The latest Club Junkie Podcast is packed with some of the hottest gear in golf. Brian takes an in depth look at the new LAB Golf VZN.1i putter, breaking down how it performs on the course, who it fits best, and whether the latest zero torque design lives up to the hype.

Then it’s over to the PGA Tour for a look at the latest equipment spotted at the 2026 John Deere Classic. Rickie Fowler has several intriguing prototype putters in testing, including some unique Cameron creations, and Brian shares his thoughts on them. Plus, get a first look at the new Project X Titan Green “Hulk” wood shaft, the lowest launching and lowest spinning model in the Titan lineup built for the fastest swingers in the game.

If you’re into putters, prototype gear, tour equipment, and honest golf club reviews, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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In our forums, one user is sharing photos of a robot lawnmower and ballpicker they saw at the LPGA International. The photos sparked a debate about their use on the golf course, and whether they will eventually turn on golfers and take over.

@EiDave wrote:

“Saw this bad boy cruising along the 15th fairway today at LPGA International.

“Robot lawnmower that works by GPS.

“They also recently got some GPS ball picker uppers called “PIKr”

Our members in the forum shared their opinion on the “Pikr.” 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. Additionally, check out a photo of the robot in action below.

• “CPT_LHR_ATL: “They will eventually kill us all. It’s a given.”
• “LaurieK: “We’ve got two of the big ones from FireFly Automatix that do all of our fairway mowing now. They’re awesome. And they free up our maintenance team to do other things, like more frequent and better mowing of the rough. It’s had a very positive impact on our course conditions.”
• “tatertot: “We have a local course with a HUGE fairway bunker. They have a robot to rake it.”

Entire thread: “Robotic Golf Course Caretakers”

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In our forums, one user is documenting their journey playing from a different set of tee boxes than they’re used to.

@RoyalMustang shared an in-depth story about their decision to change up their playing routine, inspired by a professional’s advice.

They wrote:

“I play the same course 5x a week; almost always 9 holes after work or after church/brunch on Sunday. Sometimes front 9, sometimes back 9. 18 is a big commitment and I usually don’t have the 5+ hour blocks necessary for 18. The course is in great shape! For whatever reason, I was conditioned to play the tips (7k at my course, but plays more like 7200 due to a few layups. Only one par 5 is regularly reachable for me in 2 shots at 530). I have the distance to do so; my long irons never make an appearance outside of our long par 3s most days.

“After reading the Johnny Keefer article in The AthleticI began to think why am I not doing this? Why do I go out, day after day, carding between a 36 and 42 for that really tough front 9 (37.2/139)? Sure, I’ve played shorter tees before, but only due to extreme conditions like high wind, and only for a round or 2. What if I bounced up to the 6K tees and played to score, rather than to survive, long term?

“My last 4 rounds have all been at the 6k tees (bronze at our course). I still mostly suck, playing exactly to par through those 4 rounds, but it’s taught me a lot and gotten me excited about playing again! I’m trying to get to a place where I’m consistently shooting 34, which would be playing to roughly scratch. I’m averaging 2 birdies/round, but also 2 bogeys.

“1) My mentality is different. I need to score on certain holes. Par 5s namely. With winter conditions and hard fairways, these 465 yard par 5s can be driver (290 carry-60 degree rollout) and 54 degree wedge. In fact, on the 8 par 5s I’ve played, the longest approach I’ve had is 170 yards, and that was into a stiff headwind the whole way. A 5 is not really acceptable if I’m hitting a 2nd shot approach with a 3/4 swing gap wedge. The pressure is on to score, not par.  On a par 4, a bogey is a disaster; it’s a double bogey for all intents and purposes. Again, you can’t afford to make a bad shot, and if you do, you’ve got to recover for par.

“2) Par 3s at my course are, again, somewhat “survival” mode from the tips. 2 play at 210-220, one with water and trees lurking at the edges. The 175 yard par 3 has no room for error and a hazard left-side. If I play these at par from the tips, it’s going to be a good day. But now, I’m looking at 120-145 yards on each of these holes. I’ve got to be on the green or just off, which means the pressure is on to put a crisp strike on the ball. Theoretically it’s an easier swing but I also know that I really want to avoid bogeys. It’s almost more pressure-packed somehow.

“3) my putting feels more consequential. Put an approach within 10 feet and it’s not “nice” to make birdie: it’s almost essential given that I’m going to screw up somewhere and make bogey. Whereas before, a par is just fine. Again, it feels more “pressure-packed” in a tournament sort of way.

“4) I’m forced look at the course differently. There are choke points that are newly relevant; things I’ve never noticed before. On hole #8, the bunker that sits 370 and uphill is just never in play for me. I’m well short from the tips and hitting far past it on my 2nd shot. I never noticed how the fairway slopes down L to R into the bunker. Now, I have to hit a tee shot that has R to L spin on it to stay up and out of trouble, or hit 3W and lessen my chances of getting home in 2. Some “bombs away” holes aren’t that anymore. On others, the foward tees mean I can carry the dogleg with ease and make a 470 yard par 5 play 435.

“All this hasn’t “improved” my game so far (again, I’m playing to my cap by shooting par) but it’s getting me in a scoring mentality, away from a survival mentality. Functionally, 72 from the 6k tees is the same as 78 from the 7k tees. Mentally, it’s a different feel.

“One other benefit: my normal “walk” time for an evening round is 85 minutes. This drops by 10 minutes by playing 3 tee boxes forward. Fewer shots and a more direct path of walking. It’s not nothing when I’m finishing at 6:10 before last light sets in and I can barely see the pin on hole #9 for my approach shot!”

Our members in the forum shared their thoughts on playing from forward tees. 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.

• @596: “I play all 4 sets of tees at our course. Not near as long as yours as it was built in 1925. Small pedestal greens. Puts high priority on approach shots.The mentality changes when moving around on tees. I have to score under par from the 2 sets of forward tees to match my handicap. Absolutely zero bogies. They are a disaster. Playing smart comes into play from the forward tees. You can’t afford any recovery shots.I love playing all the tees. It changes the course and your mental and physical approach to the game.”
• @Ironman_32: “Reminds me of when tour pros switch drives with amateurs and then play in from there. A lot of times it’s skill when you get to the hole.Also, I’d add, it helps to look at stats or rounds on the PGA tour, not just the leaders, but guys who miss the cut, and guys who barely make the cut. I think there’s that stat that Tiger in his prime missed something like ~20% of greens from 125 yards (don’t quote me may be wrong). So while it’s also about making good swings, it’s managing the bad ones, but also managing the good ones, i.e., a good swing one yard off of where you are aiming to a tucked pin could lead to a bogey.I do agree that playing forward tees helps you get into the go low mindset.”
• @bazinsky: “I played D1 tennis in college and became good buddies with a lot of the guys on the golf team that were in the dorm suite next to us. They told me the coach often had little mini competitions from the up tees to teach guys to go low, and the guys that finished in the back of the pack had to do extra conditioning drills.Guys said it really helped with getting used to scoring under pressure, since if you weren’t converting a lot of birdies and eagles, you basically got left in the dust.”

Entire thread: “My journey forward 3 tee boxes, so far”

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