Adorned with flowers that holes at Augusta National Golf Club are named for, Seamus Golf re-releaseed its limited-edition accessories.
Two years ago, Francesco Molinari led the Masters after 54 holes and played in the final group Sunday morning with Tiger Woods and Tony Finau. The Italian star did not win the green jacket, but he did draw a lot of eyeballs to the commemorative head cover on his Callaway driver.
That year, Seamus Golf, a boutique accessories and ball maker, teamed with Callaway and Olivia Herrick, a Minnesota-based graphic designer who also happens to be a two-time winner of the Minnesota State Women’s Amateur Championship and the Minnesota State Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship, to offer a special series of Masters-themed head covers.
Nearly everything sold out within minutes, but now, with the 2021 Masters underway, Seamus is bringing back the Georgia Perennial Collection. It will be offered on head covers for drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and putters, as well as shoe bags, top kits and even a golf bag.
The Georgia Perennial driver cover. (Seamus Golf)
What makes the graphic unique is that it features flowers and plants that were originally found at the Fruitland Nursery, which was became the Augusta National Golf Club, and that the holes at Augusta National are named for. On the black background you will see flowers like Golden Bell (12), Azalea (13), Firethorn (15) and Holly (18). Printed on polyester canvas and lined with a complimentary yellow fleece.
The Seamus Georgia Perennial collection is available now with prices ranging from $75 for the hybrid head cover to $95 for the driver, fairway wood and putter covers. The top kit is $135, the shoe bag is $175 and the Par 3 golf bag is $495.
With the Masters being played this week, plenty of companies are releasing limited-edition and “Masters-themed” gear, and Cobra has announced it is making special-edition RadSpeed drivers to celebrate all four men’s majors.
The King LE RadSpeed Season Opener has a white crown trimmed in green, along with green accents on the sole. It comes standard with a Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green Small Batch shaft and a custom black and green Lamkin Crossline Cobra Connect grip.
The limited-edition Majors Cobra RadSpeed drivers. (Cobra)
The King LE RadSpeed Island driver has a cobalt blue and white colorway that pays homage to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, site of this season’s PGA Championship in May. It comes with a Project X HZRDUS RDX Smoke shaft and a custom black and blue Lamkin Crossline Cobra Connect grip.
The King LE RadSpeed “Pars & Stripes” driver features a red, white and blue colorway for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, while the King LE RadSpeed Season Closer has an orange color scheme inspired by the orange sunsets over the sand dunes at Royal St. George’s Golf Club, site of this year’s British Open.
All four limited-edition RadSpeed drivers will be available in the standard and RadSpeed XB versions for $549. Like the RadSpeed drivers released in December, they have an adjustable hosel, moveable weights in the sole, a CNC-milled face and a large carbon-fiber crown that wraps around the sides and into the sole of the club.
Made using recycled materials, Adidas brings the iconic Stan Smith shoe to the golf course for the first time.
During his tennis career, Stan Smith won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, was a member of seven winning Davis Cup teams and reached No. 1 in the world. The guy is a legend, having been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1987, but the title of his 2018 biography is, “Stan Smith: Some people think I’m a shoe!”
Adidas’ Stan Smith tennis shoe debuted in 1978 and at the time, the leather shoe with its rubber outsole was state of the art. By today’s standards, it is minimalist, but the Stan Smith remains iconic and a versatile sneaker that is still worn today. Now, for the first time, Adidas is bringing the Stan Smith to the course by releasing the limited-edition Stan Smith golf shoe.
Stan Smith (Adidas)
The spikeless Stand Smith is a part of Adidas’ Primegreen family, with over 50 percent of the shoe’s upper being made from high-performance recycled materials. The rubber outsole has lugs on the bottom to provide traction, but the shoe can definitely be worn off the course as well as on it.
Made using recycled materials, the kilties on the Stan Smith golf shoes are removable. (Adidas)
The white kiltie is a nod to tradition, and it holds a gold-colored ball marker that features Adidas’ logo, but the kiltie can be removed.
The Stand Smith golf shoe will be available starting April 7 for $140.
Dustin Johnson’s putt rolled across the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club and stopped about a foot short of the hole, leaving him a tap-in late on an autumn Sunday afternoon. It was November 15, 2020, and making that putt would have been great, but I reality it didn’t matter. Holing the short next putt and scoring 4 under for the day gave the American a total of 20 under at the 2020 Masters, good enough for a five-shot win over Australia’s Cameron Smith.
To celebrate his victory, TaylorMade is releasing the Dustin Johnson Spider Limited Commemorative Edition putter for $499. It is available now available for preorder ($499) and will be available for purchase on April 9.
Like Johnson’s own putter, the limited edition club has no alignment aids or sight lines. (TaylorMade)
The putter is a replica of the club Johnson used last November at the Masters. It is 35 inches long and only available in a right-hand version. It has a black crown no alignment aids of sightlines, a short slant hosel and a Counter Core SuperStroke GT 1.0 grip. In the sole, there are two 9-gram weights placed in the heel and toe. The face is destined with a TaylorMade’s Pure Roll insert. The soleplate has been given a commemorative black and green logo in the center.
The limited-edition putter has a special green emblem on the soleplate. (TaylorMade)
Each Dustin Johnson Spider Limited Commemorative Edition putter will come in a commemorative box.
Instead of casting or milling, Cobra teamed with HP to 3D print, in metal, a blade putter that delivers maximum stability and MOI.
Gear: Cobra King Supersport-35 putter Price: $399 Specs: Printed 316 stainless steel. 34″ and right-hand only Available: November 20
Making an iron involves using one of two manufacturing techniques, either pouring liquid metal into molds and casting your design or superheating a bar of metal and forging it under high pressure into the shape you want. Putters are either cast like an iron or milled, a different process that involves a computer controlling a fast-spinning bit that passes back and forth over the metal. The bit shaves off thin ribbons of material, one after the other, until the desired shape is finally achieved.
With the release of the limited-edition King Supersport-35 putter, Cobra has teamed with HP to make a putter using a new method, 3D metal printing.
The process of 3D printing involves a computer being given detailed instructions about a structure before the system adds layer upon layer of material to recreate the object. In schools, students often make simple things like tiny statues of the Eiffel Tower or simple figures. Using HP’s Metal Jet 3D printing technology, Cobra designers could create shapes and structures that could not be made using either casting or forging.
The lattice of steel in the back of the Cobra King Supersport-35 putter can only be produced by 3D printing. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The King Supersport-35 is printed in 315 stainless steel, including the dark lattice area in the back of the head. The lattice structure is very strong but utilizes significantly less steel, so the middle of the putter is lighter. The saved weight was redistributed to the heel and toe areas of the head, giving the King Supersport-35 extreme perimeter weighting and more stability.
After the head is printed, it is sintered, which means heating it to bond the printing more solidly, but it is not heated to the point of melting the metal. Closely examining the chrome-toned steel reveals tiny lines that were created by a final milling process that gives the King Supersport-35 a more traditional look. Even though the milling machines are controlled by a computer, they can not get into the tight spaces of the lattice structure, so it feels rougher and has a darker color.
Descending Loft Technology helps golfers achieve a more consistent roll. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
To help golfers achieve a better roll, Cobra gave the King Supersport-35 a four-segment face insert designed by SIK Golf (Study in Kinetics), the company that makes putters for Bryson DeChambeau. The hitting area has been divided into four flat surfaces that have different lofts. The top portion has 4 degrees of loft and each portion below it goes down in loft by 1 degree, with the lowest area having just 1 degree of loft. SIK calls it Descending Loft Technology and it is designed to normalize roll and nullify the effects of an excessive forward press at impact or a thinly-struck putt.
Looking down at address, the Cobra King Supersport-35 looks like a traditional high-MOI blade. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Cobra King Supersport-35 has 35-degrees of toe hang, so it should be ideal for a golfer who has a slightly-arced putting stroke. If comes standard with an Arcoss-enabled Lamkin Sinkfit Smart grip. The putter will only be available at cobragolf.com.
Rory McIlroy will try to win the career Grand Slam at the 2020 Masters while using a peach-themed, five-layer TaylorMade TP5 ball.
We may not be seeing blooming dogwoods or azaleas during the 2020 Masters, but Rory McIlroy is maintaining a traditional theme on his TaylorMade TP5 golf balls.
The four-time major winner, who is currently ranked fifth on the Official World Golf Ranking, will be looking to win his first Masters and complete the career grand slam this week. Instead of using a ball with a 1, 2, 3 or 4 on it, McIlroy uses a TaylorMade TP5 ball with a 22 on it because it symbolizes power, focus and persistence. This week, he will also use a ball that has an image of a peach on it.
The TP5 is a five-piece urethane-covered ball designed to give players more distance off the tee with increased spin and control around the greens. While a new TP5 could be on the way in early 2021, the current model features an updated fourth layer, which encases the Tri-Fast Core and is directly under the cover.
Made from a high-flex resin material to resist deforming at impact, it increases speed on wood and long-iron shots. At the same time, the urethane cover is easily grabbed by the groves in wedges and short irons to boost spin.
To celebrate Tiger Woods’ fifth Masters win and 81st PGA Tour victory, TaylorMade has created 81 commemorative sets of his irons.
Before the 2019 Masters, TaylorMade released a set of irons designed and used by Tiger Woods, the P-7TW. As every golf lover and sports fan knows, Tiger won his fifth Masters and 15th career major championship that week. It also was Woods’ 81st PGA Tour victory.
The special P-7TW irons come in a themed box. (TaylorMade)
Now a week before the 2020 Masters, TaylorMade has created 81 sets of P-7TW irons to celebrate Woods’ Masters win, and the company is giving you a chance to win one of these replica sets or have an opportunity to buy one of them.
The clubs come in a green box with the number 15 on the outside and colorful images of flowers on the inside. The flowers represent the plants for which the holes at Augusta National are named, such as magnolia, azalea and firethorn. A yellow badge inside the box tells which of the 81 sets of irons are included. There is also an autographed image and a note from Woods explaining how the clubs were designed and forged.
Each iron is numbered on the hosel. (TaylorMade)
The irons themselves are identical to the clubs in Woods’ bag except for a few commemorative details. First, each iron has a number on the hosel that shows it is a club from one of the 81 limited-edition sets. Second, while the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord grips are the same components Tiger uses, the True Temper stickers are trimmed in a Masters-themed green and yellow.
The shafts and grips are the same as Tiger Woods’, but the colors on the shaft stickers are Masters-themed. (TaylorMade)
If you are thinking about putting the set into your bag and hitting shots with these clubs, you will need a powerful, consistent swing. The P-7TW irons have a thin topline, virtually no offset and a narrow sole that has been milled to create the precise amount of bounce and camber that Woods prefers. The P-7TW irons have tungsten behind the center of the hitting area to amplify feel. Make no mistake, they are a very traditional muscleback blade designed to give players more control and feedback, not to be more forgiving.
You can register your email address at taylormadegolf.com for a chance to win one of the sets of irons or win an opportunity to purchase a set for $2,500.
Titleist’s T100•S Black and T200 Black irons have a non-glare finish and are loaded with technology.
Titleist released the T Series irons, including the game-improvement T200, just over a year ago. Last January, on the eve of the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show, the brand debuted the T100•S, a stronger-lofted version of the better-player’s T100 irons that can be found in the bags of players like Jordan Spieth.
Both of those clubs were designed with a clean look and shiny chrome finish, but Titleist now has good news for players who love the look of dark, non-glare irons. Starting on Aug. 28, the company is making a limited-edition, all-black version of the T200 and T100•S irons available to the public.
PGA Tour veteran Cameron Smith won the Sony Open in Hawaii this year using a black-finished prototype set of T100 irons, and after fellow PGA Tour player Lanto Griffin saw photos of the clubs, he asked Titleist to make him a set too.
Titleist T100•S Black irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The clubs were given a dark PVD finish and come standard with black shafts and grips. The T200 gets the True Temper Dynamic Gold Onyx AMT Black shaft, and the T100•S comes with the Project X LZ Onyx shaft. Both clubs come fitted with all-black Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips.
Aside from the cosmetic differences, the limited-edition black T200 and T100•S irons are identical to the standard clubs.
Titleist T200 Black irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The T200 irons, which replaced the AP3 irons last season, has tungsten weights in the heel and toe for stability and to lower the center of gravity. They provide more distance thanks to the addition of a Max Impact system that can be seen on the back of the head. A screw holds a silicone polymer core in place inside the head, and as the face flexes at impact, the core compresses and then quickly rebounds. That helps the face snap back more efficiently, resulting in more ball speed and distance.
The black T100•S (the S stands for strong) has lofts that are 2 degrees stronger than the standard T100 iron lofts. They are designed for accomplished golfers who want a compact head and short blade length, but also want extra distance.
Both sets of irons will cost $1,599 for a set of eight (4-GW) or $200 per club.
The 2020 Masters has been postponed until November, but Puma Golf has released the gear Rickie Fowler was going to wear this week at Augusta
When the Augusta National Golf Club announced that it was postponing the 2020 Masters because of the coronavirus pandemic, it not only disappointed the players and golf fans around the world, it put many golf manufacturers in an awkward position.
Several companies annually create limited-edition merchandise like golf bags, shoes and apparel that is themed around symbols of the season’s first major. Those products had already been created by the time it was announced that the Masters would not be played in April.
With the tournament now pushed back until the week of November 9, should they make the merchandise available to golf lovers anyway, or hold on to it and try selling it later?
Puma Golf has decided that starting Monday, which would have been the first day of Masters week, it is forging ahead. The company is making the Experience Collection available, including four new polos, hats, shoes and a special bag co-designed by Vessel.
Puma Experience Collection polos, shoes and hat. (Puma)
The Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen and Tournament polo shirts ($75 each) are made from Puma’s proprietary Fusionyard Flex fabric that allows for freedom of movement and should help to keep golfers dry and comfortable. The number-named shirts each have a floral print that matches the plant name of that hole at Augusta National, with Eleven have white dogwood blooms, Twelve featuring golden bells flowers and Thirteen covered in azaleas. Those holes comprise Amen Corner, and the Tournament polo’s print features a blend of all three plants.
Puma is also including a limited-edition version of the Poweradapt Caged ($170) and Ignite shoes ($220) in the Tournament print.
CobraxVessel LE Tour Stand bag. (Puma)
Rickie Fowler had planned to wear those shirts and shoes around Augusta National this week, and carry his clubs in this limited-edition Vessel stand bag that was co-created with Cobra Golf ($599). Like the apparel and shoes, it has been given the Tournament print that features white dogwoods, golden bells and azaleas.
The California apparel maker has created a cool new T-shirt and pledged to give the proceeds to charities helping first responders.
Forty dollars might seem like a little much for a T-shirt, but when all the proceeds from it go to a great charity, it can be money well spent.
Linksoul, the maker of golf and casual apparel with a California vibe, is not taking pre-orders for a new T-shirt that features a great design and a powerful message – flatten the curve. Here is a close-up of the design.
The money raised from the sale of the limited-edition shirts, which should be shipped in late April is going to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP). The organization has a COVID-19 direct relief fund that specifically helps the most vulnerable populations affected by this crisis, including hourly wage workers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The CDP also connects with non-government organizations to provide desperately supplies to hospitals.
