In golf distance is king, and hitting it long in the right spot is the ultimate goal. Televised tournaments are filled with sponsorships and advertisements, but are those clubs the best for your game?

Adding yardage through innovation, TourEdge has quietly been making a name for themselves with a resultant loyal following. And now, you can catch the next techno wave. Something that characterizes TourEdge is they take most clubs in their line and use the technology for combinations that are more forgiving and other combinations that are more precise for the better player.

The newest advantage across the line is called the “SlipStream Sole,” a wavy pattern on the bottom of the club. In testing, TourEdge found this design better at breaking up friction with the turf and increasing club head speed. Quite simply, the result is a longer shot. I was skeptical, but in hitting the clubs, this does work.

Another key component to TourEdge technology and application is picking the right combination head and geometry for precision versus distance. Just about everything in their lineup features this choice. If you are less than a 10 handicap, then pick the precision model. An 11 or greater, then the extra forgiveness will make those long shots go just as long when you don’t hit it precisely.

For example, their EX9 Tour Adjustable fairway wood ($299), gives loft options in 15, 15 and 17 combined with the new anti-friction sole. The smaller head designed for less spin and a boring ball flight. Add an adjustable hosel and sole-moveable weight for the player who wants to control trajectory. What was more surprising in hitting this club is how forgiving the smaller head is with off-center hits, something not found in other “tour” woods.

On the driver side, the EX9 is sized at 460cc and uses the SlipStream Sole combined with a hexagonal thickness pattern in the face for increased distance. The approach allows the golfer to pick from a 10 or 12 degree lofted driver, but then the hosel adjusts up or down one degree as well as providing fade or draw tendencies. Move over that company that worked with Boeing, TourEdge also has an aerodynamic sloping of the crown for less air friction and drag. Simply put, this is a fantastic technological package for just $299.

Where TourEdge actually claimed the fame on tour, was the number of tour players who used their hybrids. So, no wonder that the EX9 Hybrid gets a performance upgrade by combining the SlipStream sole with a maraging steel cup face. This club really zings it out of the grass. Like most TourEdge clubs, it is incredibly easy to get the ball in the air out of the fairway. At $159, this is a lot of performance that forgives the occasional swing flaw.

If you have the time and link motivation, this is a great time to visit Williamsburg, Virginia. Get a dose of history and nature while you are getting your golf fix in pristine conditions. And, portions of fees go to support historical causes and preservation in Williamsburg.

Steeped in history, the Williamsburg Lodge is offering a lower nightly rate with green fees and cart at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club for the month of August. This is a nifty golf club as woods and no development surround you. In addition, the course is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, so birds and wildlife abound. The area was originally explored in 1716, and was noted at that time to be a rich and fertile land full of opportunity for those who would venture further west.

Home to a number of prestigious events, The Golden Horseshoe features the Gold Course, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that blends a traditional design perfected with the landscape. The Green Course, designed by Rees Jones, is a touch more “modern” in fairway design and green approach. The Spotswood Course offers a challenging nine-hole layout where the whole family can participate.

The Williamsburg Lodge, which features over 300 rooms in eight buildings, offers a Colonial feel with modern appointments. Originally restored and funded by the Rockefellers, the lodge stays true to historical roots.

The Lodge has all the upscale amenities needed for both individual and group stays – meeting rooms, pools, spa, fitness center and all-property Wi-Fi. In addition, the newest restaurant, Sweet Tea & Barley reflects Southern cuisine and regional cocktails. Even when the temperature dips, fire pits and heated tables bring cuisine to added life with a bit of fall chill. The outdoor area features a number of historical lectures, food focus dinners and food and wine pairings.

Despite what you hear during televised professional tournaments, the ball used by the majority of players is not the ball for you. News flash, I repeat, that is not the ball for you.

The reason is simply that most amateurs, including good ones, don’t swing fast enough to compress the ball. If you don’t squeeze the ball on the club face, you loose distance. And, in tight shots around the green, you are essentially hitting a rock that you hope rolls the right direction once on the green.

Enter Wilson, a tried and true sporting goods company that has stood the test of time. So, when they came out with an uber-soft ball that was touted to go farther and feel great around the green, that gets your attention.

At a 29 compression rating, the Wilson DUO is the world’s softest golf ball. Jump up to the DUO Spin with a 35 compression in a multi-layer ball. One notch up is the DUO Urethane at a 55 compression.

Like most golfers, the macho glasses said no way I could crush such a soft golf ball and get better performance than my current ball. So, down I went to the local golf specialty store to investigate the balls for myself. Bag in hand after the visit, I had all the Wilson balls within this range in a variety of colors. For some reason, Wilson does not feel purchasing golf balls should be a felony, so these are between $20 and $38 per dozen.

Let the games begin, and four rounds trying the various golf balls seemed like a fair test. In the first round, I started with a Wilson Staff Duo, a two-piece ball. The first thing I notice is you hit the ball, and there is no granite sensation of club contact. It simply feels good with a feeling that can be described as smooth. What was really surprising was the distance as this ball compressed from the mark on the driver, and went long, as in long gone. Good around the green, not the best stopping ball on crisp wedge shots, yet for all the performance benefits compared to price, you are hard pressed to look further.

The next round I went to the other end of the spectrum in this lineup, the Duo Urethane. Supposedly a firmer cover, so a little more feel like that well-advertised tour ball. At a 55 compression rating, and a $38

per dozen price tag, it is softer than most tour balls, yet the urethane cover gives it a little pop off the long clubs and some extra durability. For the most part, possibly a shade longer off the driver than the regular DUO, but not much. After the round, I concluded this is a good ball if you want that pop off the driver, more durability and can add spin around the green without the ball having to contribute much to that portion of your game.

The third round compared the Wilson DUO Spin, virtually half way between the regular DUO and the DUO Urethane with a 35 compression. Wilson touts this as an ultimate combination of zing with the driver and feel around the green. After 18 holes, the hype matched reality in this is the best $27 a dozen golf ball I have ever played. It did it all, and the feel and roll in putting were nothing short of superb. My only comment is I would like to see this ball in an orange or bright yellow.

I don’t often find golf products that concerning performance match the advertising. However, in the case of Wilson and their lower compression golf balls, they are better than advertised.

When you go on a golf trip, you can’t take everything. It might be fun to find socks that work for golf, casual and workout purposes. And oh yes, how about being styling and comfortable.

There are socks on the horizon that fit the bill, and it depends on the blend of activities. Just because your shoes say “FJ”, don’t assume their socks are the best. In many cases, manufacturers do brand extensions to get you to purchase additional products. Brand extension is even more common in golf.

If you are going to exercise, hike and golf, then a perfect fit are socks from FITS® Socks. This Vermont company has been making socks for decades, and is legendary is the skiing world for socks that improve performance and fit year after year. They are textile manufacturers so that they can dial up or down specific characteristics in socks by activity. Most of their socks feature a recessed heel cup to avoid the dreaded it-wont-pull-up-over-my-heel syndrome.

What we liked about their Light Hiker was it is an excellent blend of wool, nylon, and polyester with cushioning under the toes and heels. With this construction, it stands up to all the pounding your feet would get in just about any activity and still wicks away moisture. Being a light hiker weight, this is a good sock when you know you need a little more cushioning and have adequate room in the shoes. And, if you want a little less height, the same sock comes in a quarter height. A good choice when you can take one or two pairs on a trip, and they have to do multiple duty. And, for cushioning socks, they have added various color options.

If fashion and the splash you make at the shoe line are just as important as fit, then   is your in-shoe ticket. Their mission is the fusion of fit/performance with unique fashion. Their golf socks come in low, mid and crew so you can be fashionable when your swing might not be. Bubba Watson wears them, and he is top three each tournament for GQ like coordination.

In our testing, we found the blend of nylon and polyester gave a comfortable level of support to the foot with excellent moisture wicking. However, the socks are more or less single purpose in that you might have to use an athletic sock for exercise and a golf specific sock for the links, and a lighter dress sock. Also, these socks seemed to be compact, so best for shoes with a tighter fit. However, that depends on the model as athletic socks appear to have more cushioning than the casual. The plus of these socks is a good fit and maybe the zippiest patterns in the sock world. So, you can jump off the links and head to dinner with your feet being dressed to the 9s.