This GHIN & Tonic ran in the June 26th, 2026 edition of the No Laying Up newsletter. Be the first to know when a G&T drops when you subscribe to the NLU newsletter here.
GHIN
I’ve always been a "feel" player. While that fits well with my general disposition (no range balls, no practice plans), I have always wondered about the relative strengths and weaknesses of my game. For instance, I know my putting isn’t great, but just how bad is it? Some days I hit my irons really well, some days I am scraping by. Is my short game good? I truly have no idea. And my driver continues to feel really solid (shoutout Titleist), but again, is that just in my mind?
When we began partnering with Arccos last year, and especially as Soly began reporting on the ease and information from his Arccos Air this past winter, I became really eager to use the product and learn about the different components of my game. Last month in Scotland, playing the first golf I’d played in six months, I finally began using mine.
As I write this, I’ve carded six full rounds using the Arccos Air, and I’m kind of hooked on the data it gives me. For instance, I can see that compared to the average 7-handicap golfer, driving is by far the strength of my game at +1.7 Strokes Gained. The other strength of my game is Approach play at +0.2 SG. And while my putting is a slight weakness (as I knew it would be), it’s only -0.3 SG, which is a bit of a surprise. I know now the real culprit holding me back from scoring better is my Short Game, at -1.3 SG. Breaking this last component down in more detail, I see my bunker play and pitch shots from 20-40 yards are the biggest drains to my scoring. I’m not sure if knowing this will ultimately motivate me to get out and practice, but I do really enjoy having this type of understanding of my game. If you find yourself in the same situation as me, I would give you a full two thumbs up for the Arccos Air.
Mr. Poosh and I continued our storied rivalry last week at Murphy Creek outside Denver. I was 2up on 17 tee and proceeded to skull a greenside bunker shot into water for a triple-bogey, before shanking a wedge into 18 and making double-bogey to lose both holes and finish tied. Complete disaster. Massive crowning of Mr. Poosh. Gonna have to live with that finish until next year.
TONIC
Major League Baseball is a big deal in my family. And there’s a strong lineage of baseball fans running down through the women of the family. My Mom grew up listening to the Reds on the radio under her pillow at night, and now my sister is truly the biggest Reds fan I know. So it was with supreme joy that my wife and I took our daughter, Lilly, to her first baseball game this week. We watched the Rockies and Red Sox at Coors Field. And it was a massive success! Lilly got a first-game certificate; we met Dinger, the mascot and even saw the hometown team walk it off in the bottom of the 9th with a 3-2 victory. I look forward to many, many more trips to the park with my daughter.