As golfers around the world slowly emerge from the haze of Rory McIlroy’s storybook back-to-back Masters victories, attention has fully shifted from Augusta dreams to the reality of a new season.

In Korea, that seasonal reset comes with a ritual of its own.

Korean golfers are famously curious (*obsessed) when it comes to equipment, and preparation for the new season often begins the moment winter arrives. Even before the first snowfall, indoor ranges and simulator studios are full of golfers testing shafts, swapping heads, experimenting with gadgets, and flipping through catalogs while planning how their bags will look once spring returns.

By the time the season begins, many of us are eager to return to the course armed with new clubs, fresh apparel, unnecessary accessories, and at least one purchase we’ll later deny.

Over the past few months, many readers have asked what’s hot in Korea and what I’m gaming after spending so much time around new gear.

As a Korean golf nerd, here are my clubs and gadgets for 2026. And rage-bait alert, I use expensive iron covers.

A “stripped down” set to officially begin my 2026 season in Korea.

I’ve Got Gadgets and Gizmos Aplenty

I’ve always been drawn to the lesser known brands and the underdogs when it came to golf clubs. Part of it was wanting something different from the better known OEM brands, but another reason was that I got tired of trying to keep up with the Kims who always seemed to own the newest and most expensive gear.

Perhaps with the exception of my driver, I think most of my clubs reflect that outlook. I’ve been playing mostly Cobra drivers since falling in love with their sleeper-hit Speedback F9 way back when. Although it is a larger brand, Cobra is surprisingly considered an underdog compared to other major brands.

My current gamer is the limited Palm Crew edition DS Adapt LS, with the LTDx model as back up. I love the feel of Cobra’s milled face and wish every driver they made featured it. I also have the OPTMx on order, and intrigued by the Mizuno JPX One, and absolutely mesmerized by a $3000 full 3D printed driver that I saw at the Japan Golf Fair in March.

Dean Knuth, inventor of HighHeat woods, invented the Slope Rating system, and is called the “Pope of Slope.”

For 3, 5, and 7-wood, I’ve become particularly fond of HighHeat clubs from Knuth Golf in Bonita, California. Their woods and hybrids are remarkably forgiving and long, bordering on criminal. They are not the prettiest clubs in the world, but the unique three-trampoline face technology more than makes up for it. They also tend to create conversations, usually beginning with jokes about the shape and ending with someone asking where to buy them.

For irons, I rotate through three sets depending on course conditions. Or at least that is the explanation I give others..

The current rotation includes Miura KM-700, Karten KX-100C, and a third set from a brand many readers have likely never heard of, though I suspect that may change soon.

Having grown up in the 1990s, I idolized the classic Titleist blades with razor-thin toplines and soles. I was never nearly good enough to use them properly, but I always wanted to. Fast forward three decades, and I went through a long run of players-distance irons, which likely exist for golfers exactly like me trying to relive that era. The distance was there, but the hollow-body version of a muscle-back never fully convinced me.

The Korean KDM iron brand to keep an eye on in 2026 is Even Golf.

That is why the Even Golf EG-03 immediately caught my eye. The irons are clean and minimalist, with some of the narrowest soles I’ve seen and topline sharp enough to belong on a pair of hockey skates. Despite the blade-like look, the face is slightly longer heel to toe, and the stronger lofts keep me from leaning too heavily on hybrids.

Most surprising, however, is how friendly they are. The feel is excellent, and the forgiveness has no business matching such intimidating looks.

The EG-03 has been quietly available in Korea for several years, regularly selling out the small number of sets produced each year. Along with Karten Golf, these two KDM brands are worth watching as emerging challengers to the established Japanese JDM iron category.

Putters, Wedges, and Poor Self-control

For putters and wedges, I admit I own too many. I’m also starting to realize my short game may not be progressing as it should because I keep changing tools like a man avoiding accountability. Consistency is difficult to build when nothing stays in the bag long enough to earn trust.

Anyone else carry two different-style of putters for different green conditions?

That said, old habits die hard. I still carry two putters, usually a blade and a mallet depending on green speed. Faster greens call for touch. Slower greens reward a little more stability.

This season, the Toulon Austin 1 has become my preferred choice on quicker surfaces. The lines are beautifully clean, and the feel at impact is exceptional. There is softness without dullness, and the way the ball leaves the face has that rare, almost poetic quality. Credit to Sean Toulon and his team. This is a proper putting instrument.

It was costly love at first sight.

The second putter in rotation comes from Glius Golf, a local artisan maker with a strong custom-build focus. What first caught my attention was a face-balanced wide blade milled from stainless GSS. What ultimately convinced me to buy one was the option of a left-handed plumber’s neck, which reduces torque and creates a uniquely stable setup.

The result is a putter that feels highly resistant to twisting during the stroke. On the backswing, it offers some of the planted confidence of a larger mallet while retaining the clean visual simplicity of a blade.

I’ve only scratched the surface of what Glius offers, but for golfers who appreciate craftsmanship and something built with intention over mass-production, it is a name worth knowing.

I also carry the Niblick sand wedge from Tad Moore Golf. Oh, the stares.

For wedges, I went down the road less-traveled by moving away from the usual OEM choices. Once again, I rotate two sets depending on course conditions (or what best suits the rest of the bag that day).

YURURI is a small Japanese forging house focused almost entirely on wedges and known for Miura-level craftsmanship. Forged from soft S25C carbon steel and often hand-finished with visible tool marks, the raw-grind models offer a compact traditional shape with grooves aggressive enough to raise eyebrows. Produced in small batches and offered in unusual loft progressions, they have become highly sought after among gear enthusiasts in Korea and Japan. I typically pair the 49°, 53°, and 57° models with stronger-lofted irons.

If you’re a fan of GolfWRX, you’ve probably come across Terry Koehler, better known as “The Wedge Guy” and his EDISON wedges. I followed his work for years and long agreed with his belief that most wedges are designed for tour players but end up in the hands of everyday golfers.

My EDISON 2.0s are in 51° and 57° but bent one degree stronger. They replaced my Vokey 8s and gave my short game a much-needed lift. More importantly, they restored confidence over the ball and tend to attract questions whenever someone notices the distinctly non-traditional cavity-back profile.

I play with these beauties often in case I ever get the chance to play in a Hickory golf tournament

The exhibitionist in me also developed a habit of carrying one or two hickory clubs along with my modern array. They are a joy to play, and the Niblick sand wedge is legit when it comes to feel and touch around the greens. Many thanks again to Tad Moore for introducing me to the world of hickory golf.

Shafts, Gadgets, and Korea being Korea

One of the more interesting developments in recent years has been the continued evolution of composite shaft design coming out of Korea. For many GolfWRX readers, Autoflex was the first real introduction to Korea’s unconventional approach to shafts. Its ultra-light profile and unusual loading characteristics challenged expectations and sparked worldwide curiosity.

Since then, several brands have tried to build on that momentum, but few have advanced the concept as meaningfully as SJ Golf Lab with its ground-breaking FREEFLEX shaft technology. With the exception of hickory clubs, I have managed to fit every club in the bag with their shafts at great cost, and they are worth every penny. They work wonders, and the shafts are disrupting the industry by challenging long-held assumptions about how golf shafts perform in a static/dynamic state.

Rather than treating weight, flex, and torque as fixed relationships, FreeFlex appears to separate those variables in ways traditional shafts can’t.

For example, the new TOUR model pairs the firmer bend profile of a traditional X-stiff shaft (~275 CPM) with softer torque numbers more commonly associated with lighter flexes at roughly 5.0° to 5.5°.

At the other end, the TOUR-X combines a more responsive overall flex (~240 CPM) with an exceptionally low torque rating of 2.0° to 2.5°, numbers which surpass many conventional low-torque tour stiff shafts.

With the above unthinkable combinations and everything in-between, FreeFlex represents a different way of thinking about shaft performance with simple goals: load easily for speed, remain stable through impact for accuracy, and avoid the harsh boardy feel often associated with low-torque designs.

RayBan Meta smartglasses are also amazing, but I didn’t want to brag and have my friends get them too

High tech is deeply embedded in Korean golf culture, and I would hardly be the golf nerd I am without my share of gadgets. Whether it’s shafts, clubheads, or swing-analysis tools, I am always looking for ways to make my game a little better, or at least a little more interesting. Rangefinders sit high on that list.

The Korean rangefinder market may be the most competitive in the world. I’ve owned quality units from Nikon, Bushnell, Voice Caddie, and Leupold, and tested many more over the years. Although all were excellent in their own way, I thought that the perfect rangefinder does not exist until I came across I came across Mileseey Golf, a relatively new player in Korea.

Every feature I had ever liked from different rangefinder brands had finally been brought together in one device.

Quite simply, the GenePro G1 hybrid rangefinder is the most advanced device I have used in the category. It combines the precision of a premium laser unit with the visual benefits of a touch screen GPS mapping. It can even triangulate the distance from your ball to the flag while you are still sitting in the cart.

Despite all the technology packed into it, the unit is compact enough to slip into a pocket without feeling like another device to manage. That may sound minor, but in Korea, compact and clean-looking usually wins before the first button is even pressed.

More importantly, it performs. Near instant yardages, crisp bright optics, and the accurate GPS data display all works to keep my pace of my play efficient.

This best (and only?) combo of sound and golf yardage coming your way..

Another gadget that has earned a place in my bag is the GeneSonic Bluetooth speaker from the same company. Golf in Korea traditionally leaned toward the quieter side, but the atmosphere has changed in recent years as a younger generation has brought a different kind of energy to the game. We are still some distance from TopGolf-style entertainment, but it is no longer unusual to hear BLACKPINK playing during a round. That shift makes something like the GeneSonic feel far less out of place than it would have just a few years ago.

The 40-watt speaker delivers strong, clear sound with enough bass to carry across a fairway, but what interested me most was the detachable touchscreen remote, which doubles as a handheld GPS device. Bluetooth pairing to my phone for music was immediate, while the built-in GPS worked independently without needing a phone connection. Even better, it didn’t need a separate app or any fee-based subscription to access more than 43,000 pre-loaded golf courses worldwide.

What stood out most was how seamlessly it all worked. On a course inside a U.S. military base in Korea, it recognized and displayed the layout immediately, something I had not experienced before.

For golfers who like the idea of free reliable yardages and music in one package, this is it. And if their innovative gadgets are any sign of where things are heading, Mileseey looks capable of becoming a serious player in Korea’s golf tech space.

Golf Bags, Shoes, Collections, and Other Necessary Quirks

Style and comfort are good descriptions for TechSkin and Payntr Golf.

To round things out, my new TechSkin golf bag deserves a mention. The Korean brand has quietly built a reputation for eye-catching designs and materials, coupled with thoughtful pocket details that makes it both stylish and practical. In a market where golfers care as much about presentation as performance, TechSkin does a great job. Full disclosure: I also chose it for the attention and the compliments, which count as performance gains in their own way.

For shoes, I’ve been a loyal fan of Nike Air Jordan 1 Low G’s for the past couple years, but my collapsing arches have actively persuaded me to look for a pair of kicks for those long five-hour rounds. Lo and behold, PAYNTR Golf came to my rescue.

Without going too deep into their tech talk, the shoes are incredibly comfortable and light, while offering superb traction both on and off the course. I actually wear their soft spikes on a daily basis, and I daresay these are the best thing to happen to my feet in quite a while. Payntr is hot in Korea right now, and the fact that Minwoo Lee just joined their team for a new model drop just adds to the fire.

My toddler gave up his favorite Hot Wheels in the hopes that I can make a putt. Thanks son

Last but not least, I believe that smaller accessories can reveal a lot about a golfer’s personality, even more than the clubs themselves. My particular weakness is collecting ball markers and divot tools than any reasonable person needs. I know many here are against the idea of buying merch from courses they’ve never played, but what’s the harm in living vicariously? After all, Augusta and St. Andrews weren’t handing out invitations to play the last time I checked.

I also have a proven weakness for golf add-ons, miracle gadgets, and products built entirely on optimism. Whether it’s a golf tee promising more yards or a glove claiming to cure the slice, I’m a sucker for an interesting golf story. But despite being disappointed 98% of the time, I won’t quit buying them anytime soon in case I discover a winner like Adak groove restorer and the Birdicorn multi divot tool.

And that may be the real theme of what is in my bag for 2026. Not trend chasing, not logo collecting, and certainly not claiming I have found perfect answers. Just a collection of clubs and accessories that have proven enjoyable, interesting, or unexpectedly effective.

Which brings us back to the iron covers.

Each cover is handmade with a semi-automatic magnetic closure, oozing quality and respect (I think)

Laugh if you must, but over here my custom leather covers are admired and coveted by most golfers. Not only do they protect my clubs from scuffs and chatter, they help maintain the value of the clubs for when I inevitably put them back on the market.

I can’t speak for the millions of Korean golfers who uses iron covers, but for me it’s simple economics. I need maximum resale value to subsidize the next mistake.

In that respect, iron covers may be the smartest investment in the bag.