Equipment
7 times the auto industry influenced new golf equipment
Golf clubs and cars. Not much in common except you use a car’s trunk to transport golf clubs to the course, right? Not so fast…
Ignoring the obvious size and price differences, the two things do have similarities, and more than they can both technically “drive.” Cars and golf clubs are designed to be aerodynamic, and for that reason we see similarities in their styling. After all, engineers have similar tasks with high-performance cars and clubs, notably, making them faster and more efficient. That’s why we hear many of the same trigger words in both worlds, including MOI (moment of inertia), a measure of twisting and turning, and CG (center of gravity), a measure of weight distribution in relation to the center of mass.
It’s only right, therefore, that car companies and golf club companies align themselves in the marketplace, even if it’s just for one-off products. Below, I take a look at golf clubs that were inspired by or made in collaboration with the auto industry.
Bentley gets into golf clubs
Bentley Golf stopped us in our tracks at the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show in January, where myself and others took the time to drool over the Bentley on the show floor, and look at this… Bentley-inspired clubs!
While you can get a set for around $2,000, the full custom fitting experience, which includes custom shafts made just for you, will run you about $100,000. That’s a lot of zeroes. Would you rather own the car or the clubs? If you’re thinking about your budget, then neither are for you. See more Bentley Golf photos here.
Ferrari and Cobra
Before Callaway’s drivers were made with input from Boeing, these limited-edition Cobra drivers were made with input from Ferrari’s aerodynamic experts. And as you’d expect, the influence of the Italian supercar brand drove the price of a driver to $2,000, roughly five times as much as the average Cobra driver at the time.
The Ferrari driver was designed using the Cobra ZL driver platform, and came equipped with a Ti 6-4 face with carbon fiber on the crown and sole, according to Golf.com. It was said to produce 1-3 mph more ball speed than the ZL, but never made its way to the PGA Tour, although Ferrari fanatic Ian Poulter tested it extensively.
Cobra’s Ferrari driver was released along with a collection of putters, hats, jackets, shirts and other overpriced items.
Mercedes AMG golf clubs
Before Bentley Golf drove onto the floor at the 2016 PGAM Show, Mercedes Benz rolled out a line of golf equipment at the show in 2012.
WSH Inc. acquired permissions to use the Mercedes Benz logo in its production of the line, which included drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters. The drivers ($399) and woods were made in conjunction with aerodynamics specialists at the company, and employed “Venturi Channels” used to “to manipulate airflow whereby a funnel is created as air flows through the vehicle, and is constricted, and as it flows out…a jet effect is created,” according to an article from Golf Digest.
Click here to see more photos of the Mercedes AMG.
Callaway and Lamborghini
Lamborghini and Callaway combined forces in 2010 and developed a high-strength, lightweight material called “Forged Composite” that was used in both Lamborghini’s cars and Callaway’s drivers. The collaboration yielded the Callaway RAZR Hawk and Diablo Octane drivers, which boasted a lower CG thanks to the lighter material.
Callaway continues to use its Forged Composite construction to this day, although its new XR 16 Sub Zero driver debuted a new composite construction called “Carbon Triax” that the company says is lighter.
Kinsler races into putters
Kinsler Fuel Injection is a company that makes engine parts for race cars. James Kinsler, son of the company founder, used his mechanical engineering expertise and love of golf to start a golf company called Kinsler putters.
Its first run of putters feature a strong visual influence from the automotive industry, as you’d expect, with its curves and anodized finish. The alignment slot has an uncanny resemblance to a hot wheels track, as well. Read more about Kinsler’s putters here.
A Grand Theft Auto golf club?
I know, this isn’t inspired by an actual automobile. But this 5-iron designed after the Grand Theft Auto V video game — which featured a fictional “Los Santos Golf Club” — is pretty cool. The club can currently be found on eBay for around $250.
Willie Nelson’s Rolls Royce Golf Cart
OK, it’s technically not a golf club, but I wanted it on the list. Country music star Willie Nelson once had his 1981 Rolls Royce replica Golf Cart seized by the IRS, and it was auctioned in 2012 for about $4,200. The cart had a mini bar, radio, head lights, turn signals and of course, the iconic look of a Rolls Royce. It now sits in the Kingman Museum on Route 66 in Arizona.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Jeff
Jun 26, 2016 at 1:05 am
How about the Porsche Design JC Grind Irons truly item of beauty and distinction http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/ySEAAOSwpDdVetb7/$_3.JPG
Frank
Jun 24, 2016 at 9:05 pm
I stopped reading at “myself and others took the time…”, written by someone with a degree in journalism.
Steve S
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Frank, ya beat me too it. This is a product of our great colleges….
Steve S
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:13 pm
Then I use the wrong “to”. Of course I have an excuse “I r an injeneer”.
Tex
Jun 24, 2016 at 8:23 pm
What about the Porsche Driver from the early 2000s? That thing was awesome!
Forsbrand
Jun 24, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Pininfarina of Ferrari fame influenced a set of mizuno woods and irons around 1992
Shallowface
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:43 pm
When I saw a club called Mercedes AMG, it occurred to me that many of today’s golf clubs look like they could have been designed by AMC (of Pacer and Gremlin infamy).
M Sizzle III
Jun 24, 2016 at 9:08 am
I think the title of the article is misleading. Physics influenced the car industry, and the golf industry, but I don’t see a lot of cross-pollination between the two industries. I haven’t seen gull-wing doors on golf bags, chrome drivers, spoilers on 3 woods, etc… Perhaps, re-title the article to be “7 times the Auto Industry Tried to Relate to the Golf Industry”
Regis
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:20 pm
The Ping G-30 uses “Crown Turbulators”.
Canadian Smizzle
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:22 pm
Interesting…
M Sizzle III
Jun 25, 2016 at 9:44 am
Can you store extra golf balls and tees inside the hatch? 3 door or 5 door?
Michael_Germany
Jun 24, 2016 at 8:45 am
Hi Andrew,
prior to the Mercedes AMG venture, there was a Williams Sports golf project. Not sure, if it’s still alive, but they had a following in the Asian market IIRC. They released the product two or three years prior to the AMG golf clubs.
Regards
Michael
Milo
Jun 24, 2016 at 8:36 am
I want the Kinsler putter