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GolfSpy Barbajo

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Posts posted by GolfSpy Barbajo

  1. Thanks for the birthday wishes guys. Got to play two rounds - one at The Oaks in Somersworth, NH that went sideways after an opening par save. The other was today at Butter Brook in Westford, MA, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the area. Spotty front 9 (43) and was cruising along at 1 over par on the back until finishing 17 and 18 with a DB and a bogey. So much for birthday karma!

     

  2. 7 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

    In my opinion, being in St Andrews and playing the Old Course has been the single best golf-related experience of my life.  Even if you don't play the Old Course, the town is magical, and the other courses are great.  I've been to Scotland for golf three times, Ireland three times, a fair number of places throughout the US, and the two week-long visits I've made to St Andrews are the best.

    Couldn't agree more -- the town, the golf, the people - it was special.

    Might as well dust off this golden oldie...

    MyGolfSpy Experiences: A Trip To St. Andrews | MyGolfSpy

  3. Been gaming the 58 for a few weeks now - some thoughts:

    1. Full face comes into play when you open up the club face a lot, like for a flop or semi-flop shot. The ball has a tendency to ride up the face a bit. The very first shot I tried with this was a flop over a bunker to a tight pin placement. As mentioned in our launch article, usually I'd just toss the ball in the bunker and save everyone a bunch of time, but the combination of low-ish bounce and the aggressive C-grind produced a pretty good shot. As a tool, it does help make flop shots easier - and I do prefer it to the CBX full face wedge. I like the versatility around the green as well, and it looks like I won't be taking it out of the bag anytime soon. 

    2. As for the 52 degree, I'm not noticing any real advantages or disadvantages over a "standard" wedge, so while it's not in the bag, I wouldn't say there's a downside to having it in the bag, either. 

    3. One thing I think Cleveland did well here is because of the ZipCore technology (a super low-density core in the hosel which lets them move mass elsewhere), they didn't have to go crazy with the high toe look. While it does have a higher toe profile than the standard RTX, it's not crazy, at least to my eye. 

    4. Can you hit a flop shot without a full face wedge?  Sure. Does this make it a little easier? It does for me. And it's great out of the sand. As with anything, it'll work for some, and not be a big deal for others. For me, I'd use one 56 degree and above, and am ambivalent on the lower lofted models. 
     

    5. And not for nothing, I'm a big fan of the RTX ZipCore in general. The RTX 4 didn't work for me for some reason - wasn't impressed at all. ZipCore, however, is a honey.

  4. 2 hours ago, Stay Calm and Putt On said:

    I've never played a Hanse course or in continental Europe, but after reading this, I want to do both. Les Bordes seems like a great place to experience world class golf and then explore the Loire Valley afterward. Vive la France! What a resume Hanse has . . . Perhaps he's the Ross or MacKenzie of his time?

    Have never done the continent either - maybe next year, depending on what happens with this year's Scotland trip. Have played a few Hanse courses here - really enjoyed Streamsong Black, although the rest of the group I played it with thought it was a little gimmicky. He does demand that you read putts well, or at least land on the right part of the green. 

    Maybe we should start a MyGolfSpy International Golf Travel Society??

  5. This came across my desk the other day - and with travel starting to loosen up (albeit slowly), wondering if anyone here has played on continental Europe? Might have to put this on the list once the travel bug bites....

    Picture4.png

    Gil Hanse is regarded as one of the finest “minimalist” golf course architects of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He’s been entrusted with restoring of the most revered and respected course designs in the game, including Oakland Hills (Donald Ross), Baltusrol (A.W. Tillinghast), and Fishers Island (Seth Raynor). And his original designs have drawn wonderful reviews, including for Streamsong Black, Rio Olympic Course in Brazil, and an 18-hole layout for the Crail Golfing Society in Fife, Scotland.

    Hanse and his longtime partner and course shaper, Jim Wagner, enjoy the luxury of picking and choosing which projects they undertake, such is the demand for his services. One of them selected is the New Course at Les Bordes Golf Club in France’s Loire Valley, 90 minutes from Paris. It is scheduled to open in July 2021, and it will join the existing New Course (Robert von Hagge design). Together with the Wild Piglet, a 10-hole short course, and the Himalayas putting course, both which Hanse designed, Les Bordes is regarded at one Continental Europe’s finest golf clubs.

    Where do you see Les Bordes sitting on the golf world stage as a facility?

    I think that, with the two 18-hole golf courses and the amenities that are already in place and the ones that are coming, I can’t see how Les Bordes won’t be considered one of the finest golfing destinations in Europe or in the world. You have all the cultural attractions around you, you’ve got the food and the wine, the quality of the amenities. It will be an idyllic place to spend time even if you weren’t playing golf, and then to have these two golf courses so different and varied in their challenges and their presentation really runs the full gamut. I don’t know where else in the world you could find that sort of variety.

     Picture3.jpg

    Can you pick out a couple of holes on the New Course that you especially like and tell us a bit about them?

    The 15th hole, a short-par four, would be one of them. There’s a lot of character and interest, when we were working on it we talked through the philosophy and then Jim Wagner shaped and executed it wonderfully and added some tremendous character to it. On the front nine, I’ve always liked the sixth hole, just the way it flows through the landscape and the different breaks. Trying to be reminiscent a little bit of Tom Simpson with segmented fairways and the way the green lays so simply on the ground.

    What makes the landscape at Les Bordes so special? And what makes this golf estate unique.

    The diversity of the plant materials is really something we have never encountered, with the broom and the bracken and the variety of trees throughout the property and the fescue grasses. Now they’ve also introduced heather so I think that there are all these great textures there that the golf course just seems to sit amongst. That’s what makes it unique, I can’t think of another golf landscape that looks and feels like the New Course at Les Bordes. There are so many different facets to heathland courses, which you can see in the courses just north of Paris like Morfontaine and Chantilly and the course much closer to where we live in Pine Valley, and I think there are all these different elements here that will create a unique experience at Les Bordes.

    How is it possible to build two completely different golf courses on the same estate?

    I think it was two different philosophies as to how Robert von Hagge did the Old Course and we approached the New Course. From that perspective, a significant amount of time passed between the creation of both golf courses, and I think that lent itself to, stylistically, different courses that appear differently, because one feels more manufactured and one feels more natural. Neither one is right or wrong, they are just different and one golf course extracts a very harsh penalty for poorly played shots and the other is a little bit more forgiving. I think that is what’s going to make Les Bordes one of the most wonderful golf destinations in the world, you have two distinctly different golf courses from two different eras but the quality of both of them is equivalent in how they were created and how they are presented.

    When and how was this project initiated?

    The first time I went there was in June 2018. The owner and I had some mutual friends and the conversation came up that the owners were hoping to build a new golf course. The owner had said that he was really hoping to work with us on it, and that fact that we had mutual friends made that conversation easy to get initiated. Once I came to look at the property I was immediately sold on the potential of the ground, and then the hospitality that I was shown while I was there was amazing. Being able to stay on property and the wine and the food, I was treated very well.

    What course would you compare the New Course at Les Bordes with?

    I can’t think of a direct comparison. There are elements of a number of golf courses including a lot of the great heathland courses around London and several heathland courses around Paris. I think that Jim Wagner and I are always influenced by Pine Valley, which is very near to us here at home, and I think that some of the scale of National Golf Links is apparent out there. If you roll all of those into one, I think that’s a pretty good recipe.

    Picture1.jpg

    What was it that attracted you about the site at Les Bordes?

    The sand and the vegetation, and the reputation of the place. Obviously, we’ve heard of Les Bordes here, so the quality of the site itself and the commitment of the ownership as well, which is a big thing. When we’re considering the criteria of a project, Jim Wagner and I always ask ourselves ‘do we have the potential to do something exceptional’, and I think that, while the topography at Les Bordes is not the most outstanding we’ve ever worked with, it still has enough character to it, and the vegetation and the soil gave us the opportunity to do something exceptional. Secondly, we ask ourselves ‘are we going to have fun doing it’ and working with the ownership at Les Bordes, and if you can’t have fun in that part of the world and enjoy yourself then I think there’s something wrong with you. So I think the combination of all those really added up to that being a very attractive project for us. We’ve never built anything in Continental Europe and we wanted to make sure that our first project there was going to be something special, and Les Bordes gave us that opportunity.

    What can we expect from the New Course?

    You can expect fun golf in a natural, perfect setting. We were given the opportunity from the ownership to build some interesting golf holes; stylistically, it was fun for all of us to focus on Tom Simpson and some of his beautiful creations and some of his inspired designs, not that we copied him stylistically or design-wise but we were certainly influenced by him and that was a treat for us.

    It’s been reported you took inspiration from Tom Simpson, what elements of his work were most relevant here and how have you blended those with your own concepts?

    The scale of his bunkering was something that we really paid attention to, with clusters or rows of bunkers and that was interesting. From our perspective, it was just the way that they blended into the landscape that was amazing. Some of the green complexes that he built were fairly eccentric and so we felt that we could create a few on the golf course like that, but then he also built some greens that were simple in their presentation yet complex in their subtlety, and a lot of those things fed into what we did at Les Bordes. I know going forward, if the landscape is a good fit, we would certainly do more things in the style of Tom Simpson.

    How challenging was it for you to create a new course near the one (the Old Course) that’s considered one of the best in Continental Europe?

    I don’t think that we found it to be a challenge or challenging, we found it to be inspirational. It’s always nice when you come to a project and the level of quality is established through the existing golf course and the existing facilities, all of which are to a really high standard. We were excited and challenged in our creativity and what we were trying to do and hopeful that, when all is settled, Les Bordes has two golf courses that are very highly regarded, but I would be lying if I didn’t hope that ours was a little more highly regarded.

    Do you feel you succeeded in your goal and why?

    I do. I think that every golf architect when they are given a site hopes that the best that they can do is to maximize the characteristics of the site, and I feel that we have done that with the New Course. I feel that we have provided a great variety in the two different nines; we have captured the best of the topography on site; we have worked to enhance some of those areas through added elevation; and we have worked to create a very interesting and playable test of golf. I’m confident that, with all the work that we’ve done there, we have maximized the potential of the property and, as a golf architect when you walk away, that’s all that you can hope for.

    The Wild Piglet

    One of the things that golf is doing a better job on right now, and Les Bordes is certainly offering that with The Himalayas putting green and The Wild Piglet, is just fun. Fun and access and providing an easy entry point to the game. You can go out and laugh at yourself, have a good time and not worry about losing golf balls or have the pressures of playing a full-size golf course. Our attempt there was to create a very fun and playable experience, but also one where a good player could go out there and be tested with shots. In order to succeed on The Wild Piglet, you’ve got to hit some really good shots, but you’ve also got the opportunity to just go out there and bang it around and have fun. One of the things that Jim Wagner and I worked with the team on was, basically, giving everybody their own golf hole or holes, and just letting everybody have a crack at it. It was fun and I think that if you go into your own little incubator, independent of everybody around you, it gives you the opportunity to be as creative as you want. Then, ultimately, Jim and I would take a look but I don’t think that we’ve edited things very much. You have some individual expressions out there that, when put together, comprises 10 really fun, unique golf holes.

    What are the characteristics of a golf course that make you want to play it again and again? What makes it recognizable?

    I think that it’s fun and that there are interesting shots. It’s the ability to go out one time and then think, “okay, next time I play it I’m going to try this differently” or that you get put into a different circumstance each and every round, but that the design and the creativity within the design allows you to approach the problem solving differently each time. I think there’s that sense of the playability of the course and then there’s just the beauty of it and the presentation. I think that golf courses that have a sense of place and that feel like they belong where they’re sitting is also something that makes me want to continue to play it. I think that adds to the character and the quality of it so the way it looks, the way it feels as you walk through the landscape, and then, certainly, the way it plays and challenges you to be creative are courses that I want to keep playing over and over.

    How would you describe your style as a course architect? What are the general trends? And which architect has inspired you the most?

    We don’t have a style! I hope that we respond to each and every site, and that a golf course we have built at Les Bordes does not look like a golf course that we have built in southern Georgia at Ohoopee or Southern California at Rustic Canyon. I hope that every course we’ve built has a sense of place and a sense of belonging which will then, ultimately, provide unique opportunities. Through our methodology of being on-site so much, if we can capitalize on these opportunities, then each golf course should feel unique. I think our courses have some similarities in that we like wider playing corridors and interesting green complexes, and I think our bunkers are particularly attractive, but they do still blend into the native landscape and hopefully our courses change style to style depending on the site that we’re given.

    What does a course architect have as a weapon, apart from the overall length, to make a golf course really challenging for professionals?

    The greatest defense is firm conditions, and the opportunity to build a golf course in a place where the ball will bounce in the fairway and the greens. Professional golfers work so hard at their game and hone their craft so well so that they have a predictable outcome every time they hit a golf ball. They know when they hit their seven-iron what the outcome will be, but if the conditions are firm and they’re not sure if the ball’s going to bounce twice and check or not going to check at all, that’s the best defence and that relies on the conditions on-site and obviously Mother Nature for a tournament. But I think from an architect’s perspective, the only other challenges we can provide are mental ones where golfers maybe feel a little bit uneasy about the shot that’s in front of them because they can’t quite see everything or they can’t quite determine the best way to play the hole is. Those are the type of courses that require study, and I think those are the best examples of golf architecture.

    What are the qualities of a good golf course?

    I think that a good golf course should have a sense of place, a sense of belonging, it doesn’t feel that it’s been transported from somewhere else and feels like it belongs on a property, and that it is one that has a variety of ways to play it, interest in the features that have been created or that have been found in the landscape, and it has to be fun. It’s a balance between fun and interest versus difficulty, and we want to provide ways for golfers to navigate around a golf course based on their own skill level and if a golf course gives you that opportunity to map or think your way through it, then I think that’s the best an architect can do.

    How much did/do you know about golf courses in France and what do you make of the architecture you have seen?

    I think of the countries where I have seen golf in continental Europe, France has by far the best, most superior golf-course design. You can put Morfontaine and Chantilly and some of the other courses around Paris up against some of the best courses in the world, not just in Europe, and so I think that when you have a few anchor courses that provide those opportunities, and then you have some newer courses that have been built that aspire to do really good things, and I think they do, I feel like France has a really good golfing baseline. That allowed us to build in a country that already had expectations for quality golf, and we’re hopeful that what we’ve created adds to that.

  6. Had the chance for a brief interview with Sir Nick Faldo Monday morning to get some background and info on his days as a Penfold staffer for my article on Penfold Golf's history (click here). As you'd expect, he had some interesting things to say, such as asking me why I was asking him about stuff that happened over 40 years ago on a Monday morning!

    About the Penfold GX100 ball he used to win his first tournament in 1978:

    "I still have the ball I won the British PGA with. It was a clubs GT100 number three. And to be honest, it wasn't a great ball. It wasn't round. When I turned pro Titleist gave me a ring gauge that was 1.682 - two thousandths of an inch over 1.68, and I still have that gauge today. That ring gauge went everywhere with me throughout my entire career.

    I went to the Penfold factory and told them to get me any dozen. So they pulled a dozen off the shelf and I put the balls through the ring gauge and they wouldn't go through. It was like 10 out of a dozen that wouldn't go through."

    "That was kind of standard at the time, and that's why Titleist prided themselves on making the most consistent golf ball. But I think every other brand didn't have that quality control."

    Nick also discussed what some of the ball inconsistencies would mean to the pro game back then:

    "I did the epsom salt trick right into the end of the 90's. It was amazing how much different it could make just on a putt. On a 30-foot putt it could be a cup different. I used to hit putts across the green and monitor where I was missing, left or right. Then I'd find the right spot on the ball, lay it down and try it again, and it's be left edge or right edge. It was amazing. 

    All the variable you think about with the equipment we used back then, it was completely different. The grips, the shaft, everything. It was by eye or by feel, where now it's by science."

    NIck also had a thing or two to say about modern scoring records...

    "I think they should have asterisks. If somebody shot a 63 on a course to set the course record, and now somebody shoots a 62, it's not fair. It's completely different. You can even throw in agronomy, the conditions of the course - they're like carpets now. We battled some pretty rough lies in some places, with rough, bumpy greens. Now it's perfect. Sure, it's longer, but they hit it longer. It's the quality of the equipment now - it's science. It's science today versus feel back then."

    "The cover was soft in those days. You could crease a bill if you skied it with your driver. A mishit with a persimmon would cost you anything form 15 to 20 yards, and some accuracy as well. I could go left or right. Today these guys can hardly tell. You mishit it and it's four yards shorter. Well, that's four yards when you're hitting it 340 yards."

    Sir NIck played Titleist balls in the 80's and 90's, except for his first Open Championship, where he used a Maxfli because it flew lower and performed better in the wind. 

    "I remember a lovely story from when I spent time with Henry Cotton. I got six balls from Dunlop for the Open, and he and I played in practice. He'd hit a good shot and go oh, that's a good one. I'll keep that ball for the tournament. That one flew dead straight, let's save that one for the tournament."

    He also said Penfold and Ram were paying big money for Tour pros in the mid to late 70's, when both brands were owned by Colgate-Palmolive. 

    "They came storming in. Ram especially was playing big money, up to three times the money others were. I played a set of Penfold irons for a while."

    Sir Nick went on the mention that everyone likes old brands and nostalgia. He's not involved with Penfold, but they did send him some gloves and other trinkets a while back. He did say he tweeted out an idea of creating replicas of the famous sweaters he wore during his career - he got over 1400 likes, so you never know, Sir Nick might get into the apparel business. 

     

     

  7. Took them out on the course yesterday. It was only my second round of the year and I'm working on some swing changes (I was a mess last year), so please take what I'm about to say with a huge grain of salt. 

    Meh

    It was very cool to watch the spin on every shot - even my aging eyes could track the ball very easily. Oddly, I found the ball a bit difficult to find after I hit it. I walked past my ball at least 3 or 4 times when the damn thing was in plain sight. My three playing partners also walked past it while helping me search - and the ball was only 10 feet from the green.

    Enjoyed lining it up for putts - it gave great feedback on the roll and hell, it was fun to watch. Same with chips and pitches (although that part of my game was hot garbage yesterday - something else to work on!). 

    For me, the biggest disappointment was distance. For some reason, I couldn't get it to go anywhere off the tee. Now, at 60, I'm not a bomber anymore (if I ever was), but distance was a problem. I can't really explain it, but the balls felt "heavy." I switched to a Z-Star on the back nine and noticed immediate - and drastic - improvement. It was a busy Saturday, so I didn't try hitting two balls off the tee to compare, but I'd have to say the DIVIDE is, shall we say, distance challenged. 

    I'm going to try them again just to be sure, since I don't think 9 holes is enough - but first impressions are, well, meh.

    That said, very cool to look at and they were fun to play. But other than that....

    Meh....

  8. Said it before, I have a soft spot in my heart for Mati putters. It's a small boutique outfit from near Milan, Italy and its owner, operator, designer and chief artist Seliano Brambilla is a paisan of the highest order. He's the very definition of humble craftsman who makes some of the most unique putters out there. They may or may not be your cup of tee, but Seliano has a style all his own.  Here's a look at some of his new stuff: 

    20210104_063328.jpg20200228_064631.jpg20210108_062550.jpg20200911_124353.jpg20201019_064542.jpg

     

    If you want a little background, here's a forum piece on Seliano and Mati from 2014.

    REVIEW: The Mati Mamo Putter - From Italy With Amore! - Official Forum Member Reviews - MyGolfSpy Forum

    What are your thoughts?

  9. This one's been a popular request - Bridgestone is officially announcing the Tour B XS in Tour Yellow. Let the rejoicing commence!!

    DSC07462.jpg

    Previously, of the Tour B line only the lower compression (comparatively) RX and RXS featured Tour Yellow as an option. The firmer, Tour-level performance Tour B X and Tour B XS had only been available in white - and every story we've run on the blog about Bridgestone balls the comment section was clamoring for more Tour Yellow. 

    The Tour B XS is, of course, the ball used by Bryson and Tiger.  Here's the release plus some pictures to make you happy today...

     

    BRIDGESTONE GOLF INTRODUCES TOUR B XS YELLOW IN RESPONSE TO PLAYER DEMAND

    Leader in Golf Ball Innovation Gives Players What They Want

    COVINGTON, Ga. – (March 10, 2021) - Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, announced today
    the release of the new Bridgestone TOUR B XS in yellow. Featuring all the same advanced
    performance features and innovative technologies as the standard TOUR B XS, which was designed
    with help of Tiger Woods, the new yellow version is a direct result of consumer demand.

    “The TOUR B XS has a very large and enthusiastic following from players with fast swing speeds who
    are seeking additional spin control around the green,” said Elliot Mellow, Golf Ball Marketing
    Manager at Bridgestone Golf. “A significant number of those players indicated a desire for a yellow
    option on our TOUR B XS model, and, being in tune with our consumers, we created it for them.”

    DSC07353.jpg

    Like the standard white TOUR B XS, the yellow version features REACTIV cover technology, which
    employs an “impact modifier,” to allow the urethane to behave differently based on swing speed.
    For example, when struck with a driver or any longer club, the REACTIV urethane cover “reacts,” as a
    firmer, more resilient material, providing more speed and distance. However, on slower swings with a
    wedge or short iron, the cover performs like a softer material, creating more shot-stopping spin and
    control.

    DSC07427.jpg

    “While others focus on marketing hype and decorations, we’ve focused on making a better
    performing ball,” said Dan Murphy, President and CEO of Bridgestone Golf. “The REACTIV cover
    technology is the most dramatic change to cover construction since 2000 when we led the industry
    from Balata to Urethane covered Tour balls.”

    Other features of the TOUR B XS yellow include a three-piece construction, patented Gradational
    Compression Core, and an Active Acceleration Mantle that helps provide maximum distance in the
    long game. Another noteworthy aspect of the TOUR B XS yellow is that unlike many other colored
    urethane models, it does not need to be painted, as the injection molded urethane cover material
    already contains yellow pigment. Removing this step in the production process yields a more
    consistent product that performs identically to the standard white model (which also does not
    require a painting process).

    DSC07750.jpg

    The new Bridgestone TOUR B XS yellow golf ball with be available at retail on March 12 and will
    feature a street price of $44.99/dozen. For help selecting which premium Bridgestone model is the
    right ball for them, consumers should try Bridgestone’s VFIT for a free video ball-fitting consultation.

  10. Got the official info on this the other day and thought you might find it interesting. Wilson Staff is officially launching its new ECO stand bag. 

    Wilson eco 4.jpg

    What makes the ECO interesting is that its made from over 50 recycled plastic water bottles.  The bottles themselves are ground up and melted and then turned into recycled polyester. 50 bottles will make 1.7 yards of recycled polyester, and that equals 1 bag. According to Wilson, recycled polyester is virtually the same as virgin polyester, but takes 59% less energy to produce. wilson eco 1.jpg

    Apart from being recycled, the ECO has a 5-way padded top with two full length dividers and an integrated handle. It's fairly light, coming in at 4.3 pounds. It has six pockets which, from what we can see, look pretty standard - and it comes in three colors: Alpine Green, Deep Ocean Blue and Cloud Silver. wilson eco 2.jpg

    The ECO was not included in this year's MyGolfSpy Stand Bag Buyer's Guide - but its big brother the EXO was. The EXO finished in the middle of the pack overall, not really standing out in any category. The ECO is more compact and lighter than the EXO, which weighs in at 5.5 pounds. 

    Wilson eco 3.jpg

    The ECO is priced pretty aggressively at $149.99. You can check it out here

  11. 1 hour ago, Kansas King said:

    I'll be curious to see what these look like in person because these look very chunky in the pictures. 

    It's a wide sole iron and it's based on the previous generation Srixon utility iron so yeah, it's on the Barney Rubble side of chunky. For the category, tho, it's relatively clean with a shorter blade length than you'd expect. The longer irons are short and stout, the shorter irons less so. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the more you hit this things, the prettier they get ;-).

  12. 30 minutes ago, greggarner said:

    FWIW, I had placed an order with Srixon before the WM Open and needed to talk with their support team right after Brooks' win. On the call, the support rep said their ZX7 sales the Monday following his win was nuts and she'd never seen anything like it. And looking today, it seems like demand is high (at least relative to supply, anyways)

    That's something I think you might start seeing more of - there's a worldwide shortage of shipping containers, and there was a cargo ship in December that lost nearly 2,000 containers in a storm. Several golf OEMs were affected. You'll see some OEMs doing emergency air shipping to get product, and that means higher costs all around. 

    Inventory shortages are just getting started - I'll bet you in gets worse before it gets better. I think the big OEMs will probably be able to deal with it okay, but the smaller ones may be in the situation Srixon is now from time to time  - out of stock, in stock and then out of stock again quickly.  

     

     

  13. Well, ain't this interesting.  What do you say, GolfSpies?

    Reported by the New York Times:

     

    KPS Capital Partners has hired Morgan Stanley to run a sale of TaylorMade, the golf equipment brand, DealBook has learned. A deal could value the company at more than $2 billion; KPS bought it for $425 million from Adidas four years ago. Spokespeople for Morgan Stanley and KPS declined to comment, while TaylorMade was unavailable for comment.

    Tiger beat. Adidas sold the brand to KPS in 2017, as golf was falling out of favor and the German sportswear group sought to refocus on shoes and clothes. (It’s since tapped JPMorgan Chase to weigh a sale of its Reebok brand.) By the time KPS bought TaylorMade, the brand had struck a deal with Tiger Woods, who needed a club sponsor after Nike quit the business. When Mr. Woods signed the deal, he was struggling to make a comeback, but two years later he won the Masters.

    • While TaylorMade has also inked deals with Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and others, its deal with Mr. Woods is a “key component to the strength and growth” of the brand, its C.E.O., David Abeles, said last year.

    Pandemic boom. Social distancing has been a boon for golf. Sales of golf equipment hit $1 billion in the third quarter of last year, up 18 percent from the year before. The last time the industry topped those levels was in 2008, the last year Mr. Woods won a major before his career was sidelined by injuries and scandal.

  14. 12 hours ago, TBT said:

    I really need to hit the D9’s, I’m guilty of overlooking Wilson clubs


    Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

     

    22 hours ago, russtopherb said:

    So I'm curious how the D9 irons will be perceived from some folks. They got rid of the power holes in the top line, which a lot of people didn't like and found distracting. Having played the C300 and D300 lines, I got used to them rather quickly. But I know they were a big turnoff for a number of golfers. 

    I'm also interested to see how the turf interaction is with them. A few video reviews mention that they make it through the turf pretty easily. The soles of the D200s were probably my favorite of all the W/S iron lines I've played, those are currently in my son's bag and he just hammers them. 

    I'm also still a little mixed on the badging. They're cleaner than some of the other D lines, but I really liked the red/black color scheme. I know they moved away from it with the D7 line, and I had kind of hoped it would come back. But the more pics of it I see, the more I'm liking it. 

     

    Got to try the D9's on an unseasonably warm day here in New Hampshire a few days ago, and on grass!  Here are some observations...

    1. If it's high and far you seek, these will deliver. 

    2. KBS Max Ultralight Shaft is wicked ultra light- and performs as advertised. Easy to swing and hits the ball high and far. 

    3. Did I mention high? Also far.

    4. Wilson did a very good job of making them look nice at address. OEMs have taken that shovel thing to heart and have worked to making GI irons look better. I even compared the gap wedge to the gap wedge in the Staff Model CB set - other than the fact the head is obviously bigger, they looked surprisingly similar at address.

    5. Feel is not objectionable - it's a crack at impact. If you want feedback on mishits, D9 will definitely give it to you, but the results won't punish you, which I guess is the very definition of forgiveness. 

    6. I never understood the gag-reflex some folks have with Power Holes. Yeah, the C200's really overcooked it, but by the time C300 rolled around Wilson started toning down the Power Holes. I think Wilson's use of its super computer for generative design and simulations have allowed them to optimize size and location - these are downright minimal. And, as I said in the blog article, if you're looking at the Power Holes while you're swinging,  you're doing it wrong. 

    7. @Golfspy_CG2 asked me which I liked better, these or the PING G425's and I have to say it's a tossup. Like them both. The Wilson's are noticeably longer, but that's because they're stronger lofted. Descent angle and ability to hold greens seem very similar, which is a result of high launch and flight. For my game the stock True Temper AMT shafts on the PING are a better fit than the KBS Max Ultralight, but Wilson offers a bunch of shafts at no upcharge.

    8. Bottom line - demo both. Then flip a coin. 😉

     

     

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