A LOOK AT THE LATEST OFFERINGS, UNSTICKS, AND BALLS.

The pandemic created a golf boom as we have all heard, seen, read, and experienced firsthand. Rounds across the country went up, and so did golf equipment sales. Manufacturers were pleasantly besieged with orders, which often took months to fill. Furthermore, golf-equipment companies noticed a new market of participants who seemed committed to the game but did not spend $500 on a new driver. We see morbid-level offerings geared toward the curious, aspirational golfer—drivers hovering around $300, putters for less than $200 (compared to high-tech models costing three times as much). Equipment companies have continued to extend their products into “families” of irons and woods, with one head design for the accomplished player and another—with the same name but a different model number—for the golfer with a higher handicap. Working with someone who can fit drivers, fairway clubs, irons, and putters will prove immensely helpful—for both your game and your budget. Use this year’s Buyer’s Guide as an entrée into the equipment that can make this socially, physically, and emotionally beneficial game more enjoyable.

01. PXG 0811X

Why You’ll Love It:

Lots & lots of tech for a tremendous pricey

Why You Should Buy It:

Vapor-infused aluminum head adds booming energy titanium face.

Insider’s Insight:

Eye-opening for club company is known for high, high prices

Price: $300

02. TAYLORMADE STEALTH

Why You’ll Love It:

New, lighter face &giant sweet sporty

Why You Should Buy It:

Red carbon-composite face 40%lighter than titanium; sweet spot 20% larger

Insiders Insight:

Head weight redistributed for balance, stability

Price: $580

03. SRIXON ZX5

Why You’ll Love It:

High launch with an easy draw

Why You Should BuyIt:

Super-thin titanium alloy face with unique weighting creates a hot launch

Insider’s Insight:

Hideki Matsuyama won with ZX5 and sister club ZX7

Price: $500

04. CALLAWAY ROGUE ST

Why You’ll Love It:

Four models: Max, Max D, Max LS & LS

Why You Should Buy It:

Max model S for forgiveness and consistent launch, new “Jailbreak” face

Insider’s Insight:

Sleeker, smaller LS appeals to better players

Price: $550

05. COBRA AirX

Why You’ll Love It:

Lightweight design equals faster speeds

Why You Should Buy It:

Very forgiving thanks to unique interior weighting

Insider’s Insight:

35-gram reduction comes from grip, shaft & face

Price: $350

06. TOUR EDGE C722

Why You’ll Love It:

Stability, fast launch, consistency

Why You should buy It:

It comes with two weights in the head for tweaking

Insider’s Insight:

Carbon composite wrapped around club head’s titanium foundation

Price: $450

FAIRWAY CLUBS

01. PXG 0341X

Why You’ll Love It:

Either model produces hot hits

Why You Should BuyIt:

A carbon composite crown allows lower weighting, more robust faces

Insider’s Insight:

0341X has a flatter trajectory; XF is easier to hit, higher flight

Price: $250

02. TAYLORMADE STEALTH

Why You’ll Love It:

Sleek, low-profile in a smaller head

Why You Should Buy It:

Very forgiving, thanks to carbon crown for back weighting

Insider’s Insight:

Don’t be intimidated; not as hard to hit as it looks

Price: $330

03. MIZUNO STX-220

Why You’ll Love It:

Great off the tee as well as turf

Why You Should Buy It:

Increased size compared to others, it features all-titanium construction

Insider’s Insight:

The very forgiving face that’s easy to square

Price: $300

04. CALLAWAY APEX

Why You’ll Love It:

Most popular hybrid on Tour

Why You Should Buy it:

Steel surface with variable thickness provides speed and shaping ability

Insider’s Insight:

Apex Pro model is more compact; this is more forgiving

Price: $270

05. CALLAWAY ROGUE

Why You’ll Love It:

It has eight loft models for any need

Why You Should Buy It:

Easy to hit, these can be fitted to match any need in your game

Insider’s Insight:

Some get more comfort and control with these hybrids than short irons

Price: $270

06.  PING G425

Why You’ll Love It:

For those who want distance

Why You Should Buy It:

The tungsten bar behind the steel face gives that thrilling zing on impact

Insider’s Insight:

Very consistent; creates great confidence from any lie

Price: $ 300

IRONS

01. MIZUNO 225 PRO

Why You’ll Love It:

More distance in elegant, classic style

Why You Should Buy It:

Known for precise manufacturing and feel, this club head is the company’s be

Insider’s Insight:

Sister models 221 (small), 223 (midsize CB) are also worth a look

Price: $187 per club

02. COBRA KING TOUR

Why You’ll Love It:

Metal Injection molding (MIM), not cast or forged

Why You Should Buy It:

The 17-4 and 304 stainless blends in MIM & are then heated for tighter grain.

Insider’s Insight:

Toned-down classic look with high-tech performance

Price: $185 per club

03. SRIXON ZX7

Why You’ll Love It:

Forged club augmented with tungsten

Why You Should Buy It:

More comprehensive sweet spot thanks to back weighting. but pure forged feel

Insider’s Insight:

Brooks Koepka signed on for these babies

Price: $163 per club

04. CALLAWAY ROGUE ST PRO

Why You’ll Love It:

The traditional style head is a bazooka

Why You Should Buy It:

Hollow head, thinner, harder 450 steel face equals more considerable trampoline effect

Insider’s Insight:

It’ll fool your forged loving friends who’ll hate the distance

Price: $170 per club

05. TAYLORMADE STEALTH

Why You’ll Love It:

A new model that offers “wow”-type bang

Why You Should Buy It:

“Cap-back” wraps around toe, is lighter; low Cg sole produces\ high launch

Insider’s Insight:

For a game improvement club, it’s sleek and stylish

Price: $143 per club

06. CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL

Why You’ll Love It:

A balance of performance and forgiveness

Why You Should Buy It:

Interior weighting and Srixon milling create forgiving irons

Insider’s Insight:

Hollow-body design in lower irons, cavity-back in 8-iron up

Price: $115 per club

WEDGES

01. CLEVELAND RTX ZIPCODE

Why You’ll Love It:

Sharper grooves placed close together

Why You Should Buy It:

Interior weighting remastered for more consistency at impact

Insider’s Insight:

These are all about control; these offer more grip out of rough

Price: $150

02. TAYLORMADE MILLED GRIND 3.0

Why You’ll Love It:

More spin in a small, compact head

Why You Should Buy It:

Unplated finish in the face brings more contact with the edges

Insider’s Insight:

Go crazy: 15 lofts each with three bounce angle options

Price: $180

03. TITLEIST VOKEY SM9

Why You’ll Love It:

Higher Cg for flatter, driving the launch

Why You Should Buy It:

Most popular on Tour, better players enjoy the results from precise design

Insider’s Insight:

23 loft and lie options, so take the time to get fitted

Price: $180

04. CLEVELAND CBX ZIPCODE

Why You’ll Love It:

Lighter and easier for higher handicaps to hit correctly.

Why You Should Buy It:

Cavity-back design for greater sweet spot equals more confidence

Insider’s Insight:

Nine lofts offered, each with one bounce angle equals simplicity

Price: $150

05. TAYLORMADE HI-TOE DRAW

Why You’ll Love It:

Grooves on face from edge to edge

Why You Should Buy It:

A higher CG produces a flatter launch & boosts high on-face shots

Insider’s Insight:

Gear nerds will recall Ping’s Eye-2 line circa the mid-1980s

Price: $180

06. WILSON STAFF

Why You’ll Love It:

Class carbon steel design of the past

Why You Should Buy It:

Some want a simple club that grows confidence without all that fitting

Insider’s Insight:

Grooves moved closer together for more bite

Price: $140

PUTTERS

01. TITLEIST PHANTOM X 5.5

Why You’ll Love It:

Stable with full feel, inducing confidence

Why You Should Buy It:

Stainless steel face atop aluminum body plus two stainless weights —yet sleek

Insider’s Insight:

Justin Thomas uses it, and this putter type is No. 1 on TOUR

Price: $425

02. BETTINARDI QUEEN B 12

Why You’ll Love It:

Glossy, unique rose finish

Why You Should Buy It:

Finish & honeycomb milling means it sends feedback only in velvet tones

Insider’s Insight:

So easy to trust on fast downhill sliders—just stroke it

Price: $420

03. CLEVELAND FRONTLINE

Why You’ll Love It:

Front-weighted mallet for more over-roll

Why You Should Buy It:

Unique face allows off-center hits to track like dead-center contact

Insider’s Insight:

High performance for half the price

Price: $200

04. ODYSSEY ELEVEN

Why You’ll Love It:

Straight back, straight through – easy

Why You Should Buy It:

Mallets make alignment much easier, which helps in hitting for the right speed.

Insider’s Insight:

White Hot insert is best with balls with firmer covers

Price: $300

05. COBRA KING 3D PRINTED

Why You’ll Love It:

Unique lattice face off a printer

Why You Should Buy It:

The lightweight face enables greater weight shoved to the toe and heel

Insider’s Insight:

A sweet spot much more prominent than traditional forged putters

Price: $350

06. ODYSSEY WHITE HOT OG

Why You’ll Love It:

The updated face of White Hot models of past

Why You Should Buy It:

The responsive face but not “clicky,” which translates into a good “feel” in the hands

Insider’s Insight:

A Double-wide head has the same action as a mallet, is not as bulky

Price: $270

BALLS

01. BRIDGESTONE TOUR B X

Why You’ll Love It:

The new cover compound puts it at No. 1

Why You Should Buy It:

The reactive iQ cover snaps back off the driver and stays longer on short irons.

Insider’s Insight:

Designed for 105+ mph swing speeds to reveal distance, control

Price: $50/dozen

02. BRIDGESTONE TOUR B RX

Why You’ll Love It:

Same cover as B X, but the softer core

Why You Should Buy It:

A performance ball that will carry further despite less impact speed

Insider’s Insight:

For swing speeds of 100 mph or less, you’ll get distance & spin

Price: $50/dozen

03. TITLEIST PROV1 LEFT DASH

Why You’ll Love It:

Same as ProV1x but with a higher launch

Why You Should Buy It:

A higher launch with less spin means it won’t balloon in the wind

Insider’s Insight:

For the player who knows their game and seeks the best

Price: $50

04. SNELL MTB-X

Why You’ll Love It:

High performance at a third of the cost

Why You Should Buy It:

Cast urethane cover plus firmer mantel equal distance off tee and control

Insider’s Insight:

Dean Snell helped design the first ProV1 models

Price: $35

05. CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT

Why You’ll Love It:

Revised model b performs in all facets

Why You Should Buy It:

3-piece construction (down from 4) and new core create distance & control

Insider’s Insight:

Softer core matches moderate swing speeds

Price: $50

06. SRIXON Z STAR DIVIDE

Why You’ll Love It:

Unique, high performing two-color balls

Why You Should Buy It:

It’s the same Z-Star super-thin cover, high launch & low spin.

Insider’s Insight:

Yellow-white combination of for now, with others possible

Price: $45