Now is a good time to consider changing or upgrading your golf clubs, as the Cape Region golf season winds down.
Your swing (and your putting technique) should be consistent. Therefore, the fitting process should be smooth and successful.
On that note, at the January PGA Show, I chatted with Titleist representatives about putters, woods and the newest version of the company’s best-selling golf balls.
Michael Bradley and I discussed the new Scotty Cameron Studio Style mallet putters.
“They’re replacing the Select Line,” he said, with all featuring face inserts.
Bradley said, “These were tested for a softer sound with good feedback.” The steel insert includes what he called “chain link face milling,” which reduces the contact points touching the golf ball.
Vibration dampening material sits between the insert and the putter’s head base. Weighted screws provide additional stability. Bradley said putter weights increased in recent years largely because green speeds increased. For most players it is easier to swing a heavy putter slowly enough to control the effective roll.
The normal-length designs retail for $499. The long-arm designs sell for $529.
I also spoke with Tom Fisher about the GT series of drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids.
“These represent a generational shift in technology for Titleist,” he said. “The first ones came out in August [2024] and are made with brand new material. However, they still give you the look and sound of a Titleist.”
For Titleist fans, that refers to the clubs’ glossy black finish and traditional shaping.
Fisher said new carbon fiber materials, mixed with resin, gave the designers the option to tune the club, along with moveable weights.
“We’re able to provide the right amount of stability where it counts,” he said, “along with improved aerodynamics with the shallower ‘boat tail’ you can see from the side view.”
The GT2, 3 and 4 models came out last summer, with the GT1 making its appearance at the 2025 Show. Each model comes with different CG locations for the best results when combined with each version’s intended use. The GT1 is available in a lightweight configuration as well as the standard weight option. Fisher said some Tour pros and others like the GT1’s flight characteristics but swing fast. They don’t need the help that the lightweight version gives slower swingers.
The Fairway wood models also come in GT1, 2 and 3 versions, but there are no GT4 fairways in the product mix. Fisher said the GT1 has the “shallowest club face and deepest CG location” to help the ball launch higher. The GT3 version is what he called a “mid-launch” club, with lower spin.
“The forged face wrap that goes below the club face helps to retard the high spin that often comes with a low impact point on the face,” he said.
The GT3’s adjustable weight options can fine tune the fitting process.
Fisher seemed most excited about the new hybrid models, especially after I mentioned that I use Titleist’s 818 H1 hybrids I bought six years ago.
“The GT hybrids are the most adjustable we’ve ever made,” he said. “The inertial values have increased for better performance.”
As with other clubs, being fitted for the right hybrids is essential. The GT3 hybrids come in 18-, 21- and 24-degree lofts. The GT2s come in 18-, 21- and 22-degree choices. The GT1s offer the most loft choices, running up to 29 degrees.
I also met Scott Cooper, a Titleist senior program manager overseeing R & D for the company’s golf ball lines. We discussed the Pro V1 and Pro Vi1X models for 2025. Among Titleist’s most successful golf balls, the original versions came out 25 years ago.
“The X model is faster and gives more speed from the middle of the bag down to the wedges,” he said. “We reformulated the core chemistry, so it gives us a little more spin with distance. The challenge was to produce a mile or two per hour improvement without running afoul of the USGA ball rules.”
Cooper said they also made a slight change to the balls’ dimple design.
“The edge angle is a little bit deeper than the last design,” he said.
The Pro V and Pro V 1x remain among the pricier golf balls on the market, selling for $54.99 per dozen.
Local club competition results
The Kings Creek CC 9-Holers played their 2025 Championship Sept. 11, with Marie Murray winning the overall gross category and Rose Schmidt winning overall net.
Linda Outlaw won first place gross in the first flight, with Sherry Schaffer taking second. Sara Cavendish won first net in the first flight, followed by Chris Emery in second.
Yona Zucker won first place gross for the second flight, with Kim Kavchok in second. Patti Magee won first net, followed by Atom Irwin.
Prabha Karapurkar won first place gross in the third flight, with Sandy Singer taking second. Joanne Yurik won first net, followed by Sally Chamberlain.
Donna Romer won first place gross for the fourth flight, with Jen Walker in second. Nathalie McGregor won first net, followed by Farah Englert.
