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What to do now to improve your game next year

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Hello, Pursuits fan club, it's Mike, your golf correspondent. If you're like me, you both love and dread this time of year. Temperatures are cooler, the foliage is colorful, and after what's been a season of generally nice weather, the courses themselves are often in pretty good shape. The dread comes from living in a colder climate, whether it's my home in the Midwest or the business and banking capitals of the Northeast. We know our golf clubs will soon be relegated to basements and garages for the foreseeable future.  But the fitness world's adage that summer bodies are built in winter also applies to golf: Fall is the perfect time to practice away from the prying eyes of your regular foursome in the hopes of whittling down your handicap next year. So, as we turn the page on another season, I'm here to recommend a few great products to improve your swing, your style and your plans for the next epic golf trip.  The swing's the thing One of the more complicated motions in all of sports is the golf swing. I would love to have a free-flowing swing like Nelly Korda, but I'm stuck with one that makes a folding lawn chair look graceful.  Nevertheless, I've been able to get some swan-like ball flight out of my ugly duckling swing, thanks to two products that stood out in the past year.  The HackMotion golf swing sensor was one of seven products we identified to help keep you fit as temperatures drop. Source: HackMotion The first is the HackMotion golf sensor that attaches to your lead hand and wrist. (I wrote about it in the current issue of Bloomberg Businesweek's new product roundup, The Right Stuff.) Through a series of prescribed movements, it promotes a flat or bowed wrist at impact, which improves contact with the ball for a more piercing flight path and extra distance. When you get a drill right, it pleasantly vibrates against your wrist and gives you a chime. Mess up, and it's like you picked a wrong answer on Family Feud.  Perhaps the best thing about it is that you can even use it without hitting the ball—though your best feedback will come while being able to make contact while wearing it. You can also use it to lock in your putting stroke. You could also buy some new clubs, like this putter that works so well it "feels like cheating." Photograph by Joyce Lee for Bloomberg Businessweek. This offseason is also a good time to try the Mustard app as a complement to the HackMotion. After you record your swing and upload the video to the app, in two minutes it'll examine your swing and give you a diagnosis of what is and isn't working. Developed with Mark Blackburn, Golf Digest's top-ranked teacher, it comes with a prerecorded library of instruction as he walks you through your swings' flaws—and their fixes. The app is a great reference point for those who have either had high-quality swing instruction or want a good motivator to find an instructor who will put your swing on film and walk you through the proper movements. It's also got a series of exercises designed to increase your biomechanics to put your body in the correct positions. Another golf app I love? Fairgame. I wrote about it earlier this year, along with a bunch of gear, ahead of the Masters. Source: Fairgame And hey, maybe you just need to conserve some energy. I see electric caddies everywhere I travel these days, and one of the best comes from MGI: its new Ai 500 model sells for $1,450. Unlike some that use a remote, allowing the unit to follow you, this one walks in front. Press a button to make it start and stop; sure, steep hills will require some steadying, but that's true of all electric caddies. MGI Ai 500 Electric Caddy Source: MGI Golf USA The Ai 500 also features a bright LCD screen and more than 40,000 course maps, providing precise yardages. It'll even access your text messages—assuming you want to—when connected to your phone via Bluetooth.

In case you missed it … PGA Tour's Saudi Deal Drags On, With Players Arguing Over Pay Talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf have dragged on for over a year since their shock deal announcement, with one detail still problematic: getting players to agree on who gets to keep their millions. Where All the Sports Betting Money Actually Goes Legalized sports betting gives state governments a cut through taxes. But how do they spend it, exactly? College Football Players Learn an Ugly Truth About Getting Paid Yes, the stars are making millions. Everyone else is vulnerable to boosters making promises they can't or won't keep. Major League Baseball's $700 Million Man Shohei Ohtani is the most dominant player since Babe Ruth to help baseball go global. It's not clear he's up for being the ambassador. West Ham United Owner Cuts London Mansion Price by £10 Million David Sullivan says he's now selling his palatial Marylebone townhouse at a loss. Think of all the golf YouTube you could watch in this penthouse living room. Source: Knight Frank

Can golf style be … cool?  One offshoot from our current golf boom is that more new clothing brands are entering the scene. They're catering to new demographics with different tastes and taking up a game marked (marred?) by technical fabric polos and chinos. Here are a few worth checking out. Students Golf If you long for the days of Sammy Davis Jr., Dino and Frank walking down the fairway, then you might enjoy an Ellis Mohair Cardigan ($130) or Jarvis Polo Sweater ($110). Students' aesthetic is SoCal Rat Pack and meets the current moment of many younger golfers who want to show more personality on the course.  Students designs golf clothing with personality. Photographer: Students Golf Left of Field Golf "Everything old is new again" seems to be the inspiration behind the Ballina Polo Shirt ($91) from this Australia-based brand. Drawing influence from the 1990s, when boxy was beautiful, these roomy shirts take us back to the era when cotton polos draped over us like dusters in a cowboy western. A nifty zipper instead of buttons on the placket complement a bold rugby stripe.  Foreign Rider Ralph Dunning revolutionized golf clothing 30 years ago by using sweat-wicking, high-performance fabrics normally found in the world of cycling. He founded Foreign Rider in 2020 after selling his namesake company, and it's all well-made and sustainably sourced. For my fall trip to Pinehurst, I'm packing the insulated vest ($168) for those brisk morning tee times.  Last year I profiled the guys behind Eastside, Olajuwon Ajanaku (left) and Earl Cooper, who have gotten the attention of golf-loving NBA stars.  Photographer: Sydney A. Foster for Bloomberg Pursuits Tasc Performance In that same vein, if you're seeking more traditional looks this year, Tasc has a great lineup of polos and chinos, as well as long-sleeve sun-protecting options for both men and women. Their Cloud polo line (starting at $78) features lots of colors and patterns, and their women's line has a number of great activewear pieces such as the Clubhouse French Terry Sweatshirt ($88), for when the weather gets colder.  Tasc performance polos. Source: Tasc Johnnie-O Speaking of women's lines, we're starting to see more companies introduce a women's line when they previously only offered menswear. No doubt they're responding to the increased number of women joining the game these days, and the best of the lot I've seen so far comes from Johnnie-O. Its fall line includes cozy sweaters and this waistline-cropped jacket ($328), whose color and cut follow this fall's denim trend.  The new Vivian quilted bomber jacket from Johnnie-O. Source: Johnnie-O Payntr Golf Here's where I've found some of the most comfortable shoes on the market. On a recent three-day visit to Sand Valley in Wisconsin, where I walked 36 holes each day, the  X Tour Proto RS ($220) kept my feet comfortable. The four-year-old company has recently increased its presence on tour with the equity partner (and my fellow Columbus, Ohio, resident) Jason Day coming on board and repping the brand, including the new Eighty-Seven SC ($220), which he helped design, and which was released yesterday. Payntr's new Eighty-Seven SC shoes just dropped. Source: Paynter Swag Golf Keeping with a trend of expressing your personality, Swag lets you bring a little punk rock to the golf course with its fun headcovers. Some are baseball-themed, in time for the playoffs; the latest drop are fun 8-bit renderings of hockey players ($120), in case you've got a Happy Gilmore type of putting stroke.  Golf Pride And if you want something more refined but playful, Golf Pride partnered with Steph Curry earlier this year to create grips benefiting his Underrated Tour. Its newest line is inspired by 007 himself, James Bond; the Goldfinger edition ($189) is available for preorder now. Sometimes we forget golf is a game, and games should be whimsical.  Golf Pride 007 grips, Goldfinger edition. Source: Golf Pride

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The courses to prioritize playing next year Even though the golf season is shutting down, that doesn't mean you can't start planning for next year. WISCONSIN: The best place I visited this year was Sand Valley, where the newest course is Sedge Valley, a 5,800-yard, par 68 course that eschews American golf tradition, especially at big-time resorts. For far too long, resorts built courses that were way too big and way too hard. Michael and Chris Keiser, following their father's lead at Bandon Dunes, have made their Wisconsin resort a beacon of golf for the masses predicated on fun. Despite its short length and low score to par, Sedge Valley is no pushover. It's a demanding, strategic course that asks you to think through every shot and rewards your thoughtfulness with pars and the occasional birdie.  Mike Keiser's book goes deeper into the phenomenon of travel-inspired golf. Source: Brandon Dunes Golf NEBRASKA: The Sandhills are an iconic landscape unto themselves and, in part, responsible for an American golf renaissance. The private club, Sand Hills Golf Club, inspired Mike Kesier to build Bandon Dunes, and 30 years later golfers all over the country are willing to travel to out of the way places in search of courses that stretch the imagination. Private course network Dormie has just built its first course in those same sandhills, called GrayBull. Built by David McLay Kidd, the course stretches to 7,200 yards, with fairways flanked by sandy blowouts and prairie grass. And with 60 rooms on-site and the proximity to other great clubs in the area, Dormie's a contender for your club to join.  The original Highlands course at McLemore Resort in Georgia. Source: McLemore Resort GEORGIA: Golf in the sky is one way that Cloudland at McLemore Resort bills itself. Its new course, the Keep, opens for play this fall and features a winding route that golfers play over the deep valleys of the Smoky Mountains, with views stretching to the horizon. A new Curio hotel now accommodates overnight guests, allowing you to take advantage of the original Highlands course as well as the six-hole short course, the Cairn, which is perfect for families. A heated infinity pool is open year-round to help work out the knots from your round.  The Back Yard at McArthur Golf Club is one of eight private, upscale courses bringing 144 new holes to a 10-mile stretch about 35 minutes from West Palm Beach. Source: Source Larry Lambrecht FLORIDA: Last on my list of my visits this year is a renovated (and rebranded) hotel alongside the renovated Dutchman's Pipe Golf Club, which is open to guests of the new Belgrove, an Autograph Collection hotel. Opening this November and located on Lake Mangonia, 10 minutes from West Palm Beach, the renovated hotel has updated guest rooms, two pools—one for adults, one for families—and a new restaurant. Guests can take advantage of the course, which has undergone a complete makeover by Nicklaus Design, including new fairways and greens and new hole concepts. Winter is cold here in Ohio, but West Palm is warm—and it's calling.  NEW ZEALAND: Meanwhile, we're coming up on prime golf season in the southern hemisphere. Te Arai Links, a little over an hour from Auckland, is cutting-the-ribbon on new lodging and dining to complement its two golf courses by Coore & Crenshaw and Tom Doak. Of the four restaurants, Ocean opens this month with an elevated menu that focuses on local produce; in November, the North clubhouse will debut with hearty, Mexican-inspired club food. Lodging includes suites and two-bedroom Ocean cottages with views and firepits. Along the North course's 18th fairway, there's also six new, ultradeluxe four-bedroom villas decorated by Jenni Kayne, resort co-founder Ric Kayne's daughter.

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