Playing golf in windy conditions, like at a championship? A driving iron can help

Professional golfer Rory McIlroy hits a shot during the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open in Scotland

Rory’s crucial shot with a driving iron helped him win the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open.

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July is the best time of year to watch the world’s best players take on the golf courses, and one of the things that makes links golf so interesting is seeing how the pros modify their clubs to handle the conditions, especially when it comes to adding long irons and putting irons back in their bags.

Playing golf on a golf course means playing by the ocean, and with the ocean currents comes Mother Nature and the ever-changing winds. The higher the golf ball flies and the more it spins, the more impact the wind has on its final direction, and conversely, the lower and higher a player can hit the ball, the more control they will have.

With smaller heads and centers of gravity located closer to the face, driving irons provide tremendous trajectory control and give players the ability to hit lower shots more easily compared to fairway woods and hybrids.

While there is so much talk about how far professional golfers are hitting the ball today, links golf and the conditions players face provide a canvas for the world’s best to hit incredibly creative shots like the one Rory McIlroy hit on the final hole of the 2023 Scottish Open.

If you’re looking for a creative club on the go yourself, we’ve rounded up a selection of options that can suit almost any golfer.

The Ping iCrossover is the only utility iron on the market that offers consumer-level adjustability comparable to fairway woods and hybrids, making it a great choice for those looking to adjust their launch conditions to match the course.

The Titleist U505 delivers hybrid-level forgiveness and ball speed in a club that feels like a more traditional long iron (but slightly larger).

The TaylorMade P-UDI and P-DHY offer two distinct options for golfers depending on their playing style and look preferences. The P-UDI is a more compact profile for players looking for a direct long iron replacement while the P-DHY is longer from heel to toe and has added offset for a touch more built-in forgiveness.