Equipment
2018 GolfWRX Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year again, GolfWRX members, the moment we start filling our wish lists with the golf gear we want this holiday season.
The GolfWRX Holiday Gift Guide was created to ensure that our readers give (and 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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FlightScope Mevo: $499
Five words. Portable. Personal. Affordable. Launch monitor. See our review here for more info.
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Whats in the Bag
Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)
- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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Equipment
Welcome to the family: TaylorMade launches PUDI and PDHY utility irons
TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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TONEY P
Dec 3, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Over priced junk.
Evan
Dec 1, 2018 at 12:07 am
Those bags better come with iron covers, a club cleaner, cigar holder and a stroke counter for those prices. ????
Tiger Noods
Nov 29, 2018 at 6:27 am
Portable
Personal
Affordable
Launch Monitor
Four words? That’s about all you need to know about this list.
No offence to the Mevo; it kicks arse.
shawn
Nov 29, 2018 at 12:43 am
…. Holly Sonders…. ??!!!! (priceless)