Haywood CB/MB Irons - 2024 Forum Review

[Nunfa0]

Final review is up, if it seems harsh the numbers do not reflect how I feel about the clubs and I had to be honest.

[Rob Person]

12 hours ago, Nunfa0 said:

Final review is up, if it seems harsh the numbers do not reflect how I feel about the clubs and I had to be honest.

Honesty in a review is great!  Sorry they aren't for you!  Do you think with the setup "as is " they could benefit a moderately experienced golfer, who has less swing speed who shoots 85-95? Would a pay it forward member test be an option?

 

[Lefty11]

Well done testers!  Thank you for all your efforts as I’ve enjoyed your feedback.  

[Nunfa0]

9 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Honesty in a review is great!  Sorry they aren't for you!  Do you think with the setup "as is " they could benefit a moderately experienced golfer, who has less swing speed who shoots 85-95? Would a pay it forward member test be an option?

 

I think the current set up I have would definitely benefit a golfer who struggles with a hook but yes, the golfer you described would have a great time with these irons!!

As for pay it forward, not yet. I haven't given up on these. I always had in the back of my head that the shaft could have been too light so plan B was to finish the test and then see if I can swap the Nippon Modus 115 shafts I have into the Haywood's. They are heavier than the dynamic golds that are in them and they do make the ball fly high and proud. 

So watch this space.....

[frazzman80]

So I was in a fairway bunker and had a full pitching wedge to the green. Hit it great, but there was a strange sound on impact…my heart knew what it was and after watching the ball land on the green from 110 out, I looked down and saw the culprit. Two very small tiny rocks that weren’t visible hiding under the sand in my divot. I got my first “door ding” on the Haywood’s.

 

Edited May 17 by frazzman80

[Lefty11]

50 minutes ago, frazzman80 said:

So I was in a fairway bunker and had a full pitching wedge to the green. Hit it great, but there was a strange sound on impact…my heart knew what it was and after watching the ball land on the green from 110 out, I looked down and saw the culprit. Two very small tiny rocks that weren’t visible hiding under the sand in my divot. I got my first “door ding” on the Haywood’s.

 

She’s still dead sexy!   It’s gives the PW some character.

[Rob Person]

7 hours ago, frazzman80 said:

So I was in a fairway bunker and had a full pitching wedge to the green. Hit it great, but there was a strange sound on impact…my heart knew what it was and after watching the ball land on the green from 110 out, I looked down and saw the culprit. Two very small tiny rocks that weren’t visible hiding under the sand in my divot. I got my first “door ding” on the Haywood’s.

 

I say it has been Battle tested!

[Nunfa0]

18 hours ago, frazzman80 said:

So I was in a fairway bunker and had a full pitching wedge to the green. Hit it great, but there was a strange sound on impact…my heart knew what it was and after watching the ball land on the green from 110 out, I looked down and saw the culprit. Two very small tiny rocks that weren’t visible hiding under the sand in my divot. I got my first “door ding” on the Haywood’s.

 

At least it's on the sole and it will soon fade a bit. Also at least you hit the green.

[Nunfa0]

So as I have the plan to swap shafts, I did a little weighing of the clubs. To my surprise the Haywood's are the heaviest of the three sets I have here. The 7 iron is two grams heavier than the Titleist and the 4 iron is 10 grams heavier than my T200 4 iron. I suppose when you forge a head, shape it and don't do any fancy weight trimming, it will be heavier. 

[frazzman80]

Thursday...

The Haywoods (and I) get to do something that neither of us have ever done before...

Play a TPC course!

I'll give everyone a breakdown of how the Haywoods perform at TPC San Antonio on The Oaks course, home of the Texas Open!!! This 99% of the time muni player is beyond stoked for the opportunity to play there!

[Lefty11]

3 hours ago, frazzman80 said:

Thursday...

The Haywoods (and I) get to do something that neither of us have ever done before...

Play a TPC course!

I'll give everyone a breakdown of how the Haywoods perform at TPC San Antonio on The Oaks course, home of the Texas Open!!! This 99% of the time muni player is beyond stoked for the opportunity to play there!

Good luck!  Hopefully you have numerous birdie opportunities.  Keep us updated. 

[Rob Person]

5 hours ago, frazzman80 said:

Thursday...

The Haywoods (and I) get to do something that neither of us have ever done before...

Play a TPC course!

I'll give everyone a breakdown of how the Haywoods perform at TPC San Antonio on The Oaks course, home of the Texas Open!!! This 99% of the time muni player is beyond stoked for the opportunity to play there!

Have an epic time!!

[frazzman80]

On 5/21/2024 at 3:45 PM, frazzman80 said:

Thursday...

The Haywoods (and I) get to do something that neither of us have ever done before...

Play a TPC course!

I'll give everyone a breakdown of how the Haywoods perform at TPC San Antonio on The Oaks course, home of the Texas Open!!! This 99% of the time muni player is beyond stoked for the opportunity to play there!

Good afternoon all...TPC San Antonio - The Oaks course was phenomenal. I've played at Torrey Pines South, Black Jack's Crossing in Lajitas, TX and TPC San Antonio and of the 3, TPC's condition probably edges Black Jack's crossing, but only by a bit. Every tee box was perfect, the fairways were perfect, there were 3 distinct cuts of rough (a first cut around the fairway, a half-inch taller cut around that and then the native areas) and the greens were as fast as any I've ever played on.

That said, of those 3 "best" courses I've played, this one wasn't nearly as memorable as Torrey Pines South or especially Black Jack's Crossing. Great golf for sure, but as far as "signature holes" go, it was OK. I did hit the "avocado" green that is 16, and playing 18 was awesome coming back to the clubhouse trying to hit the shots you see on Sunday to win the Texas Open, but for being a course in the Texas Hill Country, there we're many elevation changes or holes that made me go "wow" standing on a tee box. There were giant bunkers that made me go "wow", but not in a good way. A very stern test of golf from the "Tournament blue" tees (not the tour tees, not the Tournament gold tees, so 3rd from tips good for 6825 yards) and I was very pleased to play it, but I won't go to sleep tonight dreaming of the majestic-ness of the place.

On to the golf. I'll lead with the Strokes Gaines Approach stat as this is still the Haywood testing forum after all and I once again had +2.3 SG as compared to a 6HC this round and I was +0.7 from the tee box on par 3s and wound up with 11 GIRs. That said, I only hit 6 fairways today so there were a few holes I had no shot to hit a GIR...like 1, where I found out why it was called "The Oaks" course right away and I drove it left into the oaks, tried to punch out with a 7I that hit an oak, tried again to punch it out with a 7I and hit an oak, tried a 3rd time and mostly got it through some oak branches and finally into the rough. 

GIRs with Haywoods - #2 117 lasered and hit the PW 114 into the wind (par), #3 165 lasered hit 6I 162 left of pin (par), #6 167 lasered hit 6I 170 10' past hole, #9 lasered 168 hit 6I 177 (downwind) and 3 putted coming off the wrong level of the green, #10 lasered 114 hit PW 119 making birdie, #14 Lasered 137 hit 8I 128 into a 20 MPH gusty wind (par), #16 lasered 174 and foolishly though the 20MPH wind would allow me to get 7I there and hit it 161 (but hit it super accurately avoiding the "avocado pit" bunker in the middle of the green that it took my playing partner 4 strokes to get out of) but 3 putted. 

I also had a great layup on a par 5 with the 4I (out of the rough and around a tree) and made a great 62-yard recovery shot with the 5I from another stand of oaks on 8. 

It was REALLY windy out there, so honestly I'm very pleased the Haywoods did so well. To give you an idea, Arccos wind-adjusts my shots and here are the adjustments for the driver today: +17, +13, +13, -35, -9, -19, -22, +25, +20, -18, +18, -20, +16, -18. So I'd call it 2-club wind all day. I shot 82 and was darned pleased to do so.

Edited May 23 by frazzman80

[frazzman80]

I played 9 today at the San Saba River Golf Course in San Saba, TX and it is a gem of a course. Too bad the back 9 was closed due to re-sodding of the greens, but I'm going to drive the 3+ hours back one day and play the back 9 because it was truly beautiful (they let my wife, kids and I drive the back 9 just to see it and we saw deer, a hawk, several herons, a rock squirrel, cardinals galore and so much more on the "pecan bottom" part of the course. 

I also shot a 39 on the front 9 (+3) and that's with a lost ball on #3 (tough blind tee shot on a course I'd never played and I just never found the ball). The Haywoods shone again...yet another positive strokes gained approach round (+1.2) but actually higher because I wasn't great at all with my non-Haywood wedges (-0.6 SG approach 50-74 yards). I hit 6 of 9 GIR (the lost ball really meaning 6 of 8), and on the par-3 7th I missed the green right but chipped it in from a grass bunker for my only birdie of the day). 

#1 GIR - 7I 148 (lasered 145)

#2 GIR - 6I 169 (lasered 163)

#3 lost ball - no GIR (and a missed green left from 93 out with my Edison 53*)

#4 GIR - 9I 123 (lasered 125 - I was about 20' right)

#5 GIR - 5I 190 (lasered 182 - 35' putt from back of green)

#6 No GIR - Butchered a 53* wedge shot from 50 yards out

#7 No GIR - 6I 161 (lasered 167 - missed short right)

#8 GIR - 49* Edison 111 yards (lasered 108)

#9 GIR - 7I 174 (downhill/downwind lasered 166)

It was UNREAL hot and humid by the end of the round and I'm not surprised I got a bit of extra distance out of some of these shots. I was begging for both the 5I and especially the downhill/downwind 7I shot on 9 to sit down. Both hit the front/middle of the green and rolled to the very back.

Edited Monday at 10:33 PM by frazzman80

[Nunfa0]

It's been a little while since my last update and to be honest, I haven't even had a chance to play .

However, I can now tell you all that I am booked in with a local fitter on Monday to see if it's worth changing the shafts on the Haywood's or not.  I was having second thoughts about it because they are already the heaviest irons I have (I currently have three sets ) and I'm worried that adding another 15 grams will make them impossible to hit.

Of course the fitter, Ritchie Bath from the Golf Warehouse in Christchurch, pointed out that swing weight is far more important that overall weight so we will hit some shots and work out what's going on.