Equipment

A visit to Golf Pride’s new Pinehurst Headquarters

Published

2 years ago

Jun 27, 2022

Golf Pride has been making golf grips since 1949 and is now the No. 1 grip brand in golf. Rubber grips were rare back when Thomas L. Fawick figured out that rubber could be superior substitute to leather. Fast forward 73 years and the Golf Pride team, including president Jamie Ledford, are welcoming in a new era in golf grips as well as a new headquarters in North Carolina. The new building is located in the iconic Pinehurst Resort, one of the iconic destinations for golf in the United States. Jamie explained how Pinehurst was such an easy choice since the golf world revolves around the community here.

The new Golf Pride building was designed to fit into the Pinehurst Resort with its style and location. Jamie explained how they went to great lengths, including working with the people at Pinehurst, in order to create a timeless look. If the Golf Pride logo wasn’t on the outside of the building you would think you were pulling up to the clubhouse of a private club. The off-white brick, large windows, and dark brown timbers welcome you in to the front door and reception lobby.

The building looks small and quaint from the front, but what you don’t see is what Ledford is so proud ofL a retail store, expansive office space, and a whole prototype facility behind the facade. I was lucky enough to get the full tour and what you don’t see is very impressive. From the large employee lounge to the 9-hole putting course that is built into the floor, it is modern and exciting to be in.

Bringing golfers into the world of Golf Pride is one of Ledford biggest opportunities and you can see his excitement when he showed off the new Golf Pride Retail Lab. This part of the building is where a regular golfer like you and I can walk in and get a new set of grips installed while you wait. The Retail Lab will have all the Golf Pride grips on display as well as full-time employees to educate you on anything you would like to know about grips. As a person who has installed a lot of grips in his day, the new Retail Lab doesn’t have the lingering smell of grip solvent yet! A large counter with stools surrounds a gripping station where you can take a seat and watch your favorite clubs get paired with your favorite Golf Pride grips.

Ledford was also very excited to show off another room near the front of the building that is dedicated to a new endeavor for Golf Pride, data collection. Golf Pride has brought in a new engineer to specifically start collecting data on grips. Ledford explained that this process is in its infancy and they don’t yet have many details they can share. Collecting this data will of course influence future products and also provide more opportunity to educate golfers on their grip and regripping needs.

Speaking of new products, the new CPX grip is the first grip to be released in the new headquarters. We got a tour of the prototype facility in the rear of the building and Golf Pride has diverse collection of machinery there. They have some cutting edge machines, that I can’t talk about, working on some of the latest ideas and designs. Right next to those are machines that have been producing grips for decades. It is here were they are creating brand new designs in small batches as well as mimic the high capacity manufacturing methods to ensure that each grip will meet their high quality standards.

Golf Pride knows that being the No. 1 grip in golf isn’t something that just happens by accident and keeping that title takes evolution. Ledford and his team are committed to making the best grips for golfers on all levels and their new headquarters is offering them a place to take that to a new level.

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/15/24): Bettinardi x Unimatic 1/50 watch

Published

18 mins ago

May 15, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

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 Bettinardi x Unimatic 1/50 watch.

From the seller: (@Puma74): “BETTINARDI Golf x UNIMATIC [ 1/50 Limited Edition ] Italian watch collection Modello Uno U1-BF automatic. Comes with complete package! Mint condition. Only 50 made and will be highly collectable! Only $850 plus $19 insured UPS or USPS shipping to the lower 48 U.S………. FIRM FIRM FIRM !“

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Bettinardi x Unimatic 1/50 watch

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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Equipment

Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla

Published

16 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.

On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.

Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.

Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.

“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.

“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…

“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”

With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship

Published

18 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.

After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.

Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X

3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0

Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Nike RZN Black

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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