Virginia Golfer Sep / Oct 2020 | Page 40

Equipment Fresh Fall Looks Because golfers continue buying equipment, manufacturers remain committed to bringing fresh gear to the market by SCOTT KRAMER TITLEIST Tour Speed Ball As if Titleist didn’t already offer an outstanding golf ball for every occasion. Now there’s a new model—Tour Speed—that’s ideal for golfers seeking distance in a thermoplastic urethane-covered ball. This originally debuted last year as a limited-edition prototype, under the name EXP•01. And golfers who got hold of it loved it. Titleist calls it the fastest, best performing ball in its category. “Our golf ball scientists and engineers have gone to extraordinary lengths in developing Tour Speed...to deliver on that promise,” says Michael Mahoney, vice president of Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. $40/dozen, titleist.com. COBRA KING Utility Irons Stumped at how to handle those long shots that require something between the driver and mid-iron? Cobra’s KING Utility irons may be just the answer. They feature a classic muscleback iron shape, but with a wider sole and hollow body for stability, power, tungsten weighting, and a low center of gravity that yields high-and-penetrating trajectory. A face insert helps expand the sweet zone, so you get more ball speed on off-center hits along with launch efficiency. They come in 2-, 3- and 4-Utility models, each with adjustable loft ranging three degrees. And they come standard with smart grips built in—so you can track and analyze your shots. $219 each w/graphite shaft, cobragolf.com. CLEVELAND GOLF RTX ZipCore Wedge Cleveland Golf’s RTX ZipCore wedge sports a low-density core that shifts the center of gravity while also boosting High-Low MOI for more stability high and low on the clubface. That expands the sweet spot north and south, for more consistent spin, distance and feel. The wedge also boasts new UltiZip grooves that are 11 percent sharper and 7.3 percent deeper than Cleveland’s previous grooves. This all translates to more spin, bite and consistency. It’s “a technological leap forward for Cleveland wedges,” says Jeff Brunski, vice president of research and development at Cleveland. “The low-density core inside the clubhead allows us to create unprecedented consistency and exceptional feel. They also feature our tour-proven grinds and most aggressive groove technology to date.” $150, clevelandgolf.com. 38 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER/O CTOBER 2020 vsga.org