News
GolfWRX’s 2020 Fathers Day Gift Guide: Staff picks
It’s that time of the year, dads! And here’s our traditional GolfWRX PSA for everyone else: Father’s Day (June 21) is rapidly approaching. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.
First, as we say every year: There’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.
Here is the GolfWRX staff’s wishlist for Father’s Day…and yes, sometimes we dream big.
Ben Alberstadt (Editor-in-Chief)
Golfers Journal Subscription: Starting at $75
Whether he’s from a generation where print publications were all there were or he’s a younger model of the paternal unit with hipster leanings (and a cabinet full of vinyl albums), Dad will love this quarterly periodical and its in-depth stories and best-in-the-industry photography. Seriously: If he loves to golf and has any sense of nostalgia (or just loves good content), this is the play.
Bushnell Wingman: $149
Music? Check. Distance to the pin? Check. Bushnell’s Wingman can be easily mounted to your golf cart (via BITE magnetic technology) and just as easily delivers the numbers and notes you need to maximize your enjoyment of a round of golf. If only it served drinks…
Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x: $52/dozen
If your dad is anything like mine, he loves to play the Titleist Pro V1 but often opts for cheaper models because he doesn’t want to spend the money on himself. TLDR; get dad the golf ball he really wants.
Brian Knudson (Host of “Two Guys Talkin’ Golf”)
Garia Monaco Golf Cart: $24,000+
I know this is cool and crazy expensive, but your dad could be a crazy cool and expensive guy. If he lives on a golf course or can bring his own cart, there aren’t many out there this luxurious. With all sorts of custom options, a 25 mph top speed, and 10″ aluminum wheels the Monaco could be nicer than his car. The Monaco even has an optional refrigerator to keep his drinks and snacks cool!
Stewert Golf X9 Follow: $2,499
With so many golfers now walking due to world health, why not take a weight off dad’s shoulders? Considered one of the best electric carts on the market, the Stewert X9 Follow has all the features dad will want and even some he didn’t know he needed! This cart will automatically follow dad all around the course, has a remote control, and its rechargeable batteries will probably even last through 36 holes.
Ryan Barath (Canadian, Host of “On Spec,” Digital Content Creation Lead)
Swiftwick Golf Socks: $14.99 and up
Socks might seem like a last-minute thought, but they should really be considered one of the most important pieces of your wardrobe when you head to the course. You don’t realize how important sock are until you’re wearing a really bad pair. Swiftwick socks are made in the USA and offer one of the most comfortable fits for a lowcut no-slip sock. They offer extra cushion, moisture-wicking, and stay in place—what more could you really want from a sock?
TaylorMade Golf TP5 Pix: $44.99 a dozen
Every golfer needs golf balls, and with the New TaylorMade TP5 PIX you get golf balls with the 5 layer performance of the TP5 along with the increased visibility and easy to align the technology of ClearPath Alignment. The markings were co-developed with the Rickie Fowler and now you can give dad a “Box of Swagger.”
Gianni Magliocco (Assistant Editor)
King’s Golf Cardigan Sweater: $140
Want to make your father feel important this Sunday? Then get him this cardigan fit for a King. The cardigan is part of the PUMA x Arnold Palmer Collection and honors the great Arnold Palmer who was often seen in the same sweater style. The item features an alpaca, wool-blend fabric, real shell buttons, and can be had in either Legion Blue or Pale Pink.
True X Linksoul Slip: $148.00
Summer is here, and as far as slick summer golf shoes for on and off the course go – the True x Linksoul slip has it all. The slip-on shoes contain a sweet suede upper, a microsuede lining that oozes comfort, and a strap that provides for effortless adjustability for the course. Perfect for the everyday father!
Johnny Wunder (Director Of Content, Host of The Gear Dive)
Vessel Sunday 2.0 Carry Bag: $245
Now more than ever, carrying your sticks will be something you will be doing more and more. Vessel 2.0 is the best Sunday bag on the market in my opinion. Its a Sunday bag that lives right between a nap sack and your standard carry bag. The bottom line its the best of both worlds. Light and durable, how can you beat that?
G/Fore Gloves: $35
The essentials are always the best gift to get any golf crazed dad. The G/Fore gloves are stylish yet subtle, have a ton of options and ultimately they are just cool because they are G/Fore. G/Fore is cool.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Equipment
Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange
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.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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