The GolfPass Editorial Staff is pleased to introduce to our readers our brand-new monthly series focused on consumer golf equipment news, trends and deals.
We know the golf equipment industry has been on fire in the past year as golfers all over are reinvigorated in the sport and eager to upgrade their clubs, accessories and emerging tech.
We're going to scour the entire equipment sphere to bring you the latest news, trends and, when we spot them, the best deals.
Two new mobile launch monitors debut
Mobile launch monitors continue to proliferate and improve as more and more serious golfers determine these high-tech and insightful devices are critical to their performance. Two additional companies are entering the marketplace.
Full Swing Golf, the company known for its golf simulators, has teamed up with Tiger Woods to design a brand-new launch monitor, The Kit, that promises to rank among the top "pro-sumer" models on the market. Among the features of this $3,999 device currently accepting preorders (USA & Canada only) are 15 data points, 1080p video capture, machine-learning-enhanced radar and the option to use it on the range, indoors or on the course.
Also, Garmin has revealed their highly portable Approach R10 launch monitor ($599 - currently backordered 6-8 weeks). This small device pairs with a smartphone's Garmin Golf app and records 14 metrics on each swing, has indoor/outdoor capability, long battery life and the option to record swings using your smartphone. View our full review of the Garmin Approach R10
Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide
This April's release of the Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide, a retro, two-toned ball reminiscent of the Ping versions from the 1980s, has been so successful that two new color schemes have been released. In addition to the original red-yellow matte urethane cover, golfers can also try yellow-blue and yellow-orange color combinations.
Normally, we might dismiss this look as a sales gimmick, but our Senior Staff Writer Jason Scott Deegan has gone all-in on playing the Srixon Divide after first reviewing it. He reports it flies farther (thanks to FastLayer Core technology) and higher (thanks to its 338-dimple pattern) than his traditional ball flight and says he seems to get up and down more often. He credits some of the best golf of his life to a ball that better fits his slower swing speed and need for more short-game feel. It's also fun to watch the ball spin mid-flight, and the center line helps in lining up putts. Golfballs.com is currently sold out of the red-yellow balls, but the new color combinations are still available. Purchase: $32.95.
'No dye' shoes further adidas' environmental mission
On the opposite end of the color spectrum from the Srixon Divide are the new No-Dye collection from adidas. The all-white look isn't just a fashion statement but an environmental one. By making the shoes with the material's natural colorway, adidas was able to achieve an average of 60 percent savings on water and energy that is normally spent in the process of dyeing materials. It's another way adidas is looking to be more sustainable and to help end plastic waste. The models include three price tiers: the adicross ZX PRIMEBLUE ($130), the ZG21 Motion ($180 - currently sold out) and the ZG21 Motion BOA ($220-$230).
PXG debuts new products at both ends of price spectrum
When it launched in 2014, GoDaddy.com founder Bob Parsons' Parsons Xtreme Golf - PXG, as we now know it - turned heads with eye-watering price points on its spare-no-expense golf clubs. Fast forward seven years and PXG is still making high-end clubs, like its brand-new $349-a-head GEN4 0311 ST blade irons, which are quintuple-forged and milled and boast untouchable craftsmanship. If you're a player and in the market for a $2,500 set of irons, these are as good as it gets.
More recently, PXG has also gone after golfers' growing appreciation for the retail-eschewing, discount-oriented direct-to-consumer market. For these clients, it makes a solid and affordable 0211 line of clubs, including a new suite of putters for $189 each (compared to upwards of $400 for the Battle Ready line of flatsticks).
(Editor's Note: GolfPass may earn a commission on certain purchases made via links posted in our articles. GolfPass does not receive compensation for product reviews.)
