Golf News Roundup July 8, 2020

Golf News Roundup July 8, 2020

In the news this week: No spectators at the Ally Challenge; New Irons From Honma,; New Wedges From Cleveland; Myrtle Beach Courses Get On Board With Walking Golf; and a new junior golf app update.

Ally Challenge At Warwick Hills Will Be Held Without Spectators

Competition rounds for the 2020 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be conducted without general public attendance in accordance with Michigan’s Safe Start Plan.

The Ally Challenge will be held at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, July 31 – August 2.

Additionally, all special events traditionally surrounding the tournament, including the 2020 Ally Challenge Community Concert, will not be staged this year. These events are scheduled to return to tournament week in 2021.

Still, the official Pro-Am tournaments on Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30 will be staged as scheduled, with additional safety protocols in place for participants.

The United Way of Genesee County is the primary beneficiary of the 2020 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren.

All three rounds of The Ally Challenge will be broadcast on Golf Channel in the United States. Internationally, telecasts air in more than 170 countries and territories, reaching more than 340 million potential households, and are distributed in 15+ markets via GOLFTV.

Honma Releases TR-20 Irons

Honma TR20 Irons: Players Gear Built to Appeal to a Broad Range of Performance-Focused Golfers

Honma — for decades a top brand in Japan — continues its inroads to the North American market with the release of its TR20 (“Tour Release 2020”) iron line.

Honma’s  TR20 V and TR20 P iron sets are designed to provide serious players with the look, set-up, feel and performance they have come to expect in a players, and players distance, iron.

Both the TR20 P and V irons showcase modern player-preferred profiles with sleek lines and shaping, and are built to be fast and forgiving so that golfers can achieve desirable distance and accuracy– even on misses.

THE GOODS: TR20 P
TR20 P is a players distance iron that incorporates game improvement-like playability with beautifully-crafted performance with hand-shaped profiles and tour-caliber response. An S35C forged steel body and thin L-cup face help generate ball speed. A generous sole width and tungsten-weighted pocket cavity (the P in TR20 P stands for Pocket) on the rear of the club head help create speed-enhancing forgiveness. The pocket cavity puts weight around the perimeter of the iron, not just in the heel and toe, but also in the back of the club head. It literally creates a pocket of perimeter weighting. 

The low center of gravity, created by the optimized position (heel-to-toe and front-to-back) of the high-density tungsten weight, promotes higher MOI, higher launch and longer carry distance. Honma’s experienced Takumi combine a traditional blade shape with modern topline and sole proportions and high-performance back designs to pack versatile playability into the TR20 P. 

THE GOODS: TR20 V
The TR20 V is a true players iron that delivers impressive distance. Showing off a handsome, traditional one-piece cavity back head design, the TR20 V is forged from soft S20C carbon steel and helps launch shots quick and high, but with control. It features a slightly shorter blade length and thin topline that better golfers prefer, as well as a recessed electroform Honma mole logo in the cavity as a nod to the great forged irons of the company’s past. The TR20 V’s sole is wide enough to promote desirable launch with enhanced camber for crisp turf interaction. 

The responsive feel in the TR20 V comes from the combination of material, construction and design. S20C carbon steel delivers preferred feel, while the blade size, shape and cavity design- including the ideal combination of face thickness and perimeter weighting- create the soft, but solid, feel. 

TR 20 P and TR 20 V irons ($199.99/club with graphite shaft, $174.99/steel) are now available in stores and online as well as by appointment at a Honma Mobile Experience custom fitter.

For more information about Honma Golf visit: https://us.honmagolf.com.

Cleveland Golf Releases RTX Zipcore Wedges August 14

RTX ZipCore wedges employ low-density core that sits at the heart of the wedge. This ZipCore improves play by shifting the center of gravity, while also boosting High-Low MOI for more stability high and low on the wedge face. The result, Cleveland says, is that ZipCore puts more impacts on the sweet spot for more consistent spin, distance and feel on every shot.

Key Features:

• ZipCore: ZipCore shifts the center of gravity while raising MOI, adding spin, enhancing control, and boosting consistency on all your shots.
• UltiZip Grooves: These grooves are sharper and deeper, delivering maximum spin performance. They bite harder, channel more debris, and they’re closer together for more groove contact on every shot.
• Heat Treatment: A new heat treatment process increases ZipCore’s durability, delivering better performance over a longer period of time.
• Tour-Authentic Components: RTX ZipCore comes standard with the new True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue shaft and the most popular grip in golf today with Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet 360.

The RTX MID Sole grind is offered in 46 through 60 degrees, the LOW Sole grind is offered in 56 through 62 degrees, and the FULL Sole grind is offered in 54 through 60 degrees. The RTX ZipCore is available in Tour Satin, with additional finishes coming later this year. Cleveland’s RTX ZipCore Tour Satin wedges are priced at $149.99 MAP.

Myrtle Beach’s Largest Golf Course Group To Allow Walking Throughout The Year

TPC Myrtle Beach, Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes Among Layouts To Implement New Policy

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Golfers that want a little more exercise on their next trip to Myrtle Beach will have the option to walk at any Founders Group International course.

Layouts such as TPC Myrtle Beach, King’s North, Pine Lakes and Pawleys Plantation are now allowing golfers to walk throughout the year. The impetus to permit walking was borne out of the enhanced sanitation protocols FGI has implemented to battle COVID-19.

Founders Group, Myrtle Beach’s largest golf course ownership group, saw improved pace of play after the implementation of the COVID protocols, which wasn’t surprising given the move to single-rider carts and reduction in play. But there were significant numbers of walkers interspersed with the carts and everyone routinely played in less than four hours.

“As rounds increase in the peak seasons, pace of play may naturally slow but walking won’t be the reason,” said Steve Mays, president of Founders Group International. “We certainly anticipate the majority of players will choose to ride in a cart, but for golfers that want to walk – for exercise, for social distancing, or they prefer to play that way – we don’t want to deny them the opportunity. Walking has long been a part of the fabric of the game, and that’s a tradition we are happy to help continue here in Myrtle Beach.”

Founders Collection courses include Aberdeen Country Club, Grande Dunes, Litchfield Country Club, Long Bay Golf Club, King’s North, West Course and SouthCreek at Myrtle Beach National, PineHills and Palmetto courses at Myrtlewood, Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, Pine Lakes Country Club, River Club, River Hills Golf Club, TPC Myrtle Beach, Tradition Club, Wild Wing Plantation, Willbrook Plantation, and World Tour Golf Links.  

Golfers that want to walk will be responsible for carrying their bag or bringing a pull cart. The cost of play won’t be affected by a player’s decision to walk.

For more information on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, go to www.MyrtleBeachGolfTrips.com.

Junior Golf Hub Launches Enhanced Mobile App for College Golf Hopefuls and Coaches

 Junior Golf Hub (JGH), an online community for junior golfers, their parents and college coaches, announces the launch of the latest version of its mobile app, which helps parents, players and coaches track junior golf growth and development. Some 10,000 athletes and 875 college programs use the app.

JGH starts with a LinkedIn-style profile for both athletes and college programs. Golfers can tailor their searchable profiles to include athletic measurables such as verified tournament scores, swing speed, tournament schedules and academic information such as GPA, test scores and academic honors.

Coaches can utilize the platform to find prospects and keep track of performance throughout a golfer’s season. Using robust filters, coaches can search based on academic success, geographic location, scoring average, rankings and more.