If you’re a fan of Nike golf balls like Rory McIIroy, the news of the company ceasing their production of golf equipment might have been a tough pill to swallow, but don’t give up on the swoosh just yet. With a variety of Nike’s ultra-popular RZN models in stock, LostGolfBalls.com is keeping your golf bag stocked with your favorite balls.

A funny thing happened to me on the way to a golf game a few days ago – it had to be called off because of rain. In one of the hottest and driest summers on record, I just happened to pick a day in which it rained. On the one hand, I felt disappointed because if you’re a golfer there’s nothing worse than getting excited about getting out on the course, only to find out rain ruins it. As bad as I felt about having to take a rain check, I also felt good because I have to believe it has been a trying season for golf course operators, who have probably had to work extra hard to prevent their courses from drying up. There’s only so much sprinkling you can do.

Perhaps you have seen that odd miniature soccer ball rolling across your golf course. Well, that golf ball isn’t sporting that pattern as some sort of gimmick to appeal to soccer-mad golfers. Its name is Truvis, and it is helping players around the world improve their game and lower their handicaps. But don’t be mistaken, this isn’t just an aid for your average Joe. With 16 Pro Tour wins already, the Truvis pattern is making its impact among the professional ranks as well. In fact, Truvis patterned golf balls have become the favorite of eight-time major champion Tom Watson.

You can say Inbee Park won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, but really the biggest winner was women’s golf. On the biggest and most important stage in the world, the women aced it – literally and metaphorically. Park, the 28-year-old from South Korea who earlier this year met the criteria for the World Golf Hall of Fame, was a well-deserving winner, trouncing the field by five strokes and a score of 16-under-par.

Over recent years, technology used in manufacturing golf balls has witnessed massive leaps forward. The days of liquid-core balls that would lose compression and distance after exposure to heat or water are far in the past. The modern solid-core ball offers consistency, longevity and durability that far exceeds the golf ball of yesteryear. This has opened a market for recycled balls.

For the all the hubbub controversy about problems heading into the 2016 Olympic Games, the return of golf turned out to be fantastic. It came down to a thrilling finale in the 72-hole tournament that, in the end, proved to be memorable for the players, some of whom declared after it was over about how much the experience meant to them personally and professionally.

In just a few days the world’s best golfers will compete at the Olympics for the first time since 1904. By the end of the weekend, there will be a new Olympic gold medalist in men’s golf for the first time since Canadian George Lyon claimed the title at Glen Echo Country Club 112 years ago. The question is, who will it be? Though some players have decided to stay home, the field competing in Rio will be one of the strongest of the year. That is why today we make our bets on the top-four most likely to find on the podium and what ball they’ll be using in their quest for gold.

Many famous musicians also happen to be avid golfers. Probably the most famous one of all is Alice Cooper, who wrote about it in his book: Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's Life and 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict. Some other high-profile musicians include: Kenny G., Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and Adam Levine. To try to understand what it is about the game of golf that attracts musicians, I asked Gil Moore, who was the drummer for Triumph, a Canadian-based rock and roll band that hit it big in the U.S., beginning in Texas in the mid-70s and went on to play in some major international gigs, including the US Festival in California in 1983. Triumph was part of Heavy Metal Day that included acts such as Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpion, Van Halen and Motley Crue.

Did you catch Hideki Matsuyama’s approach shot on the par-4 second hole during Friday’s coverage of the PGA Championship? It landed 20 feet past the hole, safely in the middle of the green and seemingly was nothing special. Then it began to roll. And roll. The ball would continue to roll until it disappeared into the bottom of the cup. The crowd erupted and Matsuyama found himself climbing up the leaderboard. While many of us may dream of holing out for eagle in a major, most will have to resign themselves to simply watching such moments on TV. However, there is a way average Joes can get one step closer to competing like such superstars as Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell and Keegan Bradley: play the same ball. Enter the Srixon Z-Star and Z-Star XV.