IN THE BAG

BY TONY DEAR • CG

Hurrah, the new season is upon us. The clocks have gone forward, there’s more light in the day, and we’ll soon be enjoying those evening rounds. Oh, the thought of it!

Hopefully, you’ve found some time and a break in the clouds to get out for a few holes over the last few months. Sure, it’s been cold and wet – all Seattle winters/early springs are. But to be fair, it hasn’t been the absolute worst start to the year — the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a milder than usual winter with slightly less precipitation, which seems about right. We know, we know — we shouldn’t tempt fate and acknowledge there could be plenty rougher weather to come, but we’re not taking that attitude.

We’re optimistic we’ll be out playing regular golf, albeit in slacks and with two or three layers on top, sooner rather than later.

With the new season comes thoughts of new equipment. Is it possible your 2005 driver isn’t giving you the most return for your effort and practice? Are your irons all dented and scratched up from years of (mis) use? Have the grooves on your wedges all but disappeared? Did your putter behave itself in 2022 or does it need to be shown the door? Are your shoes coming apart at the seams?

Whatever you need, Puetz Golf will stock it. Here are 10 items that could help you score better this year. And talking of scoring better, if you haven’t been fitted for your clubs yet, discover how much better you hit the ball (and how much more fun you can have) with clubs that are customized for your swing. Puetz can do that too.

Bring on 2023!

Watching Kyle Berkshire swing a driver at 145 mph (Google it if you haven’t) and generate over 230 mph of ball-speed is a little shocking and likely will make you feel awfully slow. Half of us can’t crack 95 mph with a driver, in fact, so the X-flex Paderson Kinetixx shaft Berkshire has in his driver probably wouldn’t do us much good. XXIO’s range of ultra-lite equipment, designed specifically for golfers with moderate swing-speeds, might though. XXIO, part of the Dunlop Sports family that also includes Cleveland Golf and Srixon, has built a reputation for being the mid-high-handicapper/ moderate-swinger’s friend (assuming he/she can afford its high-end products, of course) building very lightweight and forgiving clubs that can be swung faster without exerting any extra effort. While standard XXIO clubs are considered ideal for those that swing a driver between 80 and 95 mph, even they might not be suitable for super-seniors and many women golfers who can’t quite manage 80 mph. Those golfers need XXIO Prime. Prime clubs aren’t standard XXIO with a senior shaft but are built differently. The head features the same Rebound Face found in Srixon drivers and, together with the Super-TIX PLUS Titanium face, creates a sweet spot that’s 200 percent larger than that of the previous XXIO Prime driver – 200 percent! The irons, while featuring similarly lightweight components also have a little tungsten in the head to elevate the MOI and increase forgiveness. A 10-piece set comprises: 12.5-degree driver, 3-, 5- and 7-wood, 6-hybrid, 7-iron through sand wedge and head covers.

What was once seen as a possible trend 15 years ago with the advent of the rangefinder – many seeing it as a product that was a luxury item to keep in your bag – it’s now become an invaluable tool and the “15th club” in your arsenal. Laser rangefinders are probably the piece of golf equipment improving the most rapidly, and Bushnell is one of a handful of manufacturers leading the charge. The Pro X3 features an incredible range of features including Elements -- the ability to compensate for both temperature and altitude. Together with Bushnell’s patented Slope technology (not legal during tournament play), Elements assures you get the most accurate distance every time. And you can put in your home elevation to get compensated distances at the elevation where you play most of your golf. Dual Display gives you the ability to easily toggle between red or black display settings based on lighting conditions and your preferences. The Slope-Switch, with interactive locking mechanism, significantly reduces the risk of accidently setting the unit to Slope mode during tournament play. Bushnell says the Pro X3 is the most powerful golf laser rangefinder ever made and will give you consistent yardage readings within a yard to flags from 600-plus yards. The integrated BITE magnetic mount allows you to adhere the unit to the cart, which saves you the trouble of taking it out of your bag every shot. The Pro X3 comes in a rubber-armored, metal housing meaning it won’t get damaged if dropped, and is fully waterproof.