Equipment
Confessions of a Golf Ho
You know what I’m talking about. That golfer you know that can’t ever seem to find that perfect club. Personally, I can hit all of my clubs straight and as far as I should. My philosophy is to not fix what isn’t broken. Someone very close to me feels differently. I wanted to get to the bottom of this behavior so I asked that they tell me what the big deal was:
“Ever feel like clubs are to golfer as women were to Wilt Chamberlain – there is always another one out there? I am on a current club binge and honestly do not see the end as long as there are new products every three months. Why the 90 days you might ask? Well, that is the time I have to play a club and be tempted by another companies advertising and claims. Or, the hardest of all is the feedback and debates brought up on this very site without losing a dime of my purchase. I approach each trade with the guilt of a bad break up knowing I have left the signs of a traded club on the rack. Whether it be the matching grip or the lead tape, there’s an anxiety that goes when parting with what was once hope. There is guilt, but once I think of the unbelievable profits these companies make it is easier to find fault when the club does not deliver. I’m not biased to one particular club, but I do find comfort in my irons and will trade a wood or driver in a heartbeat. I would like to strike out at the endless options of shafts that have left me wanting that perfect combo and even when happy thirst for more. Now, I have a new fairway wood and driver on order and I think these could be keepers. Wow! I just lied, so it will be Christmas again this month without the long return line.”
Hmm…I guess it is just a matter of preference. I know that I’m not alone and am more advanced than many of my golfer pals. For instance, my irons are only about a year old and the set I had before that didn’t even last a year. I did trade my driver a few times before settling on this one. Since my clubs are working I will wait until they aren’t anymore. I know some golfers that have had the same clubs for years and years. That I can’t do. I know my game and technology will keep improving.
What kind of golfer are you? Do you stick with a club until the bitter end? Do you get every new club that comes out?
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Memorial Tournament Tour Report: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young switch up drivers, and more
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
J.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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Nick Messi
Mar 22, 2014 at 4:36 pm
I play tennis once a week and for the last 5 years have only used 2 different racquets.
But golf is a different monster all together. In the last 5 years :
6 iron sets
4 drivers
5 hybrids
6 putters
3 fairway woods
3 buggies
2 bags
8 wedges
In hindsight this is just nuts.
Obsessive compulsive silly behaviour (that I always seem to logically and prudently justify without fail every single time !!)
Every time I say to myself that this purchase will be the last I always seem yo be tempted just one more time…and sooner rather than later.
H E L P !!!!
Roy Perry
Dec 17, 2012 at 2:16 pm
^^
I wouldn’t say that we are “hacks”. You just said that you’ve been clean for only 12 months, so are you a recovering hack :). As for me, I had a set of irons given to my by my dad that he bought new in 1994. I was introduced to the game late at about 25 years old (12 years ago) and I played those old Callaway Hawkeye’s along with an Orlimar driver, woods, and hybrids, purespin wedges and a Ben Hogan Bettinardi putter. Two years ago, I traded everything minus wedges and putter and dropped for a FT (08) iron set, and FT-iz driver, woods, and hybrid. Cracked the shaft in the driver THREE times and went the Diablo Octane Black tour. Loved it, but there was just something that didn’t feel just right in it. Last year, I took the forged plunge and liking the classic look of a player’s iron, I made my own mixed set of 4-6 razr x forged, and 7-9 razr x muscleback. I purchased an Adams superblack 19* hybrid that I couldn’t make go straight if I wanted to, so traded that for what I have now, a 910h 19* with the PX 6.0 shaft. For the FW wood battle, it only went from FT-iZ to Diablo, to Cleveland FL, to now my R11 ti with a PX 6.0. The driver has evolved from FT-iZ, to FT-5 (still have), to Diablo Octane Black tour (still have), and the current 910d2 with the Px 6.0. I have had my putter now for almost 10 years and bought 3 others only to go back to the one I know and love. Aside from the driver, I have been “clean” for about 9 months now and couldn’t be happier with my setup. If I could change anything, I would go from the 8620 milled Scratch wedges that I have and take the plunge to the 1018 forged in the same lofts. Who knows, maybe Santa will bring next year after I can say I’ve gone over a year :).
bobby bongwater
Jan 22, 2012 at 9:54 am
I had to go to rehab and have been clean for nearly 12 months on getting any new clubs. My game has never been better. Not the arrow but the indian. Now I laugh at club ho’s. They are all hacks.
Leonard
Jan 11, 2012 at 3:49 am
I’m curious as to why different clubs give different feels. For me it’s all feel, and coincidentally, I prefer the feel of hitting it LONG with ease. No CLICKITY! CLACK! CLANK! Sounds. Maybe something that sounds softer? I prefer a smooth, soft transfer of power through the ball. Am I making it up? Or are different clubs made with less pure metals or metals that are less dense. Or for instance with drivers…are they HOLLOW?!? How do they make such deafening, echoeing sounds? Who knows?
Tim Schoch
Jun 16, 2008 at 4:46 pm
The bitter end, hopefully, is a long way off, but I do love to try new wedges and drivers. My putting seems to stay the same, regardless of the club.
What I do change a lot are golf balls. Just about the time I lose or retire a dozen, I’m ready for some fresh faces to look at. Sometimes, a box of balls will seem to last forever, and I get really irritated with them for over-staying their welcome and preventing me from getting another brand. So I give them away to some hacker and slicer, just to teach them a lesson.
Speaking of lessons, I switch teachers, too.
sneak
Jun 13, 2008 at 11:40 am
I have spent the last 3 years doing what you are doing and I think I have built the perfect set for me, 2200.00 in 2 weeks later, okay really I perpetuate the same thing I know in about a month those clubs will be gone and new ones will replace them. Right now I am just focusing on wedges, I feel less guilty dropping 125.00 on a wedge than what I would on a driver, although my driver has been working really well for me. I have also gone through a number of short lived relationships and breakups, not just with clubs but with women, because of golf, so I am sure they all think I need therapy.