Titleist SM6 Wedges Coming in March

A favorite among many, Titleist has updated the Vokey wedge lineup with the new SM6.

Bag Drop Over the last handful of years, one of the biggest trends in the golf industry has been the creation of equipment fit to the needs of the golfer using this. Obviously, where this is most evident is with drivers, where through the use of technologies like moveable weights and adjustable shafts, the golfer can fine tune the club to their swing. Wedges are now starting to follow suit. While there are any wedges with an adjustable shaft or a movable weight (yet) more and more companies are offering a greater variety. Instead of just four or five loft options mixed in with a couple of bounce options, companies are going to more lofts with a greater variety of bounces and grinds.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty-Six

Bubba wins again, Tiger sits on the couch (painfully), and Happy Gilmore turns 20.

Hittin the LinksBubba Watson won for the first time in 2016 this week, furthering the argument that he belongs with Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy at the top of the golf world. This was Bubba’s second win at Riviera, and came at the end of quite the busy week.

It was the opposite of a busy week for Tiger Woods, who is still unable to even hit chips after his third back surgery. It was reported that Tiger has had a setback in his rehab, though agent Mark Steinberg has issued a denial. Woods will also be the subject of an upcoming biography about his life and career.

In addition we’ll touch on Jordan Spieth missing the cut, the LPGA Tour’s dwindling ratings, and a big birthday for Happy Gilmore.

Let’s hit the links.

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Callaway Apex CF16 Irons Review

Callaway’s latest flagship irons combine the precision of a player’s set with the forgiveness of a game-improvement set in one package.

Callaway Apex CF16 Irons 7iron HeroIt seems more and more nowadays that the landscape of golf equipment is changing. Where there used to be fairly distinct categories of clubs meant for certain skill levels (blades and cavity-backs, players irons, game-improvement, and super game-improvement, etc.), clubs are designed now to benefit and appeal to a broader range of golfers. Equipment manufacturers have found that even better players appreciate additional forgiveness in their irons while less skilled players can still use workability and good feedback on mis-hits, just as long as they don’t come with significant loss in distance or accuracy.

Callaway’s newest flagship iron, the Apex CF16, is blurring the lines once again. As the first forged irons to feature Callaway’s Cup 360 technology, it blends the characteristics normally found in a game-improvement iron with those of a forged iron. The Apex name has a long history of being top of the line in forged irons and the previous Apex offering, the 2013 Apex irons, lived up to the standard. With the CF16s, Callaway sets the bar even higher by pushing the limits of speed and distance out of an iron while maintaining the same high level of precision that Apex is known for.

Does it live up to the hype? Can Callaway have it’s cake and eat it, too? Read on, to find out.

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Ben Hogan Golf Expands Line-up

After relaunching the brand last year with a unique set of irons and wedges, Ben Hogan Golf is expanding the lineup with a new set of irons and their first hybrids.

Bag DropLast year we saw the relaunch of one of the most storied golf companies, Ben Hogan Golf. The company took a unique approach; instead of offering traditional iron sets 3-PW or 4-GW they decided to offer the clubs every single loft from 20° to 63°. The initial offering from the company was comprised of a single set of irons, the Fort Worth, and the TK Wedges. The clubs, and especially the irons, were designed with a better player in mind, and now the company is expanding its offerings to include irons that are a bit more forgiving as well as the introduction of hybrids to the lineup.

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TaylorMade Completes the Family With the New M2

On February 19th, the TaylorMade M family will be complete with the M2 driver, woods, and irons.

Bag DropIf you watched any of the AT&T Pro Am at Pebble Beach this year, you’d have noticed that all of the TaylorMade Staffers were wearing the same hat with “FAM1LY” across the front and M2.19 on the side. That is because on February 19th (Friday), TaylorMade will be completing the M Family of Clubs with the M2 series. Unlike how the R11 replaced the R9 or the Titleist 915 series replaced the 913 series, the M2 is an addition to the current line up rather than being a replacement. The M2 series of clubs is composed of a new driver, fairway woods, and irons.

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TRUE Linkswear Announces TRUE Elements

After a few quiet months, TRUE has announced its newest shoe.

Bag DropAfter a couple of quiet months that led some on the Sand Trap to speculate that the company might have gone under, TRUE Linkswear has announced their newest shoe. A favorite among many for their ultra comfortable shoes, TRUE shook up the lineup last year with the introduction of their first spiked golf shoe. Regardless of spikes or no spikes, the focus for TRUE has always been to create golf shoes that help golfers enjoy walking. With features such as a zero heel drop to being waterproof to being super lightweight, TRUE continually produces some of the best shoes (not just golf shoes) available. Now, seven years after the company started, they are continuing in their mission of helping golfers enjoy the walk with their new TRUE elements hybrid golf shoe.

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Early Favorites To Win 2016 Ben Hogan Award

Twenty-five collegiate golfers have been named to the 2016 Ben Hogan Award watch list, but these are the ones to truly watch.

College GolfThe 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List was recently released, and there is no shortage of big names included. The award recognizes the outstanding male amateur and collegiate golfer of the year, and the recipient also gets a spot in the Colonial National Invitation field. Twenty five of the best college golfers in the nation made the first cut. The list will be trimmed to 10 April 13th before a trio of finalists will be named May 3rd. The competition will be fierce as always, and here are a few of the favorites as things stand right now.

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Volume Four Hundred Sixty-Five

A late charge and a missed putt lead to a surprise winner.

Hittin' the Links
The AT&T National Pro-Am pulled a coup this year by getting six of the world’s top 10 players to tee it up with celebs and business types. It’s cool to see the players relaxed and having fun, but the real show at Pebble Beach is usually the scenery and the celebrities. But this year, it also managed to produce a suspenseful finish.

Next week, it’s Jordan vs. Rory at Riviera, as McIlroy makes his first U.S. start of the year. Just one more stop on the West Coast Swing and then it’s on to Florida.

Let’s hit the links.

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Arccos Golf Review

The Arccos is one of two semi-automated stat-tracking platforms available to the common golfer. How does it stack up? Read my comprehensive review to find out.

ArccosThe saying goes “Different Strokes for Different Folks.” The premise is that different people like different things for different reasons. It is the reason why there are so many different types of pizza toppings.

So when I set out to review the Arccos Golf Statistic Tracker, I did so largely by comparing it to the trusty GAME Golf I’d purchased a few months prior. Both systems collect the same type of data. You hit a shot, and both record its GPS location. From that, you can determine the distance between shots, and combined with a map of the course, can determine the type of lie from which a shot was hit (fairway, rough, green, bunker, etc.).

I’ll primarily talk about the Arccos in this review, but where things are different, I’ll mention the GAME Golf separately. I cannot tell you which system is better for you. There are some key differences between the Arccos and its competitor, and which is best for you lies in choosing the one which differs in the way that suits you best.

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