Following a barn burner January for weather, February “reverted to the mean” registering +1% vs. Year Ago (YA) for Golf Playable Hours at the national level. That moderates the strong January start putting the Year-to-Date (YtD) figure at +14% after 2 months. The YtD regional breadth metric remained (slightly) favorable at a 2:1 ratio comprised of 14 favorable regions vs. 9 unfavorables, 2 in the neutral zone (+/- 2%) and 20 out-of-season. Subscribers to either the Pellucid Publications Membership or the Geographic Weather Impact report get the 45 regional breakdowns, the 61 markets figures, the day-of-week weather impact and the Year-End National GPH forecast figure as well as our full commentary on the results every month. National Played Rounds for January, as published by Circana (the artist formerly known as Golf Datatech), were, not surprisingly, up double digits reported as +19% at the All Facilities level.

Welcome to the fifth edition of Voices of Putting – our ongoing series featuring insights from top SAM Ambassadors around the world. In this issue, we asked: What’s the biggest putting myth you see coaches or players still believe?

From stroke mechanics to equipment beliefs, our ambassadors reveal the misconceptions that continue to hold players back – and what coaches should focus on instead.

Tune Up Your Game with Exclusive Golf School Promotions… Golfers of all skill levels can start 2026 strong at Marriott Golf Academy in Orlando, Florida, where expert instruction, world-class facilities, and tailored experiences help players elevate every aspect of their game. This season, students can take advantage of two exceptional offers designed to maximize both performance and value.

TGL presented by SoFi, the primetime, men’s team golf league, today announced AT&T as a Founding Partner and its Official Connectivity Partner, supporting a next-generation approach to golf built for fans. The partnership helps deliver a more immersive experience, amplifying the in-venue atmosphere and making it easier for fans to follow every shot, moment and match in primetime.

Majors Challenge is helping golf clubs drive deeper member engagement, strengthen loyalty, and generate new revenue around the game’s biggest events. The digital platform enables clubs to host private, fantasy-style pools surrounding the Masters, U.S. Open, and other PGA TOUR events—turning major championships into interactive experiences that increase golf shop sales, boost food and beverage activity, and create new sponsorship opportunities.

TITE® Eyewear, launches today with breakthrough lens technology tuned to reveal every contour, break, and subtle detail of the course. Following its successful debut at the 2026 PGA Show, TITE is now available direct to consumers and through select retail partners. The TITE debut collection was developed with input from elite players and Tour Caddies, and features TITE’s proprietary performance lens in two offerings across multiple frame models and colorways, delivering enhanced vision on the course with all-day comfort.

Future Champions Golf (FCG) is proud to announce that USWING Mojing Sunglasses has been added as a product sponsor for both the 2026 FCG International Junior Golf Championship and the 2026 FCG Callaway World Junior Golf Championship. As part of this partnership, each division champion at both championships will receive a premium pair of USWING Mojing performance golf sunglasses — recognizing excellence with eyewear designed specifically to enhance on-course performance.

Five Iron Golf continued its national expansion with the opening of its Syracuse location this month, bringing its performance-focused indoor golf and training model to downtown Syracuse and the broader Central New York market, adding another proof point to the brand’s growing U.S. footprint. Located at 400 S. Salina Street, the downtown Syracuse venue officially opened with a ribbon-cutting celebration and a ceremonial first swing featuring confetti-filled golf balls.

Whether it’s better hardware and software or AI technology, the one thing that was evident at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is that launch monitors and home simulators continue to improve. And there’s a lot of healthy competition in the industry. The last part, of course, is great for consumers as better sims and launch monitors are becoming even more affordable. They have more features than ever, and soon, they might even be able to coach you. But as our expert, Jon Sherman, points out, there are still some limitations, so don’t ditch your instructor quite yet. Overall, though, it’s never been better to be a golfer, whether it’s working on your game on a simulator or the range, or simply enjoying virtual golf, even in the offseason.

GolfPass today revealed the best public golf courses in each state, making it easy for recreational golfers throughout the U.S. to plan their next rounds at courses acclaimed by their peers. This third installment of 2026 Golfers’ Choice lists joins the popular Top 50 Public Golf Courses in the U.S. and Best Warm-Weather Golf Courses lists, which all live on a dedicated Golfers’ Choice page on GolfPass. New regional lists will publish April 2, followed by the final edition of international lists later that month.

Casa de Campo Resort & Villas – home to the Caribbean’s premier, luxury golf experiences, including its world famous and top-ranked golf courses – announces the reopening of its iconic Pete Dye-designed Teeth of the Dog course following a year-long restoration and enhancement project led by Jerry Pate Design. Teeth of the Dog reopened for resort play on Dec. 7 and now showcases the brilliance of Dye’s creative genius while honoring the course’s celebrated heritage.

Golf season is about to be in full swing at French Lick Resort with two championship courses reopening for the season.  The Donald Ross Course at French Lick will kick off its 2026 season starting Friday, March 13. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick gets rolling two weeks later, opening Friday, March 27. Both courses are coming off a record-setting 2025 as French Lick Resort continues to solidify itself as one of the premier golf destinations in the country. 

Pearl at Kalauao is celebrating a banner year of national, regional and community awards following the club’s 12-month modernization of its golf course, practice facilities, clubhouse and new short course. Highlighting Pearl at Kalauao’s transformation into one of Hawaiʻi’s premier public golf destinations, the club earned seven notable accolades spanning golf course design, junior programming, food and beverage excellence, workplace culture and community impact.

The New Jersey Golf Foundation (NJGF), the (501c3) charitable arm of the New Jersey Section, PGA of America (NJPGA), today announced that PGA of America Golf Professional Tom Flatt, Director of Golf at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, NJ, has been elected as the new President. PGA Member Chris Dymek, Head Golf Professional at Manasquan River Golf Club in Brielle, NJ assumes the role of Vice President of the NJ Golf Foundation.

Full Swing, the industry leader in pioneering sports technology, is excited to welcome reigning American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year, Miles Russell, as its newest player ambassador. The 17-year-old Russell, who has chosen to train with Full Swing’s KIT launch monitor for several years, has turned heads with his exceptional play throughout his junior career.

The Monster Golf Club at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York recently welcomed Patrick Boucher as club manager. Boucher will oversee golf operations, agronomy, as well as golf-related sales and marketing. A 20-plus-year golf industry veteran, Boucher began his career working at several member-owned equity clubs in central Connecticut. He joined the Troon family in 2006 as an assistant golf professional at Lake of Isles at Foxwoods in North Stonington, Conn. 

Did you know 65% of public golf courses still don’t have GPS on their carts? In this live interview from the PGA Show 2026, host Colin Weston of The ModGolf Podcast sits down with Adam Kanouse, Co-CEO of Reach Golfers, to uncover a massive untapped market for golf technology. Discover how their golfer-first platform is disrupting the industry with a dual-revenue model, elegant design, and a bold vision to transform the golf cart into a powerful data hub that increases profitability and enhances every round. WATCH

Check out the new episode from Be The Right Club Today presented by Makefield Putters. In this episode, Hal and Mark welcome 1987 Masters Champion Larry Mize. Larry shares great insights and stories across his career with Hal. New episodes come out every Thursday. LISTEN

The Tech Caddie Podcast, hosted by Mike Hendrix, has released a new episode featuring Michael Zisman, Founder and Executive Chairman of Golf Genius. WATCH