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In the golf equipment world, this time of year is a bit of the calm before the storm. With the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs reaching their conclusion, it's not as if it's an opportune time to be introducing new clubs and balls to professionals' bags. Some companies do start to seed the following year's goods earlier in the summer, but for the most part, light starts shining on the traditional slate of winter releases in September and October. For example, with 2023 being an odd year, equipment junkies can expect to start seeing the next version of the Titleist Pro V1 in about six weeks, with retail availability to come in late January or early February.
For now, the news of big brands of shoe or putter releases is mixed with curiosities and lesser-known brands, some of which might become sleeper picks to feature in your golf bag when next you update it. If that time is coming soon, here are some items to consider.
Shark Attack Golf's new competitive long-drive driver debuts
Shark Attack. Reaper. Yeti. Goldiloxxx. No, they're not BattleBots (okay, Yeti is a BattleBot too), but rather brand and product names associated with competitive long drive. The company's equipment has been used in more than 150 worldwide long-drive contest wins, and they just unveiled their new GRIFYN driver ($400) with 9 degrees of loft (adjustable up to 10.5 degrees or down to 7.5 degrees) and a choice of Reaper or Tattoo shafts. Yes, it's USGA-conforming.
Adidas shoes come with a twist...and zip
I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to golf apparel and especially shoes. I don't seek out the athletic look too much, but props to Adidas on its new CODECHAOS 22 shoes with BOA lace technology, which I prefer to traditional laces because they tighten the shoe from all directions, rather than just the top of my foot. The outer wrap of the shoe can be closed up via zipper, giving it a bit of a space-age look. It's cool and all, but most importantly, the shoes are very comfortable and stable when I swing. - Tim Gavrich
Scotty Cameron Special Select Jet Set Limited putters
Even though lots of high-end putter artisans have cropped up in the last couple of decades, there's still something stately about a Scotty. Collectors salivate over limited-edition flatsticks, and the new, all-black Special Select Jet Set ($650) should be no exception. Within this release of four different, mostly traditional-looking blade models sit two "Plus" versions of the iconic Newport and Newport 2, with a slightly longer distance between the clubface and the back of the putter's flange.
TRUE's 'Curated' collection goes way beyond shoes
As the limited-edition and small-batch approaches to merchandise sweep through golf, TRUE Linkswear, whose comfortable golf shoes have been popular for more than a decade, is teaming up with other brands to offer some cool-looking accessories and knickknacks. They've partnered with Corkcicle on insulated cups and something called a "whiskey wedge," and they're even releasing three different flavors of "tee pick" ($21), which is just what it sounds like: a golf tee-shaped toothpick.
Industry happenings: Callaway Golf's new name
Between the rise of "golfertainment" venues and the recent announcement of the TGL, an indoor "stadium-golf" league that will pit the pros against each other on a hybrid simulator and synthetic turf short-game setup, golf has never been so gung-ho about non-traditional forms of the game. Another recent sign of the times: Callaway Golf has renamed itself Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. Placing Topgolf - which Callaway acquired in 2021 for $2.6 billion - ahead of one of the game's heritage equipment brands is a significant statement about the company's prioritization of the non-greengrass approach. So is its change in stock symbol, from ELY (after Ely Callaway, the company founder) to MODG (as in "Modern Golf").
