Equipment

2018 GolfWRX Holiday Gift Guide

Published

5 years ago

Nov 28, 2018

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 hopefully receive) the very best golf gifts on the planet. These gift ideas will suit any budget, and each item was hand-picked by our staff.

This year, we’re doing something a little different with the guide. Instead of having one writers contribute to the guide, we have three distinct voices to share their opinions.

Brian Knudson: Equipment Expert, Podcast Host

The RJCP Wedge Anvil Pro: $299

I love to stamp wedges. This anvil is machined from aluminum, can handle right or left handed heads, and has magnets to lock the wedge in place. This anvil also lets you more safely stamp parts of the wedge, like the sole!

Buy here.

Champ 3 Bulk Hotmelt Gun: $700

If you aren’t weighting your woods and some hybrids with hotmelt, then Santa is bringing you nothing but coal! The Champ 3 is the hotmelt gun that is on every tour truck out there each week. It will last forever and offers precise amounts to dial in the swingweight of most woods and hybrids. Add some bulk hotmelt and a 3″ nozzle to complete the kit and you are ready to go!

Buy here.

Vessel Custom Deluxe Staff Bag: $650

I love having golf stuff that is unique and a custom golf bag is right up my alley. I wanted mine to promote a certain podcast that I am a big fan of, cough…..Two Guys Talking Golf…cough. They offer the ability to get a golf bag in just about any color you could want and I can even spice it up with my name or a logo!

Buy here.

Club Conex Uni-Fit: $300 (5 head, 10 shaft adapters)

I try out WAY too many clubs and shafts each year and it is a pain pulling shafts and OEM adaptors. Club Conex Uni-Fit system would allow me to use a single adaptor every shaft, but also allowing it to work with any head! And the best part is the Uni-Fit system still provides all the adjustment of loft and lie the OEM adaptor has! Perfect for gearheads like me who head to the range with multiple shafts and heads.

Buy here.

BB&F Ferrules: $40

Boyd Blade & Ferrule Co. make some really beautiful custom ferrules to match any style. If you want to add a little flair to your next iron build you have to check out the color combinations they have available. And with clever names like “Tealy Dan,” “Grimace,” and “Turrible Ferrule,” it makes them that much more desirable. If I don’t find 2 sets of “Sante Fe” ferrules in my stocking I will be pretty sad.

Buy here.

Ben Alberstadt: Editor-in-chief

TecTecTec ULT-X laser rangefinder: $249.99

TecTecTec’s most advanced model to-date, the ULT-X, continues the company’s trend of affordable rangefinders. Distance measurement within 1/2 yard up to 600 yards (and within one yard up to 1,000 yards), vibration when locking onto the flag, the ULT-X has everything you want in a rangefinder for a great price.

Buy here.

Big Max DRI LITE G: $199

A water-resistant full-size stand bag that belies its capacity with a weight of less than 4 ½ lbs. A 14-way divider separates the 9” top giving plenty of room for a full set of clubs. Just a great all-around stand bag, and if you buy one this holiday season, Big Max will throw in an Aqua U.V. umbrella.

Buy here.

ECCO Men’s GOLF LUX: $300

A deviation from the sneaker-style shoes that are omnipresent on tour these days. High-quality leather upper and lining with a micro perforated interior for breathability. Proprietary Fluidform technology, and plenty of bells and whistles, yes, but just look at these things.

Buy here.

Sugarloaf Social Club/Mackenzie No. 4 Sunday Bag: $698

SSC + Mackenzie + Pinehurst yields this superb handcrafted golf bag. A singular Mack bag that dovetails perfectly with a historic golf spot.

Buy here.

Rocket Tour Headcovers: $39 – 43

Hand-crafted and finished personally by founder Helena Stanton in Boulder, CO., Rocket Tour headcovers offer the classic knit-style design that’s been popular for decades. The hybrid cover (pictured) is particularly cool.

Buy here.

Johnny Wunder: Director of Original Content

Bushnell Hybrid rangefinder: $399

The industry standard, Bushnell’s new Hybrid uses both laser and GPS for optimum precision.

Buy here.

Set of Artisan Golf wedges: Price varies

We’ve covered Artisan’s wares extensively, so you should be familiar with Mike Taylor and company’s work. A set of wedges from the Texas-based company is like fine jewelry for the golfer on your list.

Buy here.

True Knit x Linksoul shoes: $148

Limited edition kicks from True Linkswear in collaboration with Linksoul, these knit shoes are designed to be worn on course or off.

Buy here.

Malbon Golf Shinnecock Dancing Buckets Headcover: $135

Malbon’s 2018 U.S. Open-inspired headcovers are a riff on the traditional Malbon logo –and things of beauty.

Buy here.

FlightScope Mevo: $499

Five words. Portable. Personal. Affordable. Launch monitor. See our review here for more info.

Buy here.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

16 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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