By John Gordon (Courtesy Golf Canada)

If asked the question “How has technology impacted your game?”, most golfers automatically think of their adjustable driver, game-improvement irons, a ball that promises both distance and accuracy, foul-weather gear and footwear that protect them from the elements and, perhaps, a distance-measuring device that takes the guesswork out of approach shots or an electric trolley that saves wear and tear on their bodies during a round.

But we got some revealing and unexpected answers when we asked experts from various sectors of the Canadian golf industry what technology they thought was most impactful on golfers.

By DR. BARRY LOTZ, Inside Golf

Recent consumer surveys conducted by the major golf ball manufacturers say other than performance, brand name is the most powerful influence on a golf-ball purchase. Below are the four most recognizable brands and their new models.

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. AND ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND (Sept. 18, 2018) - A global online questionnaire and data-gathering exercise on distance in golf has been launched by the USGA and The R&A today as part of the Distance Insights project.

The detailed questionnaire is open to all interested participants in golf until Oct. 31, 2018 and is available in 10 languages. Administered independently by Sports Marketing Surveys Inc., it can be accessed at both usga.org/distanceinsights and at randa.org/distanceinsights.

Former No. 1 in World Golf Rankings Tiger Woods To Play Bridgestone Tour B330-S Golf Ball - Image Courtesy Bridgestone Golf

COVINGTON, Ga. (December 15, 2016) – Bridgestone Golf, a leading manufacturer of premium golf balls, clubs and accessories – announced that it has signed Tiger Woods to a multi-year agreement to exclusively play and promote its high-performance golf balls. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Woods, whose decorated career includes a record run of 683 weeks as the top-ranked golfer in the world, selected the Bridgestone Tour B330-S ball after thoroughly testing it against competing models from all major brands.

Golfers seeking the breakthrough technology and proven performance of Titleist 718 AP3 and AP2 irons can bring an extra edge to their game with the introduction of new limited all-black editions.

All Images Courtesy Haywood Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When competing with industry heavyweights like Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping and Callaway, it’s important to have something that sets you apart.

For Haywood Golf, a Vancouver-based direct-to-consumer equipment company, that would be price. “The way we describe our clubs is 'we’re not cheaper, we are just more affordable,'” says company founder Joshua Haywood.

Not even three years old, Haywood Golf is turning some heads in what is an ultra-competitive business. Golfers like the sleek, simple look of Haywood’s irons and they love the price.

Courtesy Bob Vokey & Golf Canada

Canadian Bob Vokey was born in Verdun, Quebec in 1939. His father, Walter, was a precision tool and die maker, an avid golfer and constant tinkerer of golf equipment. Bob did not necessarily share his father's passion for golf as a child, but he observed and assisted in his father's club creations.

Bob, at 25 left Montreal for the United States and settled in Carlsbad, California. Despite his earlier feelings toward golf, he became smitten with the game and wanted to become involved in some way. He lived near a golf course, and started to play competitively, eventually developing his father's passion for "tinkering" with golf clubs.