GolfPass Gear Report: March 2025

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Between the March golf shows and demo days coming soon to golf courses in the Midwest and Northeast, it's officially club-buying season for many golfers.

We've already covered all the latest golf club releases in 2025 - with the help of our Golf Gear Report video series - on drivers, irons, wedges and putters. This month's dispatch includes quick commentary on apparel and accessories we think might help set you up for your best golf year ever. And in a just-in-depth-enough mini-review, Tim Gavrich weighs in on a putter so new that its website isn't fully built yet, though its inventor has aspirations of changing the flatstick game.

Here goes:

The new Swingman Golf Rangefinder was made specifically to be used with TheGrint, the popular golf app that's now 13 years old. What sets this rangefinder apart is that it was designed as app-to-tech, not tech-to-app, and that provides better integration. When the two are paired properly, the data from TheGrint app appears on the rangefinder screen. When golfers shoot a yardage, they can see more critical information through the lens such as front, back and center distances to the pin and the "relative pin location" of the flag, whether it is toward the front or the back of the green. Even if you aren't connected to the app - let's say your phone battery died or you're paired with a speaker instead - the rangefinder remains easy to use, providing reliable yardage information. It's got all the bells and whistles of a high-end device - 7x magnification, more than 600 yard range, flag lock with jolt, slope to turn on and off for tournaments and a magnet mount. It is the start of TheGrint's broader strategy toward building connected devices for golfers. More updates and innovations are to come. The device retails for $299, but TheGrint Pro members can buy it for $149.99. - Jason Scott Deegan

Putters with alternative approaches to weighting are in the midst of a moment. L.A.B. Golf is seen by many as the leader of the category, with its "lie angle balanced" putter weighting where there is no specific balance point, negating the long-established concept of toe-hang or face-balancing.

Incred putters balance face-down, a concept triggered by a post-round conversation about how well a PING Anser-style blade putter seemed to swing when turned 90 degrees to strike a ball with its toe. Founder Nakul Sood, who has developed film equipment including lower-cost high-quality Steadicam equivalents and VR-compatible surround-sound microphones, places the vast majority of the weight of his putters as far forward as possible, with the shaft entering the putter head in a similar way as found in L.A.B. and other putters. This creates a built-in forward press that many consistently good putters tend to favor. Early testing has suggested Sood's face-down putter design, which he has patented, may cause the golf ball to start rolling sooner than other putters, which augurs greater consistency.

Sood turned me loose with two of his models: a T-shaped Eureka Black Mallet and the SK-1, a fang-shaped head inspired by Indian professional golfer Shiv Kapur, who originally challenged Sood to make a more stable putter. Of the two, I found the SK-1 to be more effective; the mallet features a pyramid-shaped piece where the shaft enters the head that made it difficult for me to align myself properly. The SK-1, by contrast, features a now-familiar head shape and sets up beautifully square with the aforementioned baked-in forward press.

The novel forward weighting is noticeable from the first stroke; there is definitely a sense that the putter is urging your hands to let gravity do the work. Golfers who believe putting with "big muscles" - shoulders and chest, especially, as opposed to hands and fingers - would particularly appreciate this design. I have always been a little more reliant on my hands and fingers, which put me somewhat at odds with the putter's inherent design. I have never gotten along with center-shafted putters for this reason, though I will say that if I had to game a center-shafted putter, the Incred SK-1 would be a clear #1 choice. Though I don't see it unseating my trusty Evnroll ER5, I think it deserves a place in the conversation alongside the L.A.B.s of the golf world.

Sood is still spinning up Incred Golf as a business. His current focus is seeding his putters among professionals, including in his native India, where one early adopter has notched a win. If you might have an interest in trying one of his putters, reach out to him through his website: Incred.golf. --Tim Gavrich

In February, I was invited to The Shindig, an annual gathering hosted by golf apparel brand B.Draddy, which, like many well-heeled golfers, splits time between New York and Florida. Their Jupiter HQ, The Bungalow, is part-showroom, part-hangout space, and it did double-duty the week of The Cognizant Classic. Media, local pros and even some of the brand's PGA Tour ambassadors came through, as did Brad Faxon and, fresh off a PGA Tour Champions win, Justin Leonard. It was a very nice house party that served as an accurate introduction to a growing number of challengers to Peter Millar's relative dominance in the $100+ golf shirt category.

B.Draddy subsequently sent me a sampling of their new threads, which ranged from a solid but relatively standard striped Matt Polo ($120) from their Draddy Sport line to and a heavier-weight Jack Long-Sleeve Polo ($132) to one of their Cool Polo shirts ($120), whose light, stretchy and dimpled textile will be my go-to for the hottest of Florida summer days. And while I personally am not a hoodie-on-the-golf-course guy, the similarly lightweight Cool Hoodie ($180) they sent me is likely to become a staple of my suitcase whenever I fly. - TG

(NOTE: The striped Matt polo B. Draddy sent me was sized larger than the Cool Polo - XL vs. L - but both shirts fit roughly the same.)

Ever since Tommy Bahama has made a concerted effort to market to golfers by returning to the PGA Merchandise Show in 2024 and again in 2025, the brand's styles are aligned more than ever for wear on and off the greens. The Costa Wave Grande IslandZone polo ($118) features a floral pattern with subtle stripes that looks like it was made for a round of golf on a tropical course lined with palm trees. The Nova Wave Corsica Coast sport shirt ($138) exudes a good time with its casual marble cream color as the base to complement the red, orange and blue palm trees. Should the weather turn cool, reach for the Horizon Beach Stripe Abaco Crew Sweatshirt ($110) as a pullover or standalone piece. - JSD

No matter where you tee it up, Johnnie-O has something fashionable and interesting for you to wear. I'm late to the party on the style and quality of this SoCal brand run by one of the most talented golfer-turned-CEOs anywhere (Founder John O'Donnell qualified for the 2023 U.S. Senior Open). I'd never worn a single piece until I sat through a presentation at the PGA Show. The vibe of "surfer man" - the Johnnie-O logo - hits home, whether you're in Michigan (my home state) or northern California (where I live now). The colors of the Performance Button Up Shirt - Kyler ($138) really pop on a casual dress shirt that couldn't be more comfortable. The button down's secret weapon is the "tweener" button that's been patented, so you can let some chest show but not so much as to be obnoxious. The Denalis Double-Zip Fleece Vest ($138) is, hands down, the most comfortable vest I'll ever own. It hugs you like a good friend and is just as warm. Most out-of-staters don't realize how chilly SoCal can get when the marine layer moves in or the sun goes down. Check out the rest of their spring collection of polos, shorts and more here. - JSD

Normally beer and whiskey are the two most popular drinks of choice for golfers. Mount Gay Rum, the world's oldest-running rum distillery, dating to 1703 in Barbados, broke that mold in a collaboration with Peter Millar on a limited edition polo. Combining Peter Millar’s Summer Comfort fabric with its four-way stretch and moisture-wicking properties, the polo's print mixes Mount Gay’s rum barrels, bottles and cocktails for a festive look and feel. For a few cocktail recipes involving Mount Gay Rum, click here. It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Polo: $115 - JSD

Tifosi has been around for years, and it's really hit its stride lately, making stylish sunglasses that cost a fraction of some of the top-end brands. Their new Shumo model has a classic shape with optional pops of color, including varieties like Honey and Crystal Denim. I love Tifosis for travel - if you lose them, it's less of a heartbreak than if you leave a $200 pair at a 19th hole somewhere. $39.95 on Amazon - TG

It's a bold move to come to market with the tagline that "proper golfers walk". I like it. Heathlander founders Teddy Lynn and Mark Himmelsbach are staying true to their UK roots by making shoes, bags and fashion that cater to walking golfers who love strolling London's fantastic heathland courses. Two characteristics stood out when I wore the Spikeless Golf Shoe ($190) for the first time - the bold pink outsole and the nine-millimeter treads that really grip the turf. The shoes are very comfortable, although they do narrow a bit at the toes. I've worn size 10 all my life and would probably feel better wearing a 10 1/2. A pair comes with a large and durable shoe bag, a flexible pull-string bag and two extra sets of laces. Like the shoes, the Quilted Vest ($160) is accented with pink, a look I'm completely confident in pulling off in any crowd. I could tell it was durable and would come in handy for an English summer or a California winter. Again, with the UK sizing difference, it's probably wise to order a size larger. An extra-large fit perfectly on me. To see the full line of products, click here. - JSD

Maxfli, the house brand of Dick's Sporting Goods, might be the best sub-$40 golf balls I've ever tested. I played the Tour X model almost exclusively on my recent trip to Hawaii Island and promptly shot in the mid to low 80s the entire trip. I think the four-piece Urethane Construction gave me the right mix of distance with feel on and around the greens. I made a ton of putts and loved their overall performance. I'm taking the rest with me for a week-long trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast next week. The Tour and Tour S models are still the same price ($39.99) with difference being the 3-piece construction, which leads to lower ball flight with less long-game spin and compression. All new Max Align technology - 5 putting lines similar to Callaway's Triple Track - is coming soon. - JSD

Gear

July 27, 2018

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