2020 brought with it a multitude of unforeseen challenges, but it also offered the opportunity for us at GolfWRX to look beyond our usual day to day and focus on some new ways to entertain and educate.

It allowed us time to admire fashion from a bygone era, classic clubs, and help you better understand the clubs that go into your bag—whether it be 14 or 6. I can say without a doubt that I had fun researching, writing, and sharing each one of these pieces, and if you happened to miss one, be sure to check it out.

A lob wedge is the most dangerous club in your bag—and not in a good way

A trip down Magnolia Memory Lane: Patron fashion at the 1991 Masters

Why your traditional 3-wood might be extinct

“Creating extra distance, especially carry distance, is all about creating the best possible dynamics at impact, and if that means using a higher loft in your longest fairway wood, then so be it. It’s the same reason some golfers hit a 10-degree driver further than a 7-degree one—it’s all about optimizing launch conditions, and eventually, you will get to a point of diminishing return.”

Driver off the deck: Leave this shot to the pros!

“Like a lot of things in golf, the main reason hitting a driver off the deck has become so hard is the same reason so many other shots have become easier; modern-day equipment. Drivers today are all over 440cc’s and multilayer golfballs are not designed to spin when hit at high speeds and with little loft – perfect for hitting bombs off the tee but not from the short grass.”

Greatest forged combo iron sets of all time

“The irons were forged and had a compact squared-off shape. What made them so unique is the set had the option of going all the way down into a lob wedge—something you almost never see from a club targeting better players. Although they never sold through very well, the wedges stood well on their own for both performance and look. On the high end of the set, the stock configuration came with 3 and 4-hybrids (5 and 2 hybrids available separately) with the very hot at the time Aldila VS Proto 80g hybrid shaft which also contributed to the appeal.”

“If it weren’t for Adams and the original Idea Pro set, who knows how much longer it would have taken for combo sets with hybrids to take off with golfers in the single-digit handicap category, but by taking that risk, it changed the game for a lot of golfers.”

Professional club builders and chefs have more in common than you think

“This is where I draw a direct comparison, from a chef in their kitchen to a club builder – a clean and organized workspace, to me is the greatest sign of a professional. If you have ever walked into a restaurant with an open kitchen concept, it inspires confidence to see clean counters, organized utensils, and a work area organized and ready for action – if you see a dirty kitchen or a health inspection notice on the door – good chance you’re not stopping to eat.”

“A build shop should be no different—counters should be tidy, tools should be clean and well maintained for safety as well as precision, and components along with small parts should be organized and quickly accessible at all times. It should be considered a source of pride to maintain a clean workspace as much as it is to deliver a well-built set of clubs or a perfect dish, I have never trusted a messy club builder.”

GolfWRX Exclusive: Costco Kirkland Signature wedge set coming soon

Breaking this story was one of my personal highlights of 2020. 

“Once again, GolfWRX was granted an exclusive interview with Tim Farmer, Costco vice president and general merchandise manager, to discuss the new three-piece wedge set along with a number of other new products being introduced in the coming months and into 2021.”

“Considering the more simplistic nature of wedge design relative to other clubs like drivers and fairway woods, that involves multi-material construction and other forgiveness mechanisms along with potentially expensive graphite shaft options. Wedges across the industry have fairly generic stock specs and shafts, which creates the potential for Costco to excel in the space.”

“The wedges won’t have multiple bounce or grind options like wedges from entrenched golf brands, but when you consider the vast majority of golfers have little understanding of those specs anyway and are mostly concerned in making sure they have a gap, sand, and lob wedge, these play the part extraordinarily well. The designers even made sure the soles feature both the loft and club designation (G) 52 degrees, (S) 56 degrees, and (L) 60 degrees.”

Why a blade isn’t “just a blade”

“Saying “a blade is just a blade,” is like equating all coupes to just two-door cars because of their similar design characteristics, when in fact, just like cars, every line and transition along the body is as important as what’s under the hood.”

“To define a “blade,” it is a club design that features a solid mass behind the hitting area, with a thinner sole and higher center of gravity to create greater workability. Blades are less forgiving than cavity backs and were given their name thanks to their thin look resembling knives.”

The most iconic Titleist drivers of all time

“The 975D was the very first “serious golfer” titanium driver. It was made famous thanks to Tiger Woods using one in 2000 to win the “Tiger Slam”, and David Duval, who is famous for being one of the few golfers to ever take away the world number 1 ranking from Mr. Woods in his prime.”

“It was a small pear-shaped head with a bore through hosel and full-face scoring lines that packed a real “thud” at impact. If you were a “player,” you probably used this driver!”

Building the perfect half set

“My ideal half set consists of 7-8 clubs including a putter, but in some cases, I will take it all the way down to 5-6. I love having the option to play with a full set and most times do, but I have gone weeks playing only with my half set and don’t see a noticeable variation in my scoring.”