Opinion & Analysis
How to build an intimidating bag of clubs
It’s said that scratch golfers are among the top 1 percent of golfers worldwide. They are the Sasquatches of the golf world — often heard about, but seldom seen or played with. Some people think you can recognize these golfers not just by their fluid swings, soft touch around the greens and rhythmic putting strokes. According to a lot of golfers, most good golfers can be recognized with a simple peak into the bag to see what clubs they are playing.
There’s something telling about a golfer’s bag and the clubs in it. Maybe it’s the wear spots on the irons and how old the wedges are. Is there a classic club in there? A Titleist 905R driver perhaps? Does he or she have an old Ping Anser style putter, or rusty Cleveland 588 wedge?
We all play this game because we want to be that golfer, the one who no one wants to play against, the golfer who makes every 5-foot putt he or she looks at and the one who can get up and down from anywhere. It’s time to be honest, though. There’s a solid chance that golfer is never going to be you. You work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have a wife and children. You aren’t the golf Sasquatch, you just use a Nike Sasquatch (not the tour model, the retail version with the Mitsubishi Rayon’s made-for yellow Diamana).
I’m not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings. Remember, the average handicap of male golfers is 16, which is a really long way from scratch.
Here’s the thing with golf though — when you’re on the course with three other people, even a fairly open course, only those three people (and possibly the three people in the group behind you) are the only ones who will ever see you hit a shot. So does it matter if you are a scratch? Maybe to some. But for most golfers, looking like a scratch golfer will be much easier and more fun that being one.
If I’ve learned one thing from golf, it’s that the golfers who look good on the course also have a tendency to play better. That’s why I’ve created a step-by-step guide on how to build an intimidating bag of clubs, one that will make you look like a scratch golfer. Getting better is up to you.
Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum.
Step 1: Bagging the right bag
Let’s start with the bag. You have a staff or cart bag you say? Great. How big is your fireplace? Go throw it in there.
I’ve played with some great players who’ve had cart bags, but that’s not the point. We want to make this a slam-dunk. You know what a cart bag says about you? It says you like to ride in a cart (and you probably drink beer during rounds too). That means you are probably not a scratch golfer.
Go buy a Ping Hoofer carry bag and thank me later. You get bonus points if you carry it during the round. I’ve never seen a bad player lug a Ping Hoofer around for 18 holes and neither have you.
Step 2: Covering those clubs
Don’t stop there while you’ve got the fire going. Here’s another piece of golf equipment that never hits a shot, but can make a world of difference in how you’re perceived by the golfing community: head covers. No scratch player is going to lose to a guy with a set of head covers that look brand new say “Rocketballz.” You can use TaylorMade RocketBallz products, mind you, just make sure to get a sock head cover for them. Put your Rocketballz under a Rocket Tour and you are in business! (If you don’t get that reference, you are probably one of the golfers that should re-read this).
If you want to take your head cover street cred a step further, drive over your head covers a few times with your car. Head covers are like jeans – they look better broken in. As for iron head covers, throw them out because no good player has ever used them. Dings are like divots — if you’re a good player, you can’t escape them.
Step 3: Choosing the right driver
First off, trade in your square driver unless your name is Lucas Glover. Ditto for any driver with a significant offset.
Great players use drivers from all makes and years, so it’s really tough to go wrong. If you want to seal the deal, though, buy a Titleist 910 driver. Great amateur players use Titleist drivers, but you don’t necessarily want it to be too “new” because that has its own implications. The 910 models are in the sweetspot — a couple of years old, but holding strong on Tour.
The aforementioned 905R is another good choice, but it’s been around so long it’s made it into a lot of hacks bags through eBay or used bins. If you have a Titleist 907 and think that’s fine, it’s not. Drive into a bad part of town and leave your door open (I am doing you a favor. You’ll just have to trust me). The 907 drivers were only created because TaylorMade got a Manchurian candidate into Titleist for two years to sabotage them. That’s at least what I read on GolfWRX.
Step 4: Picking a 3-wood
A good 3 wood needs to be old enough that you’ve hit it a lot, like a 1000 times. It also needs to look like it’s made par 5s just line up and surrender to you.
A good 3 wood is your most trusted club, but also one of the hardest clubs to hit. Scour eBay and find a TaylorMade V-Steel, the holy grail of modern 3 woods. You get bonus points if it’s beat to within inches of its life. If it isn’t, just smack it with a rock a few times so it is. Done and done. Actually, while you’re at it, make sure to get the 5 wood too, because great players don’t use hybrids. I don’t know why, but Tiger and Rory don’t use them, so that’s good enough for me.
Step 5: Bagging the proper irons
Irons present the biggest opportunity for posing of any club in the bag. Miuras might mean you are a player, but they also might mean you have a lot of money and just want to play the clubs Tiger used while with Nike, I mean … never mind.
Titleist blades? You might be one of the many 15 handicaps who actually think blades are the best way to improve. I’m not going to judge, actually no wait that’s what we are doing here. In fact that’s the whole purpose of this article. So let’s judge: I don’t trust people with blades. Some golfers with blades are great players, but some guys are trying to appear like great players. I’m trying to give you a chance to not appear like you are appearing, are you still with me here?
Here is what you do: buy a set of Mizuno MP-60s. They are tasteful and elegant forged cavity backs. No one “poses” using cavity backs, and Mizuno somehow manages to be a players club while simultaneously avoiding the pitfalls of being a magnet for wannabes. Your irons better be dinged up too, because nothing says “I like to take drops when my ball is on a root” more then pristine clubs. So bang ‘em up a bit. Scratch players punch out. Guys that get beat by scratch players use their foot wedge and say things like “leaf rule” or “root rule.”
Step 6: Adding wedges
Scratch players pretty much all play the same wedges. I’ve never met one who didn’t have a Vokey or some form of rusty Cleveland in his bag. So when you’re choosing why risk it? Get yourself one of both. I’m thinking a 53-degree rusty old Cleveland 588 and the 60-degree Vokey of your choice.
Step 7: The putter
Probably half the great players you’ll ever meet use Scotty Cameron putters. I’d guess those players make up less than half Cameron’s business, however. Horrific golfers who happen to have great wives use the rest of Cameron’s putters. If you choose to go with a Scotty it had better be an old one because the absolute truth of golf is that guys with shiny putters make absolutely nothing.
If I were choosing (and I am), I’d go with an old Ping Anser style putter. You might be thinking, “Aren’t there like a million Ping Ansers out there? Aren’t most of them in the bags of total hacks?”
The answer is yes, but an old Anser putter in the bag of a guy using MP60s and a Titleist 910 driver — there’s not too many of those. That guy isn’t missing inside 10 feet and you know it. At least that’s why you think when you see his bag.
I shouldn’t have told you all this, because guys with intimidating bags don’t lose. But just by hanging out by the putting green with your new bag, 97 out of 100 of them will think you are the best player they’ve ever seen. Impressing the other three is on you though.
The range is that a way.
Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 PGA Championship betting preview: Rising star ready to join the immortals at Valhalla
The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.
The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old.
Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades.
Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event.
The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions. All of the top players will be here gunning for the glory of a major championship with the exception of
Past Winners of the PGA Championship
- 2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
- 2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
- 2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
- 2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
- 2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
- 2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
- 2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
- 2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
- 2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Valhalla
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
1. Strokes Gained: Approach
Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.
Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Shane Lowry (+1.25)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.09)
- Jordan Smith (+1.05)
- Tom Hoge (+.96)
- Corey Conners (+.94)
2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Bryson DeChambeau (+1.47)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
- Keith Mitchell (+.90)
- Alejandro Tosti (+.89)
- Ludvig Aberg (+.82)
Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs
Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Jon Rahm (+2.56)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.35)
- Collin Morikawa (+1.79)
- Shane Lowry (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses
Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.44)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.24)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.78)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.60)
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships
One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event.
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+3.14)
- Will Zalatoris (+2.64)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.49)
- Xander Schauffele (+2.48)
- Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens
Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+1.12)
- Denny McCarthy (+1.08)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+0.99)
- Justin Rose (+0.93)
- J.T. Poston (0.87)
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways
Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds:
- Justin Thomas (+1.53)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.47)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.40)
- Brooks Koepka (+1.35)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.23)
2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%).
- Brooks Koepka
- Xander Schauffele
- Rory McIlroy
- Scottie Scheffler
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Shane Lowry
- Alex Noren
- Will Zalatoris
- Cameron Young
- Keith Mitchell
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Billy Horschel
- Patrick Cantlay
- Viktor Hovland
- Adam Schenk
- Chris Kirk
- Sahith Theegala
- Min Woo Lee
- Joaquin Niemann
- Justin Thomas
2024 PGA Championship Picks
Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)
At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.
Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.
Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024.
Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.
At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.
Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.
Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.
Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)
There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.
Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.
Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.
Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)
I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.
Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.
Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.
Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.
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In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.
At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.
It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.
And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.
I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.
But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.
If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.
To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.
There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.
Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.
The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.
First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.
And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”
So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1
- The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title
The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.
After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.
Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.
Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.
The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.
Past Winners at Quail Hollow
- 2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
- 2022: Max Homa (-8)
- 2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
- 2019: Max Homa (-15)
- 2018: Jason Day (-12)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
- 2016: James Hahn (-9)
- 2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)
Key Stats For Quail Hollow
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Corey Conners (+1.01)
- Shane Lowry (+0.93)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.82)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
- Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
- Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
- Chris Kirk (+0.52)
Proximity: 175-200
The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.
Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:
- Cameron Young (28’2″)
- Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
- Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
- Sam Burns (+30’6″)
- Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs
Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
- Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)
Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Taylor Moore (+0.82)
- Nick Dunlap (+.76)
- Wyndham Clark (+.69)
- Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
- Cam Davis (+.61)
Course History
This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.
Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):
- Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
- Justin Thomas (+1.96)
- Jason Day (+1.92)
- Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.78)
Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).
- Wyndham Clark
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Shane Lowry
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Viktor Hovland
- Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat
- Byeong Hun An
- Justin Thomas
2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks
Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)
I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.
Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.
Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.
For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.
I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.
Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)
It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.
Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.
The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.
Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.
Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.
Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)
For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.
Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.
The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.
Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.
Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)
Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.
Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.
An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.
Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.
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Alex
Mar 30, 2019 at 9:34 pm
New school scratch guys go Taylormade driver, Taylormade 3 wood, driving iron of any variety, Mizuno Jpx 900 tour, Titleist CBs, Ping S55, Callaway Apex pro, or srixons. Any poser that plays blades is a poser because the reality is the only one good enough to actually play blades is a tour player not a scratch club player. Any scratch club player is still gonna want a little forgiveness and know they aren’t gonna hit it like Greg Norman or Tiger Woods day in day out. Wedges are a toss up lots of vokeys, clevelands, and mack daddys. Never CB wedges above pitching wedge unless they play a bag full of ping or cobra and then well that takes them out of being scratch because no scratch player plays an exclusive brand through the bag except maybe Titleist…and I don’t know why because every titleist driver until the new TS2 and TS3 has sucked all the way back to the 910. Look at every free agent on tour, they don’t play one brand throughout and there is a reason for that. Putters are a mix of older Scotty’s, a banged up Odyssey, a ping anser or something that looks like trash because putter technology doesn’t matter its all about comfort. Also don’t automatically write a 2 ball off because some guys would divorce their wives before they gave up their 2004 2 ball that is a lag putting machine and automatic within 6 feet. Again scratch players aren’t automatic from 10 because if they were they’d be playing golf for money. Balls are usually heavily Pro V1 or x, chrome soft, Bridgestone, or Srixon. A few young guns will also play the TP5 and x from Taylormade, but much more rare and always under the age of 26. Clothing is also much more of a mix as very few scratch players roll up in head to toe Nike. Much more of a mixed bag of FJ, Nike, Adidas, Travis Mathew, Dunning,Puma, Greg Norman, or something basic. Anyone thats in J Lindberg or Polo is either a rich douchebag with a full set of shiny clubs and a habit of hitting on cart girls, or likes giving himself 4 mulligans a round and only posting his “good” scores… which any good players knows is stupid and will kill you in a money game. Polo golf probably means he’s a frat boy that doesn’t have enough focus or work ethic to be better than a 2. Being a scratch golfer is about grinding and just being more consistent than the people they play with. A 6 can most definitely beat a scratch…but the law of averages says a scratch will win way more rounds out of 20 because they never go above 80 and turn bad days into 77 instead of 83. Lastly a scratch golfer will not brag about being scratch because they know that while they might be a great club golfer they’d get the absolute brakes beat off them 9/10 times by the worst player on the Web.Com tour. Kind of a know your place on the food chain thing. Shoes are whatever because nobody cares and bags are Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Cobra, Srixon, or a no name brand that looks worn out…because again your bag has no impact on your game.
ben
Jan 8, 2016 at 2:10 pm
this is horrible. great job outfitting a whole bunch of people with mp60s who can’t hit them. excellent way to slow the game down. plenty of scratch golfers have used x14/x12 and eye2’s through the years. i get the point here, but what you did is detrimental to golf. maybe i’m taking it too seriously, i don’t know, but when you outfit some1 like a scratch who’s more like a 16, they start playing slowly like the typical scratch, and you just help ruin golf for us masses.
Leigh
Nov 5, 2015 at 10:31 am
Awesome article, doesn’t matter who says what, yet you have an opinion and you are clearly passionate about it, the club’s you have chosen would be very hard to beat by any golfer and if I started with those clubs I would still have them.. 905R is the better choice in my opinion tho. Just because it is non adjustable.
Thanks loved it, I always come back to this bag.
Frank Tank
Apr 26, 2015 at 3:18 pm
This article applies to old guys. Look at the young hotshot am players and they use mostly latest clubs.
Haaank
Mar 3, 2015 at 11:17 am
I don’t think I’ve ever beaten a guy with an old Adams Idea Pro A2 hybrid (beat to hell, of course).
Also, if I get to the practice green and see my opponent hitting only 3-4 footers, I know I’m in trouble.
Golfraven
Jan 7, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Just love to read this over and over again every year round. Classic!
Caine
Dec 21, 2014 at 3:56 am
Funny article. I am a +2 and get new clubs every 6 months.
Double Mocha Man
Dec 11, 2014 at 12:04 pm
As a very young (and naive) man I moved to Miami to work on my golf game. Dressed pro style, had McGregor’s, Titleist balls. Met another young guy on the first tee at the Miami Springs Golf Course… barefoot, cut-off jeans, beat up bag of clubs. He suggested a little bet. I saw easy money.
I shot a respectable 76. He shot a 67.
Lesson learned.
Oldplayer
Dec 3, 2014 at 4:37 pm
I hope you can recognize that this article is almost identical to a famous thread here on WRX. I think it was started my Mtl Jeff. He should be given compensation for this plagiarism.
Ponjo
Nov 30, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Alpha 10.5 Driver,
Tom Wishon Fairwar 3 Wood/Hybrid
Allpha Hybrid
Alpha Irins 4 – PW
Miura Wedges 51, 55 and 59.
Putter personally made by club builder no make as such
Bag Miura Tour Bag
Balls PRO V1
Yao
Oct 17, 2014 at 4:27 am
I really hope this is a troll post. I would rather pair up with someone that suck at golf and knows it than a guy that pretend he can shoot single but he can’t even drive the ball off the tee.
dan
Mar 10, 2018 at 11:40 am
Agreed. This article is the most pretentious thing I have read in a while. No wonder why golf is struggling to gain new players. Calling players, more likely new ones, “wannabes” and “hacks” really attracts people to the game. Nice job Jeff.
Beacher50
Oct 4, 2014 at 3:31 am
You forgot a couple; be the guy that every guy on the Ground Crew, the Starters, Marshalls seem to know and wave at, and smile. This says you’re on the course a lot, you could still suck, but you’re spending a lot time doing it, most likely your pretty good. Also only one kind of ball in your bag, not tons of hawked balls from the course. And having a spit set is also and indicator that you have something going in your iron game. And it never hurts to have some kind of weird rescue club in your bag. Have have my Dad’s bag and clubs, and interesting set to say the least, he was a great golfer in his prime, slowed down a bit in retirement, he always told be, beware of the guy with an odd 7 wood or long iron, and a putter that looks like he as been using his entire career.
ScooterMcTavish
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Close but no cigar.
An anser style putter is good, but the 8802 (mentioned above) or a Bullseye says “game”.
As does a 2-iron, wedges that are older than the golfer (anything that says “Dual Wedge” or “11i” is a warning), a driver that is at least 6 years old, an old bag, and blades or Eye2s for irons.
Seriously, a guy with a 2i, Eye2s, G5 driver and a bullseye is “the man”.
bradford
Aug 19, 2014 at 9:26 am
It’s really not that elusive…Realize that the scratch guys are the ones coming up the 9th when you pull up for your “early” 9AM tee time. They play early to avoid playing in the droves of “normals”, and they play together.
bradford
Aug 19, 2014 at 9:29 am
Also…16 may be the “average” hcp in some group you’ve selected, but even that is about 10-12 shot lower than the actual average score for amateur golfers. Average is around 100, which would put the average hcp closer to 26. The average golfer does not shoot 86-88.
Mark Reckling
Sep 30, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Your correct. I’m a 3.1 and always play the 1st tee slot ever day. Also work 50 hours a week. Perk of working afternoon shift lol
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Tom
Jul 24, 2014 at 11:40 am
I actually felt like I was giving something up over the last 2 years with an almost complete equipment overhaul. Granted, having a real job and a wife has taken it’s toll on my game, but here is the old followed by the new. I was a much cooler golfer in the past!
2006-2012 – Driver Ping G5 7.5 with a 1/4″ short shaft (Repainted after wife messed with my bag on the cart and it fell off when we pulled away chipping the hell out of it).
1998-2011 – Callaway Big Bertha 3 wood memphis steel shaft (Before the Warbird- had a Flat Bottom)I actually flattened the face it was hit so many times. Had to replace.
2011-Current – Titlest PT 906F2 bore through shaft ($15 and repainted in garage to get rid of 1000 sky marks from previous owner).
2000-2012 – Hogan Apex Plus Forged minimal cavity back irons w/ turned over tour velvet grips. Still love these sticks and will go back to them.
2003-2012 – ONE Wedge – Hogan Riviera 56
1997-2003 – Knock Off Panzer sand wedge with some scars in the leading edge that looked like they might have happened by hitting the curb of a sidewalk. Resembles the Eye2 wedges.
2000-2012 – Odyssey #2 with the 1st gen white hot face with the course logo that i worked at in High School printed on the toe. Also beat to snot with no cover.
1997-2011 – Jones stand bag intermittently swapped out for the Highschool bag, then a junior college ping Hoofer. Stitching finally gave out on the strap loops, but the leg system was still perfect.
2011-2012 – Replaced Jones reluctantly with a Callaway hyperlite black stand bag with the Jack Daniels Logos all over it because I won it in a captains choice tourney.
1996-Current – Red Macaw Parrot Daphnies Headcover on 3 wood. 4 years of HS golf with 1 team state championship, 1 year of Junior Co. golf, and a host of captains choice wins.
I’ve since replaced the driver with an XHot Pro, the Irons with much needed forgiving Ping i15’s and after loosing my 3 iron (Who does that?), added a cobra hybrid. However the driver is now covered by a hand made black and yellow plaid one that i made myself, and the hybrid has another hand made tweed cover. It still looks like I know something, but man did the forged hogans look good too.
Steve
Jul 15, 2014 at 9:42 pm
Great Article…It sounds like he was writing the article about me and he was at the range looking at my bag!
Taylormade SLDR 9.5 Driver
Taylormade R11s 3-Wood
Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Tour 5-wood
Mizuno MP-68’s 3-PW
Mizuno MP-10 52*
Vokey Oilcan Rusted 56* & 60* wedges
Bettinardi/Mizuno BC-4 Black and yellow Putter.
Oh and by the way I throw on the Bright Orange Puma golf shoes every once in a while. LOL
Doctor Phil
Jul 11, 2014 at 7:22 am
This article is just fantastic. Boys and girls, don’t forget the Dyna-Powered sand wedge. Just showing my age a bit. Congrats to all who encapsulated the spirit of the article.
Mike
Jun 27, 2014 at 4:12 am
haha.. i have both 3 and 5 wood V-Steel..
Ken
Jun 25, 2014 at 1:54 am
If Mr. Wonderful throws down a Dunlop X-Out on a water hole … Well … He’s just a poser.
Mithrys
Dec 17, 2013 at 12:13 am
Bumping the thread because I am curious. No one mentioned the pitching wedge. I just swapped my r7 pw for a cleveland 588. Who all still plays the stock set pw? I feel the rest of my wedges (All 588s) feel better so I swapped the pw to get a more consistent short game.
richie65
Jun 20, 2014 at 12:17 am
My 3-wood is even older……..KZG CH-1 with a stiff Dynalite. Every year for the last 9 I’ve tried to replace it, but nothing has stuck. Only an old Steelhead + 4-wood came close.
Ping L8 bag. Old.
Nike wedges…..very straight leading edge.
2-Ball. old original grip
Don’t really play more than 8-10 times a year. (3 young kids)
Holding on to an 8 hncp. I wish I could still score!
Terry Michaelson
Jun 22, 2014 at 11:14 pm
The KZG CH-1 3 wood is an awesome club. I have the Harrson low launch shaft in bight yellow. Can’t miss it Can’t replace it. KZG forged cavity backs are pretty sweet too.
russ
Dec 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm
Not a bad article, I conform to most of it. I was a scratch golfer 6 years ago but gave up due to a child coming into my life. I sold everything but last week I started back up.
Basically I have gone secondhand on the irons mizuno mp 37, I love blades and no cavity back touches them. I’d rather hit a shit blade shot than awesome cavity.
I’ve gone for TM r1 driver new club,
Titleist 913H hybrid #3 (never used them in the past hated the things but gave one a go yesterday and Christ they are awesome)do miss my TM burner 3 wood from the early 90’s though.
I still use 3 iron and don’t bother with a 3 wood.
I have secondhand ghost putter, but if I could put I would be plus 4 golfer not just scratch.
Cleveland secondhand wedge 54 degree
I use a carry bag (Cleveland)new. I played my first 18 holes on a new course yesterday and the first comment I got was about my bag and clubs within it. At the moment it’s all show though as I shot a 78 not bad for first hit but pretty shit really.
realist kenan
Sep 12, 2013 at 9:53 am
i love putting a new club in the bag and experimenting with equipment.
New technology and tinkering with your bag is a part of golf that makes it fun
Carlos
Aug 21, 2013 at 12:03 pm
This article is greatness. Thanks for sharing.
tyler
Jul 29, 2013 at 1:16 pm
This is dumb. I am pretty good player and i love putting a new club in the bag and experimenting with equipment.
New technology and tinkering with your bag is a part of golf that makes it fun.
Rixirox
Jul 11, 2013 at 6:22 am
Ho Hum. I love golf. I have a nice brand new Titleist bag and sock covers. My clubs have each earned their slot in my bag. I play for money. I don’t try to look like an intimidator. I look like “easy money” In Drag racing we call them “sleepers”. I am not laughing at your article but I am laughing all the way to the bank. New Titleist cart bag and all.
Jeffrey C Daschel
Jun 22, 2013 at 11:54 pm
Another Step- Tan your legs, only the calves need be paid any attention to. Do not, ever, allow sun-tan to form on ankles, there should be a white line, from ankle socks that go just fully past the ankles, as everyone knows no scratch golfer has ever worn no show shocks. Those are for the kids.
bradford
Jun 20, 2014 at 7:38 am
Not sure I agree here…in fact, almost all of us (not that I’m scratch) that walk wear the best socks we can get, and most of those are no-shows.
What I will agree with is that the tan line is a dead giveaway, but it’s the hands. If there’s a clearly white hand (usually left), that’s a pretty good sign that anytime the guys outside, he’s on the golf course.
Jeffrey C Daschel
Jun 22, 2013 at 11:40 pm
Great read, but the first paragraph, its peek, not peak. Hopefully that will allow more people like me with OCD to enjoy the article
manlong
Jun 3, 2013 at 1:37 am
Enjoyed your article so much. It gives pleasure to “act” like a scratch. However, the best thing to copy or “act” is how the scratch player react to their own game. Most of this scratch players I played with have great calmness during their game apart from having the equipment’s you mentioned.
GO
May 18, 2013 at 11:13 pm
You can fake it to about the 2nd shot, maybe 2nd tee . . . I’ve made mistakes on the first tee looking at bag, made mistakes looking at grip, but it doesn’t take long watching a player, . . . and it doesn’t take long to figure out a golfer that wants to look good compared to a player that wants to play good . . . and that’s when you hope the wager is auto 1downs.
Kind of sad actually that someone wants to buy status . . . it’s a parasite on our current culture, I see it with the cars my neighbors drive, and the jeans kids buy new that are already worn out (my kids too) . . . what ever happened to wearing out your own jeans, driving something that is practical, and being proud of the player you are becoming instead of the player you want to be perceived as. I’d much rather play with a 15hcp player who is learning/working it than a 15 that carries ‘the sticks’… not many winners i know that are faking it.
But I did enjoy the article, well written and aside from the Titleist affiliation accurate with my experience…. Jeff must be hanging with a bunch of All American AJGA Club Champions.
This coming from a guy who has played a bunch of golf,
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mike
Jan 15, 2013 at 1:18 am
” im trying to give you a chance to not appear like you are appearing ”
this line got me. funny stuff
mike
Jan 15, 2013 at 1:15 am
hey Jeff, this article had me in stitches. i really enjoyed this . really funny yet some weird truths in there.
keep’em coming.
TXgolfer
Dec 7, 2012 at 1:14 pm
great article, oh and shoes MUST have spikes and preferably footjoy icons. grips need to look good cuz every scratch golfer knows good grips are a must, and if not gp multi compounds then logo down. scratch golfers also dont buy a large bucket of balls and only bring their driver. if you are wondering why then youve got a lot to learn my friend
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Paul
Nov 30, 2012 at 9:00 pm
This article does not wash with me. I play a nice cart bag, with shiny Tour Edge exotic CNC forged irons, R11’s all the way around. I play to a 2 and have never thought about what I carry making any statement. I hope others view me as a poser, fine with me. They better come with game, and old clubs. And my putter is shiny too!! lol
Dannyboy
Nov 14, 2012 at 9:20 am
Also, take the decals off your iron shafts, knock in and replace your divots rather than filling them with sand and only use a tee for your driver (which you should also knock to correct height using the club)… Hoofers, 588’s and 975D’s all the way! Used to see a few sets of DCI’s around too…
Vansmack73
Nov 14, 2012 at 1:59 am
Add bonus points to guys who have real deal shafts. Not the ones the that say deigned for titleist
Also beware of the guy with a Wilson 8802
Doctor Phil
Jul 11, 2014 at 7:03 am
The 8802 is a dead set give away, much better than a Johny come lately Scotty!
LOL
Nov 13, 2012 at 1:24 am
Im laughing at all of the people that seem to be taking this article seriously based off the comments their leaving…
Paul
Nov 30, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Agreed. They think they are scratch because their bag looks like junk? Play what you have and play them well. I do. Shiny new Tour Edge CNC forged.
GolfTecHogan
Nov 12, 2012 at 6:35 pm
How about this:
Callaway Ft-9ta w Matrix tp7hd X flex
Tour Edge Exotics cb4 tour 3 wood w Graphite Designs Tour BB
Miura Limited Black Blades 3-pw KBS c-taper S+
Miura 54 C grind and Miura 59 y grind
dynamic Gold Spinner + Shafts
and yes i do carry a staff bag.
Paul
Nov 30, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Amen, I have played with awesome players with shiny new clubs and staff bags. This article is bull, plain old bull. I carry a staff bag and play to a 2 and will take scratch players most the time.
Mick
Jun 27, 2014 at 2:01 am
then why arent you playing off scratch??
bradford
Aug 19, 2014 at 9:18 am
If you’re beating a 0 “most of the time”, either you’re not a 2, or they’re not 0’s.
Joe
Apr 4, 2015 at 11:14 am
I play off a 3 and play with some scratch guys i beat them once in a while but i have to be on my game and get a little help from them.
Doctor Phil
Jul 11, 2014 at 7:06 am
CB1 3 wood. Then you would be talking. Throw in the 5 as well. That’s what I’ve got 🙂
GOLFLB33
Nov 11, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Great post. obv there are variations but you hit the nail on the head here.
So true about the ping hoofers. When i was growing up that was the 1st indication of a player.
Then scottys camerons, clevelands or vokey wedges and a 975d sweet
WOW
Nov 11, 2012 at 4:06 am
My WITB currently: 905R w/ Diamana BB, Callaway Warbird 5 wood, Mizuno MP-60 irons, 588 gunmetal wedges, Bullseye putter. I have yet to find that elusive, hard to find 3 wood….but i will try the v steel. These clubs were all in my bag before i read this interesting and entertaining article cause it speaks the truth.
renoir99
Nov 12, 2012 at 11:27 am
The V-Steel is a good one…others you may want to look at if you haven’t…Titleist 906F2 or the Tour Exotics CB4 Tour which is a rocketship
Desmond
Nov 11, 2012 at 2:37 am
Seriously? A scratch golfer plays new-grooved clubs and a Sun Mountain bag. Hoofers? Maybe if you’re still using one from the ’90s. But c’mon, no longer.
sleeper
Jun 29, 2013 at 5:42 pm
for the record, mp-60s have conforming grooves.
Doctor Phil
Jul 11, 2014 at 7:09 am
Agree on Sun Mountain.
bradford
Aug 19, 2014 at 9:21 am
yup, nobody carries a hoofer
Renoir99
Nov 10, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Great article…one thing I’m surprised I haven’t heard yet…alignment rods!!! Put those in your bag, and everyone thinks your a ‘grinder’. Not only do you practice, but you lay these down and line it all up…for about 7 shots…then you get right back to the old ‘hit and rake’
jbob
Nov 10, 2012 at 9:31 am
currently have rusty vokeys and 910 driver also have 608.mb irons and get alot of questions about if i will sell irons. also 3hcap enjoy
Orangebang
Nov 10, 2012 at 3:12 am
Great article. I laughed myself silly convinced you couldn’t keep a straight face while writing this as well.
MarcB1
Nov 10, 2012 at 12:13 am
I took 15 years off of golf (wife issues) and came back to it this year (no more issues). I decided to up-grade some of my equipment so I visited the local driving range pro shop. I would look at the shiny new stuff gleaming on the racks but my main focus was the used rack at the back of the shop. Sometimes a clubs would appear and I would try them on the range. I did this almost every other day until something striked my fancy. Eventually, I rebuilt my bag with some near new and some a few years old. I also made new friends in the people that practticed, worked and owned the range. I now regularly practice , hangout and play with all of them. 15 years ago I was a 3 cap….there is so much more to this game that I will ever know or perhaps understand, but really, the people I have met? Priceless! Great article, thanks.
Blake
Nov 9, 2012 at 8:34 pm
My WITB…
Driver: Ping G5 9* w/ a Grafalloy Epic X
3 Wood: Mizuno MP Titanium w/ a MR Fubuki S
2 &3 irons: Titleist 704 CB’s with dy gold s300’s
4-PW: taylormade rac forged with dy gold s300’s
54*: Cleveland CG10 w/ wear spots on face and sole
58*: Titleist Vokey 200 Series (Raw)
Putter: Scotty Pro Platinum Delmar 3 (Rusty)
Bogeytrain
Nov 9, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Throw on an Amino Vital towel to that bag and one gets 10+ points for style.
gallas2
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Ran into a guy that worked the back shop @ Cdn Open at our course and he had a stack of 15 Amino Vital towels and was kind enough to give me one….thx EP
sean_miller
Nov 9, 2012 at 5:58 pm
I aspire to appear to be better than I am, so I’ll trade in the Sun Mountain for a hoofer, the MP-11s for my old TA3s, and my Scratch wedges for my old Mizunos (can’t use the 588s since they match). I’ll keep the MP600 and Launcher 3-wood, but I’m gonna miss my 2-hybrid (even though it has a DGS300 in it). My Cleveland Classic putter doesn’t have enough dings so I’ll put the Anser 2 back in, but I hate the pingman grip. Which aftermarket grip can I use?
John Wunder
Nov 9, 2012 at 1:42 pm
This was such a fun read. What a great way to start a Friday. Thanks Jeff. If I would add to the equipment I would take it one further and mention an old JONES bag with no stand that is just dropped on the ground from shot to shot.
Doctor Phil
Jul 11, 2014 at 7:13 am
Agree on Jones, as well.
George
Nov 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm
great article and entertaining read! personally i’ve always had fun ‘predicting’ the playing level of those based on what gear I see (and seeing how close I am during our round). often i’m right but not always.
i second the notion of low caps carrying a large towel not connected to the bag, as I’ve seen this quite a bit. a well-used carry bag (very often titleist or ping), rusty wedges, and an old 2 iron are signs i can attest to also.
Brian
Nov 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Great article Jeff. So now that I have all that info, what the heck should I be wearing? Finding the clubs to make my appearance go from a 14.9 to scratch is easy enough, but when it comes to how to match up a shirt and pair of pants I’m lost. My purple-lined Footjoys mess up the whole ensemble!
Blanco
Nov 12, 2012 at 2:35 am
just wear some old new balance running shoes, x-pants, and a big-dog shirt. If you have a pony tail, ONLY use the rubber band to keep it together. scratch in no time.
Aaron Alter
Nov 9, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Great piece. I make sure to never have a club in my bag that i can’t hint (cough blades cough )
Blanco
Nov 12, 2012 at 2:28 am
wow, that was awesome. your typo ended up working out being as your.. cough cough, hint, cough cough, was in fact a hint! Unless of course you meant to do it, in which case, pretty genius.
Steve Ronaldson
Nov 9, 2012 at 11:54 am
Yep the club hoes are easy money. The lack of confidence in their games always comes back to their clubs. Always trying to buy a game
Somaplr
Nov 9, 2012 at 11:36 am
I love playing guys that try to look like scratch golfers. Or club hoes…even better, easy money. I’ve found out the guys I’m most scared of are guys with tanner legs than my wife and look like Tin Cup.
Steve Ronaldson
Nov 9, 2012 at 10:58 am
Having a big towel that is not connected to your bag. Is also a sign of a good golfer.
Zooch
Nov 9, 2012 at 1:53 pm
it sure is. Especially if you stole it from a hotel pool and it has one of those blue lines down the middle:)
GOLFLB33
Nov 11, 2012 at 3:28 pm
lol at the towel comment played in a tournament last year. we were called in after a few holes. getting equipment dry all players were in using the courses towels including a player that plays european tour (no names)
The next day on the course i noticed from another fairway that he was using one of the towels on the course.
Lol
Tyler Dunham
Nov 9, 2012 at 10:51 am
Great article, I’m really coming to the realization that switching to new equipment every three months is affecting my game in a horrible way. Sticking with the equipment I have and starting to play better.
Steve Ronaldson
Nov 9, 2012 at 10:44 am
Your article is false, I played college golf within the last two years and and majority of the players use at least two hybrids. They are used off the tee and to hit par fives. 5 woods were not common. You also didn’t metion shafts good players know that the shaft is more important than the head of a driver. Really only good players get fitted for the right shafts. The blades thing is true I play 690 MBs but only because I have played the same clubs for 10 years and I like the weight and ball flight if I was not afraid of change I would have gone to a forged cavity back.
Blanco
Nov 12, 2012 at 2:24 am
Please add:
Step 8: Scratch golfers possess self-confidence and understand concepts like written humor and social media’s role in group think– that’s why they’re so damn good! They don’t try and downplay their not-aforementioned “ol’ trusty one” with the x-flex “scratch shaft” in an attempt to alert readers that to THIS article, they do not apply.
Jeffrey C Daschel
Jun 22, 2013 at 11:51 pm
well done.
scothomas24
Nov 9, 2012 at 9:39 am
wow – my new bible. well stated. i recently spent a few bucks and upgraded to the 913d2 and mp64s, might have to take a few rocks to them now.
What about the hybrid? i vote for either a driving iron, or adams………………
Cameron O'Leary
Mar 17, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Hybrids are for Hacks, 3 wood 5 wood combo is what scratches use!
shawn
May 28, 2013 at 4:50 pm
3-wood 2-iron more is like it
Larryoffthedeck
Jun 29, 2013 at 9:00 am
The right hybrid replaces the 5 wood and let’s you carry an extra wedge, 2-iron or whatever other ‘scratch’ club you prefer. Old school scratch play X100.
J.T. Parker
Jul 21, 2014 at 3:50 pm
I love to play the guys who believe hybrids are for Hacks! I have a 23 degree hybrid that I can hit a variety of distances and from any lie. While most are under clubbing or trying to hit a five wood out of rough, the hybrid comes out like a perfect lie.
JRM
Nov 9, 2012 at 7:55 am
Pair me up everyday with a dude who wants to “look like” a scratch. The excuses start early… “that was a tough lie”, “these greens are slower than normal”, “bunkers are in bad shape”. Easy money.
Prim'
Nov 9, 2012 at 4:58 am
WTF ?
I just need to change my Staff Bag … 🙂
I’m an” old school golfer” with my full TPZ Set (from 3 to SW), my TM Rescue MD (first generation), an F50 by Mizuno and a bullseye blade.
And I like drinking beers too (but not during a round)
enjoy !
ZenGolfer
Nov 9, 2012 at 4:17 am
i love ths article!!!!!!! reminds me of myself
see below for my WITB………..
9.5 Srixon W506 with Aldila NVS 65 Stiff
3w Callaway Big Bertha with Aldila NVS 65 Stiff
2iron Tommy Armour 855 Silverscot 18 deg with stock Stiff shaft
3-PW Srixon i302 with Nippon 1050gh Stiff
Ram FX Pro Set PW bent to 52 degrees with TT Dynamic Gold X100 Stiff
60deg Titleist Vokey Design Custom Ground by myself with TT Dynamic Gold Regular
36inch Ray Cook M1-3X (designed by Scotty Cameron)
Cleveland Tour Stand Bag
i cuurrently play of a 4 handicap……. enjoy!
jgpl
Nov 9, 2012 at 3:55 am
Excellent – just forgot to add in a blade/forged 2 iron to cap it off!