Making the Hot List — Official Terms & Conditions 

Contest Overview 

Golf Digest, in partnership with Rapsodo and Golf Galaxy, is offering golfers the opportunity to become a 2026 Golf Digest Hot List Club Tester through the “Making the Hot List” contest. The contest runs from May 2, 2025 to August 1, 2025 and is designed to identify passionate, thoughtful golfers who can test and evaluate new equipment during the Golf Digest Hot List Summit. 

Eligibility

To be eligible, participants must: 

  • Be legal residents of the United States 
  • Be 18 years or older as of May 2, 2025 
  • Carry a USGA Handicap Index between +2.0 and 16.4 
  • Play golf right-handed 
  • Possess or create a valid Dick’s Sporting Goods or Golf Galaxy Scorecard ID 
  • Own or have access to a Rapsodo MLM2PRO or MLM1 launch monitor 
  • Be physically fit to hit golf balls for 6–8 hours daily over four consecutive days 
  • Be available the last week of October or first week of November 2025 to attend the 2026 Hot List Summit (venue will be communicated at later date) 

Employees of Rapsodo, Warner Bros. Discovery, Golf Digest, Golf Galaxy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and their respective affiliates, as well as their immediate family members, are not eligible to enter.

Entry Process 

Step 1: Sample Club Review (May 2 – June 1, 2025) 

  • Visit a participating Golf Galaxy store. Golf Galaxy store listings can be found here: Golf Galaxy Store Locator  
  • Test two drivers from the 2025 Golf Digest Hot List in the hitting bay (based on availability). 
  • Write a maximum 50-word review of each club. 

Step 2: Stamina Test (June 1 – June 30, 2025) 

  • Conduct a 60-minute ball-hitting session using a Rapsodo MLM2PRO or MLM1. 
  • Sync your swing data to your R-Cloud Member platform so you may export the file for contest submission. 

Step 3: Submission (By July 1, 2025) 
Email the following materials to MakingTheHotList@WBD.com: 

  • The two club reviews (max 50 words each) 
  • Exported Session File (.csv) showing the data captured during the 60-minute (~60 ball range) session. (File should be exported from R-Cloud) 
  • A short bio (50 words), including: 
  • Name, age, hometown, handicap index, and photo 

Step 4: Interview Round (July 14 – July 18, 2025) 
Up to 10 finalists will be selected and invited to complete video interviews with Golf Digest editors. 

Step 5: Winners Announced (August 1, 2025) 
Up to three winners will be announced and invited to participate as official testers at the 2026 Golf Digest Hot List Summit. 

Selection Criteria

Finalists and winners will be selected based on: 

  • Review quality and thoughtfulness 
  • Consistency and completeness of Rapsodo session data 
  • Ability to clearly express equipment insights 
  • Interview performance and communication skills 
  • Availability and physical capability to meet testing requirements 

Selection is not guaranteed and is made at the sole discretion of Golf Digest editorial staff. 

General Conditions

By entering the contest, participants agree to: 

  • Be bound by these Terms & Conditions 
  • Abide by all decisions of the contest organizers 
  • Be available for all contest-related communications and interviews 
  • Allow use of submitted content for editorial or promotional purposes 

No purchase necessary to enter. Contest is void where prohibited. 

Legal Notice

By participating, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Rapsodo, Inc., Warner Bros. Discovery, Golf Digest, Golf Galaxy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., and their affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, and employees from any and all claims or liability arising from participation in the contest, including but not limited to: 

  • Personal injury 
  • Property damage 
  • Publicity rights 
  • Defamation 
  • Invasion of privacy 

Entrants further agree that submitted content, including images, reviews, bios, and data, may be used by the organizers for promotional, editorial, marketing, and educational purposes, without compensation, unless prohibited by law. 

Rapsodo is not responsible for any technical errors, lost data, or participant device failures that affect the contest submission or performance tracking. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring their Rapsodo device is functioning and synced during the contest.