Equipment
Ping launches “PLD1” custom-putter program
Attention, putter collectors, creative minds and golfers with deep pockets: Ping has a new custom-putter program called PLD1 (stands for Putting Lab Design) that may be right up your alley.
PLD1 allows golfers to customize a milled Ping putter, a concept that’s “inspired by the one-off, milled putters that Bubba and several of our tour players use,” according to the company.
Using the PLD1 microsite, I created this digital beauty.
On the PLD1 microsite, golfers have their say over the following design aspects:
- Dexterity (right- or left-handed)
- Alignment Aids (line vs. dot)
- Heel/toe bumper engravings (max 6 characters each bumper)
- “Ping” cavity color
- “Ping” hosel color
- Eyemark logo color
- Length (28-38 inches, standard is 35 inches)
- Loft (standard is 3 degrees, adjustable +/- 2 degrees)
- Lie (standard is 70 degrees, adjustable +/- 4 degrees)
- Grip (30+ options, including Ping, SuperStroke and Salty)
The putters, which will be handcrafted by Ping machinists, will sell for $600 plus tax, regardless of your custom selections. Each putter also comes with a PLD1 box and putter cover, as pictured above.
Visit puttinglab.ping.com to learn more.
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...
Bert
Jan 15, 2017 at 8:32 am
Marketing gone crazy? Guess it will work if golfers buy them; after all they buy other Ping replicas for big bucks; just add milling!
booya cornflakes
Jan 13, 2017 at 12:38 pm
So…400 bucks for stamping? It feels like all of the other options can be had off the rack, other than the paintfill color which takes all of what, 25 minutes to change? This seems badly planned, especially when $600 buys a LOT of putter fro anyone number of boutique brands that are actually, you know, custom.
MuskieCy
Jan 13, 2017 at 12:31 am
I get one of these, PXG irons and stupid expensive JDM titanium.
Viola, the first GOLFWRX $10K bag championship.
I win and am a total loser at the same time.
Blake
Jan 12, 2017 at 2:41 pm
Go to edel instead and get a completely custom putter. $600 is ridic
tlmck
Jan 12, 2017 at 11:25 am
Hopefully there is something different about these otehr than the paint job of grip choice. If it is like the milled ones I hit at the store, mu 1990 stainless with no grooves walks all over those turds.
Cwolfs
Jan 11, 2017 at 7:03 pm
You lost me at the price tag. Never
John
Jan 11, 2017 at 4:37 pm
A $600 Ping Anser?! Kingston Putters about to get PAY-EDDD
Anthony Polakov
Jan 11, 2017 at 1:29 pm
A big waste of money. But what else do golf equipment company’s have to do but try every way to get more of our money!
Shanks for the Memories
Jan 11, 2017 at 12:42 pm
I was hoping there would be more options or models or something. Basically a milled anser with stamped bumpers and your choice of siteline… oh, and colors. Your choice of colors.
rymail00
Jan 11, 2017 at 8:43 pm
Agree. $600 for your choice of paintfill, bumper stamping and alignent choice is not what I’d consider a custom putter worth that price point JMO.
Maybe if other options like carbon, different finishes, and choice of head weights with adding tunsten or whatever. Might be asking a lot though.
Rich
Jan 11, 2017 at 12:38 pm
Literally a Rife Vault 001 Iconic Putter
John
Jan 11, 2017 at 1:16 pm
RIFE doesn’t have an iconic putter. Nobody thinks RIFE is iconic.
Smith
Jan 11, 2017 at 4:43 pm
Rekt.