Golf Gloves, Explained

As the sun rises on our fairways, let’s talk tournament golf; a crucible where focus meets faith. Each swing is a prayer, each putt a testament to preparation. In competition, we face pressure, yet find peace in routine. Like David facing Goliath, trust your training, steady your heart, and aim true. Let the leaderboard reflect your resolve, not define your worth. Embrace the challenge, for in the heat of battle, character is forged. Tee off with courage, play with grace, and let your game glorify the spirit of tournament golf. Amen.

Good morning - the golf glove is a simple topic, and I want to make sure we are all on the same page. Personally, I don’t recommend anything but a white glove. I’ve seen myriad up and coming boutique glove brands (Bender is the worst I’ve seen) that are wildly ugly and are capitalizing on the rapid expansion of the game. We gravitate toward tradition around these parts, so let’s stick with white.

If you play and practice a lot, I’d also recommend buying a few cheap range gloves. Personally I like the Kirkland ones since you can buy a 4 pack for 25 bucks, but if you want to spend a ton on range gloves that works too.

The two gloves I use one the course are FootJoy and Titleist. The 1-2 punch dominates the the game and 90%+ of Tour players are using one or the other.

Honorable Mentions:

Stick with the classics here, I don’t want to see any of you out there with green or red gloves.

One issue I have with common golf industry advice is the emphasis on short game being the key to improvement. Yes it’s important, but it’s also misleading for players with a handicap above 11 or 12. To have any chance of breaking your target score (like 90 or 80), you must focus on consistently hitting the ball well off the tee andgetting your iron play to a place where you can consistently hit greens in regulation. If you’re consistently losing balls off the tee and failing to give yourself reasonable looks at birdie or par, your scores will never come down.

As a kid who grew up in the northeast, I’d always struggle with my timing and swing sequence when I picked the game back up come April. If you know the feeling of swinging the club for the first time after 4 months off, this Butch Harmon/Tiger drill is probably a good one for you.

Rule 18.3, the provisional ball rule, is a must-know for all players, and especially those new to the game or who have never played competitive golf.

What’s a provisional ball? It’s a second shot you hit when your original ball might be lost (not in a water hazard) or out of bounds. It saves you time, and the dreaded walk back to the tee (or the last place you hit a shot).

When to use it:

How it works: Announce “I’m hitting a provisional” before you swing. This is pivotal, if you don’t, the second ball you hit is considered your ball in play, and your playing partners can call you on this in competition. So even if you find your original ball in bounds within three minutes, you must play the second ball. Once you announce the provisional, if your first ball is lost or out of bounds, use the provisional with a one-stroke penalty (your third shot).

Quick Tip: Mark your balls differently to avoid mix-ups. This rule keeps your round moving.

Logo of the Week

Payne.

My intention with BowtiedGolf is to grow it as the elite clubs do — through referrals.

If you’ve improved your look, laughed a little bit, or learned something because of this newsletter… why keep it to yourself?