Playing windy Open Championship-like golf? Consider a driving iron

July is the greatest time of year to watch the best players in the world tackle links courses, and one thing that makes links golf so interesting is watching how the pros make changes to their clubs to handle the conditions, especially when it comes to adding long irons and driving irons back into their bags.

Golf on proper links means playing next to the ocean, and with ocean currents comes Mother Nature and 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 more flighted and lower a player can hit the ball the better control they will gain.

With smaller heads and centers of gravity located closer to the face, driving irons allow for a tremendous amount of control over trajectory and give players the option to hit lower shots easier compared to fairway wood and hybrids.

With so much talk about how far professional golfers hit the ball now, links golf and the conditions players face provide a canvas for the best in the world to hit amazingly creative shots like the one Rory McIlroy hit on the final hole of the Scottish Open in 2023.

If you yourself are looking for a creative club in the wind, we’ve assembled a selection of options that can work for almost any golfer.

The Ping iCrossover is the only utility iron on the market that offers consumer-level adjustability on par with fairway woods and hybrids, which makes it a great choice for those looking to dial in their launch conditions depending on course.

The Titleist U505 offers hybrid-level forgiveness and ball speed in a club that resembles a more traditional (yet slightly larger) long iron.

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