Equipment
Titleist 718 AP2 Black and AP3 Black released in limited quantities
Titleist has unveiled new 718 AP2 Black and 718 AP3 Black irons in limited black finish that will be available to purchase from March 1.
Previously only available in a traditional chrome finish, the new Titleist 718 AP2 Black and Titleist 718 AP3 Black irons are finished with a sleek, high polish black PVD coating. The irons feature True Temper AMT Onyx shafts stock. The shafts’ powder coat matte black finish aims to minimize glare (in addition to looking cool). An all-black Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip is standard as well.
Speaking on the move to release the irons in black, Josh Talge, Vice President, Golf Club Marketing said
“One request we heard from both tour players and amateurs, particularly those who have gravitated toward our Jet Black Vokey SM7 wedges, was if they could have these same irons in a darker finish. Our team spent a lot of time making sure the aesthetics were done just right. It’s a look that you just have to see.”
A quick refresher on the two models, below.
Titleist 718 AP3 Black
The 718 AP3 iron is a players distance iron which features a hollow-blade design with high-speed face technology. According to Titleist, the company merged the technology found in their AP1 and AP2 irons to create the AP3, which the company are calling their longest and fastest players iron ever.
Commenting on the AP3, Talge stated
“AP3 truly represents the best of both worlds. We’re giving you the distance and forgiveness of a game improvement iron packed into the look and feel of a player’s iron.”
The set is made up of 4-iron through 48-degree wedge. The AP3 Black irons, which are available for right-handers only, are available to purchase from March 1 and will cost $187.50 per club or $1,499/set of 8.
Titleist 718 AP2 Black
The 718 AP2 iron features a co-forged cavity back design which aims to provide consistent distance and forgiveness, while also delivering excellent feel to all golfers.
Speaking concerning the AP2 iron, Talge had this to say
“AP2 is the most popular tour iron globally because it combines the look and feel tour players demand with the precise distance control they need to consistently hit their target, shot after shot. For everyone else, it’s the tour iron within reach, because it is so forgiving.”
The set is made up of 4-iron through 50-degree wedge. Also available for right-handers only, the irons are available to purchase from March 1 and will cost $187.50 per club or $1,499/set of 8 as well.
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the irons in the forums.
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.
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 70 6.5
5-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (18 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 TX
Irons: Srixon ZXiU (23 degrees), Srixon Z785 MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 100 6.5 (4), KBS Tour 130 X
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (50-08F, 54-10S, 58-04T @59)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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.
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Joe Dante
Feb 9, 2019 at 12:38 pm
does project x have a black finish iron shaft?
Andy LaCombe
Jan 18, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Damn – I love black irons and just got a set of AP3 irons in the fall 🙁
Steve Cantwell
Jan 18, 2019 at 12:36 pm
While on vacation I rented a set of clubs that had a dark finish. I really liked the look. Aside from the Cheap PVD coating, is there a reason manufactures don’t offer this option more often? Or do they just see it as an opportunity to jack up prices?
Tiger Noods
Jan 17, 2019 at 7:30 pm
I’m more excited by the AMT in onyx…
Ryan
Jan 17, 2019 at 4:10 pm
I don’t understand. If it is known that the PVD will wear off almost immediately, then why use it? Is it that much cheaper?
BIG T
Jan 17, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Its widely known that PVD is cheep and doesnt hold up. So why do people spend the extra few hundred on it???
dat
Jan 17, 2019 at 1:23 pm
PVD? That finish is toast in a few rounds. For that kind of money, I’d expect a DBM finish like the rest of the industry is using.
JP
Jan 17, 2019 at 12:23 pm
Tight!
Chris
Jan 17, 2019 at 11:25 am
Id buy these in a heartbeat…If I had an extra $1,500 laying around haha
Dosh
Jan 17, 2019 at 9:46 am
Why
C
Jan 17, 2019 at 10:42 am
Why not?
Dosh
Jan 17, 2019 at 9:17 pm
Because PVD is shyyyyte??
Gunter Eisenberg
Jan 17, 2019 at 9:37 am
Those things will sell really well but the PVD coating won’t last long. Look at other past black irons using that same coating and you’ll see what I mean.