Equipment

Talking Nicklaus golf balls with Company Co-Chairman Howard Milstein

Published

11 years ago

Jan 21, 2015

Nicklaus Companies launched its first golf balls in fall of 2013. The company’s offerings have been well received, even making Golf Digest’s Hot List.

Recently, the company rolled out a subscription service that offers registered users a quantity discount ($5 off) on one dozen golf balls per month.

[quote_box_center]“We wanted to make it easy for our devoted customers to receive product year-round, without having to visit the website or pro shop every time they needed golf balls,” said Howard Milstein, Co-Chairman of the Nicklaus Companies, regarding the subscription service.[/quote_box_center]

In honor of Jack Nicklaus’ 75th birthday, I spoke with Mr. Milstein—who is also the president of New York Private Bank & Trust—about how he joined forces with the Golden Bear and the company’s range of golf balls.

How the partnership was forged

“One of my assignments when I became Jack’s partner was to go his 100 courses all over the world…If I think of all the golf I played and how little I improved, it’s really disturbing.”

“In 2007, we became aware that Jack had an objective to get a partner to help him institutionalize the brand and make sure the company would prosper well into the future and long after he was not personally involved in the business. I think he looked at different people, and I had met Jack at that time and we’d played together. I think as badly as I played, he noticed I had a lot of fortitude.”

“He’s partnering with me because I’m a reasonably good business man. I’m partnering with him because he’s not just the greatest…but he’s a really great guy and he’s got a really great brand.”

“Unlike private equity firms, all of our businesses, we plan on running and handing on to the next generation and them handing it onto the next generation. It was a really good fit for us, because that’s exactly Jack’s plan. And it’s a thrill to be Jack’s partner.”

“I will say that the first time I played with him it was at a father-son tournament. Someone in the locker room said, “You’re playing with Jack today. “ And I said, “Yes. I am.” I was very proud of myself. They said, “If I were you I’d be very nervous because I’d have the greatest golfer of all time watching my swing.” I said, “I hadn’t thought of that.” And that thought did make me a little more nervous during the whole 18 holes.”

The balls

“It’s a perfect example of what Jack wanted to accomplish when he decided to bring in a partner. To be consistent with the culture and the values that he had established for his company, that he had displayed throughout both his competitive life and his family life: a charitable component, to bring products of the best quality to the golfing world, to make it more accessible for people…these are all items that come together in the golf ball.”

nicklaus-balls-2

Which ball is right for you?

“The first thing we did: We simplified the golfer’s dilemma, which is, “Which golf ball should I use?”

“It is really confusing because, in order to figure that out—according to the large companies that make nine different golf balls for nine different swing speeds—you have to know your swing speed. Which, in reality, nobody knows.”

“We simplified that. All you need to know is the tee you hit from and you’ll know which ball to use.”

“For those that are mid-single digit and better, you’re talking Nicklaus Black. The compression is right…the…coating is right. That’s the ball that Jack uses. For the club player, who is a reasonably good player (which I’ll flatter myself to say I am) to the mid-teens, you play from the blue tees. So, Nicklaus Blue. And then if you’re a senior or you play from the forward tees, or you’re beginning, or a woman who generally has a slower clubhead speed, because in the men’s tees its white, we call that one Nicklaus White.”

“Three balls, three tees. That’s all you need to know. It will maximize your game. We’ve developed the best ball and the best technology for each clubhead speed.”

“We’ve also made it more accessible by basically selling the ball wholesale. We sell principally through the internet. We do sell some through golf courses that we’ve designed.”

The advertising model

“Rather than taking the dollars that would be spent on advertising—which I can’t imagine a new golf ball could get any share of market with the mammoth advertising budgets out there. These people are spending $50 million a year each on T.V. “

“Obviously as a new company, you’re not going to do that. So we said, let’s give money to charity and people will get some golf balls that are the best balls. So they order the balls, we give money to charity, we didn’t spend any money on advertising, we didn’t spend any money on retail distribution, so customers are getting the wholesale price.”

“The whole thing hangs together conceptually, and one element strengthens the other.”

How philanthropy is integrated

“We put it together with the element that’s been a tradition in the Nicklaus Companies, since even before Jack and Barbara founded the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation, of giving back, particularly in the field of children’s healthcare. A percentage from the sale of the golf balls goes directly to the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation.”

“The buyers have this opportunity: I’m buying these balls for 20 percent less than they’d be buying them for in a pro shop, maybe I’d like to give five or ten dollars to support these charities.”

“We’ve also worked things out with St. Jude [St. Jude Children’s Hospital], so St. Jude gets two dollars per box. FedEx is a big supporter of St. Jude, and they’ve agreed to give us free delivery.”

“You’re paying $28 for the Nicklaus blue balls, and in a pro shop they’d be $45.”

In honor of Jack Nicklaus’ 75th birthday, Nicklaus Golf Balls is offering three-dozen balls for the bundle price of $75 through the end of the month. The special offer saves buyers $21.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

18 Comments

jj

Jan 27, 2015 at 1:13 am

Not another last ditch effort like that stupid secret grip! He must be going broke because all Nicholas gear from clubs to clothing is suited for shoppers who buy their clubs at Walmart!

Reply Report comment
jj

Jan 27, 2015 at 12:53 am

Guaranteed junk!

Reply Report comment
jj

Jan 27, 2015 at 12:52 am

What a joke! All the crap made under his name is junk, even the clothing, I think they sell it at Walmart. Great cheapo crap for the old croakers who still think he can win a tour event!

Reply Report comment
Captain Oblivious

Jan 23, 2015 at 1:36 pm

I’d be afraid to use these since Jack’s mission is to “dial back” the golf ball to keep courses from becoming obsolete. Will I lose the 17 + 17+ 17 yards that I have gained with my TaylorMade drivers?

Reply Report comment
Regis

Jan 23, 2015 at 11:25 am

What are you talking about? We’re talking golf balls here (which by the way is Titleist’s real money maker) and you can buy Titleist golf balls anywhere including Target ( or Targee’ if that floats your boat)

Reply Report comment
other paul

Jan 23, 2015 at 10:11 am

Wow! They even made the golf digest hot list! They must be awesome. Oh wait, everything makes the hot list… So everything is awesome. So therefore nothing is awesome ????

Reply Report comment
Jonny B

Jan 23, 2015 at 9:58 am

This is a no story. These are not going to sell nor have they sold. I’ve never seen one in a pro-shop or major retailer, never seen one on the course, never met anyone who played them. Can’t even order them from a majority of online retailers. I don’t understand how the interview didn’t even speak about the technical specs of the balls – what compression are they? How many layers? Cover materials? Golf is a very technical sport and those who take it seriously know these things – if you want golfers to switch to a new ball model you better have some more information about the benefits of switching. Not just a “take our word for it – you’ll play better.”

I think they are trying to solve a problem that doesn’t really exist – is it really that confusing to go to a store and select a golf ball these days?

Reply Report comment
slimeone

Jan 22, 2015 at 4:21 am

It would have been good to hear a bit about the actual technology incorporated in these balls such as specific compression rates, how many layers, what the cover is made of, dimple pattern. The fact that they are specifically not referencing these things makes me suspect that these balls are inferior.

Reply Report comment
John

Jan 21, 2015 at 6:19 pm

Okay, I love and respect Jack Nicklaus as much as any avid golfer….but how has noone made a joke about the fact that Nicklaus has blue balls?

Reply Report comment
- slimeone
  
  Jan 22, 2015 at 4:17 am
  
  Yes he has blue balls, but he plays with black balls.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - sgniwder99
    
    Jan 22, 2015 at 8:14 pm
    
    For the win.
    
    Reply Report comment
slider

Jan 21, 2015 at 5:49 pm

look nice but I am going to stick with a pro v1

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jan 21, 2015 at 5:08 pm

The “business model” part is pretty interesting.

The ball technology part is mildly interesting.

What is so richly interesting is Jack’s history with equipment, and particularly with golf balls.

When Jack was a player at his peak in the sixties and seventies, he played MacGregor’s Tourney line of golf balls. And bay all accounts (including my own) they were terrible golf balls. It might be the most interesting thing about Jack Nicklaus, his equipment and his peerless competitive record: he played in his prime with one of the worst balls on the market. He won, regularly, with what could credibly be regarded as an equipment disadvantage.

In his competitive retirement, Jack has been vocal about his views on the failure of the USGA to better regulate golf balls and length-producing equipment technology at the elite levels. He heaps a lot of blame on balls, prompting Titleist mouthp- er, Brand Ambassador Brad Faxon to observe that “If Jack Nicklaus had a successful ball, he would never say another word. But he’s never sold a ball that’s made a dime.” I always thought that quote said much more about Brad Faxon and Titleist, than about Jack Nicklaus.

But hey, Brad. Now Jack’s got a ball. And we’ll see if it makes any difference to his views about golf ball regulation.

Reply Report comment
- Regis
  
  Jan 22, 2015 at 2:30 pm
  
  When he was in his peak, Nicklaus played with Nicklaus balata. I played the 100 compression when I was really feeling my oats. Best responsive ball with feel and trajectory I’ve ever played. But if you even looked at them funny they’d crack a smile straight out of Alice in Wonderland. So a single digit without Jack’s skills could count on going through 3-4 a round
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chuck
    
    Jan 23, 2015 at 4:35 pm
    
    I’ve never heard of “Nicklaus balata.” I caddied for Jack once in 1973, and I know for a fact that he played with Tourneys. He had me put them through a roundness gauge before the round.
    
    All of the advertising from that period associated Jack with Tourney balls:
    
    http://images-cdn.ecwid.com/images/1576774/134563646.jpg
    
    http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/moc8egifWLncReztT3sfIMQ.jpg
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Chuck
    
    Jan 23, 2015 at 4:41 pm
    
    I just realized what you are talking about. You are mistaken.
    
    Long after his prime years, and when his contract with MacGregor expired (and incidentally, when Jack was upset with MacGregor’s new corporate owners for going away from green-grass accounts to big box retailers!?!), Jack began his own equipment company, but without a ball contract (Nicklaus golf of old only did clubs and soft goods). Then, Jack signed with Maxfli and endorsed the HT-100 “Personal” ball. The one with JACK as the sidestamp. So yeah that happened. Well after Jack won his last major in 1986.
    
    Reply Report comment
steve

Jan 21, 2015 at 11:59 am

Anybody played these? I have never even seen one in person before.

Reply Report comment
Greg V

Jan 21, 2015 at 10:38 am

Jack Nicklaus selling direct, going around the pro in the pro shop.

This will not end well….

One thing that I admire about Titleist. You can go to a fitting center and get fit, but in order to purchase the equipment you must go back to your local golf store or pro shop and buy it there. Titleist is not ready to abandon the brick and mortar shops where you can see and feel the product.

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.

Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Titleist Vokey Proto Wedges 54M, 60T

Published

5 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @Putt4Dough is selling some prototype wedges from Vokey Wedgeworks. These include a 54 degree wedge with the M grind and a 60 degree wedge with a T grind.

From the listing:

(1) Titleist Vokey Proto Wedge 54M with a Tour Issue DGS400 shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet (logo down). Standard length, lie, and loft. BB&F ferrule. Raw wedge in good condition. No initials. Price is $200 shipped. Buy both wedges for $380 shipped.

(2) Titleist Vokey Proto Wedge 60T with a KBS Tour 130X shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Standard length, lie, and loft. Raw wedge in good condition. No initials. Price is $200 shipped. Buy both wedges for $380 shipped.

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.