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Would you pay $650 for a new sand wedge or lob wedge?
Me neither. But four years after PXG rolled out its initial offering of 100% milled Sugar Daddy wedges at that eye-watering price tag, golf disruptor-in-chief Bob Parsons' equipment company has figured out how to improve on those super-high-end niche clubs while also bringing the price way down.
At $299 per club ($349 with PXG's Xtreme Dark finish), the third generation of the PXG Sugar Daddy wedge, unveiled officially on August 7, is still pricier than some of its competitors, but given the uniqueness of its construction and some of its exciting tech features, I would expect a number of avid golfers to give it serious consideration for a spot in the front of their golf bags.
PXG Sugar Daddy III wedges: Refined design and high build quality
The basic design of a wedge has changed very little in the past century. A solid, heavy head with a substantial flange for navigating sand and a sturdy leading edge for cutting through rough have been hallmarks of wedges since Gene Sarazen popularized the club in the 1930s. Advancements in wedge design don't come in leaps and bounds but rather drips and drabs, with recent years bringing more variety to scoring clubs in the form of different bounces and grinds to suit different golfers' impact patterns and tastes.
PXG's new Sugar Daddy III wedges seek to improve incrementally on their predecessors and stand out from rival OEMs' offerings. Their basic construction helps accomplish that off the bat; the triple-forging and 100% CNC milling of the heads confers a level of manufacturing precision that discerning golfers will argue justifies their high price alone. It is a premium-style approach to wedge design that brings the same sort of buttery feel that fans of CNC-milled putters demand.
Sugar Daddy wedges are robotically milled, to boot, meaning that their tolerances are tiny compared to other companies' wedges, which require more hand-finishing, which can cause subtle differences from club to club. Most golfers don't notice, but pros and elite amateurs are often able to detect differences in shape and turf interaction between multiple clubs that are otherwise meant to be identical. For golfers who want that extreme level of manufacturing precision, PXG is offering it.
The new Sugar Daddy wedges have tightened the spacing between their grooves, enabling an extra, 16th groove to be cut across the clubface. This new design pairs nicely with PXG's slightly shallower but slightly wider than typical grooves, which the company argues actually grabs a little bit more of the cover of the golf ball, leading to higher spin rates.
PXG's new wedges come in three different bounce/grind options and lofts from 50 to 60 degrees. The BP grind (the one Bob Parsons uses) pairs a high-toe profile with 12 degrees of bounce with the widest sole in the lineup. This should appeal to a broad range of players looking to simplify the arsenal of useful shots they can play around the greens. The middling S grind will be to the liking of a large number of players, with 10 degrees of bounce, a classic head profile and a medium-width sole that brings plenty of versatility. The lowest-bounce, smallest-sole offering is the C grind, with 7 degrees of bounce, likely to appeal to golfers with a shallower angle of attack and/or home turf conditions that skew firm.
Mini-review: PXG Sugar Daddy III 52- and 58-degree wedges
After visiting Scottsdale National Golf Club, Bob Parsons' golf playground and PXG's main proving ground, this June, I was fitted for two new Sugar Daddy III wedges. After a couple of rounds with them, I have been particularly impressed by the spin I can dial up with them around the greens, even from some medium rough lies. I have always favored low-bounce wedges because I tend to play a wide variety of greenside shots (sometimes to my detriment) and the Sugar Daddy 58-degree C grind wedge has performed particularly well. There's almost a warmth to both the look and the feel of the milled clubhead, which inspires confidence. I can see myself toggling between these wedges and the new PING S159 wedges I have been using since this spring.
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