Patriot Clubs Anyone?

[Rickp 18,357]

I got the same offer emailed to me. Interestingly, it came from Hole19 (which is my golfapp of choice) which makes me have mixed feelings about Hole19...but that's another topic. Anyways, I have zero expectation that any of these clubs are worth their weight in feces but I was intrigued by the ridiculousness of the email and the way they discuss the "technology" without actually saying anything real.
So I gave them a call to learn more. I'm glad I did because it was comedic gold. The sales rep was reading off a script and saying things like "[insert name] I hope you're prepared to CRUSH the ball", "these clubs are personally crafted to your specifications by our master club fitter, who is an AMERICAN PATRIOT", "get ready to GRIP IT AND RIP IT like never before!" I felt bad for the guy because I could tell he knew how ridiculous it all was but he still had to say it. He was a good sport though and we were almost laughing together about it by the end. 
Anyways, after all that, I told him he did a good job coping with what seemed like a tough gig and I agreed to test the driver and fairway woods because 1) I just think it's fun to test and review golf stuff, 2) I have high swing speed so think it will be fun to see how these things hold up, and 3) unless it's a really nasty scam, it seems like there is minimal risk to me - I'll test them, send them back, and have paid $20 in shipping to have had some fun with the whole experience and hang onto a (presumably crappy) driver that I can give to a friend who's just starting to get into learning golf and doesn't have a full set. 
So, long story short, I'm not expecting much here but will be happy to share a review (and hopefully some laughs) whenever these things arrive!

Hey, you never know


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[longdrivenate 56]

1 hour ago, Rickp said:

Hey, you never know


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Exactly. Despite my low expectations, I won't write them off until I give em a fair shake. Would love to be surprised!

[Cory O 278]

21 hours ago, longdrivenate said:

Exactly. Despite my low expectations, I won't write them off until I give em a fair shake. Would love to be surprised!

I'll probably make up an unofficial review once I've played it a bit more, but the F-35 Heater hybrid hasn't been half bad. The wholesaler seems to have put it together well, everything aligned correctly and nothing came loose after a few solid smacks. As mentioned before, it is a heavy-weight, definitely not any carbon fiber or speed foam in the brute. As such, it's going to take some more practice before I can consistently turn it over (it likes to go right), but the distance is there for what I would want from a 15* club and it has a decent sound from the sweet spot.

Dunno if the guy who put it together was a true American patriot master club builder, but the dude I spoke with (Steve) was nice enough.

[BIG STU 6,369]

On 9/10/2020 at 2:48 PM, longdrivenate said:

I got the same offer emailed to me. Interestingly, it came from Hole19 (which is my golfapp of choice) which makes me have mixed feelings about Hole19...but that's another topic. Anyways, I have zero expectation that any of these clubs are worth their weight in feces but I was intrigued by the ridiculousness of the email and the way they discuss the "technology" without actually saying anything real.

So I gave them a call to learn more. I'm glad I did because it was comedic gold. The sales rep was reading off a script and saying things like "[insert name] I hope you're prepared to CRUSH the ball", "these clubs are personally crafted to your specifications by our master club fitter, who is an AMERICAN PATRIOT", "get ready to GRIP IT AND RIP IT like never before!" I felt bad for the guy because I could tell he knew how ridiculous it all was but he still had to say it. He was a good sport though and we were almost laughing together about it by the end. 

Anyways, after all that, I told him he did a good job coping with what seemed like a tough gig and I agreed to test the driver and fairway woods because 1) I just think it's fun to test and review golf stuff, 2) I have high swing speed so think it will be fun to see how these things hold up, and 3) unless it's a really nasty scam, it seems like there is minimal risk to me - I'll test them, send them back, and have paid $20 in shipping to have had some fun with the whole experience and hang onto a (presumably crappy) driver that I can give to a friend who's just starting to get into learning golf and doesn't have a full set. 

So, long story short, I'm not expecting much here but will be happy to share a review (and hopefully some laughs) whenever these things arrive!

LOL with a name like longdrivenate and a admittingly fast SS I do not want to read any stories like Golfer explodes cheap driver gets shrapnel in legs

[Rickp 18,357]

LOL with a name like longdrivenate and a admittingly fast SS I do not want to read any stories like Golfer explodes cheap driver gets shrapnel in legs

Very possible


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[jeck 0]

On 9/11/2020 at 1:53 PM, Cory O said:

I'll probably make up an unofficial review once I've played it a bit more, but the F-35 Heater hybrid hasn't been half bad. The wholesaler seems to have put it together well, everything aligned correctly and nothing came loose after a few solid smacks. As mentioned before, it is a heavy-weight, definitely not any carbon fiber or speed foam in the brute. As such, it's going to take some more practice before I can consistently turn it over (it likes to go right), but the distance is there for what I would want from a 15* club and it has a decent sound from the sweet spot.

Dunno if the guy who put it together was a true American patriot master club builder, but the dude I spoke with (Steve) was nice enough.

hey just wondering if you have any update on the review I received a similar email recently and wanted to know if it was worth the shipping lol. 

[Silverhorn43 13]

On 9/10/2020 at 12:48 PM, longdrivenate said:

I got the same offer emailed to me. Interestingly, it came from Hole19 (which is my golfapp of choice) which makes me have mixed feelings about Hole19...but that's another topic. Anyways, I have zero expectation that any of these clubs are worth their weight in feces but I was intrigued by the ridiculousness of the email and the way they discuss the "technology" without actually saying anything real.

So I gave them a call to learn more. I'm glad I did because it was comedic gold. The sales rep was reading off a script and saying things like "[insert name] I hope you're prepared to CRUSH the ball", "these clubs are personally crafted to your specifications by our master club fitter, who is an AMERICAN PATRIOT", "get ready to GRIP IT AND RIP IT like never before!" I felt bad for the guy because I could tell he knew how ridiculous it all was but he still had to say it. He was a good sport though and we were almost laughing together about it by the end. 

Anyways, after all that, I told him he did a good job coping with what seemed like a tough gig and I agreed to test the driver and fairway woods because 1) I just think it's fun to test and review golf stuff, 2) I have high swing speed so think it will be fun to see how these things hold up, and 3) unless it's a really nasty scam, it seems like there is minimal risk to me - I'll test them, send them back, and have paid $20 in shipping to have had some fun with the whole experience and hang onto a (presumably crappy) driver that I can give to a friend who's just starting to get into learning golf and doesn't have a full set. 

So, long story short, I'm not expecting much here but will be happy to share a review (and hopefully some laughs) whenever these things arrive!

2x here on what you thought of the clubs?  I also got that same email from Hole19 (twice now) and was thinking of biting, as it does appear to be at minimal risk, and I'll always take a free driver I guess. I'm sure the offer will last a while. 

Looking forward to your thoughts. 

[longdrivenate 56]

On 10/6/2020 at 10:37 AM, Silverhorn43 said:

2x here on what you thought of the clubs?  I also got that same email from Hole19 (twice now) and was thinking of biting, as it does appear to be at minimal risk, and I'll always take a free driver I guess. I'm sure the offer will last a while. 

Looking forward to your thoughts. 

Well, they arrived. My initial impression is that they seem very cheap..basically like what you'd get in a budget box set of beginner clubs. But I'll test them this weekend and post some thoughts and pics soon. Stay tuned.

[pgr 0]

I received the same email and my question about it is not the quality of the club itself (which is allegedly free except for the shipping I guess) but more "what's the catch?" . Somebody mentioned Warrior Golf in this thread and that is a perfect example. I think Warrior clubs are perfectly good. The problem with them is they use the club and other giveaways to get your contact info and then RELENTLESSLY market time shares/condo sales to you.  So wha tis Patriot Golf selling? Has anyone done this - received the driver and then had to fend off telemarketing calls?

[longdrivenate 56]

Update / First Impressions:

I finally went out and hit the clubs today. I didn't take my launch monitor to get any data and I didn't play a round with them, but I did give them a good working on the range. Overall, I must say my low expectations were very much exceeded. Honestly, I don't have anything bad to say about them. They look good enough, sound good, feel sturdy, and were remarkably easy to hit without any significant dropoff in distance from what I see with my gamer clubs. Tbh, I was relatively impressed and don't see a reason not to put them in play if they fill a hole in your bag composition. I think they would be an excellent addition for high handicappers in particular as they were shockingly easy to hit straight...like actually hard to hit anywhere but straight...and very forgiving. I am gonna test them out some more, including with a launch monitor, and while I don't have a need for the Driver or 7w, I'm contemplating replacing my Callaway x-hot 3w with theirs and adding the 5w to the bag. Need to spend more time with them to decide for sure though. Pics and more detailed thoughts on each club below. 

Driver: Overall, a solid club. It's non-adjustable and came at 10.5 degrees, so not going to suit every player, but it swung nice, sounded very good (not tinny or cheap sounding), and I was hitting it pretty straight with good distance. Personally, I won't play it because I use a 7 degree driver so the 10.5 degrees of loft on this was really throwing me off and causing me to hit moonballs with too much spin, but I could actually see it being a really good option for someone with less swing speed or who tends to struggle getting their angle of attack up. I don't think better players are really going to be considering these, but if you do, the other thing to be aware of is that it was very forgiving to the point that it was hard to shape the ball flight - it really just wanted to go mostly straight...which is nice for most. Bottom line: solid club worth consideration for anyone who wants an affordable driver and doesn't mind the inability to change loft or weighting. 

3Wood: This is the one that probably impressed me the most. I've been playing a Callaway X-hot 3w for 6+ years now and I love it. That said, I think I actually preferred this Patriot 3w more. I found it easier to hit pure (more forgiving), straighter, and there was no dropoff in distance. I also like the clean black head as it looked good at address. Similar to the driver, it was not something that provided much ability to "work" the ball, but that's not something I care for in my 3w most of the time and being able to consistently hit it dead straight is something I'd much prefer. Bottom line: I'm impressed. Strongly considering keeping it in the bag. Will at least give it more thorough testing and take it out for a couple rounds before sending it back. 

5Wood: I've never played a 5w so I was curious to see how this would go. Again, it had the same forgiveness and inclination to just fly straight as the others, which was nice. It was kinda a point and shoot club and the distance was comparable to a well struck 4 or 5 iron, but without having to really pure it perfectly. Again, nothing bad to say about it, I think it's more a question of whether or not a 5w is helpful in your bag. I like hitting long irons and find a lot of versatility for them in terms of being able to punch low runners through trees and things like that, so I'm reluctant to replace one of them with this club. That said, I'm going to give it some thought and test it out more as it would also be a nice club to have when hitting a long approach shot and wanting something I know I can easily get up in the air and bring down on the green a bit softer. I think this will definitely be useful for people who aren't comfortable hitting long irons and want something they can consistently get up in the air. Could see it also being a good club for tee shots in certain situations on long par 3s or short par 4s. 

7Wood: I've also never played, or even hit, a 7w so I have nothing to compare this too and was not sure what to expect. Again, I have nothing bad to say about the club but I'll be sending it back just because it doesn't fit in my bag. Also, I'm not sure why, but I found myself to have less distance control with this one. Some shots I was bombing further than the 5w and some were flying like a 7 iron. Maybe the shorter shaft meant I was leaning it more on some shots than others but ultimately I was just less consistent with it and despite that, I just don't want a club that launches that high since I play in a lot of wind. I would think it could have its place though for players who have slower swing speeds and struggle getting the ball in the air consistently. 

I'll try to take them out with my launch monitor to get some actual numbers soon but I hope this is helpful in the meantime. 

 

[Silverhorn43 13]

Great Review longdrivenate, I appreciate all the detail.  I think I might go ahead and call and do this myself.  I just wonder how difficult it will be to get the RMA to return the "test woods" at the end?  

Just got fitted for a new set of high irons (7-Gw) plus a 7w and 11w.  Will be interesting to see what the 3w and 5w are like. 

And here we go, 3w/5w/9w are on the way.  Don't need the 7w to test as I have one in my new set. Charge upfront, and then have to deal with the return/refund process at the end.  

Talked with Gary, and got the same "schpiel" that longdrivenate did, about crushing the ball and custom made for you, etc.  Other than that, nice guy overall. 

[russtopherb 5,103]

Just curious, aside from the "free" driver what the appeal is with these clubs? At $125 each for the fairways, I'd think that buying used from a known OEM would be a better value especially if you consider resale value if you ever move on from these. 

[longdrivenate 56]

3 hours ago, russtopherb said:

Just curious, aside from the "free" driver what the appeal is with these clubs? At $125 each for the fairways, I'd think that buying used from a known OEM would be a better value especially if you consider resale value if you ever move on from these. 

I don't think there is much benefit tbh. I did it more for fun because I like testing random clubs and golf training aids etc and this was "risk free". Still undetermined if I'll keep any of them but it sounds easy enough to send em back for a full refund after messing around with them for a few weeks, so that's my plan unless I end up really liking any of them. 

[Flog4 32]

My story…..About a month ago I got an email with the free driver thing...The email came from a golf business that I actually work for and these type promotions are normal and expected. So my call was based on that. Upon calling and chatting the deal became yea you get the driver if you buy the 3/5/7. They went over the return policy a few times. I game Epic Flash 1/3 which were fit for me. So I didn't have any expectations with keeping the driver. I game Titleist hybrids which cover distances that 5/7 woods would cover. The deal was 133 each for the 3 woods or $428 inc shipping. I agreed expecting I'd be charged after.  They charged me quickly and the clubs came a week ago. In the meantime I received another offer and I realized that the previous offer was not sponsored by my golf contact but was random thru their mail list. But I had the fail safe of a return to fall back on. 

So I took the clubs out to the course a few days ago and the range was closed. I was there for an event and the owner allowed me to go to a hole which was removed from play for about an hour and I had luckily brought a bag of Pro V's with me so I did a side by side comparison to my gamers for 1/3/7 both off tee and from fairway with 3/7. I didn't hit the 5 as I expected the other 3 clubs would offer enough info to make an informed decision. 

The driver was ok....But my Epic Flash is my Rockstar in my bag. So the Patriot driver was about 5 yards shorter but flew quite well and was a decent club. I cut an inch off my Epic and since then I have nutted it like 90% of the time. So the driver never was going to compete really...It was to be a give away to a grand son who is taking up the game.

The 3w which plays off 43.5 inches long which is an inch longer than my Epic was actually longer than my Epic. It swings nice, sounds fine and goes straight. My Epic I hit a baby draw. This 3w is a good club. I doubt I'll game it but it is an alternative.

The 7w and my 21 hybrid were pretty much identical in outcomes. My 21 hybrid is my go to trouble club and tough to imagine replacing it. The 7w had slightly higher flight and stopped quicker on the green. 

So after review I decided I was returning the 3/5/7 as I never intended on keeping them or paying for them.  So I made the call yesterday. Anyone who engages in this process be prepared...the handler of your return call is one of the 3 owners and he is good. He went thru the set up of his company and his priority of hiring veterans.  I explained to him that I engaged with his company thinking it was a part of a program by the organization I do work with. I pointed out that after ordering the clubs I was solicited again by another company and I became aware that I was off base in my understanding. He spent much time elaborating on his company and procedures and was complementary. I continued to point out the clubs were good but that my gamers were better and I didn't need them. He then advised he had two offers for me to consider...first was he would send out a set of their cavity back irons with Accuflex shafts of 5 to SW...my cost would be nothing. no shipping...Just they keep the original payment. I advised I had just gotten new irons Staffs and I had no need for them. He then moved to option 2 which was keep the clubs and he would refund $250. I agreed to that as I might actually game one or two and I have places to give the others and $179 for the 4 clubs is a nice deal.

Overall, The company is delivering decent product and if you play the negotiation game the final cost should be minimal.   

[Rickp 18,357]

Saw this in the Bargain Bag Monday .


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[russtopherb 5,103]

I'll be interested in a follow up a few months down the road to see how many other solicitations the buyers have received at that point.