EugeGall

Congrats to all. Like others haven’t played TaylorMade since the Penta, but always toyed with trying the Pix for the alignment just never got round to it simply because my gamer Seed-01 is great value and very Pro-V1 that I was using so I’ll be tuning in for the feedback.

Same setup, UA top and bottom base layers and good to go.

Wanted to just check in and give you my updated thoughts a few months in….. It”s been pretty darn cold and wet here in the UK since my last post. So how has the Galway Bay performed; coped may even be a better term. I was under no illusion that these would not keep the cold at Bay (sorry I couldn’t help myself), but given they are very lightweight they are easily layered so I’ll give them a big plus here. Main point to let you all know they really do keep the rain out. They are hands down better than any rain gear I’ve owned. You get what you pay for and yes ok I didn’t buy these, but I can honestly say I would. They wash well and don’t lose any of their protection. I’ve even used the gloves on and off and yes they work, reasonable grip, keep your hands warm in the wet and cold, although I still prefer my normal glove and mitts combo. I’ve been looking at the new line from GB just to see if these would be a good upgrade and yes they state some good plus points, you know what I’m sticking with the package I have as these are built to last. So one big shout out again to Galway Bay and MyGolfSpy for giving me this opportunity to test and own these. I’ll keep you all posted to the longevity, but honestly go get some.

Professional golf is all about bomb it off the tee and hit a wedge in, rough or not which can pretty boring to watch. Grew up watching players having to be skilful and strategic. Other than off the tee they don’t hit longer clubs in anymore. Maybe the pros don’t like the proposal because they don’t have that skill now, although I find that hard to believe. Bifurcation already exists, we don’t really play the same tech they do, manufacturers just sell that to make us spend. Just my 2 cents worth.

They are all hypocrites - Jay Monahan for selling out the PGA players behind their back, those players who moved claiming it was for the good of the sport. That's horse poo, they did it for their bank balance, at least HV III admitted this. Why doesn't John Rahm be honest and say "Jay shafted me with the merger so I'm cashing in" - the phoney "LIV is innovative and it will help grow the sport, the whole team thing excites me" kinda grates the throat. Same guy who trashed it a year ago and said $400 million is not life changing to him and Kelly - I guess he was correct, but $600 million is. And don't get me started with him bringing Seve into. Look don't get me wrong good luck to the guy, he's a great golfer and seemed a nice genuine guy, likeable even (hey probably still is) - it's a stupid amount of money that none of us would turn down, but just be honest. The script they all spout is just a yawn fest . Oh and just to finish off - is it just me or is Greg Norman just a "tool", I could say worse . For some reason he comes across as one dislikeable tosser who probably has few mates. He really needs to do one.

Nice review

Good review

Form all submitted, but thought I should post my take on the test ball (yes I'm going to say it was an AVX, I could be wrong LOL ) Side by side compared to my gamer (Seed SD-01, equivalent to Titleist ProV1) I'd say the test ball has more pronounced dimple pattern from touch point of view, not sure what difference this would make. Initial hit on indoor putting matt to gauge the sound (don't like a clicky ball sound when putting) was you couldn't tell them apart. I always work back from the "green" when trying new balls so this was a good start. To give these a good test I spent a couple of hours hitting them into the green from 120-130 yards and in, closing hole at my course - 3x Prototype and 3x Gamer. I have to thank my home course for letting me do this. I found the test ball to be similar in feel/sound off my wedges. They did fly a little lower with a shallower flight so rolled out a bit further which took a a bit to get used to - a check and roll compared to check and stop from my gamer. Once I hit a few I would say they played consistent. Around the green I did notice a drop off in spin/bite, but not unplayable. Off the putter they felt smooth and very like my gamer sound and feel. Next was to put them in full play - good solid distance off the driver, flight was lower and they may have run out a bit more, but nothing too noticeable. Now where I did see a difference was of my approaches, mid irons (6-8) with approx. 5 yards gain on ShotScope X5, again flight was lower, more piercing so this I say did have a good outcome. All in all the ball would work, once I get the short game dialled in. However at the price point the Seeds will be staying as almost half the price Thanks Titleist and MyGolfSpy for the chance to test.

Played 18 again today, still no rain, although colder 2C/35F. Jacket worn over base layer and polo with just pants (no layering). Comfortable warmth, with the setup keeping the cold breeze at (Galway) bay. No restrictions noted on any shots and could easily swing through my driver. Happy so far .

Update: Played today no rain, but it was on the cold side - 7C or 45F for those across the pond so right at the bottom of the rating. I have to say for a set that is so light to wear it really worked to keep the cold air out. Add to that I wore the pants last week at 71F I can verify they work across the board. I’ll admit I was sceptical they could keep you warm and cool, but hats off to Galway Bay, these work. The pants especially could be goto bottoms for all conditions. For rainwear there is very little sound when moving, very comfortable. I’m giving big thumbs up so far.

My package is still with UK Customs. I don’t think it’s shipping from Colombia, but customs have sniffer dogs all over it, well that’s my story. I think the fact it says the word “gear” has them ecited. Just as well the sender is not called Escobar, LOL

Congrats guys, looking forward to the reviews. Like the look of the hoodie

Update. My package is with UK customs so hopefully get this week

For me golf shoes last years, that’s the easy answer, but doesn’t tell the true story. Truth is at last count I think I have at least 12 pairs, probably more. Why? Who knows. At least 3 I would call winter only that rotate and too many for summer that I like to swap out with what I’m wearing. Bit of a problem maybe. I don’t wear any one pair enough to wear them out, but I see a new pair I like the look of and enough said, I barely wear out the spikes.

They look cool and cannot wait for mine to arrive in the same colour combo.

I don’t play a “premium” ball or do I. The Seed SD-01 is as good as the Pro-v1 and half the price

Currently watching the BMW Championship at Wentworth. They’re backing up 2&3 groups on the tee boxes. This is what some weekend warriors model their golf on. Yes I get the pro’s are playing for a lot of money or keeping their cards, but it doesn’t help when this is what people see

My course has 10 minutes between tee times and we usually go round (4 ball) 3.5 to 4 hours. If it takes longer then I’m

Just remembered my course has recently installed Toptracer Range so can easily measure ball speed and dispersion to target with and without the Galway gear.

I’m always up for a challenge

Would a comparable test be if my club distances and dispersion wasn’t effected?

Now I’m really excited and I got the colours I requested, how cool

Cool gif

Couldn’t be more thrilled to be selected. The breathability of these items will be one of the things I’m most curious to explore and yes if all else fails the shower is prepped and the local car wash is booked.

Well G'day to everyone, I'm Eugene Gallacher so you can see I got very original with my user name, ok not really, it was an off day when I joined. Firstly I'd like to thank MGS and Galway Bay for giving me this opportunity to test out the rain gear, especially hailing from over the pond as a member. I'm eagerly awaiting for my shipment to arrive which is somewhere between the US and the UK, although the current weather has me thinking "who wants to test raingear?" You'll all be pleased to know the forecast is rain over the next few weeks. Hey at least I won't have to jump in the shower to test them out. About Me I'm 52 years young, married with 2 daughters and live in Brighton UK. A fun fact is I'm Scottish with an Irish father, my wife is Welsh and my 2 daughters were born in England and we all have Australian citizenship. I'm an engineer by default and currently the general manager for a manufacturing company that designs instrumentation for the geotechnical, civil and structural engineering sector. I love sport of all kinds especially (other than golf obviously) football (I'm not saying soccer, sorry guys) and no not the American kind 1. NFL is not football, 2. NFL is not football and 3. NFL is not football, the throwing part kind of gives it away. I'll stop now. My Golf Been playing golf since I was 8 (dad was a big golf nut so must be in the genes) and played all through my school years as a junior, took a break when I went to university, all that studying got in the way (maybe girls did too, LOL). Started again in my early twenties and really got serious when I lived in Australia, what can I say the Sandbelt area of Melbourne is blessed with great courses (was a member of Kingston Heath), oh and the weather helped getting my handicap down to 7.4. Moved back to the UK 2012 and here's the kicker, didn't play any golf for the next 10 years so only been back playing for the last 8-9 months. Played with a friend and gave myself a 15 handicap which seemed to work out about right and I've stupidly set myself the goal of handicap 5 by 60; I'm off 9.2. Will I get there, who knows and honestly I don't really mind, it's the trying that counts. Current track is Singing Hills, a lovely 27 hole course with 3 distinct 9 holes (Lake, River & Valley), just north of Brighton and I play every weekend, at least once and get out for 9 midweek, most weeks. I do all my own club work, regripping & reshafting. Bit of tinkerer at heart. The Test/Review 1. How to test - hopefully playing golf in the rain, but as said will jump in the shower and my wife has volunteered to soak me with a hose (wants to more like). I'll get creative if needed so will use when walking the dog. I also want to see how they go as cold and wind protection without need to layer too much. 2. Comparisons - they'll be put up against my other stock brands, you know the ones that look like you're wearing garbage bags. My course has Toptracer Range so will will do a distance & dispersion compare on the Galway Bay vs other raingear and my normal clothing to see if they restrict swing, etc. 3. Will they stay after testing - for sure if they work, if they are easy to wash and keep waterproof, if they look as cool in real life as the pictures. 4. Why did I want to test - not a fan of current raingear, they look like garbage bags and I like to look cool when I golf. The pants intrigued me as they state they are normal pants for everyday golf, not something you have pull on when the rain starts. Breathability is a big factor I want to explore, lets face it you're dressed for golf and then it rains and you pull on the gear and end up sweating like a dog on heat. 5. Product knowledge - I'll be honest and say I'd never heard of Galway Bay. They don't come up in searches for raingear here in the UK or maybe I'm just to old to use the internet properly. 6. Expectations - high having now down some research on the product and brand. I don't want them to be just like all the other brands, I'm expecting better. Anyway I'll keep you all posted and I can't believe I'm going to say this but let the rain begin..... fun times ahead. EugeGall Finally - Unboxing, First Impressions and First Use Well after waiting what felt like a lifetime (reminded me of being a kid waiting for Christmas) they arrived last Friday. Not sure if this was a fault with UPS or UK customs or just the fact the golfing Gods knew I didn't really need them as the weather is so not rainwear use just now in the UK. However, I had taken the day off to play so I was keen to get going. Small box with the jacket and pants neatly package in their own branded bag and gloves in usual branded sleeve. Jacket First take on the jacket I really liked the look and feel of the material - more silver colour than just plain dull grey, with a smooth statin feel. It looked like any water would just run off. I also have a thing about touching textures that are a little sandpaper like, that some waterproofs can have - similar to touching a terracotta pot can give me shivers so big plus on the material. Aesthetically pleasing with the detailing of "Galway Bay" subtle on the breast pocket and left cuff. The pocket zips have a drawcord attached which look like they will make usage easier, although I'll be honest and say I tend not to use the pockets on a jacket. The cuffs had the usual Velcro adjustment. The waist has drawstring adjustment which some may find useful if they want a more fitted feel so I'll see how that goes over time. Over the coming weeks/months (I need rain, ok the shower will do)) I'll compare against my other rainwear. On looks and feel alone it's up there with my current top/jacket This has the normal Goretex fabric so I'm curious to see how the Galway Bay Hydro-Flex material compares. Pants Straight out of the packet they just looked as stated, normal golf pants - not the garbage bags I currently have. Big plus on this!! Again subtle detailing on the right pocket. The 2 rear pockets have magnetic closures unlike the normal Velcro system - there was no flap so it will be interesting to see how this copes in the rain, but the magnet I thought was a nice touch. Nice tapered cut to the leg and the grey colour just shouted smart!! These pants tick the box for me in all counts so far. On The Course As I said I was playing on Friday so I thought no time like the present to put these into practice. I had planned on wearing the Adidas trousers shown in the picture. Side by side you'd be hard pressed to pick the rain pants. The weather was nice 70F with no rain in sight, but what the heck I was curious to see if they could cross over into everyday use. Although as you can see from the picture the jacket did make me feel a little hot. I battled on for 2 holes and had to remove it. Not that I found that it made me sweat, it just wasn't the conditions for a jacket. Although I would say this bodes well for the future when it starts to cool off. On the limited shots I did hit with the full gear I found it didn't impact my swing in any way, but it's early days and it wasn't wet. The pants worn alone for the rest of the round worked just as I hoped - no different to normal golf wear. No rustling sound, no sweating caused and comfortable to wear. Again I'll be curious to see how they fair as the cooler, wetter weather kicks in by I have high hopes so far. What About The Gloves?? The gloves have a suede feel to the fingers and palm I assume for traction when wet and a stretch fabric to the top. The fit is spot on compared to my everyday glove and the quality looks good. Given the current weather I'm going to have to get creative on testing these over the coming days - thinking of spray bottle and then towelling down, similar to non rain glove when playing in the rain. Come to think of it I'm going to have to get creative with all the gear, but at least I can do the comparison vs other brands and dry weather clothing to see if they restrict play before the heavens open. So far so good - 1st impressions get a big thumbs up from me . Final Review First Impressions (9 out of 10) Out of the box and unpacking I have to say the Galway Bay rainwear just looked cool, especially in the grey colour chosen. As I said above I went with the Ultimate Gray Hawthorn II Rain Jacket in a small and the Seagrove II Chino Rain Pant in Gray, size 30x32 (come to think of it should the colour really read "Grey"). The fit was spot on in the jacket and if I'm being picky maybe slightly too long in the leg for my 5'8" and 140lbs frame. Compared to other golf clothing I would say the sizing is on a "par" with what I'm used to. The material has a soft, smooth texture that's almost a cross between silky and satiny (are those are real words, but hopefully you know what I mean). As I said above I have an icky feeling when touching some textures so these were cool. Jacket: There are two Velcro tabs along the main zipper which is pretty standard and also on the wrist cuffs to size appropriately. There are draw strings built into the bottom of the jacket to tighten around the waist for those who require the need. The collar is tapered around the neck line for comfort which I particularly appreciated as I don't like anything rubbing against my facial hair. The pockets have strings attached for easier opening/closing, I suppose which is useful as I found these to be on the tight side to use (was the tight pocket zips a feature of GB making these more waterproof??). There is the go to breast pocket that whilst very traditional I just find totally useless, I mean does anyone really carry a scorecard in there. Come to think of it I don't use any of the pockets, but that may just be me. What really jumped out at me was the lack of weight in the this jacket, you barley notice you have it on. Pants: Now GB state “These unlined pants have the same sleek look and feel as traditional golf pants" and I have to say they are accurate with this description. Compared to my usual Adidas pants it's hard to say which are the rainwear. They have a slim tapered fit and for sure could be used as your every day golf pant as they don't scream rain pant. I have to say GB got these spot on as I hate wearing my "garbage bag" over the top ones. The rear pockets have magnetic closures which I found a little odd given they are rain pants, unlike the usual flap on my other brands, to keep the water out so wasn't sure how this would work so this was where I took the one point off my score. Gloves: Got these in a size small and the fit was accurate and similar to my usual glove size. The design was nice with a big GB logo on top and the quality of the stitching appeared good. I wasn't too sure what to expect of these as I don't use rain gloves, but more on that later. Aesthetics (10 out of 10) What's not like about the look of this setup. The colour is cool, the logos are subtle and the jacket is already my goto on and off the course. Even my wife pointed out the jacket was pretty snazzy and that takes some doing for her to even notice what I'm wearing as she hates my usual loud or typical golf attire, so that's a big thumbs up to GB. Fit & Comfort (18 out of 20) As I have already said fit was similar to my normal clothing and the Hydro-Flex 32 material is super light weight and breathable. Given the unusual good weather lately I was concerned that like other rainwear these would be like sweatboxes, but how ever GB have achieved it this is not the case with their jacket and pants. If I don't notice something when wearing it then in my book it passes the comfort test, however if I'm being picky I would have liked to have the option of a draw string around the lower rib area just to pinch it in slightly, so for me 2 marks lost there. As the weather gets colder the light weight will make layering a breeze - yes I wear leggings on bottom and base layer on top when the temperature drops - I'm a wuss when it gets cold. The GB website points out the clothing is rated for 45 to 70 degrees and amazingly I have already tested these 2 extremes with flying colours on the positive side. On-Course (17 out of 20) This was obviously the main part of the review for me. Ok so they look good, the fit was spot on and yes they are comfortable to wear, but do they work and can you play in them. Overall it's a big Yes and Yes (well maybe). The jacket and pants in no way hampered my swing and my scoring was on a par compared to playing in non-rainwear. The slight swish when swinging was a blessing compared to the rustle I get in my other rainwear so I would say the GB get a plus for me in this regard. Not that my other gear hampers my swing it's just the distracting sound that gets into my head. Whilst it never really rained hard/heavy during my testing there was certainly enough to give these a good soak test. The water just appeared to bead and run off and my clothing underneath remained perfectly dry. Given the pants are worn as traditional ones I was pleasantly surprised that I could wear these on the drive home after a wet round without taking water with me. I'd never do this with my over the top ones. Now this were I'm going to point out the following could just be user error (or the fool using more like). The gloves, given I never wear rain gloves, I wasn't sure about. The grip when wet gave me little confidence, but if I towelled off it improved, but not close enough to what I'm used to - I keep my glove, hands and grips pretty dry when it rains. Plus I'm not a fan of a glove on my right hand, it just feels wrong. So it could be harsh that I'm marking down for my failings more than the actual gloves themselves. The Good, the bad, the in-between (20 out of 20) Good - the jacket and pants just screamed quality and not only from a golf viewpoint. The jacket is now my wear to work it's that nice. The pants are as comfy as an old pair of slippers (and that's in a good way). They both keep you dry as required and my dog is voting yes as I wear them to walk him in the wet. The dog may even have the casting vote. Bad - the gloves as I've already said this could just be me, but I just wouldn't bother and stick to my usual set up. There is no in-between and the good more than outweighs any bad. Play It or Trade It (20 out of 20) This, even as I'm typing is the hardest section. Yes the rainwear meets all my criteria; they kept me dry, they looked cool, the quality was 2nd to none, I can wear it on and off the course, my dog loves them, my wife gave them a thumbs up. However the setup is around the $500 mark and that's pricey for what is just something to keep you dry. Yes I'm lucky that I got picked to test and I tried to work out would I pay that for them. I wanted to be honest to the other MGS members in this who hopefully will read. After some internal head wrangling all I kept coming back to is you get what you pay for and so they just tick all the boxes - a big and truthful PLAY IT!! Conclusion I'll be honest and say I hate playing in the rain (who does??), even to the point I'll avoid it. You know what not anymore, I've got my Galway Bays. I now say huh rain, well bring it on, not only do they keep you dry, but you'll look a million dollars while doing it. These are not rainwear, they are just my part of my everyday golf attire. So do yourself a favour and head over to the Galway Bay website and grab some good looking and great quality golf clothing. Don't pray for no rain, just play knowing you've got yourself covered. Finally a big thank you to Galway Bay and MyGolfSpy for making me play in (and pray for) rain. Who'd have thought that was ever possible. Final Score (94 out of 100)