Change your golf game

Golf guy Mike here, with news of techy hole-in-ones and other apps and gear that I'm loving right now. [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Happy Masters Weekend, Pursuits folks. I’m [Mike Croley](, a golf correspondent here at Bloomberg. Once again I was shut out of the Masters ticket lottery. Since none of my well-heeled friends came through, I’ll be following along on [the Masters Tournament app]( all weekend. [I wrote last year]( about how it’s one of the strongest digital platforms in all of sports—and easily the best among major championship golf apps. Still, the other majors are making strong pushes this year. And as with all trends in technology, generative AI is playing a big part of transforming their apps. The Masters app is the one to beat. Source: Augusta National, Inc. For the [PGA Championship](, which will begin play at Valhalla in Louisville on May 13, that means improving the on-site fan experience. “We want people to have one focused destination with a clear message: that if you’re attending the event, download the app, and that is going to be your companion from the time you leave the hotel until you return,” says Rob Smith, general manager of PGA Digital at PGA of America. The app will include fans’ tickets and interactive mapping to pinpoint where you can find Rory McIlroy teeing off or see Jon Rahm putt out while also finding the nearest place to get a hot dog. Generative AI has been implemented this year to answer questions through the app as well, much the way we interact with airlines. For the [U.S. Open]( beginning on June 13, the USGA will use its app in similar ways, guiding fans across Pinehurst No. 2, one of the [most storied courses in all golf](. The ninth hole at Pinehurst No. 4, where a series of redesigns returned historic links to a rougher, more natural state. Photographer: Gabriela Herman for Bloomberg Businessweek New features learn how fans move through the property to help predict what they’ll need—snacks, bathrooms or the nearest shuttle bus. “Golf events can be intimidating to navigate,” says Dave Giancola, the USGA’s director of digital strategy and innovation. “It’s much bigger than your average basketball arena. We’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of acres of property.” The USGA hopes that with all 15 USGA tournaments now under the umbrella of a single app, fans will interact with the app all year. “The second-screen experience has gone out the window for most folks,” Giancola says. “The phone is the experience.” Upscale indoor golf clubs are betting on tech to serve the next generation of social climbers. Source: T-Squared Social The Masters Tournament app remains unique for one big reason: It’s only for fans at home. No electronic devices are allowed inside the tournament once official play starts. In fact, one of the most startling sights on the property is the bank of phones near a concession stand. This year the app has incorporated predictive analytics by analyzing more than 17,000 shots hit on each hole to give odds as to whether a golfer will get a birdie or a bogie, given each hole’s unique pin position for that day—and the player’s own history playing that hole. It incorporates narration in both English and Spanish, too, focusing on natural, idiomatic language by using WatsonX in conjunction with IBM. After listening to it for the first two days of this year’s tournament, I can confidently say it won’t be replacing Jim Nantz in the booth anytime soon. Still, its predictive features may be a boon in a more lucrative way: prop bets. On one popular betting site, you can make prop bets on players to hit the green, as well as a separate bet about how close to the flag they’ll be. Yesterday, when Tiger Woods hit his drive on the 5th hole into the left fairway bunker, the app indicated that the hole was projected to be the 5th most difficult for players, with only 15.32% of them expected to make over par. The analytics indicated Woods had a 50-50 chance to make bogey. Such numbers made it easy for me pass on whether or not to take a +100 chance on him to hit it within 20 feet of the flag. Connect with Mike via [X](, [Instagram]( or his [website](. Gear I’m obsessing over right now The new [Azalea Edition irons]( are almost too pretty to hit. Mizuno’s limited-edition set features a green hue and pink and white ferrules (those little plastic cylinders at the bottom of the shaft) as an homage to golf’s most famous tournament as well as the arrival of spring, according to Chris Voshall, director of product development. Mizuno has made some of the best irons in golf for many years, and while you may not want to break these out too often, the $2,410 set is certainly a collector’s item—ideal for the person who has three (or four) [Scotty Cameron putters in the safe](. Mizuno’s Azalea Edition irons. Source: Mizuno Golf USA I’m always encouraging people who can walk to do more of it while playing. I’ve found that walking golfers often have a better rhythm in a round; that’s how the game was meant to be played, after all. And don’t we rush around enough already without having to jump into a cart to zip off to our next shot? One great way to track your miles is with the [Garmin Marq Golfer Gen 2 Carbon watch](, whose clear dial will also tell your location, provide the distance to the hole and give you the depth and width of your target green. I know I just said I prefer to walk, but that didn’t stop me from testing out the Finn Cycle electric bike. Source: Finn Scooters When I travel solo or am shipping my clubs, my new go-to club case is the [Tumi Golf Hardside 2-Wheel](. The polycarbonate shell glides through the airport and comes with a five-year warranty. When shipping your clubs, a hard case provides the best protection to ensure your babies arrive safely intact. When traveling with friends, though, use a foldable soft case from [Club Glove]( so that everyone’s sticks can fit in the car at once. Fairgame is a golf app for social play. Source: Fairgame If you are looking to connect with other people on the course, the [Fairgame app]( just might provide a solution. Founded by Masters Champion Adam Scott, Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer and Eric Mayville, it helps you find like-minded people looking to play a round of golf in your area. It can also track your stats and associated betting games with your foursomes. The seamless, clean interface is bit like seeing the best features of Instagram—geared for golf. A G-Shock that goes great with a golf game. Source: G-Shock Speaking of Clymer, his [G-Shock Ref. 5600]( collaboration is a great addition to your collection. Whether on your wrist or wrapped around a strap on your golf bag, its ruggedness fits in nicely with your gear and has many design Easter eggs for fellow horologists out there. The Latin phrase Esse Quam Videri (“To be, rather than to seem”) is engraved on the caseback. What I’m wearing on (and off) the course right now One of my favorite apparel brands right now is B. Draddy, whose paper-thin [Kelly Pant]( is both breezy and sturdy. If the weather’s going to be a little warm but your legs over the winter haven’t quite gotten the tan you want, this feels as soft as cotton and has a little stretch to help with winter weight, too. Following a small scare with skin cancer in our house, we’ve been investigating more clothing pieces that contain SPF and UPF protection. One of the brands we’s discovered is FreeFly, which has high-quality gear for both men and women. My wife loves the [Bamboo-Lined Active Breeze skort](, and I’m a big fan of the [Elevate polo](. What we love about FreeFly’s clothes is how soft they feel and how quickly they wick away moisture, which makes sense since the brand was founded for boaters. The excellent Eastside Golf founders Olajuwon Ajanaku (right) and Earl Cooper have broken into basketball apparel as well. Photographer: SAF Protect your eyes with red-carpet favorite Garett Leight. The eponymous California optical company is helmed by a true golf fan who believes we should expand our sense of sport style. (In other words, your swing may be ugly, but you don’t have to be.) For me, that means a sweet pair of [Maven S in Kona Brown sunglasses](. I feel as if I’m walking on a cloud in [Lusso Cloud Pelli slides]( with memory foam footbed and buttery cotton. They’re perfect after a long round or simply going from couch to fridge to reload on my Taste of the Masters [pimento cheese](. Rain on the course doesn’t always have to be a drag. Sometimes, playing in the elements can be a lot of fun. In those cases, Zero Restriction has you covered for inclement weather with some of the best wet weather gear on the planet. The [Power Torque Full Zip]( will shed the rain and maybe help you shed some bogeys. Maybe. Here are some other eco-friendly rain gear options. Just be sure to check your range of movement. Photographer: Chelsea Kyle for Bloomberg Businessweek What I’m reading, listening to and writing about I like to load up a few podcasts while I practice—and sometimes during the telecasts. Here is what I’m turning to this weekend. [The Legendary Caddies of Augusta: Inside Stories from Golf’s Greatest Stage]( by Ward Clayton. One of the more egregious errors in golf history has been Augusta National Golf Club’s exclusion of both Black Americans and women as members for a long period of its existence. Clayton’s book, a reissue and revised edition from Blair Press, spotlights the Black caddies who helped golf’s greatest champions—Palmer, Nicklaus, Sarenzen and Nelson—win its most prized championship. Latria Graham’s lyrical, well-researched essay in the latest issue of Garden & Gun, “[Masters of the Green: the Black Caddies of Augusta National](” cuts to the heart of the irony and pain of the club’s segregationist policy. Consider it an amuse-bouche to Clayton’s tome. Want more Masters lore? The Golfer’s Journal has a fantastic five-part podcast series right now called [The Making of the Masters](, with longtime Golf Digest and New Yorker contributor David Owen, based on his book of the same name. It’s a binge-worthy listen. If you haven’t yet binged Full Swing on Netflix, here’s my review of the first season. Illustration: Melanie Lambrick Speaking of TGJ, as insiders call it. In the latest issue, I tried to [pull back the veil on Tom Doak](, one of the world’s great golf course architects and certainly the most misunderstood. His candor, criticism and opinions put him on the outs with many peers, but few can deny his talent. His latest course at Pinehurst also ranks among his best. And just out in the Wall Street Journal: Three years ago this May, my brother passed away from cancer. He is the only reason I ever took up this silly game, but I came to love it and cherish every moment we had together on the course. Every time I play golf, I’m reminded of him—and [have kept his memory alive by playing with the clubs]( he bought just before he was diagnosed. We all experience great sadness in this life, but I’ve found new memories and new friends through the game of golf (and essays like these) that help me remember what a great brother he was and how magnificent this game can be at its best. And if you read just two things ... First the PGA Tour and upstart LIV Golf were implacable enemies. Then they were going to work something out. Now, as the Masters begins, tension is mounting again. [Why everyone in pro golf is rich and no one is happy](. The pro golf drama is back. Illustration: Michelle Rohn for Bloomberg Businessweek Few pieces of sports equipment are more personal than a putter. It’s meant for a delicate task: slowly rolling a ball 3 feet, or 10, maybe 20. It is, unless something very strange happens, the only club a golfer will use on every hole. But Scotty Cameron’s custom clubs have become something else—investments that attract an entirely different level of devotee. [Are they worth the love?]( Tiger Woods’ putter choice has created an asset class. Photographer: Matthew DeFeo for Bloomberg Businessweek Before you go! Are you into watches? [Check out our monthly Watch Club newsletter](. Do you enjoy a drink now and then? [Get the good stuff from our Top Shelf team](. New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Pursuits newsletter. 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