Equipment
Tour equipment junkies rejoice! TaylorMade opens “The Vault”
Last year, we discussed TaylorMade not selling the equipment that its professional staff use on Tour. And if you’re a GolfWRX forum junkie, you’ve likely seen this topic debated for years on our site.
Well, for those of you looking to get your hands on legitimate tour-issued clubs directly from TaylorMade, the wait is over. Or, more precisely, the wait has begun to see what the TaylorMade Vault holds.
The Vault (accessible here) is essentially an online store within the TaylorMade website. At undefined intervals, the company will release a limited amount of tour equipment.
As TMag’s website states:
The Vault holds rare, and collectable TaylorMade equipment you don’t come across every day. We’re talking about prototypes, limited-runs, one-offs and the occasional custom-build for a Tour pro. Most were built in our Tour Department in Carlsbad, California or our rolling, 18-wheel workshop that travels the PGA Tour. Quantities are always limited, so check back often and act fast.
So, that’s what The Vault is in theory. Let’s take a look at what it has looked like (and will continue to look like) in practice.
The Carlsbad-based company has already released an ATV prototype wedge and a very cool Ghost Tour prototype Monte Carlo 72 comparable to the model Jason Day used to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play earlier this year.
Upcoming releases include the following.
SLDR Tour Head: April 8
The head is lighter in weight than the standard SLDR, allowing a player to keep the club’s total weight down when using a heavier shaft. It appears price for this head has not yet been determined.
R1 V2 TP Head: April 1: $300
Again, like the SLDR head, the R1 head is lighter in order to accommodate a tour spec shaft. 
Itsy Bitsy Tour Prototype Putter: April 1: $350
As TMag’s Vault page indicates, “It’s not often a putter comes to you straight from the TaylorMade Tour department, and this face-balanced beauty is as rare as it is distinct in design.”
Tour Preferred MC Onset Irons (2011): Available Now: $1,200
When TaylorMade released the TP MC in 2011, Tour pros love the feel and workability of the club, however, as the company states, “a number of pros made a request: Give us the same head minus the offset.” Here is the result, available for your purchase.
TaylorMade junkies and lovers of all things tour issue will be champing at the bit to see what comes out of The Vault next, to be sure.
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head
From the seller: (@lasallen): “For sale is a BRNR mini 11.5 deg head only in brand new condition. $325 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.
From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.
Specs/ Additional Details
-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)
-Original Anser Design
-PING PP58 Grip
-Putter is built to standard specs.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.
The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.
On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.
Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.
At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.
“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.
“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.
“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.”
In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.
On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.
According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.
“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.”
See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here.
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KK
Sep 6, 2015 at 11:51 am
Honestly, looks like mostly old tour stuff gathering dust that TM wants to unload. But hey, more options is a good thing for golfers.
Larry
Mar 29, 2014 at 6:27 am
A few years ago on Vacation in Vegas I was playing with 3 young men that were all hitting the same driver…on the 16 hole they ask me if I would like to hit their driver…. it was a tour van (kids brother worked for Taylormade) made driver, when he handed it to me I could feel the most balanced club I ever felt…swing easy I was told and again wow, yes even a duffer like me could feel and see a huge difference… if you ever get a chance to hit a real “tour” club you will see we are buying some real junk off the rack….
Mad-Mex
Mar 26, 2014 at 10:17 pm
So riddle me this Batman,,,,,,,,,,,, this equipment wont do me a bit of good unless,,,,my swing matches what this equipment was built for? And second, unlike other equipment, value will just,,,,,drop and become nothing more than a “look what I got” conversation piece?
Please enlighten me if I am way off,,,,,,,,
Nick
Mar 26, 2014 at 4:42 pm
If they actually begin to catch up to more current equipment, which it seems they are getting closer with the latest release of the SLDR coming, this will be very intriguing. If they continue to be months and even years behind the actual release it’s a total waste of everyone’s time.
Charlie
Mar 26, 2014 at 4:41 pm
You guys are forgetting tour issue stuff on the black market has zero warranty. Hopefully with these prices full warranty will be in effect!
LorenRobertsFan
Mar 26, 2014 at 4:14 pm
This will be a fail. Anyone who pays $1300 for TM irons is crazy, and this stuff is so much cheaper to buy elsewhere. And most of these are old models? That’s a slap in the face by a company that always tell us that their latest and greatest is so much better than previous models
Double Mocha Man
Mar 26, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Just bought a tour-issue, COR tested Taylormade driver off ebay.
leftright
Mar 27, 2014 at 11:26 am
Buy an Adams XTD and save money. Better driver, better quality and more technology. Heck, Justin Honea from Adams is the guy behind SLDR anyway. Best business decision in golf was TM buying Adams and the only reason TM has a slot in it’s club. Adams owns that patent for 17 years.
John
Mar 31, 2014 at 9:59 am
I agree it was a good idea, it puts a quality manufacturer behind a quantity manufacturer…where you’re slightly off though is the patent…I’m not sure how long they hold the patent for the slot, but it is irrelevant…companies can license that technology from them if they like, in some cases without a licensing contract…the reason other companies don’t is because there are better ways to maximize COR in metal woods, so the rest if the industry is allowing tmag/Adams to have that as their “claim to fame” because it doesn’t really provide any real benefits that others can achieve in other ways…taylormade/Adidas is a global marketing company first, golf oem second….they market the crap out of their equipment so that you (hypothetically) buy their stuff before you even hit it…someone gains one yard on a drive, they say to themselves “oh well I’m not that good so I can’t expect a whole 17 yards everytime, so I’ll take it!!!” Then they’re taylormade suckers for life…I used to work in the industry, and my god do I wish I could tell you all the cost to taylormade of manufacturing one club, it would blow your minds…btw I am no taylormade hater, I’ve used an r9 3 and 5 wood since they came out, and a couple drivers since, I just like understanding how things work and made it a point to figure out the hype behind taylormade, as well as the “haters” because I hear the word “fanboy” religiously on this site and it makes me cringe everytime I hear it mostly because it just sounds childish and dumb, but they are “fanboys” because taylormade molded them that way, consciously or subconsciously, they were dooped into brand loyalty for the wrong reasons…”Sweet, now I can by the same club DJ plays?!”…gets out credit card and pays $60o for a stock “tour club”…there is no difference other than they spend more time balancing the club and hotmelting the face, both of which have always been available to the public if you get a real custom fit
Rich
Mar 26, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Played TM at one time till I found out from a TM endorsed player that my “tour” irons weren’t even made of the same steel let alone the same design. Was I naive, absolutely. But coming from the tennis world where the equipment is the same construction for the same model, that was completely unacceptable. This isn’t a surprise move. TM has always had a “we know what’s best for you and it happens to be more profitable” stance on equipment. “But we’ll paint them white so they’ll feel like pros.”
johnleg
Mar 27, 2014 at 7:11 pm
every company does that, derp.
KK
Sep 6, 2015 at 11:49 am
Just because someone has an equipment endorsement doesn’t mean he suddenly becomes an equipment engineer and expert. The vast majority of pros choose equipment based on feel and ball flight and know/care very little about the tech because honestly, it doesn’t matter all that much to their games. Pro V1X, DG X100, blades or AP2/AP2 equivalent, Scotty or Odyssey, TM/Titleist/Ping driver. Bam, that’s like 98% of all PGA wins. The different is in the fitting. Most guys are too cheap to go for a normal fitting. I doubt they (or you) would pony up for a tour fitting which is probably worth a few grand at least. And you don’t have a pro’s game. Why do you even want the exact same equipment that pros play?
Gerard
Mar 26, 2014 at 6:15 am
Would love to see the comments change tune if a Titleist or a Ping did this…
Mike
Mar 27, 2014 at 4:42 am
of course they do, we’d be naive to think they didn’t.
Chuck
Mar 25, 2014 at 10:24 pm
Bookmarked.
Curt
Mar 25, 2014 at 6:53 pm
Come on TM. Dont put left over, old product, in the Vault. It has to be current for this to be of value to the consumer, otherwise, its just a BS way to capitalize on stuff that cant be used by pros or TMAG.
Only newbie idiots will fall for that BS……………
steve
Mar 25, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Seems like this is not current tour issued equipment, except for the sldr
Blake
Mar 25, 2014 at 4:29 pm
I think this is great. I have been gaming r9 460 and r9 supertri tour issue heads for a year now (i switch back and forth between 8.5 and 10.5 degrees of loft depending on conditions). I can definitively say my tour issue heads spin significantly less than the retail r9 heads I previously owned. My swing weights also feel much better with the tour issue heads given i was fit for a 77 gram vts shaft. Tour issue heads aren’t for everyone but can make a big difference in the right person’s bag.
mike
Mar 25, 2014 at 4:16 pm
seems to me like they’re just pushing clubs that are left over tour issue models
Dumb
Mar 25, 2014 at 3:24 pm
WOW. I can pay double for pretty much the exact same product.
J
Mar 25, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Overpriced equipment that can be had for cheaper on the street.
Bravo.