Can a more affordable shaft really compete with the premium options? This week on the Club Junkie Podcast, Brian Knudson puts the VA Composites Baddazz Gold wood shaft to the test. Designed to deliver premium performance at a friendlier price, Brian breaks down how it feels, how it performs on the course, and who should give it a serious look.

Then it’s time to roll some putts with one of the most eye-catching limited releases of the year. Brian reviews the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Americana 250 putter, covering the zero torque design, performance on the greens, and whether this limited edition model is more than just great looks.

If you love golf equipment, honest reviews, club fitting, and the latest gear releases, this episode has you covered.

In our forums, GolfWRX members are discussing heckling at professional golf events and whether it belongs in a sport built around focus, quiet and etiquette.

Member rsk started the thread by saying that hecklers seem especially out of place in golf because players are expected to perform in a setting with a different level of decorum than most stick-and-ball sports.

The thread did not become a simple yes-or-no argument. Instead, WRXers debated where the line should be between rooting, chirping, humor and behavior that crosses into disrespect.

• @MickeyTankBank said rooting against players is part of professional sports, but added that fans should not cross lines involving kids, family, slurs or personal attacks.
• @TiScape brought the usual WRX humor and context to the discussion, keeping the thread from becoming too heavy.
• Ferguson added a personal perspective on not being a natural heckler, while still acknowledging there are exceptions that stick in memory.
• @golferdude54 brought up the atmosphere around events in Japan, which broadened the conversation beyond the U.S. fan experience.
• @Hankshank added an international perspective, showing that crowd behavior is viewed differently depending on culture and event.

Entire thread: Hecklers on Tour

In our forums, GolfWRX members are reacting to a remarkable club-level accomplishment: a hole-in-one and an albatross in the same round.

Member @goaliedad30 said a young plus-2 player at his club made an ace on the par-3 fourth hole from 175 yards, then later holed out for albatross from 210 yards on the 11th hole, a roughly 500-yard uphill par 5 with an elevated green.

The OP said he had never heard of someone making both an ace and an albatross in the same round, and the thread quickly turned into the kind of amazed reaction you would expect.

• @dropkicked added a little forum humor by asking whether it was the OP’s son and whether the player was alone.
• @alittleoverpar said he hoped the player bought a lottery ticket.
• @57charlie was among the members reacting to the achievement and adding to the congratulations feel of the thread.
• @goaliedad30’s original post is the heart of the piece because the achievement itself needs very little dressing up.

A single ace is rare enough. Pairing one with an albatross in the same round is the kind of club story golfers will tell for years.

Entire thread: Quite an amazing feat at our club recently!