All posts in Golf Equipment

‘Tiger Slam’ Iron Set up for Grabs on eBay

Tiger Woods' 'Tiger Slam' Irons up for Grabs on eBay

UPDATE: During his press conference at The Players, Tiger just commented that ‘he may have a set’… but the clubs up for auction are not the ones used to win the ‘Tiger Slam’. Woods went on to mention that he has possession of all clubs that he has won major championships with. So there you have it… the clubs may indeed be from Tiger’s bag, but they are NOT the ones used to win the Tiger Slam, as claimed.

What if I said you could get your hands on the very same clubs Tiger Woods used to win the ‘Tiger Slam’ in 2000-2001. You’d say I’m crazy, right? Well, think again.

Tiger Woods' 'Tiger Slam' Irons up for Grabs on eBay

Going on right now is an eBay auction featuring a set of clubs claiming to be the same ones Tiger had in the bag for his historic run. Where did the clubs come from? They were said to be a gift from Tiger himself, that is, according to the person putting the clubs up for sale, one ‘aphotoshop1’. I wonder if aphotoshop1 is a guy or a girl?… 🙂

At any rate, as you can see the irons are 2-PW, and have a ‘T’ stamp on the back toe. They are 681 forgings custom made by the great folks at Titleist to emulate his trusty Mizuno MP14 and MP29 hybrid set. The 2-iron is 39″ long and each club through the order is 1/2″ shorter than the next. The wedges are Vokey’s, a 56 degree (58 bent to 56) and a 60 degree. Both have ‘Tiger‘ stamped on the back toe.

The seller ensures these are the real deal, and he/she has a certificate of authenticity. For all the details and specs on the clubs, or to place your starting bid (starts at $250,000), head on over to eBay.

What say you? Are these real or real fake?

Atlanta Braves Rookie First to Win Callaway Golf Clubs

By swatting a 476-foot home run on opening day, Atlanta Braves rookie, Jason Heyward has won himself a a full set of Callaway Golf’s new Diablo Edge golf clubs, the longest of their kind that Callaway has ever developed

At the beginning of the 2010 MLB season, Callaway Golf made an announcement about the promotion: Callaway will provide the  full set clubs to any big league player who hits a home run that travels a distance of at least 470 feet.

The write-up about this in the Wall Street Journal mentioned that according to hittrackeronline.com, which collects data on every long ball, there were 10 such home runs in 2009. An additional 27 home runs traveled between 460 and 469 feet.

It’ll be interesting to see who else will win this year.  And the real question is, will Heyward be asked to join the famous golfers affiliated withe the Atlanta Braves (John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine).

To read more about golf and baseball, check out this story from Golf.com.

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Marriott Golf & BagBoy Kick Off Walk For Health Program

Marriott Golf, one of the world’s premier golf operators, has just announced a first-of-its-kind alliance with The Bag Boy Company, to create Walk For Health, a program designed to promote the health benefits associated with walking the golf course.

Starting immediately, the Walk For Health program will be launched at leading Marriott Golf resort destinations in the U.S., whereby each participating property will be outfitted with Bag Boy’s lightweight, eco-friendly Express Auto, three-wheel walking carts.  Equipped with an assortment of features, the cart provides resort golfers with a fun and healthy way to navigate the course, as well as support environmental consciousness.

Participating resort destinations include: Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, Calif.; JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Ariz.; JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Ariz.; Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla.; Marriott’s Grande Vista Resort, Orlando, Fla.; Grande Pines Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Naples, Fla.; Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort, Oak Brook, Ill and The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Tucson, Ariz.

Each of these properties holds the distinction of being a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, which indicates that Marriott Golf has gone to the greatest lengths possible to protect the environment by enhancing precious natural areas and wildlife habitats.

No details were released about whether guests would be offered a BagBoy discount to continue their healthy course walking habit when they get home.

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Precept Lady IQ Plus Golf Ball/Sundog Paula Creamer Eyewear Promo Kicks Off May 1

Precept is teaming up with Sundog Eyewear to create an attractive offer for lady golfers:  Buy any 3 dozen of the Precept Lady iQ PLUS golf balls, and receive a complimentary pair of Paula Creamer Collection sunglasses by Sundog – a $90 value. The glasses will be available in a choice of the same stunning mahogany or black colors that Creamer wears so stylishly on and off the course.

The LADY iQ PLUS  golf balls (MSRP $30/Street priced $19.99) boast Bridgestone’s popular 330-dimple design cover with patented Seamless Cover Technology that provides a consistently higher trajectory and more carry, for female players. The ball continues Precept’s tradition of performance with style offering balls in Traditional White, Clear White and Bright Pink; the same signature pink color that Precept and Sundog brand ambassador Paula Creamer has made so popular through her use on the LPGA TOUR.


The Paula Creamer Collection sunglasses feature Sundog Eyewear’s Mela-Lens for a new level of stylish, comfortable eye protection. The breakthrough Mela-Lens technology filters 98% of dangerous “Blue Light” effectively reducing veiled glare. Since the light is not blocked, but filtered, color balance is maintained. Not only is Mela-LensTM the ultimate lens for golf, it is the ideal lens for any outdoor activity.

The promotion kicks off on May 1st, 2010 and will run through June 30th, 2010.

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TaylorMade Golf Unveils Easy-to-Aim, Ghost Putter…

TaylorMade Golf, maker of Rossa® putters, has unveiled Corza Ghost, a mallet specially designed to be exceptionally easy to aim, and exceptionally easy to use to roll the ball down your intended line. It was designed with significant input from Rossa Tour Staff professional Dave Stockton, considered the hottest putting instructor in the world.

Corza Ghost’s putterhead is white and has three alignment options that all have high contrast against their backgrounds.   According to  Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry:

That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head’s shape and features. The contrast would be lower if the putter were black or gray because these colors are closer in luminance to the color of the putting green than white. White creates the biggest difference in luminance, hence maximizing contrast and promoting focus.

Many golfers use the leading edge of the putter as part of their alignment strategy (by positioning the edge perpendicular to the imagined target line). So, this high contrast for the leading edge gives the golfer the best chance of squaring up the putterface at address. Also, the lines on the top of the putter are painted black to achieve maximum contrast against the white surface of the putter. All of these high-contrast alignment elements give the golfer the best possible chance of accurately aiming the putter.

Being a mallet, Corza Ghost’s high-MOI head is extremely stable on off-center hits and feels extremely solid at impact. Its three alignment lines on the crown function not only to help aim the face accurately, but also to frame the ball in the middle of the face, which promotes solid, center-face contact on every stroke.

Corza Ghost also has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology.  AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that “hold” the ball briefly at impact to promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead’s extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

Corza Ghost is scheduled to appear at retail starting in June, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $159. Two more Ghost models – a blade and a mid-mallet – also with white finish and black alignment lines, are scheduled to become available in July.

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Source: TaylorMade Golf

New Arrivals – Cleveland HB3 & CG1 Tour Irons

Waiting is the hardest part — both on course and off.  For those looking to hit the links with a new set of hybrid irons, the good news is that Cleveland Golf’s HB3 irons are now available.  The follow-on (and third generation) to Cleveland’s popular HiBore irons, the HB3 irons are lighter, faster and longer than any of Cleveland’s previous iron sets.

The HB3 is a full iron set that uses an advanced internal weighting and has a “forgiving sole design.”

According to a post on Cleveland Golf’s Facebook page, “The HB3 is a super game improvement iron, geared towards higher handicappers. Helps aid in getting the ball up and huge forgiveness.”

The HB3 has an “Action Ultralite” graphite shaft, which is 15 grams lighter with a lower kick point than its predecessor. As a result you get faster clubhead speeds and higher launch angles.

Weight removal on crown & sole recesses allow for internal discretionary weight placement and a 12% deeper face to CG depth than HiBORE XLi irons.

The new sole design provides recessed sections to reduce drag and improve turf interaction while maintaining wide sole characteristics for increased control and forgiveness.

Available at retailers now, the HB3 carry a MAP price of $599 (steel) and $699 (graphite).  For more information go here.


The new CG1 Tour irons are also starting to make their appearance. Inspired by Cleveland Golf’s  PGA Tour players and designed for consistent ball striking, distance control and a new level of forgiveness never seen before in a blade, these split cavity-back long irons and muscle-back mid/short irons maintain a traditional look while providing extra forgiveness with the workability and feel of a blade.

The CG1 Tour features a breakthrough surface roughness technology known as LASER MILLED.  Using the precision accuracy of a laser, each face features four perfectly calibrated texture lines milled between each groove exactly to the conforming roughness limit. This “Laser Milled face technology” optimizes ball-to-face friction and maximizes spin within the Rules of Golf.

Speaking of rules, the CG1 irons leverage a breakthrough milling technology that creates pristine edge for increasing the “ZIP” and ” and shot consistency –especially from poor lies — while conforming to the 2010 USGA groove rule.

The CG1 Tour irons have a MAP price of $799. You can learn more about them here.

Hint: Watch for demo days near you.  With so many new clubs arriving this spring, your best bet is to try a bunch out to find the ones that address the areas of your game that needs help AND feel the best.

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Deal Watch – Callaway Golf Pre-Owned Wedges

Have you checked out the online store for Callaway Certified Pre-Owned clubs?
There are deals to be had.  In fact, you should sign up for their newsletter so you can get pushes for their special offers.  For example, on Friday, April 23, they are running a deal on wedges where you can get an additional 10% off using the coupon code: WEDGES10.

Just go to this link and shop away.  Types of products include the X-Forged Chrome Wedges, X-Forged vintage Wedges, Forged Vintage Wedges and the Odyssey Divine Line Marxman X-Act Putting Wedges.

The pre-owned clubs come with the same 1-year limited warranty against defects you get with any new Callaway Golf club.   Plus you get a certificate of authenticity.

See for  yourself!

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Cleveland CG15 Wedges: Get them Before It’s Too Late!

Cleveland wedges have long been the choice of many a touring professional. The look, the feel, and the accuracy and touch they give you on those shorter shots is undeniable. I too play Cleveland wedges (588 RTG’s, 51*, 56* and 60*), and love ’em to bits. They’re nice and ‘rusty’ these days, and allow me to drop and stop shots from all angles.

The Cleveland CG15 Wedge Family

But this isn’t about what’s in my bag, it’s about the CG15 line. Let’s get started.

The CG15’s are available in 3 custom finishes, and one custom grind. The CG15 Black Pearl wedges offer a dark, glare resistant finish. The CG15 Satin Chrome wedges bring a brushed aluminum look and feel to your short game. The last finish is the CG15 Oil Quench. This finish is sort of a copper/bronze color, and may remind you of your old ‘trusty rusties’ if you have ’em.

The CG15 Oil Quench is also available in a DSG model. DSG stands for ‘Dynamic Sole Grind’ and features a reduction of material on the sole… This is a preference of many top players, as it will allow you to open up the face without too much bounce, allowing you to get through the ball and make better contact.

Without a doubt, the most important features of the Cleveland CG15 Wedges are their precision laser milled faces and ‘Zip’ grooves. With new groove regulations coming into play, it may be a good idea to pick up a set (or two) of these bad boys to ensure you get optimal spin on those short shots for years to come. The ‘Zip’ grooves offer 25% bigger grooves, complete with sharp, cover gripping edges. You’ll notice the distance not only from tight lies, but from shaggy shots out of the rough. The grooves grip, and give you that needed stopping action to control your ball. The laser milled faces also provide an extra layer of ‘roughness’ to the wedge face, giving you another edge over the competition.

For my money, Cleveland wedges are an almost must-have for any serious player. At the very least, they’re worth a look. The classic design coupled with technology and performance make them hard to pass up.

For more information, hit up Cleveland Golf.

Titleist Announces Promo: Free Golf Ball Personalization

You may be familiar with the series of “How do you mark your Titleist?” ads (see example below).  Titleist just announced a promotion where no Sharpie is required.

Timed for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Titleist is waiving personalization charges on its popular Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, as well as the new NXT Tour, NXT and DT SoLo models.

On any order of just one dozen or more, customers can create their unique personalized message imprinted on the golf ball in up to three lines of block text in black, blue, green or red ink for no additional charge.

To learn more, visit your local golf shop or any authorized Titleist golf ball retailer. The promo ends June 30, 2010.

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The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter: A Modern Take on a Timeless Classic

The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

A new take on an old classic. That pretty much sums up the Wilson Staff 8882 Putter. Based on the original Wilson 8802 putter, the 8882 brings all of the style, beauty and class you’d expect, in a revamped look of the timeless design.

The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

The Wilson 8802 is one of the most famous putter designs in history. Designed by Ashland Manufacturing Company in 1914, it was renamed the Wilson 8802 when Thomas Wilson & Co. got into the game. To say the design is beautiful would be an understatement. To say the design is timeless would be spot-on. The 8802 is straightforward, with no head or toe weighting…

Many greats have used the 8802 over the years. The design itself was inspired by the Calamity Jane model putter that Bobby Jones used so expertly. But through the years such greats as Gene Sarazen and Arnold Palmer had the 8802 in the bag… Plus, Ben Crenshaw even had a replica of the original Wilson 8802 putter in his bag on his way to winning The Masters in 1995. You may recall that final putt on the 18th green, Ben sinking the putt, dropping the putter and putting his head in his hands. A timeless moment… and a timeless putter.

The WIlson 8802 Putter

The Wilson 8802 Putter

But I digress. You can’t deny the Wilson 8802 is one of (if not the most) famous putter designs in history… and Wilson has melded the classic gooseneck design into a new and updated version for 2010. Part of the new 88 line of putters, the Wilson Staff 8882 incorporates precision milling and VDP Alignment technology into a ‘new’ classic. Think of it as a blend of the old with the new.

The dual-milled face grips the ball for a true roll… Also, secondary master grooves in the clubface have been added to provide more forward spin, reducing skid after impact. The arched shape of the grooves will also impart a slight side-spin to help put your ball back on-track if struck off the sweet spot.

The VDP Alignment Technology (Visual Plane Differential) uses multi-surface markings to help get you into the right playing position before you make your stroke. Basically you want to get your eyes directly above the ball, doing so will ensure that the while line appears in-beteween the darker black markings on the face. Simple and easy… and it makes sense! Very reminiscent of the technology used in the SeeMore line.

Wilson Staff VDP Technology

Wilson Groove and VDP Technology

In all, 5 putters are part of the new Wilson Staff 88 line. The Wilson Staff 8881 is a traditional heel/toe weighted putter with plumber hosel. The Wilson Staff 8882 I’ve already talked about above… The Wilson Staff 8883 it a toe weighted semi-mallet with a heel shaft and gooseneck hosel. The Wilson Staff 8884 or a heel/toe weighted putter with a heel shaft and plumber hosel… and finally, the Wilson Staff 8885 is another heel/toe weighted putter, mallet style with plumber hosel.

The Wilson 88 Series of Putters

The Wilson 88 Series of Putters

You can’t go wrong with any of these new offerings from Wilson Staff. The good news is, depending on your taste and style of putter, Wilson has one that should fit your game nicely. For more information be sure to hit up the Wilson Staff 88 Putters.