropped on the ground from shot to shot.

  54. George

    Nov 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    great article and entertaining read! personally i’ve always had fun ‘predicting’ the playing level of those based on what gear I see (and seeing how close I am during our round). often i’m right but not always.

    i second the notion of low caps carrying a large towel not connected to the bag, as I’ve seen this quite a bit. a well-used carry bag (very often titleist or ping), rusty wedges, and an old 2 iron are signs i can attest to also.

  55. Brian

    Nov 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    Great article Jeff. So now that I have all that info, what the heck should I be wearing? Finding the clubs to make my appearance go from a 14.9 to scratch is easy enough, but when it comes to how to match up a shirt and pair of pants I’m lost. My purple-lined Footjoys mess up the whole ensemble!

    • Blanco

      Nov 12, 2012 at 2:35 am

      just wear some old new balance running shoes, x-pants, and a big-dog shirt. If you have a pony tail, ONLY use the rubber band to keep it together. scratch in no time.

  56. Aaron Alter

    Nov 9, 2012 at 12:10 pm

    Great piece. I make sure to never have a club in my bag that i can’t hint (cough blades cough )

    • Blanco

      Nov 12, 2012 at 2:28 am

      wow, that was awesome. your typo ended up working out being as your.. cough cough, hint, cough cough, was in fact a hint! Unless of course you meant to do it, in which case, pretty genius.

  57. Steve Ronaldson

    Nov 9, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Yep the club hoes are easy money. The lack of confidence in their games always comes back to their clubs. Always trying to buy a game

  58. Somaplr

    Nov 9, 2012 at 11:36 am

    I love playing guys that try to look like scratch golfers. Or club hoes…even better, easy money. I’ve found out the guys I’m most scared of are guys with tanner legs than my wife and look like Tin Cup.

  59. Steve Ronaldson

    Nov 9, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Having a big towel that is not connected to your bag. Is also a sign of a good golfer.

    • Zooch

      Nov 9, 2012 at 1:53 pm

      it sure is. Especially if you stole it from a hotel pool and it has one of those blue lines down the middle:)

      • GOLFLB33

        Nov 11, 2012 at 3:28 pm

        lol at the towel comment played in a tournament last year. we were called in after a few holes. getting equipment dry all players were in using the courses towels including a player that plays european tour (no names)

        The next day on the course i noticed from another fairway that he was using one of the towels on the course.

        Lol

  60. Tyler Dunham

    Nov 9, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Great article, I’m really coming to the realization that switching to new equipment every three months is affecting my game in a horrible way. Sticking with the equipment I have and starting to play better.

  61. Steve Ronaldson

    Nov 9, 2012 at 10:44 am

    Your article is false, I played college golf within the last two years and and majority of the players use at least two hybrids. They are used off the tee and to hit par fives. 5 woods were not common. You also didn’t metion shafts good players know that the shaft is more important than the head of a driver. Really only good players get fitted for the right shafts. The blades thing is true I play 690 MBs but only because I have played the same clubs for 10 years and I like the weight and ball flight if I was not afraid of change I would have gone to a forged cavity back.

    • Blanco

      Nov 12, 2012 at 2:24 am

      Please add:

      Step 8: Scratch golfers possess self-confidence and understand concepts like written humor and social media’s role in group think– that’s why they’re so damn good! They don’t try and downplay their not-aforementioned “ol’ trusty one” with the x-flex “scratch shaft” in an attempt to alert readers that to THIS article, they do not apply.

  62. scothomas24

    Nov 9, 2012 at 9:39 am

    wow – my new bible. well stated. i recently spent a few bucks and upgraded to the 913d2 and mp64s, might have to take a few rocks to them now.

    What about the hybrid? i vote for either a driving iron, or adams………………

    • Cameron O'Leary

      Mar 17, 2013 at 6:30 pm

      Hybrids are for Hacks, 3 wood 5 wood combo is what scratches use!

      • shawn

        May 28, 2013 at 4:50 pm

        3-wood 2-iron more is like it

      • Larryoffthedeck

        Jun 29, 2013 at 9:00 am

        The right hybrid replaces the 5 wood and let’s you carry an extra wedge, 2-iron or whatever other ‘scratch’ club you prefer. Old school scratch play X100.

      • J.T. Parker

        Jul 21, 2014 at 3:50 pm

        I love to play the guys who believe hybrids are for Hacks! I have a 23 degree hybrid that I can hit a variety of distances and from any lie. While most are under clubbing or trying to hit a five wood out of rough, the hybrid comes out like a perfect lie.

  63. JRM

    Nov 9, 2012 at 7:55 am

    Pair me up everyday with a dude who wants to “look like” a scratch. The excuses start early… “that was a tough lie”, “these greens are slower than normal”, “bunkers are in bad shape”. Easy money.

  64. Prim'

    Nov 9, 2012 at 4:58 am

    WTF ?
    I just need to change my Staff Bag … 🙂
    I’m an” old school golfer” with my full TPZ Set (from 3 to SW), my TM Rescue MD (first generation), an F50 by Mizuno and a bullseye blade.

    And I like drinking beers too (but not during a round)

    enjoy !

  65. ZenGolfer

    Nov 9, 2012 at 4:17 am

    i love ths article!!!!!!! reminds me of myself
    see below for my WITB………..

    9.5 Srixon W506 with Aldila NVS 65 Stiff
    3w Callaway Big Bertha with Aldila NVS 65 Stiff
    2iron Tommy Armour 855 Silverscot 18 deg with stock Stiff shaft
    3-PW Srixon i302 with Nippon 1050gh Stiff
    Ram FX Pro Set PW bent to 52 degrees with TT Dynamic Gold X100 Stiff
    60deg Titleist Vokey Design Custom Ground by myself with TT Dynamic Gold Regular
    36inch Ray Cook M1-3X (designed by Scotty Cameron)
    Cleveland Tour Stand Bag

    i cuurrently play of a 4 handicap……. enjoy!

  66. jgpl

    Nov 9, 2012 at 3:55 am

    Excellent – just forgot to add in a blade/forged 2 iron to cap it off!

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

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The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

  • 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
  • 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
  • 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
  • 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
  • 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

Key Stats For Copperhead

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

  1. Tony Finau (+.90)
  2. Nick Taylor (+.81)
  3. Justin Thomas (+.77)
  4. Greyson Sigg (+.69)
  5. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+91.3%) 
  2. Zach Johnson (+91.1%)
  3. Sam Ryder (+90.5%)
  4. Ryan Moore (+90.4%)
  5. Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1.32)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.29)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.24)
  4. Cameron Young (+1.17) 
  5. Doug Ghim (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+9.0)
  2. Xander Schauffele (+9.3)
  3. Austin Cook (+9.7) 
  4. Chesson Hadley (+10.0)
  5. Greyson Sigg (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1,71) 
  2. Min Woo Lee (+1.39)
  3. Cameron Young (+1.27)
  4. Jordan Spieth (+1.08)
  5. Justin Suh (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+3.75) 
  2. Sam Burns (+2.49)
  3. Davis Riley (+2.33)
  4. Matt NeSmith (+2.22)
  5. Jordan Spieth (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

  1. Xander Schauffele
  2. Doug Ghim
  3. Victor Perez
  4. Greyson Sigg
  5. Ryan Moore
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Justin Thomas
  8. Sam Ryder
  9. Sam Burns
  10. Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 (FanDuel)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 (FanDuel)

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 (BetRivers)

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 (FanDuel)

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

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Opinion & Analysis

Myrtle Beach, Explored: February in South Carolina

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As I gain in experience and age, and familiarity breeds neither contempt nor disdain, I understand why people return to a place. A destination like Myrtle Beach offers a sizable supply and diversity of restaurants, entertainment venues, and shops that are predicated on the tenets of the service industry. Greet your customers with a smile and a kind word, and they will find comfort and assurance. Provide them with a memorable experience and they will suggest your place of business to others.

My first tour of Myrtle Beach took place in the mid-1980s, and consisted of one course: Gator Hole. I don’t remember much from that day, and since Gator Hole closed a decade later, I cannot revisit it to recollect what I’d lost. Since then, I’ve come to the Grand Strand a few times, and been fortunate to never place a course more than once. I’ve seen the Strantz courses to the south and dipped my toe in the North Carolina courses of Calabash. I’ve been to many in the middle, including Dunes, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes among them.

2024 brought a quartet of new courses, including two at the Barefoot Resort. I’d heard about the North Myrtle Beach four-pack of courses that highlight the Barefoot property, including layouts from Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Greg Norman. I had the opportunity to play and shoot the Dye and Fazio tracks, which means that I’ll have to return to see the other two. Sandwiched between them were the TPC-Myrtle Beach course, also from Tom Fazio, and the Pawley’s Plantation trace, by the hand of Jack Nicklaus. I anticipated a bit of the heroic, and bit of the strategic, and plenty of eye candy. None of those architects would ever be considered a minimalist, so there would be plenty of in-play and out-of-play bunkers and mounds to tantalize the senses.

My nephew arrived a few days early, to screen a few more courses. As a result, you the reader will have an extra quarter of mini-reviews, bringing the total of courses in this piece to eight. It was inconceivable that CJR would play four courses that I had never played nor photographed, but that was the case. His words appear at the end of this piece. We hope that you enjoy the tour.

Main Feature: Two Barefoots, a TPC, and Pawley’s Plantation

Barefoot Dye

What Paul “Pete” Dye brought back from his trips to the United Kingdom, hearkened back to what C.B. MacDonal did, some 65 years prior. There is a way of finding bunkers and fairways, and even green sites, that does not require major industrial work. The Dye course at Barefoot Resorts takes you on a journey over the rumpled terrain of distant places. If there’s one element missing, it’s the creased and turbulent fairways, so often found in England and Ireland. The one tenet of playing a Dye course, is to always aim away from temptation, from where your eyes draw you. Find the safe side of the target, and you’ll probably find your ball. It then stands that you will have a shot for your next attempt. Cut the corner, and you might have need to reload. The Barefoot course begins gently, in terms of distance, but challenges with visual deception. After two brief 4s and a 3, the real work begins. The course is exposed enough, to allow the coastal winds to dance along the fairways. Be ready to keep the ball low and take an extra club or two.

TPC-Myrtle Beach

If memory serves, TPCMB is my first trek around a TPC-branded course. It had all the trappings of a tour course, from the welcome, through the clubhouse, to the practice facilities and, of course, the course. TPC-Myrtle Beach is a Tom Fazio design, and if you never visit Augusta National, you’ll now have an idea of what it is like. You play Augusta’s 16th hole twice at TPCMB, and you enjoy it both times. Fazio really likes the pond-left, green-angle-around par three hole, and his two iterations of it are memorable.

You’ll also see those Augusta bunkers, the ones with the manicured edges that drop into a modestly-circular form. What distinguishes these sand pits is the manner in which they rise from the surrounding ground. They are unique in that they don’t resemble the geometric bunkering of a Seth Raynor, nor the organic pits found in origin courses. They are built, make no mistake, and recovery from them is manageable for all levels of bunker wizardry.

Barefoot Fazio

If you have the opportunity to play the two Tom Fazio courses back to back, you’ll notice a marked difference in styling. Let me digress for a moment, then circle back with an explanation. It was written that the NLE World Woods course designed by Fazio, Pine Barrens, was an homage to Pine Valley, the legendary, New Jersey club where Fazio is both a member and the architect on retainer. The Pine Barrens course was plowed under in 2022, so the homage no longer exists. At least, I didn’t think that it existed, until I played his Barefoot Resort course in North Myrtle Beach.

Pine Valley might be described as an aesthetic of scrub and sand. There are mighty, forced carries to travers, along with sempiternal, sandy lairs to avoid. Barefoot Fazio is quite similar. If you’re not faced with a forced carry, you’ll certainly contend with a fairway border or greenside necklace of sand. When you reach the 13th tee, you’ll face a drive into a fairway, and you might see a distant green, with a notable absence: flagstick. The 13th is the icing on the homage cake, a callout of the 8th hole at Pine Valley. Numero Ocho at the OG has two greens, side by side, and they change the manner in which the hole plays (so they say.) At Barefoot Fazio, the right-side green is a traditional approach, with an unimpeded run of fairway to putting surface. The left-side green (the one that I was fortunate to play) demands a pitch shot over a wasteland. It’s a fitting tribute for the rest of us to play.

Be certain to parrot the starter, Leon’s, advice, and play up a deck of tees. Barefoot Fazio offers five par-three holes, so the fours and fives play that much longer. Remember, too, that you are on vacation. Why not treat yourself to some birdie looks?

Pawley’s Plantation

The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawley’s Plantation emerged from a period of hibernation in 2024. The greens were torn up and their original contours were restored. Work was overseen by Troy Vincent, a member of the Nicklaus Architecture team. In addition, the putting corridors were reseeded with a hardier, dwarf bermuda that has experienced great success, all along the Grand Strand that is Myrtle Beach.

My visit allowed me to see the inward half first, and I understand why the resort wishes to conclude your day on those holes. The front nine of Pawley’s Plantation works its way through familiar, low country trees and wetlands. The back nine begins in similar fashion, then makes its way east, toward the marsh that separates mainland from Pawley’s Island. Recalling the powerful sun of that Wednesday morning, any round beginning on the second nine would face collateral damage from the warming star. Much better to hit holes 11 to close when the sun is higher in the sky.

The marshland holes (12 through 17) are spectacular in their raw, unprotected nature. The winds off the Atlantic are unrelenting and unforgiving, and the twin, par-three holes will remain in your memory banks for time’s march. In typical Golden Bear fashion, a majority of his putting targets are smallish in nature, reflecting his appreciation for accurate approach shots. Be sure to find the forgiving side of each green, and err to that portion. You’ll be grateful.

Bonus Coverage: Myrtlewood, Beechwood, Arrowhead, and King’s North

Arrowhead (Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson)

A course built in the middle of a community, water threatens on most every hole. The Cypress 9 provides a few holes forcing a carried drive then challenge you with water surrounding the green. On Waterway, a drivable 2nd hole will tempt most, so make sure the group ahead has cleared the green.

Myrtlewood (Edmund Alt and Arthur Hills) and Beechwood (Gene Hamm)

A middle of the winter New Englander’s paradise. Wide open fairways, zero blind shots and light rough allow for shaking off the rust and plenty of forgiveness. A plethora of dog legs cause one to be cautious with every tee shot. Won’t break the bank nor the scorecard.

King’s North @ Myrtle Beach National (Arnold Palmer)

A signature Arnold Palmer course, waste areas, island greens and daring tee shots. Highlighted by the 4th hole Par 5 Gambler hole, if you can hit the smaller fairway on the left you are rewarded with a short approach to get to the green in 2. The back 9 is highlighted by an island green par 3 and a finisher with over 40 bunkers spread throughout. A challenge for any golfer.
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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Players Championship betting preview: Pete Dye specialists ready to pass tough TPC Sawgrass test

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The PGA Tour heads to TPC Sawgrass to play in one of the most prestigious and important events of the season: THE PLAYERS Championship. Often referred to as the fifth major, the importance of a PLAYERS victory to the legacy of a golfer can’t be overlooked.

TPC Sawgrass is a par-72 measuring 7,245 yards and featuring Bermudagrass greens. Golfers must be patient in attacking this Pete Dye course.

With trouble lurking at every turn, the strokes can add up quickly. With a par-5 16th that is a true risk-reward hole and the famous par-3 17th island green, the only safe bet at TPC Sawgrass is a bet on an exciting finish.

THE PLAYERS Championship field is often referred to as the strongest field of the year — and with good reason. There are 144 in the field, including 43 of the world’s top 50 players in the OWGR. Tiger Woods will not be playing in the event.

THE PLAYERS is an exceptionally volatile event that has never seen a back-to-back winner.

Past Winners at TPC Sawgrass

  • 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-17)
  • 2022: Cameron Smith (-13)
  • 2021: Justin Thomas (-14)
  • 2019: Rory McIlroy (-16)
  • 2018: Webb Simpson (-18)
  • 2017: Si-Woo Kim (-10)
  • 2016: Jason Day (-15)
  • 2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

5 Key Stats for TPC Sawgrass

Let’s take a look at five metrics key for TPC Sawgrass to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach has historically been far and away the most important and predictive stat at THE PLAYERS Championship. With water everywhere, golfers can’t afford to be wild with their iron shots. Not only is it essential to avoid the water, but it will also be as important to go after pins and make birdies because scores can get relatively low.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.37) 
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.20)
  3. Tony Finau (+0.99)
  4. Jake Knapp (+0.83)
  5. Shane Lowry (+0.80)

2. Total Driving

This statistic is perfect for TPC Sawgrass. Historically, driving distance hasn’t been a major factor, but since the date switch to March, it’s a bit more significant. During this time of year, the ball won’t carry quite as far, and the runout is also shorter.

Driving accuracy is also crucial due to all of the trouble golfers can get into off of the tee. Therefore, players who are gaining on the field with Total Driving will put themselves in an ideal spot this week.

Total Driving Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Rory McIlroy (22)
  2. Akshay Bhatia (25)
  3. Keith Mitchell (25) 
  4. Adam Hadwin (34)
  5. Sam Burns (+39)

3. Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

TPC Sawgrass may be Pete Dye’s most famous design, and for good reason. The course features Dye’s typical shaved runoff areas and tricky green complexes.  Pete Dye specialists love TPC Sawgrass and should have a major advantage this week.

SG: Total (Pete Dye) per round over past 36 rounds:

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+2.02)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.90)
  3. Min Woo Lee (+1.77) 
  4. Sungjae Im (+1.72)
  5. Brian Harman (+1.62) 

4. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Prototypical ball-strikers have dominated TPC Sawgrass. With past winners like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, it’s evident that golfers must be striking it pure to contend at THE PLAYERS.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.02)
  2. Tony Finau (+1.51)
  3. Tom Hoge (+1.48)
  4. Keith Mitchell (+1.38)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.18)

5. Par 5 Average

Par-5 average is extremely important at TPC Sawgrass. With all four of the Par-5s under 575 yards, and three of them under 540 yards, a good amount of the scoring needs to come from these holes collectively.

Par 5 Average Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Scottie Schefler (+4.31)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+4.35)
  3. Doug Ghim (+4.34)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+4.34)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+4.31)

6. Strokes Gained: Florida

We’ve used this statistic over the past few weeks, and I’d like to incorporate some players who do well in Florida into this week’s model as well. 

Strokes Gained: Florida over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.43)
  2. Erik Van Rooyen (+1.78)
  3. Doug Ghim (+1.78)
  4. Wyndham Clark (+1.73)
  5. Matt Fitzpatrick (+1.69)

7. Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger

With water everywhere at TPC Sawgrass, the blow-up potential is high. It can’t hurt to factor in some players who’ve avoided the “eject” button most often in the past. 

Strokes Gained: Total on Courses with High Water Danger over past 30 rounds:

  1. Scottie Schefler (+2.08)
  2. Rory McIlroy (+1.82)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.62)
  4. Patrick Cantlay (+1.51)
  5. Will Zalatoris (+1.49)

THE PLAYERS Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), Total Driving (20%), SG: Total Pete Dye (14%), SG: Ball-striking (15%) SG: Par 5 (8%), SG: Florida (10%) and SG: High Water (8%).

  1. Scottie Scheffler 
  2. Shane Lowry 
  3. Tony Finau 
  4. Corey Conners
  5. Keith Mitchell
  6. Justin Thomas
  7. Will Zalatoris
  8. Xander Schauffele
  9. Cameron Young
  10. Doug Ghim
  11. Sam Burns 
  12. Chris Kirk
  13. Collin Morikawa
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Wyndham Clark

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Picks

(All odds at the time of writing)

Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):

Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.

Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.

Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.

Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.

Will Zalatoris +3000 (FanDuel):

In order to win at TPC Sawgrass, players will need to be in total control of their golf ball. At the moment, Will Zalatoris is hitting it as well as almost anyone and finally has the putter cooperating with his new switch to the broomstick style.

Zalatoris is coming off back-to-back starts where he absolutely striped the ball. He finished 2nd at the Genesis Invitational and 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational where his statistics were eye opening. For the week at Bay Hill, Zal gained 5.0 strokes on approach and 5.44 strokes off the tee.

Throughout the early part of his career, Zalatoris has established himself by playing his best golf in the strongest fields with the most difficult conditions. A tough test will allow him to separate himself this week and breakthrough for a PLAYERS Championship victory.

Shane Lowry +4000 (DraftKings):

History has shown us that players need to be in good form to win the PLAYERS Championship and it’s hard to find anyone not named Scottie Scheffler who’s in better form that Shane Lowry at the moment. He finished T4 at the Cognizant Classic followed by a solo third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The fact that the Irishman contended at Bay Hill is a great sign considering he’s really struggled there throughout his career. He will now head to a different style of course in Florida where he’s had a good deal of success. He finished 8th at TPC Sawgrass in 2021 and 13th in 2022. 

Lowry ranks 6th in the field in approach in his past 24 rounds, 7th in Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye designed courses in his last 30 rounds, 8th in par 5 scoring this season, and 4th in Strokes Gained: Total in Florida over his past 36 rounds.

Lowry is a player who’s capable of winning big events. He’s a major champion and won another premier event at Wentworth as well as a WGC at Firestone. He’s also a form player, when he wins it’s typically when he’s contended in recent starts. He’s been terrific thus far in Florida and he should get into contention once again this week.

Brian Harman +8000 (DraftKings):

(Note: Since writing this Harman’s odds have plummeted to 50-1. I would not advise betting the 50).

Brian Harman showed us last season that if the course isn’t extremely long, he has the accuracy both off the tee and with his irons to compete with anyone in the world. Last week at Bay Hill and was third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.54 strokes on the field in the category.

In addition to the strong iron play, Harman also gained strokes off the tee in three of four rounds. He’s also had success at Pete Dye tracks recently. He finished 2nd at last year’s Travelers Championship and 7th at the RBC Heritage.

It would be a magnificent feat for Harman to win both the Open Championship and PLAYERS in a short time frame, but the reality is the PGA Tour isn’t quite as strong as it once was. Harman is a player who shows up for the biggest events and his odds seem way too long for his recent track record.

Tony Finau +6500 (FanDuel):

A few weeks ago, at the Genesis Invitational, I bet Hideki Matsuyama because I believed it to be a “bet the number” play at 80-1. I feel similarly about Finau this week. While he’s not having the season many people expected of him, he is playing better than these odds would indicate.

This season, Tony has a tied for 6th place finish at Torrey Pines, a tied for 19th at Riviera and tied for 13th at the Mexico Open. He’s also hitting the ball extremely well. In the field in his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Par 5 average and 15th in Total Driving.

Finau’s problem has been with the putter, which has been undeniably horrific. However, this week he will see a putting surface similar to the POA at TPC Scottsdale and PGA West, which he’s had a great deal of success on. It’s worth taking a stab at this price to see if he can have a mediocre week with the flat stick.

Sungjae Im +9000 (FanDuel):

It’s been a lackluster eighteen months for Sungjae, who once appeared to be a certain star. While his ceiling is absolutely still there, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Im play the type of golf expected of a player with his talent.

Despite the obvious concerns, the South Korean showed glimpses of a return to form last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for 18th place and gained strokes off the tee, on approach, around the green and with the putter. When at his best, Im is a perfect course fit for TPC Sawgrass. He has remarkable precision off the tee, can get dialed in with his irons on shorter courses and can get up and down with the best players on Tour.

This number has gotten to the point where I feel comfortable taking a shot on it.

Billy Horschel +20000 (FanDuel):

Billy Horschel is a great fit on paper for TPC Sawgrass. He can get dialed in with his irons and his lack of distance off the tee won’t be a major detriment at the course. “Bermuda Billy” does his best work putting on Bermudagrass greens and he appears to be rounding into form just in time to compete at The PLAYERS.

In his most recent start, Billy finished in a tie for 9th at the Cognizant Classic and hit the ball extremely well. The former Florida Gator gained 3.32 strokes on approach and 2.04 strokes off the tee. If Horschel brings that type of ball striking to TPC Sawgrass, he has the type of putter who can win a golf tournament.

Horschel has been great on Pete Dye designed courses, with four of his seven career PGA Tour wins coming on Dye tracks.

In a season that has seen multiple long shots win big events, the 37-year-old is worth a stab considering his knack for playing in Florida and winning big events.

 

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