A First Look at Titleist’s 917 Driver
IN THE world of golf equipment, Titleist debuting a new line of woods every other year at the Quicken Loans National event on the US PGA Tour is about as close to a sure thing as we have in golf. This year was no different with Titleist introducing its 917D2 and 917D3 drivers on Monday morning at Congressional Country Club. Early photos reveal that perhaps the biggest difference from its predecessor, the 915, is the addition of a “SureFit CG” on the sole, which appears to be the ability to move weight to either the heel or toe area to affect directional ball flight. The “Active Recoil Channel” slot appears to be slightly wider than the 915, and the USGA listing touts a “Radial Speed Face,” which was also seen in Titleist’s 915 drivers, and is designed to create better off-centre hit ball speeds through a variably thick face. The SureFit adjustable hosel appears to be similar to previous models and the 917 lofts are 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees. Overall, two-thirds of Titleist staffers (18/27) put the driver in play first week at the Quicken Loans Invitational and to a man they were all very impressed with the product. The first thing they noticed was the overall look, feel, and sound of the product. The players consistently described the sound and feel as “very solid…I can feel the ball compress and jump off the face.” While look and feel are extremely important, players on the PGA Tour believe in results and 917 shined here as well. Players picked up as much as 3-4 miles per hour in ball speed, translating to increased distance. As early as Day Two at Congressional there was a buzz on the range as word was spreading that Titleist have something special in the 917 driver. To find out more information about the new 917 drivers from Titleist, including pre-launch demo and fitting days in your area, visit Titleist.com.au/917 and register your email to receive 917 updates from Titleist Australia.
Pitchfix Twister 2.0
STUDIES reveal the most frequent breach of golf etiquette is the failure to repair ball marks. An unfixed pitch mark likely will take as much as three weeks to heal, but fix yours the minute you reach the green, and the putting surface will be nearly as good as new the day after tomorrow. The new Pitchfix Twister 2.0 is based on a patented invention that makes divot repair very easy to do and result in perfect repairs without any damage left to the green. The Twister consists of a head with three pins, all with a small diameter precisely positioned on an imaginary circle for optimal function. The Twister comes with the Pitchfix removable magnet ball marker for branding and communication. Awarded the Golf Digest Editor’s Choice Award for its category in 2016, the Twister is available in 10 colours and is a must-have tool for your next round. Visit theback9.com.au for more information.
Golf Skate Caddy GSC-V2
IT’S been a good year for Golf Skate Caddy in Australia. The company recently asked their customers what they 
liked about the Golf Skate Caddy, the stand-up buggy craze sweeping Aussie fairways. “I love the freedom”, “Love the core workout”, “My joints don’t hurt”, “Best fun I ever had” and “Easy to transport” were just some of the responses. You see, once you ride the Golf Skate Caddy, you’re hooked, or so it seems. “We first thought it was great to bring younger players back to the game, what we did not expect was how the baby boomers wanted to relive their youth,” says a company spokesman. “With more than 75 per cent of sales going to this demographic and 30 per cent of sales to women, it’s evident that getting to a certain age does not mean you have to give up on the excitement of your game, you just have to make it happen and for those with a GSC that’s exactly what they did.”
This year saw the launch of a new model – the GSC-V2. Totally redesigned from the ground up it brings a new level of features not seen before on this type of vehicle, which includes a new colour computer screen, new CPUs, a revolutionary handle with an inbuilt thumb accelerator, an included intelligent remote control, new automatic safety braking, a longer range battery and uprated suspension. Golf Skate Caddy took something utilitarian and changed it so much it actually changed the way a person can play a game of golf without actually changing the game itself. With its rapid learning curve of 5-10 minutes, anyone can start surfing the turf in no time, while experiencing an exhilarating ride no golf cart can deliver. So what’s stopping you? Call Golf Skate Caddy today to organise a demo on 1300 55 69 79 or visit golfskatecaddy.com.au
Odyssey Milled Collection RSX
ODYSSEY’S latest path in insert innovation has led it to a deeper exploration of sound and feel. The result? The Milled Collection RSX, which is milled from 1025 carbon steel, with the best-selling #7 shape, a progressive V-Line Fang mallet, and the #001, a new take on the classic #1 shape. Phil Mickelson has always said that when he hits a 5-foot putt, he wants it to look, feel and sound like a 5-foot putt. By engineering the sound chamber technology into these putters, Odyssey has delivered a crisp sound at impact, which ensures great feedback that matches up perfectly with the speed and roll off the face. And it has coupled this with its patented Metal-X roll technology, bringing roll and sound together, as indicated by the RSX name for “roll and sound experiment”.
A black genuine Cabretta leather Grip Master grip with a red baseball stitch down the back delivers a premium look with amazing feel. RRP: $549.99. Visit au.odysseygolf.com for more information.
Puma TitanTour Ignite Tricks
PUMA Golf has released a Limited Edition, dual-coloured TitanTour Ignite Tricks golf shoe, designed to encourage golfers to have fun, play bold and Play Loud!
The Limited Edition Ignite Tricks shoe (RRP $279) is being released in conjunction with a footwear launch across multiple PUMA business units including running, soccer and golf. A limited number of these one-of-a-kind shoes are now available in Australia. Puma’s two-coloured boot concept was originally inspired by Cameroonian Rigobert Song’s World Cup moment in 1998, when he decided on a whim to lace up two different coloured Puma King boots. His right was yellow, his left red. As Song said, “you must be bold” to wear two different colours on each foot and that’s exactly what Puma Tricks represents. Engineered with Puma’s proprietary Ignite foam, the TitanTour Ignite shoes are designed to deliver responsive cushioning, optimal rebound, and superior step-in comfort through every shot. Ignite Foam has a high support factor and high compression set that results in both superior cushioning and minimal deformation over time. This new foam technology is designed to make the shoe more responsive and release energy more efficiently throughout the swing, making Ignite footwear extra comfortable. In addition to the Ignite foam, the shoes also features TitanTour’s signature technology, PWRCOOL powered by Outlast, which regulates foot temperature by utilising phase change materials that absorb, store and release heat for optimal thermal comfort. For more information on how to get yours, along with Puma Golf’s entire product line, visit cobragolf.com/pumagolf for more information.
