Over the Green

The 2011 California putters from Scotty Cameron, marketed under the Titleist umbrella, are called “extensions” of the original California line.

“My main objective for the new California designs was to take the visual flow to a new level,” explained Master Putter Designer Scotty Cameron. “When you look down at a great putter in the address position, it’s easy to imagine the putter head flowing naturally right into the ground. The refinements we made to these five new models meet and exceed that ideal. It might be a bit esoteric, but you get the sense that water won’t splash off these putters. It looks like water will just roll off the contours of the putters and shed gently off the edges.”

Angles in the face, sole and neck are milled to present a square set-up at address and from feedback of Cameron users on the PGA Tour the new California putters feature deeper milling in the face of the putter which makes for a softer impact sound. Each of the line uses a step-less shaft and a milled from 303 stainless steel with heel and toe weights.

The new models are the Del Mar, Fastback, Monterey, Monterey 1.5 and Sonoma covering both blade and mid-mallet style heads with five different neck styles. Look for them next month carrying a suggested retail of $375 each.

Following up on the recent announcement of the new 712 series AP1 and AP2 irons for recreational players Titleist is coming out with new irons for better players the 712 series MB (forged muscle back) and CB (forged cavity back). They have been out on the PGA Tour for several months starting at the AT&T National in June with wins including this past weekend; Brad Faxon on the Champions Tour and Bryce Molder on the PGA Tour.
“When we started formulating plans for the new MB and CB designs, we knew that the project would be a reinterpretation, not a complete reinvention,” said Steve Pelisek, General Manager Titleist Golf Clubs. “The original MB and CB models were so well received on Tour, as well as in the marketplace, that we knew we had succeeded in delivering the core design fundamentals that resonate with the traditional blade player. We did identify through our work with the world’s best players, however, some areas where we could make improvements, which we incorporated in the new models. The new MB and CB still embody those key design elements that made the first generation so well accepted.”

The new MB and CB irons have the classic looks and shot-shaping characteristics of the previous models updated with a new design of the back, a faceted surface nicknamed “the dog bone.” It puts more mass behind the center of the iron face from since the design is larger in the heel and toe, narrowing behind the impact area.

Both will be available November 18 and carry a MSRP of $140 per club/steel and $165/graphite.

XCG drivers from Tour Edge are the only brazed drivers on the market, having the clubhead construction accomplished with chemical brazing rather than welding as other club makers’ use. In the new XCG5 this allows for the titanium face and body to weld to an ultrathin beta titanium crown.

Brazing costs more than welding but results in full face flexing and maximum forgiveness which with a 6-point perimeter weighting lowers the center of gravity and moves it deeper in further from the face. To achieve the maximum allowable spring-like effect, Tour Edge increased the XCG5’s face size by 12% over previous models.

The XCG5 is made in regular, ultra-light and super-ultra-light versions, you choice for a suggested retail of $329.

KZG is not a name well known to the golfing public but to custom club fitters it is thought of as “top of the heap.”
Their new M-Series of triple forged and CNC mill irons and wedges are based on forgings produced in China rather than in Japan which has been their sole source for several years.

The M-Series consist of three models, ME-I (milled expert size head), MA-I (milled mid-size) and MO-I (milled oversize) plus two distinct wedge models, MW-I, MWC-I. The iron models may be mixed and matched so club fitters may create blended sets easily.

Jennifer King, President said, “We tested the M-Series at this year’s Master ClubFitter Certification Program in Germany, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We can now offer the feel, consistency and workability of a forging, the precision accuracy of a CNC milled head, and the unique aspect of a blended set to form the perfect set of clubs.”

The retail price is significantly less than KZG’s popular Japanese Forged Irons starting at $129 and dependent on shaft selection. The ME-I and MA-I are available in #3-PW and the MO-I in #4-PW. M-Series Wedges, MW-I (classic players’ profile) and MWC-I (cavity back) are also triple forged and CNC milled. MSRP starts at $154 per wedge.

Nike Core Drone
The new Nike Method Core Drone has been out on tour since June with quite a bit of success. Features, though not necessarily new or unique, include their Polymetal groove technology in a high- MOI mallet-shaped head.

The Method Core Drone also comes in a belly putter length and is one of six models in the Nike Method Core line. Look for it in shops on Nov. 1 for a suggested retail of $203.99 and $24 additional for a 41” belly.

Cobra ZL Encore Driver
Cobra’s white headed drivers are not the ones creating the buzz but they were the first white drivers back last fall. The company has included a white edition along with the standard black in the new ZL Encore driver.

Features include:
Carbon fiber crown and sole with 5% larger titanium body and face
Swing weight screw for improved MOI
Cobra’s E9 Face Technology-an elliptical face with canted bulge and dual roll Cobra’s Adjustable Face Technology-three face angle settings (Open, Neutral and Closed)
460cc 6-4 Titanium body, milled semi-forged Ti face, carbon fiber crown

No word official word yet as to selling price but a “little bird” told us it would be $400.

Izzo Golf’s Swami 3000 is really worth consideration when compared to the crowded field of more expensive golf GPS units.

It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a $300 unit advertised by one or more of golf’s beautiful people. It is though, a good basic way to know the distance to the front, back and center of the green…for a suggested price of $99.99 and no annual fee or course downloading. It comes with 19,000 courses in North America preloaded.
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Mizuno Golf is promoting as a long irons substitie the new JPX Fli-Hi hybrids with the cleverly named DLR head for Direct Long Iron Replacement. Designed to complement the JPX-800 and JPX-800 HD irons the Fli-Hi’s have a beveled sole, larger sweet spot and a lower/deeper center of gravity. They are in shops now at $87.50 with steel shaft and $112.50 with graphite.

Fourteen Golf introduced a new wedge design with 15 percent larger, trapezoidal shaped mirror milled grooves the RM-11. According to COO Marcy Kamoda, “The RM-11 Wedge with expanded grooves has been tested this season as a prototype on the PGA Tour. Its acceptance has been overwhelming. Not only did our staff players keep the samples in their bag, a ton of PGA Professionals have requested it. We consider this wedge to the best wedge the company has ever designed and produced.”

Cobra Golf was the first to make a driver with a white clubhead and though it was a limited edition it did precede TMaG’s market dominating R11. Now Puma-owned Cobra is pushing the envelope again with a four foot long shaft drive named the Long Tom. The Long Tom is not the first production driver with extra length (48 inches is probably past the limit most weekend warriors can handle) since long drive contestants have been swinging them for years. Cobra’s idea is to give players that want more distance and have the swings to use the extra two to four inch shaft a driver just for them. Four feet is the limit in shafts since the USGA regulation limits shaft lengths. The Long Tom will be available in October.

Titleist makes the Pro V1 but every good golfer at least knows about their line of irons. They are very well regarded and played by many better players.

New APs this fall according to the company are improvements of the previous version. In the new 712 AP1 and AP2 there’s been a reworking of the head profile and an adjustment in the weighting for more off-center-hit forgiveness while retaining the ability to work the ball.
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Cleveland Golf has a new forged version of the venerable 588 Wedge featuring the milled grooves and score lines of their CG-15 model. Available in chrome and satin finishes, the 588 Forged wedges will ship to stores November carrying a minimum advertised price of $139.99.

Tour Edge Golf has a new Bazooka HT Max-D driver and fairway wood line with new more aerodynamic design and lighter (50 grams), longer shaft (46 inch standard) that helps generate faster clubhead speed for longer shots. The Bazooka HT Max-D comes in a standard or draw versions for $149 while the Bazooka HT Max-D fairway is $119.

Complimenting their new line of irons and woods Bridgestone Golf has introduced the J40 wedges with the company’s variable bounce sole. They will be in golf shops in October with a street price of $109.

Nike VR Pro Limited Edition Forged Driver – Pear-shaped 430cc head is made specifically for tour pros but will be available for the rest of us November 1 and carries a MSRP of $420.

Vokey Design SM4 wedges from Titleist will feature 17 grooves that come very close to the USGA mandated limits with a head shape reminiscent of the original 200 series by Vokey. Also they are introducing new versions of the popular AP1 and AP2 irons, the 712 series. AP1s are multi-material, dual cavity irons with improved forgiveness and AP2s with solid feel and improved looks for the aspiring to skilled golfer.

Both models keep the dual cavity design and multi-material construction with the AP1s having a new top line progressively reduced blade lengths for a more traditional look ($112 per club/steel, and $135 per club/graphite). AP2s have a new squared toe and smaller sole width in the short irons ($154 per club/steel and $175 per club/graphite). Both will be in shops Nov. 18.