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7 times the auto industry influenced new golf equipment

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Golf clubs and cars. Not much in common except you use a car’s trunk to transport golf clubs to the course, right? Not so fast…

Ignoring the obvious size and price differences, the two things do have similarities, and more than they can both technically “drive.” Cars and golf clubs are designed to be aerodynamic, and for that reason we see similarities in their styling. After all, engineers have similar tasks with high-performance cars and clubs, notably, making them faster and more efficient. That’s why we hear many of the same trigger words in both worlds, including MOI (moment of inertia), a measure of twisting and turning, and CG (center of gravity), a measure of weight distribution in relation to the center of mass.

It’s only right, therefore, that car companies and golf club companies align themselves in the marketplace, even if it’s just for one-off products. Below, I take a look at golf clubs that were inspired by or made in collaboration with the auto industry.

Bentley gets into golf clubs

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Bentley Golf stopped us in our tracks at the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show in January, where myself and others took the time to drool over the Bentley on the show floor, and look at this… Bentley-inspired clubs!

While you can get a set for around $2,000, the full custom fitting experience, which includes custom shafts made just for you, will run you about $100,000. That’s a lot of zeroes. Would you rather own the car or the clubs? If you’re thinking about your budget, then neither are for you. See more Bentley Golf photos here.

Ferrari and Cobra

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Before Callaway’s drivers were made with input from Boeing, these limited-edition Cobra drivers were made with input from Ferrari’s aerodynamic experts. And as you’d expect, the influence of the Italian supercar brand drove the price of a driver to $2,000, roughly five times as much as the average Cobra driver at the time.

The Ferrari driver was designed using the Cobra ZL driver platform, and came equipped with a Ti 6-4 face with carbon fiber on the crown and sole, according to Golf.com. It was said to produce 1-3 mph more ball speed than the ZL, but never made its way to the PGA Tour, although Ferrari fanatic Ian Poulter tested it extensively.

Cobra’s Ferrari driver was released along with a collection of putters, hats, jackets, shirts and other overpriced items.

Mercedes AMG golf clubs

MercedesBenzGolfClubsAMGBefore Bentley Golf drove onto the floor at the 2016 PGAM Show, Mercedes Benz rolled out a line of golf equipment at the show in 2012.

WSH Inc. acquired permissions to use the Mercedes Benz logo in its production of the line, which included drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters. The drivers ($399) and woods were made in conjunction with aerodynamics specialists at the company, and employed “Venturi Channels” used to “to manipulate airflow whereby a funnel is created as air flows through the vehicle, and is constricted, and as it flows out…a jet effect is created,” according to an article from Golf Digest.

Click here to see more photos of the Mercedes AMG.

Callaway and Lamborghini 

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Lamborghini and Callaway combined forces in 2010 and developed a high-strength, lightweight material called “Forged Composite” that was used in both Lamborghini’s cars and Callaway’s drivers. The collaboration yielded the Callaway RAZR Hawk and Diablo Octane drivers, which boasted a lower CG thanks to the lighter material.

Callaway continues to use its Forged Composite construction to this day, although its new XR 16 Sub Zero driver debuted a new composite construction called “Carbon Triax” that the company says is lighter.

Kinsler races into putters

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Kinsler Fuel Injection is a company that makes engine parts for race cars. James Kinsler, son of the company founder, used his mechanical engineering expertise and love of golf to start a golf company called Kinsler putters.

Its first run of putters feature a strong visual influence from the automotive industry, as you’d expect, with its curves and anodized finish. The alignment slot has an uncanny resemblance to a hot wheels track, as well. Read more about Kinsler’s putters here.

A Grand Theft Auto golf club?

GrandTheftAutoIron

I know, this isn’t inspired by an actual automobile. But this 5-iron designed after the Grand Theft Auto V video game — which featured a fictional “Los Santos Golf Club” — is pretty cool. The club can currently be found on eBay for around $250.

Willie Nelson’s Rolls Royce Golf Cart 

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OK, it’s technically not a golf club, but I wanted it on the list. Country music star Willie Nelson once had his 1981 Rolls Royce replica Golf Cart seized by the IRS, and it was auctioned in 2012 for about $4,200. The cart had a mini bar, radio, head lights, turn signals and of course, the iconic look of a Rolls Royce. It now sits in the Kingman Museum on Route 66 in Arizona.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Jeff

    Jun 26, 2016 at 1:05 am

    How about the Porsche Design JC Grind Irons truly item of beauty and distinction http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/ySEAAOSwpDdVetb7/$_3.JPG

  2. Frank

    Jun 24, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    I stopped reading at “myself and others took the time…”, written by someone with a degree in journalism.

    • Steve S

      Jun 24, 2016 at 10:10 pm

      Frank, ya beat me too it. This is a product of our great colleges….

      • Steve S

        Jun 24, 2016 at 10:13 pm

        Then I use the wrong “to”. Of course I have an excuse “I r an injeneer”.

  3. Tex

    Jun 24, 2016 at 8:23 pm

    What about the Porsche Driver from the early 2000s? That thing was awesome!

  4. Forsbrand

    Jun 24, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    Pininfarina of Ferrari fame influenced a set of mizuno woods and irons around 1992

  5. Shallowface

    Jun 24, 2016 at 3:43 pm

    When I saw a club called Mercedes AMG, it occurred to me that many of today’s golf clubs look like they could have been designed by AMC (of Pacer and Gremlin infamy).

  6. M Sizzle III

    Jun 24, 2016 at 9:08 am

    I think the title of the article is misleading. Physics influenced the car industry, and the golf industry, but I don’t see a lot of cross-pollination between the two industries. I haven’t seen gull-wing doors on golf bags, chrome drivers, spoilers on 3 woods, etc… Perhaps, re-title the article to be “7 times the Auto Industry Tried to Relate to the Golf Industry”

  7. Michael_Germany

    Jun 24, 2016 at 8:45 am

    Hi Andrew,

    prior to the Mercedes AMG venture, there was a Williams Sports golf project. Not sure, if it’s still alive, but they had a following in the Asian market IIRC. They released the product two or three years prior to the AMG golf clubs.

    Regards
    Michael

  8. Milo

    Jun 24, 2016 at 8:36 am

    I want the Kinsler putter

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Equipment

Most forgiving Players irons? – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, our members have been discussing Players irons. WRXer ‘NorthTXGolf’ is on the hunt for some new irons but is putting a priority on forgiveness, and has reached out to fellow members who have been sharing their thoughts and advice on the subject in our forum.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • Sam217: “i230 has got to be one of the most forgiving players irons available. Cobra King Tour another. Don’t sleep on the New Level 480 DB coming out soon.”
  • RangeBaller: “ZX5/ZX7 and i230 should definitely be in your testing pool.”
  • YAMS49: “Another I210 homie here… Very highly recommended if you want/need spin and a consistent yardage.”
  • golf-RN: “I second the Cobra King Tour irons. I am not the greatest ballstriker by any stretch of the imagination and I find the King Tours very forgiving. Toe strikes might lose 5 or 6 yards with no directional loss. You definitely feel the miss though lol but mishits from the center aren’t punished too hard regarding distance.”

Entire Thread: “Most forgiving Players irons? – GolfWRXers discuss”

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Whats in the Bag

Adam Scott WITB 2024 (May)

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  • Adam Scott what’s in the bag accurate as of the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. 

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 TX

 

Driver: TaylorMade BRNR (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees), TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 9 X, Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 9 X

7-wood: TaylorMade Stealth (21 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI Black 9 X

Irons: Srixon ZX Mk II (3), Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4), Srixon ZX7 Mk II (5), Srixon Z-Forged II (6-9)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI Hybrid 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 54-08M), SM9 (LW), WedgeWorks (LW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-54), S400 (LW)

Putter: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Proto

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

See the rest of Adam Scott’s WITB in the forums.

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Whats in the Bag

Pierceson Coody WITB 2024 (April)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (3), TaylorMade P7MC (4-6), and TaylorMade P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 54-11SB, 58-08LB)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Reserve Juno

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

Check out more in-hand photos of Pierceson Coody’s WITB here.

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