GolfLink Staff Picks 2025

We’ve tested, ranked, and reviewed tons of golf gear this year. This is the stuff that stayed in our bags long after our reviews were published and left a lasting impression well after our testing was finished.

I received this Desert Fox Phone Caddy as part of a goodie bag at a golf tournament earlier this year, and I was surprised by how much I used it. I often find myself fumbling for my phone in the golf cart, and it’s so easy to leave it in the recesses of the cart when you finish.

This easy-to-install caddy is a simple and effective solution. Using it, I always have access to my phone. It goes in and out easily. And if you do decide to use your phone as a GPS device, it’s perfectly mounted.

Bushnell just upped the golf bluetooth speaker game. The new Wingman HD combines booming sound with a full color touchscreen golf GPS.

The GPS offers hole maps with front/center/back distances and a digital scorecard with stats and shot measurement. You can even have the distances played audibly through the speaker, which packs impressive sound.

Bushnell’s BITE magnet is as strong as they come, making it perfect for a cart. But even when I walk and use a push cart, it’s easy to clip the Wingman HD to my bag and enjoy some music on the course and get my distances at a glance.

I’ve tested a lot of putters over the years, and the PXG Hellcat ZT (zero torque) is easily the most pleasant surprise of the bunch. The blade-style design is incredibly clean and easy-on-the-eyes in a category of putters that’s known for unorthodox looks.

But what’s most impressive about the Hellcat ZT is its performance. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but the Hellcat was just easy to use from the get go. Distance control was instinctual (which I can’t say about my experience with PXG’s other ZT putters) and putts just seemed to track to the hole way more often than I’m used to.

Toss in the fact that the Hellcat is somewhere near half the price of most other zero and low-torque putters, and it’s easy to see how this is one of the most impressive putters of 2025.

This is something I never figured I would carry in my bag, and I don’t do it all the time. Putting the Torch Flask from High Camp Flasks in my golf bag was actually inspired by a group of women I sometimes play with. 

When somebody in their group makes a birdie, everybody takes a shot of Fireball. Fortunately, when I’ve played with them, there’s never been more than three birdies for the whole group, so we were all good to drive home afterwards.

Anyway, the really high quality Torch Flask holds up to nine ounces of whatever and comes with a cap that also serves as a magnetic cup (or a shot glass). You don’t have to play the birdie drinking game to enjoy it; you can put your personal liquid in there, which can be hot or cold in this insulated flask. Yes, it’s perfect for coffee, which we will need for winter golf.

For anybody who wants to make a big change in their game for a small investment, my top recommendation is PutterCup. The Speed Bump and Center Cup are simple yet genius training aids that fit into a golf hole (grass or on a putting mat) and force you to hit quality putts.

The Center Cup is a hole reducer that only lets the most accurate putts drop. Meanwhile the Speed Bump forces you to make putts with the perfect speed. Too fast and the ball will hop over the hole. Too slow and it won’t get over the hump.

When I started practicing with these rings, I had several rounds with 20-something putts instead of the 32 or so I had been used to.

There’s also a To Go Cup, which gives you a target to putt to even when you’re not on a green.

If I could only own one pair of golf shoes, it would be the TRUE OG3 Pro. And as someone who has tested close to two dozen different pairs of golf shoes in the last few years, that’s saying a lot.

I walk almost every round I play, and no shoe has impressed me more for its combination of comfort, waterproofing, traction, and style than these.

This one probably comes as a surprise, but I go through these periods (not often enough) when I try to be really healthy on and off the golf course. Instead of an ultra-processed hot dog or cheese crackers, I carry these packs of Tuna, which provide 24g of protein, no carbs or sugar, and the lowest level of mercury on the market.

So yes, I’ll pack one or two of these and a plastic fork or spoon. When I’m waiting on the tee, I might crack one of these open. Those hot dogs can be mighty tempting, but I never regret opting for tuna on the course instead. A pack of 10 runs about $35.

For any player who wants to get better from tee-to-gree, here’s a quick case for speed training: speed training is guaranteed to produce an increase in clubhead speed and distance. On the other hand, improvements to technique, while important, are much more challenging to own and leverage into lower scores.

Speed Toad is the only speed training program that allows you to train with your own driver shaft, which converts training gains into on-course gains much more efficiently. It also doesn’t require you to swing anything heavier than your own driver, which reduces injury risk.

Plus, it’s affordable, there are no subscriptions, and most trainings are about 20 minutes twice a week.

I thought all rangefinder displays were the same until I looked through the OLED display of this Shot Scope Pro L5. It’s next-level clarity. And that’s not the only reason it’s my go-to rangefinder. It scored a perfect 10 in our accuracy test with accuracy to within a few inches, and it’s got all the convenient features I need and still checks in comfortably under $250.

I don’t usually get too excited about hats, but this one is unique and special. Brought to you by the same folks that reinvented the Sunday bag, the Sundaze Crushable Rope Hats from Sunday Golf are just as described.

You can wad these up, stuff them in your golf bag or your backpack, and they always come back to life, returning to their original flat brim shape. Honestly, they are almost too cool for me to wear (I’ve always done the curved brim thing), but there’s an old school element to them with the ropes over the brim. I think they look awesome.

Another cool thing about these hats, which were inspired by climbers, is that they are super soft. You hardly feel them. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a baseball style cap this comfortable. I wear mine everywhere, on the golf course, to the gym, on the plane, you name it. And because it’s crushable, I can take it off and cram into a small place and not worry about ruining it.

The Rapsodo MLM2Pro is one of the most consumer-friendly launch monitors and golf simulators out there. To start with the obvious, it’s priced just right at $699, or about the same as a modern driver.

I’ve been using this launch monitor for the last two seasons to dial in my wedge distances from inside 100 yards, sharpen my swing and ball striking through the bag, and get some simulated golf rounds in during the offseason. One of the best perks is that Rapsodo is constantly upgrading the user experience. First it was a major graphics upgrade, then they added new data points like club path and attack angle to the package.

Being a golfer in the Northwest requires attire for all conditions. That’s exactly why I like these Claddagh chinos from Galway Bay so much. They’re comfortable, lightweight golf pants just like any other you’d wear, with one huge exception. They’re completely waterproof.

The beauty is, you don’t have to wait until there’s rain in the forecast to appreciate these. When it’s not shorts weather, these are the first golf pants I look for.

There are times I just use a rangefinder, and there are times I like having some sort of GPS device when I play golf. Sometimes I use both. 

This little Blue Tees Ringer is one of my favorites. It’s small, has an awesome display, attaches to a golf cart with its built-in magnet, and it even has shot tracking capabilities.

You might think that there are numerous golf GPS apps available for your phone, many of which are free. True, but they basically tie up your phone for the whole round. My current phone’s battery won’t make it through a round without the battery going dead (of course, many golf carts do have power ports these days.)

I love the Ringer because it’s so portable and light. Mounting it on a cart is great, but it’s also easy if you’re walking. And it gives you distances to the middle, front, and back of greens, plus other obstacles on the course, and includes a green view as well.

It costs $150, and it comes with a one-year premium membership to the Blue Tees Game app. 

The new Cleveland RTZ wedges are built for players who believe that short game is an art, not a science. 

I spent a lot of time at the short game practice facility putting these wedges through their paces, and they answered every question I asked. Whether it was from the rough or off tight lies, hitting high lobs to low checkers, I had more fun creating, then executing short game shots with these wedges than I can remember having on a practice range in a long time.

They Payntr Eighty Seven SC is easily my favorite spiked golf shoe that I tested in 2025. From the tour-level traction to Payntr’s first Waterproof label, these marked a new-era for the young golf shoe brand that has already earned a reputation for comfort.

One thing that I’ve learned in my 60-plus years on this planet is that I should have used more sunscreen. A basal cell removal here and there has certainly illustrated that, so I lather up just about every time I play. (Estimates are that one in four golfers will experience some form of skin cancer at some point in their lives.)

The trouble with sunscreens, though, is that they can be oily or slippery. But I’ve found this one brand that’s anything but. It’s called 1st Tee Golf Sunscreen from Sun Blessed Skin. It’s SPF 30 broad spectrum and comes out pretty thick and easy to rub in. And it’s not greasy at all. So even if you have to reapply during a round, you’re probably not going to lose your grip on your next driver.

It’s about 18 bucks a tube, but I found that one lasted me throughout the summer and beyond.

Hoodies in golf are normalized by now, but they’re also losing popularity thanks to the emergence of a new outer-layer trend: Crews.

This Radmor Perkins 2.0 Loop Terry Crew is not only my favorite golf sweatshirt, but it’s my go-to anytime I want to look nice and feel comfortable. The design is clean with a modest logo on the chest, and the fabric is a blend of cotton and elastane that delivers comfort with just enough stretch to move with your swing.

L.A.B. Golf’s ability to bake its namesake technology (Lie Angle Balanced) into a heel-shafted putter without stripping the ability to build a L.A.B. putter to virtually any lie angle is easily one of the most impressive innovations of 2025.

This putter doesn’t just deliver the L.A.B. performance that has reshaped the entire putter landscape in recent years, but it resembles a traditional mallet putter and feels fantastic off the stainless steel insert face.

The Shot Scope Pro L2 is one of the simplest and easiest-to-use rangefinders on the market. Sure, there are hybrid rangefinders that also have GPS and a bunch of other complicated features, but this one has a large display, and finds targets quickly (with a vibration feature when it locks in a target). It also has a slope function, which is a feature found on most, but not all, rangefinders.

It has 6X magnification and can shoot targets up to 700 yards. The Shot Scope Pro L2 also includes the Shot Scope app, which you can download to get free GPS maps to thousands of courses, which is a nice bonus. It’s not rechargeable, but I can get six months or more out of one battery. It’s also a great value at $130.

The difference between a SkyCaddie and any other golf GPS device is accuracy. That’s because while other devices rely on satellite imagery and existing maps, SkyCaddie maps each course manually to get accuracy its competition can’t match.

The Pro 4X has a vibrant touchscreen and interactive interface. You can find distances to any target you want, and I find that when I use it to get around the course, I plan and visualize shots that the course gives me, rather than simply trying to hit the ball to the distance of the flag. 

If accuracy matters, then you want a Sky Caddie.

I don’t always wear sunglasses on the course these days, but when there’s not a cloud in the sky, they can really help. This year, I’ve kept a pair of Tifosis in my bag, and I can honestly say this is one of the best brands I’ve tried in recent years. They’re a good value, there’s lots of different styles, and the course doesn’t look weird through them.

More specifically, I’ve been using the Vogel XC, which is a featherweight wraparound with a vent to prevent fogging. Where I live near the Gulf Coast, that’s especially important on those early mornings when the humidity can be super thick. They’re also very comfortable.

Did Cobra drop the most innovative product of 2025? There is certainly a strong case to be made. The Cobra 3DP Tour Irons are the first 3D printed irons available to the masses. The strong but lightweight internal lattice design allowed Cobra engineers to drop a ton of weight low in the head on the toe and heel, resulting in what Cobra says is the most forgiving blade you’ll ever hit. 

I can back up that claim. I had the opportunity to try these first hand. Distance losses from off-center strikes were almost non-existent, while while overall distance was at the top end of what I would expect from a 7-iron. Thanks at least in part to all that perimeter weighting that helps the club resist twisting at impact, accuracy was also strong during my “LIMIT3D” (the original name of these clubs) time testing these irons.