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Cutter Golf CTR-1 wedge: Here to help

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Let’s start with this—if you don’t struggle using a traditional-style wedge then the CTR-1 from Cutter Golf is probably NOT for you. But if you do truly struggle, this could be a game-changer for your short game.

Greenside shots, especially ones that involve escaping deep rough or sand are some of the most feared shots for the average golfer. It’s one of the biggest differences between amateurs and professionals. With a decent lie, pros give themselves a fairly high potential to hole out, while amateurs are just hoping to escape in less than one attempt.

The “pitch” from Cutter

Thanks to the unique shape and hosel transition, the Cutter wedge has 65 percent less leading-edge contact than a traditional wedge to prevent twisting on shots out of the rough. The additional face height and aggressive perimeter weighting offer a 75 percent larger sweet spot (per the company), and you have a club that should make hitting short game shots a lot easier.

My take

The Cutter wedge doesn’t claim to be traditional, but the principles behind the design all have merit in creating an easy to hit wedge. The high bounce sole with heel-toe relief improves turf interaction while the pushed back from the leading edge hosel gets through long grass easier and lowers the possibility of hitting the dreaded shank. As mentioned off the top, total versatility and shotmaking are not high on this club’s list of priorities, but being easy to hit is!

After going out and testing the wedge in some poor turf conditions I will fully admit, as much I do not prefer the look of it compared to my traditional wedge, it flat out works in getting the ball out of almost any tough spot. Feel is the last part of the puzzle and because of the large thin face it has a higher pitch than what I was used to, but it’s still very pleasant – similar to the acoustics produced by other large game-improvement clubs.

Overall, if you are headed into 2020 with a lot of doubts about your short game or just want to try a wedge that will actually help around the greens the Cutter CTR-1 could be for you.

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Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. M.Coz

    Mar 27, 2020 at 2:42 am

    Sometimes I don’t know about some of the posters here. How many times do we have to put up haters here who really don’t know the game or it’s history of both the game and its equipment. Do I need to remind of the first steel headed drivers, much revolt or even more the first big headed drivers how they looked like a (use many descriptions here) on a stick. Or the first rescue/hybrids that some thought the head would make a better handle of a crutch if turned upside down. Or how about the first Ping K-1 irons were considered an abomination compared to the typical blades with their offset and no chrome finish. Of course those Eye 2 wedges were thought to be large and ridiculous. Then they came out with their big wooden head drivers with its goofy shape that was so strange. Oh and then Jerry Pate winning a major with (god forbid!!) a colored ball!! GET OVER it. If you have nothing to contribute move on.

  2. Petalocos

    Mar 23, 2020 at 11:09 pm

    I’m an 8 index and have experimented with the CTR-1. While I don’t see it necessarily replacing my current (TaylorMade) wedge, it certainly performs around the green as well as my current wedge. Therefore, I would recommend it to anyone who likes the CTR-1 aesthetic (looks like a driver face) and/or is struggling with improving their short game.

  3. Danny M.

    Mar 20, 2020 at 9:16 am

    How about golfers just LEARN to hit a bunker shot, work hard at figuring out how to escape deep rough, and dedicate some time practicing around the green.

    This junk is just a band-aid used to cover up laziness.

    • andy c

      Mar 20, 2020 at 11:08 am

      haha, yeah because everyone has time and money to go to the short game practice range that doesn’t exist and spend 2 hours a day honing our skills. Can’t tell if you are trolling or not but most golfers I know work for a living and time spent on the course is for fun. Call out a blue collar guy like me for being lazy over how a club looks, and you’d find out how it looks in your in shin.

      • Joe

        Mar 23, 2020 at 1:11 am

        If you have time to play you have time to practice.

        This wedge is one of those 1 – 2 months gimmicks, and then disappears. Through the years I (everyone) have seen many.

    • Big Danny M Fan!

      Mar 23, 2020 at 12:52 pm

      Wow! The great Danny M. has spoken! I’m sure Danny M. has tried the “junk” and most likely a +2 and knows what he’s talking about because he doesn’t sound like a “know it all” and a douche….nope, not at all.

  4. D. Fosbury

    Mar 20, 2020 at 2:51 am

    Life is full of this… “but it looks funny”.

    If it works, it works. This article seems a little short on that, but don’t judge solely on looks. Sometimes, we find out that we’re doing it all wrong because someone is crazy enough to make a point.

  5. Guia

    Mar 19, 2020 at 7:37 pm

    It is said that “there is one born every minute”. So they are guaranteed to sell at least “one”.

  6. Tim

    Mar 19, 2020 at 5:22 pm

    Many of us can get under a ball in long grass its the tight lie we fear. Where tempo and touch are critical. This is why I and many others use an 8 iron or hybrid from off the green.

  7. Charlie Waffles

    Mar 19, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    You’re kidding I hope…..

  8. GoCougs!

    Mar 19, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    I’ve seen the wedge and although the looks are strange. The person using it was making some serious shots and was deadly accurate on his chips from 30 yards out. Just my 2 cents…

  9. Rich Douglas

    Mar 19, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    And when you get done with your round, you can take it home and serve up a nice piece of pie.

  10. SV

    Mar 19, 2020 at 11:00 am

    It looks like the mutant offspring of the Cleveland VAS irons.

    • Rich Douglas

      Mar 19, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Oh, I so disagree. The VAS was a good iron in its day. Take a look; you’ll see a lot of design features–anti-vibration badge, large bounce, long heel-to-toe, lots of offset–that you see in many GI irons today. They’re just blended into the design and not as obvious as they were in the VAS.

  11. Shallowface

    Mar 19, 2020 at 10:01 am

    Considering how many of us struggle around the greens with the myriad of conventional wedges, any attempts at innovation for this section of the bag are most welcome. Many of us would benefit from having a good look at (horror of horrors!) chippers. I’m looking at trying a wedge with a more upright lie angle to see if that helps.

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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