Puetz Golf - In The Bag

PRODUCT REVIEWS AND EQUIPMENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Bring on summer with the latest and greatest gear — check out these 10 options

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Summer’s here at last and those of you who haven’t been out for 18 holes yet will now be taking to the course to hopefully enjoy a few blissful months of blue skies and sunshine. We’ve been cooped up for too long (though it probably wasn’t the worst spring we’ve ever had) and the Masters has come and gone.

There is another time of the year that thinks of itself as the most wonderful of the year and, to be fair, it is pretty special. But does it really beat the onset of a Washington summer with its promise of long, warm days and evening rounds? We’ll probably feel differently come December, but right now we’re talking the period from June 20 to September 22 — the official start and end dates of summer 2024. That’s 94 days in which to get your golf on.

What are your hopes for this year — get as many rounds in as you can, play a certain course, beat a previous best, join a club, compete more, lower your handicap index to a certain number, beat a certain someone or, perhaps, win a certain tournament? Though it’s unlikely you’ll reach Scottie Scheffler-form at any point, you shouldn’t let that stop you from getting out there and giving it your best shot. We’re with you all the way.

And however you plan to enjoy the summer and wherever it takes you, don’t forget Puetz Golf has whatever you need to help you achieve your goal, be it a club-fitting, club repair, instruction, practice sessions at the driving range on Aurora Avenue or, of course, a specific piece of equipment.

Check out these 10 selections we’ve teed up for you and check PuetzGolf.com for pricing and availability.

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1 • PING

G730 and i530 Irons

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $170-$200 per club

When Ping introduces its “longest and most forgiving iron ever,” you pay close attention. To accomplish its goal, the 65-year-old Phoenix-based company used a heat-treated 17-4 stainless steel to thin the face and increase the amount it flexes. A larger head, more offset and wider sole make the G730 more appealing to higher-handicap golfers and lower the Center of Gravity (CG) which increases the Moment of Inertia (MOI) giving you the forgiveness you need. The cavity back has a PurFlex cavity badge which enhances feel and produces a more powerful sound. Multiple flex zones on the face allow the face to bend, increasing ball-speeds across the face. That guarantees more distance regardless of where you make contact. The tungsten toe-screw and shaft tip weights allow a fitter to fine-tune the swing weight to whatever feels comfortable. The G730 is available in 5-9 iron, PW, UW, 50- and 56-degree wedges. Power (stronger lofts) and retro (weaker lofts) specs are also available. Although it would have seemed strange 15-20 years ago, Ping also makes handsome, forged, blade-like irons of which the i530 is the newest. The size, shape and style of the head may suggest it is designed for players who already hit it plenty far and don’t need forgiving irons, but a flexible C300 steel face welded to a 17-4 steel body, together with a hollow body, combine to give significant distance gains. An interior polymer also improves feel and sound. Precision-milled MicroMax grooves ensure consistent launch and spin.

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2 • TaylorMade

Junior Sets

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $249.99-$499.99

Time was when Grandpa would cut down his old clubs to make a set for his grandkids. It got them playing the game at least, but the clubs were invariably too heavy resulting in Junior having less fun than he/ she could have had and developing a very odd-looking swing. Today, manufacturers build clubs specifically for children. Lighter and more forgiving than Grandpa’s old blades, these clubs enable kids to hit shots that will encourage them to keep playing. The all-new Team TaylorMade Junior Set is designed by the same people that make clubs for players like Rory McIlroy and Nelly Korda. The 400cc Titanium driver has a large, flexible face which will help young’uns hit the ball straight and far. The fairway metals and rescue clubs have ultra-low CGs and are shaped to make it easy to get the ball off the ground. The putter is designed for easy alignment which helps your little golfer get the ball rolling toward the hole. The bag has a dual-strap which spreads the weight making it easier to carry, and a rain hood keeps the clubs dry if they’re tempted to go out in the rain. Headcovers protect the woods from nicks and scratches. In addition to being a quality set of clubs, the TaylorMade junior set gives you access to online content to entertain and educate. TaylorMade Staff players talk about their favorite tips, drills and swing fundamentals. All the junior golfer needs do is scan the QR code on the bag tag.

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3 • TaylorMade

P-UDI and P-DHY

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $249.99 per club Utility/Driving Irons

In adapting to the way modern golf is played, manufacturers have become good at building specialized clubs designed for specific players wanting to hit specific shots. TaylorMade now offers two styles of lowloft/low-trajectory utility/driving irons – the P-DHY and P-UDI which are designed to hit the ball far off the tee when a driver might go too far or you just don’t fancy it, or perhaps for hitting off the ground if you have a long second at a par 5. The P-UDI offers the slightly stronger-lofted 2-iron (17-degree as opposed to the P-DHY’s 18-degree 2-iron. The 3- and 4-irons in both styles have the same lofts) and a CG positioned in the middle of the head to produce the piercing shots great ball strikers prefer. Both clubs feature thick-thin back wall construction, a sound stabilization bar and mass positioned to maximize forgiveness. An internal weighting structure combines with the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket, and up to 26 grams of tungsten to make what would otherwise be quite intimidating shots far less scary. The Thru-Slot speed pocket allows the face to flex when contact is made low (first or second groove) meaning shots hit thin will perform better than expected. The P-DHY has a significantly wider sole than the P-UDI, which means a lower CG and higher launch. Higher-handicap golfers are probably better off hitting a hybrid for shots of 200 yards or more, but some might prefer the look of the P-DHY.

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4 • PING

G Le2 Package Sets

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $1,499.99

With so many female golfers taking up the game in the wake of the pandemic, clubmakers not only got good at building junior sets (see TaylorMade Junior Sets here), but they also made vast improvements to women’s sets. The G Le2 features a number of Ping’s most impressive innovations but in a significantly lighter package. It is designed specifically to help female golfers get the ball off the ground and moving forward. The package set consists of 10 high-performance clubs, a matching, lightweight Hoofer Lite stand bag and headcovers. The clubs include a driver with a thin, forged T9S+ face which is optimized for women’s swings. Also comes with a 5-wood with a thin maraging steel C300 face and high MOI to forgive any off-center strikes, a 6-hybrid with a similarly thin, hot face and low CG, 7-9 irons which feature COR-Eye Technology whose deep top-rail undercut increases face-flexing for more ball-speed and higher maximum height as well as a tungsten toe-weight which increases MOI and forgiveness. The cavity badge improves feel and sound. The lightweight and very soft Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip and proprietary ULT240 shaft reduce each club’s overall weight which helps you generate more clubhead and ball-speed without you making a great deal of extra effort. The putter features a dual-durometer Pebax face insert with a soft layer for precision and improved feel and a firmer layer for control and consistency. The adjustable shaft allows you to alter the length of the putter from 31-35 inches.

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5 • BagBoy

Volt Electric Cart

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $1,495.95

We’ve introduced readers to several electric carts in recent years with the message that you can still reap the benefits of walking the golf course without having to carry your clubs, thus strengthening your legs and getting some aerobic exercise without possibly doing damage to your back and shoulders. Electric caddie carts began life in the UK, spread to Continental Europe and Australia, and have become an increasingly common feature on U.S. courses. The concept may take some golfers a bit of getting used to but, after a few rounds, you may start wondering what took you so long to take the plunge and buy one. Bag Boy’s Volt Electric Cart is among the lightest of those we’ve featured and offers a very generous amount of storage space. The TrueLine Tracking feature uses “course correction and path-recognition” software to keep the Volt on track when in distance-control mode, which also allows you to send the cart up to 30 yards ahead with the touch of a button. It easily converts to a manual pushcart, facilitating the trip from parking lot to course and helps you maneuver tight spaces with ease. The Volt weighs 28.6 pounds and folds down to a compact 29 x 16.5 x 14.5 inches, making it easy to get in and out of the car. The lithium battery takes four hours to charge and is good for 36 holes (or eight hours). The ergonomic remote control gives you nine speed options and makes controlling the vehicle easy.

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6 • Mizuno

T25 Wedges

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $179.99-$200 per club

Grain Flow-Forged in Hiroshima, Japan, to ensure precise shaping and incredible touch around the green, the T24 wedge is a reworking of Mizuno’s prolific T-Series wedge, with subtle top-line refinements visible from the playing position. The T24 has higher-spinning QUADCUT+ grooves than on previous Mizuno wedges, and five unique sole profiles — S, D, C, V, and X — which give the club its versatility and you a range of options for whatever conditions you encounter most regularly. (As a general rule, a wedge with high bounce is good for courses with lush turf, soft sand and a steep attack angle while less bounce is good for tight lies, firm sand and a shallow attack). Laser-etched HydroFlow Micro Grooves release moisture in wet turf helping to maintain spin. A flared upper portion of the blade creates higher spin and a penetrating trajectory – particularly from strikes high on the clubface. This prevents the ball from ballooning, keeping it on a controllable trajectory. The lower lofted wedges — 46-, 48-, and 50-degree — have a straighter leading edge, while the more lofted clubs (58-degree and higher) have a more rounded front edge for when you need to open the blade a little and hit a soft, floating lob shot. The standard version is available in three attractive finishes: Soft White Satin (with copper underlay), Tour Raw and the frankly beautiful Denim Copper, though Mizuno’s iconic Blue IP plating was added to the lineup a few months after the original club was released. G

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7 • TaylorMade

Qi10 Limited Design Series

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $629.99

A week after introducing its Qi10 driver, TaylorMade followed up with the Qi10 Designer Series drivers – clubs with a little cosmetic styling to make them even more appealing than the original club. The original Qi10 looked great to us but, according to TaylorMade, the Designer Series drew inspiration from the automotive world and pop culture as well as its own design team’s individual creativity. “The Designer Series is a visual feast,” the company said. “Each color palate brings a unique touch of style and makes a statement on the course.” Qi10 Designer Series drivers are available in Black Out and Ruby Red. The Qi10 driver’s crown is 97 percent lightweight carbon which enables TaylorMade’s engineers to redistribute mass to other parts of the club, specifically low in the head to lower the CG, increase the MOI and launch the ball higher. The third generation of 60X Carbon Twist Face is a significantly lighter face than traditional titanium constructions, which reduces forward weight and maximizes energy transfer at impact for higher ball speeds and what TaylorMade calls “preserved performance on off-center strikes.” A new support structure bonds the face to the body with a similar goal of helping to maintain ball-speeds on those rare occasions when you don’t hit the ball on the sweet spot. The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, a familiar feature on many TaylorMade clubs (see P-DHY and P-UDI utility/driving irons in this section) preserves ball speed low-face strikes, and the 4-degree loft sleeve allows you to fine-tune loft and face angle.

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8 • Odyssey

Ai-One Putters 8

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $299.99-$449.99

Odyssey calculated that its staff players’ three-putts cost them $25 million in 2022. The company, founded in 1991 and acquired by Callaway six years later, discovered the majority of these three-putts were caused by poor speed control, so it borrowed Callaway’s Artificial Intelligence technology (which the mother company has been using in its drivers for over five years) to design a putter that minimized its effect — i.e. a putter that performed consistently no matter how far from the sweet spot contact was made. AI allows clubmakers to run tens of thousands of possible scenarios very quickly allowing them to identify the best solution much sooner than they were once able to. This AI helped Odyssey develop an insert that made off-center putts come off the face at very nearly the same speed as those hit solidly. Putts struck by this new insert finished up to 21 percent closer to the hole. The putter maker then used the new insert for two different models — the Ai-One and Ai-One Milled. The back of the Ai-One insert is made of aluminum and the AI-inspired bumps and bulges can be seen through transparent covers (called Panlite — an automotive-grade polymer) either behind the putter face or — in the case of the Seven S, Seven CH, and Rossie S — on the sole. The front of the insert, which contacts the ball, is coated with the White Hot urethane polymer Odyssey developed in 2000. The Ai-One Milled insert is all-titanium but, unlike the AiOne’s insert, isn’t visible.

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9 • FootJoy

Premiere Shoes 9

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $199.99-$219.99

Though it has a classic look inspired by the styles of yesteryear, the FootJoy Premiere features contemporary technologies that makes it perform better than anything your father ever wore on (or off) the golf course. They are built on what FootJoy calls a “Laser Street last” which has a full-rounded toe character, standard fit across forefoot and instep, and a slightly narrow heel. The upper features soft, supple, hand-selected and waterproof Pittard’s leather featuring patterns that are modern interpretations of classic style. A firm density cup around the heel provides perimeter heel support and stability, and the Ortholite EcoPlush FitBed likewise promotes stability and comfort. The Premiere uses the Fast Twist 3.0 cleat system with Pulsar LP cleats made by Softspikes. The “Fast Twist” was the first ever three-click insert system on the market, and it secures each cleat with consistent torque for balanced performance. The VersaTrax+ outsole is engineered with translucent traction elements which, together with the Pulsar cleats, ensure you’ll rarely ever slip. Indeed, the combination of the cleats and Estane TPU nubs is designed to help you grip the ground from any lie or angle. FootJoy warrants that the Premiere will be 100 percent waterproof with normal use for two years. The Premiere lineup features both lace-up and the Boa dial-turning fit system (devised in 2006 by FootJoy and Boa Technologies) models for both men and women. The men’s Tarlow and Packard models feature luxurious sheepskin linings. Stylish, comfortable and stable is a good combination for golf shoes.

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10 • Callaway

Chrome Soft, Chrome Tour, Chrome Tour X 10

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $54.99 per dozen

The Chrome Soft, Chrome Tour and Tour X are Callaway’s premium golf balls, each offering serious golfers a combination of distance, feel and control. The Chrome Soft, first introduced in 2015, sometimes had a problem convincing golfers of its ball-speed capabilities, but the 2024 version offers greatly improved ball-speeds thanks to a new Hyper Fast Soft Core that ensures improved performance at various levels of ball compression. Each of the trio features what Callaway calls a ‘Seamless Tour Aero’ which combines Callaway’s hexagonal-shaped dimples with strategically positioned spherical dimples. Each model’s dimple configuration is different to produce the characteristics demanded by different players. Yes, Callaway can manage the exact shape, size and position of each dimple to create the desired flight pattern. Also new is the cover – the ‘High-Performance Tour Urethane Soft Cover’ – which creates softer feel and more spin for more bite on short shots. So, which is right for you? The Chrome Soft is much the same ball as it always was, at least it should appeal to the same player it always did. The only difference between it and previous models is the fact it now goes farther. The Chrome Tour X, the most popular choice among Callaway staff players, has improved greenside performance over its predecessor and, thanks to the Seamless Tour Aero, a slightly more penetrating flight. It is designed for players who prefer more spin with their irons. The Chrome Tour, meanwhile, feels slightly softer than the Chrome Tour X and doesn’t spin quite as much.