Equipment
Vokey adds SM5 raw wedges to WedgeWorks
Titleist has expanded its Vokey SM5 wedge line with the addition of a new raw finish, which is a favorite of many PGA Tour players.
[quote_box_center]“Raw means there is no additional finish applied to the wedge, which is made of 8620 carbon steel,” said Bob Vokey, the company’s master wedge craftsman. “It has what I like to call a satin appearance that will start to rust after some use.”[/quote_box_center]
The raw-finished wedges were only available through the Titleist Tour Van or the Vokey Tour Department in the past, but they’re now available to the masses for purchase through the company’s WedgeWorks program on Vokey.com for $180 and up, depending on custom options.
Raw wedge heads are used on the PGA Tour to give club makers the ability to customize the sole, shape and weight of the club to a specific player’s needs, but they’re also preferred by players because of their look and feel. Because there is no finish on the clubs, they will rust over time, creating a unique, glare-free look.
[quote_box_center]”Some players like it even more as it rusts, kind of like a trusty hammer or another tool,” Vokey said.[/quote_box_center]
The raw SM5 wedges are offered in four lofts (54, 56, 58 and 60) and three of Vokey’s most popular sole grinds (S, M and K) creating 10 different configurations. Through WedgeWorks, golfers can also customize the wedges with personal stampings and up to six characters, as well as one of 12 paintfill options. A selection of custom grips, shafts, shaft bands and ferrules are also available.
Like Vokey’s retail SM5 wedges, which are offered in three finishes (Tour Chrome, Gold Nickel and Raw Black), the SM5 raw wedges have the company’s Spin Milled TX3 grooves.
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Whats in the Bag
Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)
- Chesson Hadley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5
- The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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LukasM
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:34 am
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Insurance
Jul 10, 2015 at 6:53 pm
Just. No. The price point for this club is way off the mark. High-volume cast-stamped steel with an upcharge finish? The std wedges are already way overpriced for what they are and now this? Come on Titleist. Gives us tour-grade forged wedges and charge $180, we might just take it.
I will say it looks cool. So they got that part right.
Clemson Sucks
Jul 10, 2015 at 9:37 am
They’ve actually started offering many different bounce/grind combinations in the SM5’s. And they’re wedges.. What do expect?
John Daly
Jul 10, 2015 at 12:41 am
No thanks on $180 wedge that is a rusting pos.
Rwj
Jul 8, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Wedge that is $180 a piece. Cast 8620 steel that size is very cheap, the labor price is high, but hand grinding a wedge is not a two hour process, so not significant. The price comes from the titleist name and brand. The company has a large number of senior vp, then vp’s, then directors, then managers, etc. the overhead is outrageous
Matto
Jul 9, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Doesn’t explain the fact that all (now) 4 Sm5’s are made from the same steel. 3 get get a final process, Chrome, Nickel, Black.
The last of the 4 gets no final process yet somehow costs $50 more.
It’s a rort, pure & simple.
This is a wedge that people can have and now think, “yeah, I got one like Adam Scott & Spetih.” (Looks great though!!!!)
Matto
Jul 8, 2015 at 7:42 pm
Or you could buy mine, all listed online at the moment. 46,50,54,58.
Ping Glides for me now. ????????
Brian T
Jul 8, 2015 at 6:14 pm
Pay an extra $50 for them to not apply an extra manufacturing step? Am I missing something? If anything they should cost less.
Rich
Jul 9, 2015 at 7:31 am
+1
jgpl001
Jul 8, 2015 at 5:11 pm
DAMN I just bought 2 Gold Nickel Vokeys last week because I got tired waiting for a raw version…
How could Titleist not offer the raw version retail from day one???
Clemson Sucks
Jul 8, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Or, you could save $50 by buying the wedge in raw black, then strip the finish off…
Chuck
Jul 9, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Have you actually done that? I recall the process for easily stripping the “Oil Can” finish off Vokeys some years ago, with household products.
But isn’t the black some sort of anodizing? How do you get that off, if it is electroplated on? Of course one way to get it off would be to hit 5,000 bunker shots with it. And the side benefit is that you’d be the best bunker player in your Saturday morning foursome.
But seriously, how do you strip the black finish off?
Clemson Sucks
Jul 10, 2015 at 9:33 am
http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1042473-vokey-sm5-removing-black-finish-down-to-raw-a-how-to-pic-heavy/
Chuck
Jul 10, 2015 at 12:22 pm
How did I ever miss that thread? It’s brilliant; thanks for posting the link.
Steve
Jul 8, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Never liked vokeys, just always felt harsh.
Rusty
Jul 9, 2015 at 11:45 am
Try hitting the ball in the sweetspot. Then they feel like butter 😉
Andrew
Jul 8, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Why no 46/48 or 50??
John Aiello
Jul 8, 2015 at 12:55 pm
You didn’t say when the were going to become available.
Clemson Sucks
Jul 8, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Says they are coming soon, on the website.
Terry Shell PGA
Jul 8, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Finally raw wedges without hand ground price. Now we need the “j” and “e” grinds.
me
Jul 8, 2015 at 12:52 pm
So the standard SM5 are $130, but the “process” of NOT adding a finish to the club adds an additional $50 to the price tag?
Matt
Jul 8, 2015 at 3:20 pm
Supply and demand, baby. Supply and demand.
Rwj
Jul 8, 2015 at 8:47 pm
Doubt fits into supply demand concept. I imagine there are plenty who want finished wedges as much as raw, so demand is probably the same. Supply, the raw wedges are every wedge, finish is added to the raw state, so supply is constant
BustyMagoo
Jul 8, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Yah so we’re paying more for less. It does suck but that is indeed supply and demand. Either way, I’m over paying high prices for clubs.
Chuck
Jul 9, 2015 at 2:12 pm
It’s a fair point! Why pay more, for less?
I haven’t bought a Wedgeworks wedge yet; are there things offered with Wedgeworks clubs that can’t be had with other Vokeys? Shafts? Grinds? Stamping?
Chuck
Jul 8, 2015 at 12:48 pm
Looks like Vokey is reading GolfWRX.com, and I propose to reward Vokey with the purchase of a raw SM5!
Next up; new Vokey remakes of the 400 series wedges. Let’s do this!
Jon443
Jul 8, 2015 at 7:52 pm
The new sm6 look very similar to the 400 series. You will love them if your a 400 lover.