TMaG Goes Retail

TaylorMade Golf, a division of Adidas (OTCMKTS:ADDYY), says they going into the brick and mortar side of the business with the opening of their first branded outlet store next month in Myrtle Beach with more stores to follow. The business plan is for the stores to be exclusively outlets, selling previous season merchandise from the company’s four brands TaylorMade, Adams Golf, adidas Golf and Ashworth. At present each of the brands offers current merchandise and clearance items for sale over the Internet.

“The outlets are designed to benefit our current retail partners and golfers alike. There has been an influx of product in the marketplace that has moved at a slower pace than expected,” states Ben Sharpe, CEO TaylorMade Golf Company.  “The outlets allow us to sell off-season product at a discounted price, while giving our retail partners the ability to set prices on in-season product at sustainable levels."

Parent company adidas will partner with TMaG to manage the stores. A second location in Livermore, Calif. will open soon after the Myrtle Beach outlet and additional locations are anticipated before the end of the year.

“The retail outlet model will enable our company to more effectively manage distribution of prior generation products while strengthening the position of our brands.” Says David Abeles, President of TaylorMade Golf Company.

Some observers see this move as a response to criticism from green grass and other retail outlets of TaylorMade’s multiple product launch marketing. It also is a way to get a jump on club competitors such as Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) for off price sales while at the same time giving TMaG a distribution channel to help traditional retailers inventory.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

10 Rounds with The Game of Golf

You want to get better—right?

And you know that means lots of practice—right?

Plus you know charting rounds will help find the weaknesses that rate additional attention—right?

But aside from the desire, what are you doing to improve? Take a basic example…how far does your driver go? Bet you don’t know hole by hole or even on average to within five yards…or maybe ten yards. Or, what’s the carry of your five iron…your nine iron? How many putts did you have in the last round or what is your GIR?

Well, you get the point. To improve your score you must know what you do well and what needs added attention, instruction and practice.

And that’s where Game Golf comes in.

I’m not particularly tech-savvy nor do I want to be, plus I’m not interested in some device if it gets in my way physically or mentally. Game Golf fits those criteria in a nice, positive way.

It’s simple to use, after downloading the software to your computer and creating an account, make sure the belt unit is charged and you’re ready to go.

I will admit at first I sometimes didn’t remember to tap the butt of the club (there are buttons you screw into the grips) on the belt unit before each shot but more on that later. However, once it became part of my pre-shot routine I did it without thinking.

Tapping the button on the end of each club marks the spot where you’re hitting and since each button has a different code the belt unit can record, “He’s hitting a five iron.”

When you get to where the ball landed, select the next club, tap the button on the belt unit and hit the shot. As I said—simple.

After the round plug the belt unit into your computer with the supplied USB cable and the software downloads your shots and calculates all the distances and stats. It even lets you add shots so if you forgot to tap before you hit, say your drive, you can add it. GPS based Game Golf ($249) is ready when you switch it on so there no searching for the course you’re playing and it even knows if you start on the back nine or skip a hole.

Since improvement involves knowing what needs improving, by using this system you have all the information about each round, the individual shots and your averages. Suppose after a few rounds your drives average 210-yards (which by the way isn’t bad for a recreational player) but they are hardly ever in the fairway. Or your putts per round are somewhere north of 32. You can plainly see opportunities to improve.

It didn’t take ten rounds for me to become used to Game Golf. After only two or three I saw while my fairways in regulation number was good and I was hitting 13 or so greens when I did miss my scrambling percentage was not good…in fact it was the worst part of my game. I had thought my putting was or even my mid-irons were but it was the pitches and chips so I have been spending lots of time practice around the green and am beginning to see it pay off.

Could all of this data be written done in a notebook during the round? Sure, and the statistics could be calculated too, but I challenge you figure out the exact yardage you hit your drive on the twelfth hole without some kind of laser or GPS device and Game Golf is the most painless way I know of to do it. And for a sugar topping, the USGA allows Game Golf to be used in competition.

If you want to know your game better and to improve Game Golf is an excellent way to get the data you need.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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From medalist to champion, Liu takes WWGA National Amateur title

Mika Liu made three straight birdies to start the afternoon portion of the 36-hole final of the Women’s Western Golf Association’s 114^th National Amateur Championship to stretch a 1 up lead to 4 up and lead her to victory at Lancaster Country Club Saturday.

Liu, 15, from Beverly Hills, Calif., who earned medalist honors after qualifying scores of 73-71, topped Cammie Gray of Northport, Ala., 3 & 2.

Liu’s older sister, Marika, captured the third flight title.

Despite her age, Liu has an impressive resume. She was the 2011 FCWT National Player of the Year and named to the 2012 and 2013 AJGA Rolex All-American Team. She recently won the Women’s Southern Golf Association Championship and has participated in a LPGA Symetra Tour event where she placed fifth out of 140 players.

Gray did not pick up a golf club until she was 14. She played her first competitive round when she was 15. She reached the round of 16 at the 2013 US Women’s Amateur Championship and won the 2013 Alabama State Women’s Amateur Championship. She also was named the 2013 Alabama State Woman Player of the Year. She competed in the 2014 NCAA Division Finals with her teammates from Alabama.

For more information, visit www.wwga.org.

Nate Oxman

Editor

PhillyGolfFiles.com

610-613-0851

noxman@phillygolffiles.com

10 Rounds with the GX-4i² Golf Rangefinder

One of the best ways to improve your score is to select the correct club for the yardage, and assuming you hit that club your normal distance, you’ll be putting for a birdie. Right?

However, if you have played this game for any length of time you know that’s one of those statements falling into the easy-to-say-hard-to-do category.

The big problem of course is the inconsistency of results when we swing a golf club. Everyone who has ever played golf experiences it so all we can do is take more lessons and send additional time on the range knowing perfection will never be attained. However, you still need to know the distance to the target and laser range finders provide it with absolute accuracy and are not dependent on signals from orbiting satellites.

Which brings me to the Leupold GX-4i² laser rangefinder. From the first, even taking it out of the box, it was evident this is a quality product, rugged and well-made. Over the ten rounds of this trial that fact was confirmed time and again.

Distances are given to one-tenth of a yard, way more accurate than my game but none the less comforting and I liked the “fog” mode which helps for targeting pins when you have one of those early morning tee times. The GX-4i² also has compensations to help you with the “plays-like” distance based on your inputs for altitude and temperature and there’s an inclinometer to judge the effect of slope on your shot.

What makes the GX-4i² unique though is the ability to link all of these and, after you have input the distance you hit your 4-, 6- and 8-irons, the unit will suggest the correct club for the distance compensating for the effects of elevation, temperature and altitude.

And the best thing is the system works.

Anecdotally, an uphill par-3 on my home course has a fairly severely pitched green angling from back to front. Using the GX-4i² I found the correct club for a front pin location was one more than would be called for just judging by the yardage. No surprise there but to a back right pin the club needed was two more than the yardage because of the slope. It may sound elementary in the retelling but it still was a pleasant surprise to me.

Finally the USGA rule that allows laser rangefinders does not allow use of ones with all of the GX-4i2 features such as the inclinometer so Leupold provides two face plates. A bright yellow one with a microchip to give all the described distance compensations and club selections plus a chrome faceplate without the chip, making it in compliance with the USGA rule.

So if you want the best and will makes use of the yardage compensation features the GX-4i² at $625 is a great choice, conceivably the only choice.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Remember…Bobby Jones was a Professional

Masters week is an appropriate time to remember tournament founder Bobby Jones, who dominated his era as no one has ever done and there are a bushel of numbers to illustrate the point. Numbers such as Jones’ winning the four majors in 1930, the Grand Slam of the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

His record shows from when he won his first U.S. Open title in 1923 through his 1930 U.S. Amateur win he played in 20 major championships and won 13 times.

Let that sink in for a moment…playing as an amateur against professionals of the caliber of Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen he won 65 percent of the time.

And then he quit. He had climbed his personal Everest and the only direction he could go from there was down.

Besides he was tired, worn out from the strain of playing at such a high level as well as from the travel which in the 1920s was arduous, many days and nights on trains or steamships.

There also was another important factor in his decision, Jones needed money. He was not independently wealthy and while an amateur he couldn’t play for pay. He had to generate an income from his fledgling law practice and other ventures to support his wife and children.

Therefore, a month and a half after winning the U.S. Amateur for the last time he sent a letter to the USGA announcing his retirement from championship golf and renouncing his amateur status.

As a professional Jones most certainly could have commanded huge fees for exhibitions just as Walter Hagen was doing or he could have played for prize money on what passed for a professional tour in the Depression years of the 1930s. But reflecting the times any money he won would have paled in comparison to the potential exhibition income.

So he did neither. Jones sent the letter because he knew the USGA rules strictly defined what constituted being an amateur and he was planning to make money from ventures related to golf so he would have been in violation. This in spite an earlier ruling by the USGA that money Jones received for a column appearing in several hundred newspapers did not somehow violate his amateur status. Inconsistent to be sure but probably more a reflection of the prevalent opinion a journalist was above the common drudgery of earning money from the game in contrast with lowly professionals.

And Jones was not about to sell his endorsement of some product just for the sake of making money. In fact his best known project wasn’t an endorsement deal at all but an immensely popular series of one-reel instructional films shown in movie theaters entitled “How I Play Golf.” Even today these films are worth watching, filled with information about the golf swing though Jones disliked what he called the “corny” story lines transparently centered on him giving lessons to movie stars.

His most profitable venture was getting into the club business and he became intimately involved with the design of the club line bearing his name manufactured by A.G. Spaulding Company. Interestingly the fact Jones autograph-model clubs had steel shafts was a major factor in sealing the demise of hickory shafts…”If Bobby says steel is OK, it must be.”

So the bottom line is according to the Rules of Golf Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur golfer of all time, was not allowed to be an amateur any longer.

Images courtesy of the USGA.

10 Rounds with the Karsten TR

Golfers have special feelings for their putters, certainly different than for drivers and definitely different than for wedges. However these feelings don’t stop us from owning more than one flat stick and perhaps several alternating residency between golf bag and closet. And of course any putter discussion has to include those from Ping Golf whose company name came from the sound its first model made when it struck a ball.

Back in 1966, founder Karsten Solheim, created the “modern blade” putter, the iconic Anser that in one form or another Ping has been making ever since. A record for sure but the design was so good that every other putter company made their own version of it—to tell the truth, most look like flat out copies—which says volumes about how well the Anser-shape performs.

So regarding this extended playing test of the Karsten TR Anser 2, after one has used a putter for 10 rounds two things become clear. Does the shape fit your eye? Some putters look great in the golf shop or even on the putting green but soon for some unfathomable reason you can’t stand the sight of them.

Secondly, how does the putter hold up under pressure? Notice I said the putter not your stroke. It’s a given when trying to make that 5-footer on the last hole to win the Nassau and carryovers our stroke will be suspect—heck, even the guys on Tour get a case of the wobblies. But what about the way the putter feels and performs? Does it fit you and your stroke? To hold up under pressure the putter has to be the correct one for you so it’s important of course to be fitted for the same reasons you get a driver fitting.

Right from the beginning, after a few quick pre-round putts before the first time out with it, I could tell the Karsten TR Anser 2 model fit me and more importantly fit my eye. My two most often reoccurring faults (at least as far as putting is concerned) are lining up a little left of the target line and a slight loop on the backswing. I still lined the Karsten up left sometimes but usually was able to see that I was doing and make a correction.

Additionally the Anser 2 is weighted for a slight arc back and through (medium toe hang) and this helped with my occasional loopiness.

TR stands for True Roll which comes from the face having grooves of variable depth to improve the impact if you should hit the ball off center. The feel is soft especially with a urethane cover ball and dialing-in the proper distance for example on downhill putts was not a problem.

When first looking at the copper finish of the Karsten TR I wondered if it would be a problem, i.e. reflective, in bright sunshine but it wasn’t and in fact provided a helpful contrast to the single sight line. In addition to the Anser 2 shape, which is also available with an adjustable shaft, other models of the TR include familiar Anser 5, B60, Pal and Zing.

The Karsten TR Anser 2 is an extremely good putter and if the new season means a new putter is in the cards, I recommend you try it.

Image of Karsten TR-user Miguel Angel Jimenez and product images courtesy of Ping Golf

Getting There -- the Hall of Fame

 

There‘s no doubt the fuss over the eligibility threshold for election to the World Golf Hall of Fame caused the Board of Directors to revamp the criteria. In essence they saw, as did many, election to the HoF had lost some of the specialness which should be reserved for truly outstanding players. The Hall had become a recognition not for play in the Hogan-Nelson-Palmer-Nicklaus-Player category but for something less and golf fans seemed to respond with a collective yawn.

The special cache that goes with induction into the Halls of other sports was missing. Even those who had been enshrined did not come to subsequent ceremonies in spite of the date being moved to the same week at the Players Championship played nearby at TPC Sawgrass.

The announcement of the revamped eligibility rules focused on what it will take for men to be considered. Rather than 10 victories a potential candidate will need 15 wins on one of the recognized international tours or two majors or Players Championships to be considered by the Selection Subcommittee and passed along to the 16-member Selection Commission. Twelve of the 16 must concur instead of what had become a declining percentage under the old procedure.

The lowering of the standards for admission to the Hall was undoubtedly a reflection of what can only be called the HoF’s massive “loss in focus.” Originally set at 75 percent to receive enshrinement, the percentage was first changed to 65 percent. Then, and this borders on the incredible reflecting I’m sure the evident panic that there might not be anyone who received the requisite votes, the bar was lowered to the candidate receiving the most votes over 50 percent.

Rather than an elevation to Mt. Olympus the Hall of Fame had become more a recognition of good players who were popular.

Also interesting are the comments coming from media members who formerly were part of the 300 or so people (including members of the Hall) who received ballots under the old system. Some have written that they the people who write about golf should retain a major part of the process presumably because they are better judges of what constitutes golfing greatness.

It‘s also obvious the HoF Board is serious in getting acceptance from fans and they pulled out all the stops setting up the first Selection Commission to scrutinize potential inductees for the next Class in 2015. It will be headed up by four of the most popular members of the Hall: Nancy Lopez, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam.

Stepping back to look at the records of recent modern era inductees we find in the Class of 2012 Fred Couples (15 PGA Tour victories – 1 major – 1 Players – 5 international victories), Colin Montgomery (0 PGA Tour victories – 0 majors – 0 Players – 36 international victories) and Ken Venturi (14 PGA Tour victories – 1 major – 0 Players).

In the Class of 2011 there were Sandy Lyle (6 PGA Tour victories – 2 majors – 0 Players – 18 European Tour victories) and Phil Mickelson (42 PGA Tour victories – 5 majors – 1 Players – 4 international victories).

Is there any argument the system required the changes? We support the World Golf Hall of Fame in their efforts to bring the Hall and its members to the attention of fans and make it a must-visit for every golfer. And besides, if I understand the criteria correctly, Andy North with three career wins, the Westchester Classic and two U.S. Opens, is now a shoo-in.

Images courtesy of World Golf Hall of Fame. Andy North’s image courtesy of the USGA.

10 Rounds with the B330RX

Bridgestone golf balls have enjoyed a special place in my memory going back to when their Precept brand made the Lady — a super low compression ball that men found went just great. The only problem though were the gibes they got for playing a “girlie ball.” The solution was both simple and elegant, the ball was renamed the Laddie…problem solved. Same ball different label.

Bridgestone has become a force in the ball business with a firm hold second place behind dominant Acushnet Company whose Titleist and Pinnacle brands account for more ball sales than every other brand combined. Based in Covington, Ga., the golf division (part of the world's largest tire and rubber company Bridgestone Corporation headquartered in Tokyo) can claim roughly 45 percent more sales than third place Callaway Golf. They have an excellent line up of products but they also were the first to realize the best strategy to gain market share was to promote a comparison of their ball with the market leader…and anyone else who happened to be around. So in 2007 they instituted a program of “ball fitting,” sending vans filled with Bridgestone balls and launch monitors to clubs and ranges across the U.S.

Their logic was straightforward. You wouldn’t think about spending money for a new driver without being fitted and the driver is only used maybe 14 times in a round where the ball is used for every shot. The strategy worked and Bridgestone climbed the ladder of acceptability busting the myth that if you don’t play a certain brand of ball you’re not a serious player.

And along the way they gathered an immense amount of data which has been a knowledge storehouse of what golfers really want and more to the point, what they really need in a golf ball to score their best.

So starting out to play the Tour B330RX for this article I wanted to see how it compared with the leading brand I most often use, a comparison under real playing conditions not just on the range. I also had the expectation this would be a good ball for my game since I had been “fitted” for it based on my driver swing of 100 mph.

Right from the first hole it was clear this was an excellent ball for both distance and control. At my home course the opening hole is a sharp dogleg around water and from the tee using a 2-hybrid the B330RX carried and rolled out to a very acceptable 210-yards. The second shot was a nine iron that landed in the middle of the green took one hop and stopped…also very acceptable.

I won’t go through every shot for every hole for all 10 rounds but the results of average driver swings finished right in the same area as I am used to with my other ball brand and I had absolutely no problem spinning it around the green. In addition, though I don’t have any hard data it was obvious that from the critical scoring distances, 100 to 175-yards, the B330RX was excellent both for trajectory and control.

Living in Florida wind is usually a factor. Tee shots into the wind using my low spin-low trajectory driver did not balloon even once and downwind the B330Rx did not seem to “float” as some golf balls do, meaning they often wind up off line and in a place you don’t want to be.

A couple of final things. For those interested in the technical details Bridgestone tells me both the B330RX and stable mate B330RXS (S for softer cover) have a new core that uses water during manufacture to give more density difference between the outer and inner parts. This helps create more distance and reduces spin. Both the firmer cover RX and softer S are a three-piece construction with their dimple-within-a-dimple urethane cover.

Also just so you know I switched to a new ball every three to four holes and 11 times over the 10 rounds did head-to-head comparison of tee shots versus my usual ball. Within the limits of the circumstances — wind, rain, fairway slope, run out — and my swing, distance of the two balls was the same.

Based on my extended experience with the Tour B330RX I strongly recommend it and at a street price of $45 it well within the cost range for serious golfers.

Product images and that of “Dr. Feherty” courtesy of Bridgestone Golf

10 Rounds with the JetSpeed

TaylorMade Golf sells the largest number of drivers for several reasons. Sure they look nice and have features TaylorMade pioneered such as user-adjustability but the bottom line is simple. Players buy TaylorMade drivers because they believe they get the most distance with the best accuracy and consistency compared to competing brands.

TMaG’s newest is the JetSpeed, a mid- to high handicap category driver that was preceded by some furious industry buzz so when I put one into play for this article, being committed to at least 10 rounds, I was anticipating it would be something special.

In a word, it was.

The first few rounds, kind of getting acquainted, three things became immediately obvious. First the JetSpeed is plenty long. Is it the longest out there? Don’t know. I didn’t try to do any comparisons except, when playing my home course, after a good swing the ball was at least as far…arguably even a little further, than the driver it replaced in my bag.

Secondly, the ball flight off the JetSpeed is low, low enough that after the first round I adjusted the loft from 10.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees and saw an immediate improvement in trajectory. And speaking of trajectory the ball felt like it “bored” through the air, a feeling I get from only a few drivers and it’s a great confidence builder.

Finally, with the center of gravity a lot lower and closer to the face there’s no doubt the ball had less spin, which of course is what everyone including touring pros is looking for to get the most distance. JetSpeed also has what TMaG tagged as a Speed Pocket in the sole right behind the face which they tell me helps control the rate of spin. After a while I came to appreciate the alignment graphic on the crown though admittedly if they had asked me initially it isn’t one I would have chosen.

Since JetSpeed is categorized as a game-improvement driver I paid particular attention to the rare occasions (really?) when a less than perfect swing caused impact to be some place other than dead center. I can report unless it was a totally awful effort on my part as long as the hit was somewhere around the center of the face, the distance and side spin didn’t appear to suffer too much. In my experience there is probably no other factor that creates confidence in a club as quickly. When its hit a little less than perfectly the ball still goes OK is a big plus for JetSpeed.

You have a choice of two JetSpeed models, the TP with a Matrix Velox ST 60 gram shaft and the regular model with a Matrix Velox T 49 gram shaft. Both have a “SpeedPocket,” a.k.a. sole cavity and a loft sleeve that changes the basic loft (either 9.5 or 10.5 degrees) 1.5 degrees up or down.

One caveat about the JetSpeed is that the standard shaft is 46 inches and for some players that length may be harder to control even though it helps create a longer arc and therefore clubhead speed.

So, the question is would I recommend a friend buy a JetSpeed? Assuming he does it properly by getting it fitted by a PGA Professional with computer swing analysis, the answer is an unreserved yes.

Images of the TaylorMade JetSpeed and user Ernie Els courtesy of TaylorMade Golf

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Bulle Rock Golf Course

Course Closings 11 Times Openings

On the eve of what might be called “Golf’s Annual Global Summit,” better known as the annual PGA Merchandise Show which takes place next week in Orlando, the National Golf Foundation is reporting that in the U.S. during 2013 more than 11 times as many golf courses closed compared to the number that opened.

  

The NGF records openings and closings using the descriptor of “18-Hole Equivalents” to equalize the data among different sized facilities. Last year 157.5 courses closed, six being private clubs and the balance public access, either daily fee or municipal.

On the other side of the ledger 14 courses (18-Hole Equivalents) opened and 40 percent or 5.5 of them were private facilities.

At the end of 2012 there were 14,564.5 courses in the country, 10,704.5 being in the public access category.

This is the eighth year in a row there has been a decrease in the number of golf courses, a total of 643 from the peak in 2005. This is a drop of about 4 percent and reflects the decrease in the number of golfers plus other factors such as local economic conditions and course capitalization.

Industry analysts point out the shrinkage in the number of courses is a natural correction of the market reflecting fiscal and demographic changes in the business of golf after the 40 percent growth in golf facilities from 1986 to 2005.

Though it may first strike the observer as counterintuitive the continued closing of courses is a positive for the industry. As the NGF notes, “Although there will be excellent new golf courses being built in the future, the gradual market correction is expected to continue for the next few years. Annual net reduction of supply should be in the 130-160 range, helping us inch toward a healthier supply and demand balance.”

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

New ClubGliders

The ClubGlider from Sun Mountain is a great solution to that unpleasant task of getting your sticks through the airport and for the new season a new model joins the lineup, the Tour Series.

ClubGlider is different from other travel bags because it has extendable legs with wheels in addition to the wheels at the bottom of the bag. This means all of the weight is supported making it easy to maneuver to and from the parking lot and when you get to airline check-in the legs fold away, locking in place.

Since a loaded travel bag can weigh 45 pounds, the ClubGlider’s design does away with the hassle and strain of picking it up and putting it down. Your travel bag stands ready to move when you are. All have heavy-duty two-way zippers on the outside and thick padding on the inside to protect clubheads and shafts. Plus there are storage pockets, internal cinch straps, reinforced wear areas and a lift-assist handle.

ClubGlider is available in four different models – Pro, Meridian, Journey and the new Tour Series – offering protection for golfers ranging from weekend warriors to touring professionals. Retail prices are $349, $289, $219, and $319 respectively.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Ten Rounds With The CB Pro

According to the buzz, Tour Edge had come up with something really special in the Exotics CB Pro fairway and starting with the packaging it was evident they agreed.

Rather than the usual slim cardboard carton holding a club muffled in bubble wrap, the CB Pro was inside a carton inside another carton with the club suspended in multi-layer pasteboard brackets. There was even a pasteboard tube to secure the Stitch head cover. Clearly Tour Edge considers the CB Pro to be out of the ordinary so I was looking forward to “test driving” this latest from the company that built their reputation by making really top notch fairways and hybrids.

“Test driving” new clubs, especially drivers and fairways can be done in several ways but I prefer to do it on the course. A golf simulator is fine and the computer data is useful but on-course conditions cannot be duplicated even by the most sophisticated software. Testing on the range is an improvement since wind and lie and stance mimic actual playing but even with a radar measurement device you still can’t walk out and see for yourself.

And you can add to my list of prejudices, the same is true when comparing one club to another. Call me old-school but the proof of a club’s performance is on the course not on the range or in a simulator.

So, after being appropriately appreciative of Tour Edge’s packaging the next stop was the course.

The first thing you notice is at address is the CB Pro head looks smaller than recent Exotics models like the XCG6. At 170cc the size and shape look good behind the ball and could even be called confidence inspiring. There’s also a new sole design that Tour Edge says helps keep clubhead speed at impact by tending to glide over the turf rather than digging in and looking at divot depths this certainly seems to be true. The titanium cup face is combo brazed to the stainless steel body, a process used only by Tour Edge, and clubhead weight has be moved closer to the face to favor a lower ball flight.

As it happened the first two rounds with it in the bag were played with a 10-plus mph wind but since the CB Pro does produce a nice flat trajectory it meant the ball could be controlled even when across the wind.

Because of the wind (and playing in the rain on one occasion) it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth round I really came to appreciate how long the CB Pro hit the ball. It had felt good, solid from the start, but the fact that even with a flat trajectory there was enough spin on the ball to keep it in air without a tendency to balloon meant the result was really good distance.

Gaining confidence I started using it from the tee on tight holes and though it certainly isn’t as long as a driver it did what you want the most when using a 3-wood instead of a 1-wood, it “thread the needle” when called upon.

There’s no question the Exotics CB Pro should be at the top of your list for consideration if you are in the market to replace your present fairways. It comes in a choice of five lofts between 13.5 degrees and 17.5 degrees with either the Fujikura Speeder 661 or 757 Series shaft.

At the beginning I said Tour Edge thinks this club is something special. The packaging was an indication of how special but the company is only making a limited number of the CB Pro and, risking “sticker shock,” has set the retail price at $500.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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