Byrdie Golf Design - 2024 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Testers Announced!

It can be hard to keep track of all the new brands being introduced into the golfing market. Equally, it is very difficult for those same brands to get noticed. For this testers wanted opportunity, we are introducing Byrdie Golf Design, a company focused more on building golf clubs for a community of golfers looking to enjoy the sport without spending a fortune.

Byrdie Golf Design Clubs

We have a unique testing opportunity with Byrdie Golf Design where products across their whole lineup will be put to the test. This includes the BGD Essential full bag of golf clubs.

Within their line of golf clubs, Byrdie Golf offers The Gilmore Collection that includes a driver and fairway wood, as well as several iron sets. We have four iron sets that are being made available for testing (The OG, Vandal, Goat, and Divot Collections). Finally, applicants can register for the Byrdie Golf Design Grind wedges.

Byrdie Golf Design has put a focus on the amateur golfer, which is evident by the Club Finder Quiz. The quiz is less analytical and more focused on who you are as a golfer. There is a clear tone when taking the quiz that golf should be fun and enjoyable. While the products definitely matter, the enjoyment of being on the course and part of the golfing community should be a high priority.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@warrenator8 

@BringerofRain 

@Grip 

@NickyBobby

[warrenator8]

Hello all,

My name is David Warren, and I am excited to be testing Byrdie Golf Design’s Complete Set through MyGolfSpy. This is my third test with My Golf Spy, having previously reviewed the Lean Lock Putter and System as well as being a part of the Titleist White Box Testing Event late in 2023. I am currently living near Raleigh, North Carolina, and work as a teacher and soccer coach at a local middle school. I am very much a recreational golfer, playing off and on since I was around 13, playing most weekends, and keeping to around a 15 handicap. I did score my first (hopefully of many) hole-in-one in July 2022.

My golf game would be best described as inconsistent. Lately, I have been fighting a bit of a hook while on the golf course. My irons are hit or miss; but, when they and my driver are on, I can compete with almost anyone. My putting and short game have lately been the best part of my game. I am very “streaky” with the putter and usually tend to cycle through putters often, usually between the Lean Lock putter I tested last year (see link below) and a Yes! Marilyn C. For a full what’s in the bag, see the signature below. 

For this test, I will be testing the full set from Byrdie Golf Design, the BGD Essentials Full Bag outfitted with the OG Collection Irons (the Vandal collection were unavailable at the time).

I will be curious to see how the clubs hold up over the testing period, especially the black finish on the irons and wedges. I also would love to see if my yardages will stay fairly constant despite the change in clubs. I plan to both test these on the golf course and on simulators, to gather the numbers for the comparison. I also want to see how forgiving the clubs are compared to what I am currently using. Finally, I will be very interested in seeing if I can find more consistency with every club, but especially the putter. 

I will have a more detailed plan of attack for my testing posted for everyone soon, but I would love to hear from everyone as the other testers and I go.

I am super excited for this new opportunity to test clubs through My Golf Spy and plan to give it my all to provide y’all with the best review possible.

 

Old Reviews

 

First Impressions (out of 20 pts.)

On April 3rd, I first received an email from Byrdie Golf Designs letting me know that the order had been received and shipped out. The email read that I should receive the set of clubs sometime between April 11th and April 16th. Luckily for me, the clubs arrived on the earlier end of this spectrum, arriving on April 11th.

 

When I received the set from Byrdie Golf Design, they were packaged just like any other clubs I have received by mail: a large brown cardboard box with plastic protecting the shaft and grip while bubble wrap was wrapping the club head. See the below image to see an example.

After unwrapping each of the clubs, I began to inspect and take notes of each club, looking at the condition in which each arrived and how they looked aesthetically. 

For the most part, everything looked phenomenal. I saw no major scratches, and nothing was broken. I am not someone who normally loves muscle-back irons, but I was impressed by the quality of each iron’s clubhead. The logo on the clubheads is tasteful and looks great. I will say that the clubheads seem to be a little smaller than I am used to in irons; but, overall, I am very pleased with the irons. All of this can be said for the wedge as well.

     

I was very curious about the putter when I learned I was getting one in this test set. In most package and direct-to-consumer sets I have seen in the past, the putter can be an afterthought and is usually not great. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the putter, and it might be my favorite club in the set looks-wise. It is a very simple Anser-style putter head, but I love the sight line on the putter and how the logo pops off the backside. The milling on the face looks fantastic as well.

 

 

As for the driver and three wood, everything again looks good. The driver and three wood are almost entirely black with some white and gold lettering. The three wood has a very deep face; it will be interesting to see how that plays off the deck during testing. Neither club is adjustable, but I think that might be the best for this style of product. Overall, both look great.

3-Wood                                                      Driver

      

 

Now for the negatives. When I was looking over each of the clubs, I noticed some things that were not quite right on the club when I received them. One of the first clubs I pulled out was the sixty-degree wedge that was provided as a part of the set. As I was looking at the face, I noticed a black mark inside one of the grooves. I thought this might have just been something that was trapped inside before packaging, but when I tried to get it out, it stayed. I may need to do a full-on wash and see if that gets it out; but, for now, it is there.

 

Another issue I found was with the grip on one of the irons. On the eight-iron’s grip, there is a slight bulge on the clubface side of the grip, close to the logo. While not a major issue, it is surprising to see with brand-new clubs.

 

My last complaint about the clubs would be the grips. This was a concern I had coming into testing; and, unfortunately, I find the grips to be lacking. I know that this set is for people who want to spend less on great equipment, and the cost-cutting for the company to provide this seems to be with the grips. While they look good, I hate the feel (they are rubbery and feel like an old PE basketball to me). I will see how they perform in testing, but I wanted to make sure it was brought up.

Overall aesthetics, I would give these clubs an 8.5 out of 10, due to the imperfections found in the wedge and eight-iron as well as my concerns over the grips.

 

The Numbers

I took the clubs out for a practice session on Saturday, and I was impressed with the results of my first try with them. The first club I hit was the sixty-degree wedge and it went very well. I was able to hit different types of shots with it and it was fairly versatile when I tried different short-game shots I tend to hit (no flops though: I was indoors at a sim).

Once I transitioned to the irons, I did find they were a little harder to hit and not going the same yardage I am used to with my irons. Part of this can be explained by the fact that the Byrdie Golf Design irons are higher lofted than my Cobra Irons, even after I lowered the lofts on my irons (loft charts for both can be found below). When I struck the irons well, that went about the distance I would expect out of irons around that loft; but the irons were harder to hit. I was also hitting these BGD irons straighter than my Cobras but will need to do 1-on-1 testing to see by how much and the difference in distances. It has been a while since I have hit muscle-backs so the learning curve will take some getting used to, but overall I have no complaints as of right now.

The driver and three wood were my favorite clubs to hit out of the set when I tested them over the weekend. The deep face on the three wood did make it difficult to hit off the deck; but, off the tee, it was a rocket. I tend to use my three wood off the tee more than most, but I have not had one fly this well in a while. The ball came out with decent spin (an issue I have is low spin, so getting any spin is great) and flew with a nice medium ball flight. With the driver, the ball came out hot as well, getting good spin and distance with a fade, something I have wanted it to do for a long time. I prefer the fade, so getting one back was great. Unfortunately, the three wood did get scratched up during my first day of testing. While I was not expecting them to stay pristine all testing long, it would have been nice to see it last a little longer.

For all clubs, I will have more concrete numbers soon. I was unable to save my numbers from this weekend.

The putter is hot. Testing it on the putting green at my local PGA Superstore, I barely had to hit the putt and it was making it to the hole. This will be interesting to take out on the course, especially as the greens around me speed up with summer coming in.

 

Overall Grade: 8.5 out of 10 (due to the lack of forgiveness in the irons and the question marks around the putter and three wood performance on the regular course)

Side note: I played 9 holes with these clubs on the simulator used for this practice session and shot 1 under. It was a short course, but I was still pleased with my (and the clubs’) performance.

Edited April 17 by warrenator8

[BringerofRain]

Introduction: April 1, 2024 

Welcome everyone to the Bringer of Rains petting zoo. While we only have one animal, everyone will have full access to our GOATS. I am extremely excited to have been selected and cannot wait to start testing the Byrdie Golf Design Goat Iron set. I plan on giving everyone a full-access look at how these irons look and perform, and if the Goats can pull off an upcoming team win at the charity scramble. I welcome and encourage every question you may have. I want to be able to provide an answer to any questions you may have.  The one thing I promise is no one in the 2024 MGS testing pool will have more fun than me during their testing process. The first order of business is to throw a party at my friend's golf simulator bar, where I’m having all my friends test these irons out against their current irons. 

When I am not bringing the rain, I go by Chance. I have called beautiful yet expensive San Diego home for the last 13 years, which you can bet means the Goats will be grazing Torrey Pines as often as they can. Before San Diego, I spent 4 years in Austin, Texas, for undergrad, but not at UT, and before that, I called Waterbury, Connecticut, home. Big shoutout to the 203. Go, Huskies!!!!! 

I am 34 years old and get to spend every day with my much better half, Kiwi, who is in fact, from New Zealand. She is the driving force behind me getting out and playing golf. While it sounds sweet, she really only wants me out of the apartment for some peace and quiet. She likes to call me the Golden Retriever. 

Let's get to the interesting part: my self-assessment of my golf game. I currently play a mixed bag of clubs as follows. 

Driver: Triple Diamond Ai smoke 

3 wood: titleist TSR2 

3 hybrid: Taylor-made burner 

4 hybrid: PXG prototype 

5- G: PXG 0311 GEN 2 T  

56: MizunoS5

60: Callaway Jaws 

Putter: Top Flight from Kmart 25 years ago. However, I did have a couple of beers a few weeks ago and preordered a Jailbird. 

Ball: Vice Pro Plus (value too good) 

I started playing golf in Connecticut with my friends, but we never took it seriously or consistently. I would consider myself a COVID golfer because for a year, if I wanted to see my friends and have a couple of beers, golf was the only option. 

Like most Golfers, I stink the majority of the time. I just can’t get that ball to do what I want. It just sits there and refuses to comply—except at the range. It loves going straight at the range. 

My golf buddies would say I am way too hard on myself and that I’m not that bad at golf, but in reality, they just stink more than me. 

With jokes aside, my goal whenever I play is to break 80. I do have the exceptional round where I can trick randoms into thinking I am actually good. Looking at you two guys from Texas here for a wedding when I shot even on Torrey North. I attempted to get an official handicap in 2022, but I was really bad at putting in scores as the rounds usually turned into a 2 v 2 playing for a couple of beers at the end of the round, and the laughter and trash talk were more important than the score. 

I do have a New Year’s resolution to join a local club and get an official handicap, and this BGD GOAT test was the push I needed. I have officially written out the check and filled out the application. While I will focus heavily on the clubs and not myself during testing, if anyone is interested, I will gladly take you on the handicap journey with the GOATS. 

My biggest strength on the golf course is my distance and confidence. I can make any shot. If you need me to carry 300 over a pit of alligators to win the member guest, then I am your guy. My biggest weakness is that I only succeed 10 percent of the time with that shot. I believe layups are for basketball, and I am playing for a good time, not a long time.  

I would consider myself a decent iron player mostly because my drive, while long, can get me in trouble, and I need the irons to bail me out when I hit that pop fly or hard ground ball.  If things are going really well because of my length, I can hopefully keep the long and Mid irons in the bag most of the day.  

I do really love my PXG irons, but I am excited to see if they get regulated of the back of the irons in a couple of months. 

Why am I excited for Byrdie Golf Design Goats and what this test means to me?

As soon as I saw the test come up, I got excited. Do you see how sleek and good-looking those GOAT irons are? I can’t wait to throw them in the bag. Additionally, with the DTC market blowing up and Costco and Takomo proving high-performance irons can be made for half the price, I knew I needed to get my hands on the Goats. Furthermore, the Goat's marketing felt like it was directed right at my demographic. Muscle backs are designed for the weekend warrior. I am going to put that claim to the test with some help from my friends. 

What will be tested and examined?

I will be testing the Goat Irons from Byrdie Golf Design. I am open to all suggestions on how you would like to see these irons tested. In fact, if you’re in the San Diego area and you want to try them, send me a message, and I’ll try to make it happen. 

As for my testing plan, I first want to get them to the simulator and get some numbers, as these clubs are slightly weaker than my current irons. As promised, this will be accompanied by a golf simulator party where multiple skill levels will test their current irons against the Goats. And don’t worry, there will be plenty of videos from that outing. However, I might lose patience and have to get the irons to the course as quickly as possible. Goats belong in the grass and not on the turf. I plan on playing as many rounds as possible, incorporating and testing suggestions the spies have, and I will report back. 

I promise lots of pictures and videos in the future, and I am going to take the easy out and blame Easter weekend for the lack of golf photos. 

I cannot wait to get these clubs in my hands and take everyone on this journey. Bahhhhhhhhhhh. 

I am in the pink  

 

Very Early Impression:

After arriving home from a long weekend family vacation.  I came home to a flock of goats sitting at my doorstep. Here is my immediate reaction photos. While I was disappointed in the plane brown box, my face shows what I really think of the clubs  

The goats will be grazing the grass shortly and a full first impression review will be coming your way shortly. If there any any question don’t be shy and give me a shout. 
 

Edited April 30 by BringerofRain

[Grip]

March 30, 2024

Byrdie Golf Design Grind Wedges - 2024 Forum Review by @Grip

Intro

My name is Greg O'Connor and I'm excited to do my first product review with MGS and these Grind Wedges just might be the ticket to improve upon my short game and hopefully anyone else's. 

I began golfing in my mid 20's for about ten years, but got away from it for almost 30 years until I retired. I'm a casual fair-weather senior golfer; my flexibility and steadiness aren't what they used to be, but I enjoy every moment of golfing whether it be on the range, course or practice putting green. My spouse and I enjoy playing together and with others in Wisconsin.

I also enjoy watching golf both on screen and in person. I attended the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am back in 1989 and recently went to the 2019 American Family Championship, the 2020 Ryder Cup and the 43rd U.S. Senior Open.

My biggest weakness is my short game. I currently am using a Cleveland CBX2 54 degree Wedge and a Callaway Mack Daddy CB 60 degree Wedge both with Accra 50i V2 shafts that I was fitted for at Club Champion. They both work well enough for me but I believe I need an in between degree wedge like a 52, 56 or a 58 because sometimes one or the other is too lofty or not enough depending on the distance, lie and slope of the area the ball is.

I normally don't wear a glove with 8 iron or below as I like to feel the impact through my fingers and hands, but during this test I will have my Red Rooster MyGolfspy glove both on and off to get to know these Gun Metal Gray Grind Wedges that come in 52, 56 and 60 degree increments with stiff shafts. Per their website, "The combination of spin, distance, control and bounce is unmatched." I plan to also use them on the range both on the matt, on the turf, in the sand and wedge putting the ball to see how they perform up against the tall fringe of the green. The best test for these will be on the golf course for which I plan on using them exclusively and hopefully add one or all of them to my bag.

Unboxing/First Impressions Link

 

Edited May 2 by Grip

[NickyBobby]

 

Howdy fellow golf enthusiasts! My name is Nick St. Aubin and this will be my first time testing products through MyGolfSpy. I can’t wait to get out on the course to test the Gilmore Collection’s driver and 3 wood (just call me Happy Gilmore!). I reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota and am happy to say the snow hasn’t affected my golf season too much this year. I picked up golf during college and have worked my way to a 6 handicap. I play recreationally on weekends, but I spend most days of the week at the driving range working on my swing. You can also catch me on the off season enjoying a beverage at my local golf simulator competing in a league. 

 

I am looking forward to the 2024 golf season, with my season already booking in with tournaments, you could say I am anxious to try some new equipment. I’m currently gaming a Ping G410 lst driver set at 10 degrees and a Titleist 915 3 wood (needless to say I am excited to try something new!). 

 

Like you, my fellow golf fanatics, I get amped for new clubs to show up at my door. The sleek look of these new clubs from this up and coming golf brand have me suspecting they could be an asset to my performance. Although there isn’t much data out there to support the performance behind these clubs, I am intrigued to see if they magically turn me into a scratch golfer. 

 

I’m looking forward to sharing some unboxing pics and some others from the course!

 

Cheers,

Nick

Edited April 10 by NickyBobby

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations testers! 

[Northern Monkey]

Congratulations testers

[MattF]

Congratulations @warrenator8 @BringerofRain @Grip@NickyBobby

Edited March 26 by MattF

[rkj427]

Congrats. to this group of testers. Looking forward to their comments and reviews.

Interested in seeing the thoughts of how these may compare to other more expensive brands.

[Nunfa0]

Congrats testers, I look forward to seeing what these look like and do for you all.

[ejgaudette]

Congrats everyone and looking forward to the test!

[Rob Person]

Congratulations to all of you on being selected. I look forward to everything that you guys are about to endeavor on

[Josh Parker]

Congrats testers!  Looking forward to seeing how these perform. 

[Triple_Putt]

Congrats testers! Looking forward to learning more about this brand 

[Willie T]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

congratulate our testers!

@warrenator8 

@BringerofRain 

@Grip 

@NickyBobby

Congrats folks - this should be a fun test to follow.  It will be interesting to see how these irons compare to your current ones…

[Preeway]

Congrats, fellas. This sounds like a fun opportunity. Another great chance for a DTC small company to show off their wares. 

[JackBurtonsPorkchopExpress]

Congrats testers! Looking forward to the reviews

[BreakfastBall15]

Congrats testers! Looking forward to your reviews 

[TJ Hall]

Congratulations testers!  These are some sharp looking clubs in the online pictures…can’t wait to see them once they get in your hands!

[ZackS]

Congrats testers 

[Wheelieb]

Congrats testers

[Girldad18]

Congrats Testers!

[LeakyValve]

Congrats testers!! Really looking forward to those “goats”

[russtopherb]

Congrats all! Looking forward to your reviews.

[sschristie]

Congratulations to the testers. I'm excited to see the reviews - not familiar with Byrdie but I like the DTC model.

[StrokerAce]

Big congrats to this group! Iron tests are one of hardest to do so I can only imagine what a full bag is like.

hope you all have fun and hit em well!

[TSauer]

Congratulations, gang!

[frazzman80]

Excited to read through these, as I'm 100% fascinated by these smaller brands and how they compete/compare to the behemoths of the golf world. Looking forward to hearing about everyone's experience and performance.

[David Leighton Reid]

Congratulations to the testers.  I look forward to your reviews.

[WisecrackWard]

7 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Testers Announced!

It can be hard to keep track of all the new brands being introduced into the golfing market. Equally, it is very difficult for those same brands to get noticed. For this testers wanted opportunity, we are introducing Byrdie Golf Design, a company focused more on building golf clubs for a community of golfers looking to enjoy the sport without spending a fortune.

Byrdie Golf Design Clubs

We have a unique testing opportunity with Byrdie Golf Design where products across their whole lineup will be put to the test. This includes the BGD Essential full bag of golf clubs.

Within their line of golf clubs, Byrdie Golf offers The Gilmore Collection that includes a driver and fairway wood, as well as several iron sets. We have four iron sets that are being made available for testing (The OG, Vandal, Goat, and Divot Collections). Finally, applicants can register for the Byrdie Golf Design Grind wedges.

Byrdie Golf Design has put a focus on the amateur golfer, which is evident by the Club Finder Quiz. The quiz is less analytical and more focused on who you are as a golfer. There is a clear tone when taking the quiz that golf should be fun and enjoyable. While the products definitely matter, the enjoyment of being on the course and part of the golfing community should be a high priority.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@warrenator8 

@BringerofRain 

@Grip 

@NickyBobby

Congrats ! Can't wait to see what is thought of the GOAT collection! Those clubs look amazing!