News
2017 GolfWRX Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year again, GolfWRX members… the moment we start filling our wish lists with the golf gear we want this holiday season.
The GolfWRX Holiday Gift Guide was created to ensure that our readers give (and receive) the very best golf gifts on the planet. And whether that special person you’re buying for is into apparel, equipment, technology or cool accessories, our Holiday Gift Guide has you covered. These gift ideas will suit any budget, and each item was hand-picked by our staff.
When you’re done reading, be sure to pass the link along to drop a not-so-subtle hint of what you really want this holiday season.
Uther Tour Towel: $24.99
The first golf towel the golfer on your list will actually be excited about receiving. Uther has a wealth of cool designs, but we’re partial to the large 20 x 40-inch Flamingo Lake Tour Towel.
Sunfish The Declaration headcover (fairway wood): $59.99
We like the idea of making a statement with one of your wood or hybrid headcovers. There are fewer cooler statement designs than one of the greatest statements in world history: the Declaration of Independence.
True Linkswear Originals: $149
If you haven’t heard, True linkswear has returned to its spikeless roots with a vengeance this year. Whether the golfer on your list prefers a more traditional style or something more sporty, the Originals will satisfy.
A dozen custom Titleist Pro V1s: $56.99
Titleist’s My ProV1 custom creation portal keeps getting cooler. We’re partial to the new holiday graphic options. Custom number + more than 200 logo/icon options + personalization of three lines per side = the best custom ball holiday gift.
Imperial Headwear Ugly Visor: $40
You’ve heard of the ugly Christmas sweater. Take that concept and apply it to a tour visor from Imperial Headwear. Enough said. Plus, Imperial is running a “Black Friday Buy More, Save More Sale” through Sunday.
Bushnell Pro X2: $499
A top-of-the-line rangefinder with bells and whistles aplenty for the demanding golfer on your list.
TecTecTec VPRO500: $149.99
If you don’t want to pony up 500 bucks, here’s an excellent rangefinder at a reasonable price. Measures up to 540 yards and is accurate within one yard. And 20 percent off through November 27!
Sugarloaf Social Club Pimento Pack: $125
The folks at Sugarloaf Social Club have done it again. Their latest offering: The Pimento Pack, featuring SSC’s signature pimento loafwich. Pack includes: Made in the USA dancing pimento putter cover. Olive five-panel cap w/ pimento logo embroidered on front panel. Made in the USA club towel.
The First Major by John Feinstein: $16.99
Feinstein’s latest. Like the dust jacket says: “a dramatic chronicle of the bitterly-fought 2016 Ryder Cup pitting a U.S. team out for revenge against the Europeans determined to keep the Cup out of American hands.” If you’re buying a book, make it this one.
Holderness & Bourne Robbins Long Sleeve Heathered Claret: $125
Holiday red? Sunday red? H&B’s Robbins Long Sleeve Heathered Claret layer feels like a sweatshirt but looks like a sweater. Wearable on course and off. The golfer on your list will appreciate the versatility of this garment in contrast to getting the proverbial “another sweater.”
Linksoul Professor Art Print: $65
A touch classic. A touch modern. A great golf print that’ll satisfy a range of tastes.
Golftec Silver Holiday Package: $295
We end with the gift of better golf (in the form of a Golftec gift package). Boasting a 95 percent success rate, GolfTec students improve their games. The company is offering a range of holiday options, but we like the Silver Package, which includes an evaluation, lesson, practice session, and custom fitting.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Equipment
Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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chinchbugs
Nov 24, 2017 at 1:42 pm
I was on the fence about shanking it…. and then I saw the GolfTec idea (promo)…
Don
Nov 25, 2017 at 12:14 pm
My first shank ever. Terrible list. This is the best stuff out there? Wow.
Ben Alberstadt
Nov 25, 2017 at 2:48 pm
Sorry you feel that way. Don’t hesitate to share some better ideas with the readership.
Jon
Nov 27, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Some people may find that to be a great gift. I don’t see what the problem is, promo or not.