Today I’m reviewing a very unusual golf club from WORX, a “hybrid wedge.” No, I don’t think the club can replace your 3-iron and your lob wedge.
WORX Sand Wedge
I’m reviewing the WORX sand wedge specifically. This is a wedge with a huge, fat head. The big head isn’t just a gimmick. There are real physical properties in such a club design that can make it a good fit for certain players. The large rounded sole has a lot of bounce, which makes it great for situations like sand traps. The club will bounce off the surface and not dig in. For players who have trouble getting out of the sand or deep lies in the rough, this type of design could be a big help.
Specs
Loft: 55°
Lie: 64°
Bounce: 12°
Length 35.25″
On The Course
Hitting this club takes some getting used to. The first few shots I hit poorly because the club bounced so much. I could hear two sounds, the sound of the club hitting the ground, then hitting the ball. The rounded leading edge is actually in front of the shaft quite a bit. That combined with the bounce meant that I had to reposition the ball placement in my stance. Once I had properly adjusted, I could hit this club just like a regular sand wedge from the fairway or rough. The distance was the same as a regular sand wedge with a conventional head design.
The bit difference for me was in the sand. Normally I’m a very good sand player. This club cut through and bounced so much more that I was hitting my bunker shots longer, with more carry. Because of the large and rounded head, opening the blade isn’t like a standard wedge. I could open it a few degrees but if I opened too many, the blade starts to lift off the ground. The design of the rounded sole nullifies the need to open the blade though. So I found myself setting up fairly square in the sand. After a few swings, I could start to feel the proper distance.
The bounce is quite dramatic and there was hardly a lie I couldn’t get the ball airborne and out of the bunker, even densely packed sand or “muni-dirt.”
Models/Pricing
There are two WORX wedge models available, the 55 degree model I tested and a 51 degree gap wedge.
Pricing for either wedge is $119.00.
Legal For Play
The WORX wedge does have an unconventional design, but it has been deemed legal for stipulated play by the USGA and R&A.
Conclusion
If you struggle with bunker shots, the WORX wedge could be an option to consider. It certainly delivers as it should, with lots of bounce to get the ball airborne out of sand and many other types of lies.
This week marks the beginning of the PGA Tour season. Is that as strange to you as it is to me? Personally, its football season for me and I still consider the beginning of the Tour season to be the first week of January. BUT, players like my friend Kevin Foley, a Web.com Tour graduate who just got his Tour card, have an opportunity to get started early. 2014 FedEx Cup points start to accrue this week. Its a great opportunity.
On the Champions Tour Sir Nick Faldo is making his debut. I’m sure his hair will look exactly the same as it has for the last 25 years.
PGA Tour
Frys.com Open
Dates: October 10-13
Venue: CordeValle Golf Club, San Martin, Calif.
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Headlining the Field: Davis Love III, Billy Horschel, Charles Howell III, Ryan Moore, Vijay Singh, Hideki Matsuyama, John Huh, Robert Garrigus, Ben Crane, Jonas Blixt and Trevor Immelman.
Champions Tour
SAS Championship
Dates: October 11-13
Venue: Prestonwood CC, Cary, N.C.
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Friday 2-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 2-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 2-4:30 p.m. (Live) / Midnight-2 a.m. (Replay)
Headlining the Field: Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Kenny Perry, Mark Calcavecchia, Corey Pavin, Mark O’Meara and Mark Wiebe.
LPGA Tour
Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
Dates: October 10-13
Venue: Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (East Course), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 12:30-3 a.m. (Live)
Friday 12:30-3 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 12:30-3 a.m. (Live)
Sunday Midnight-3 a.m. (Live)
Headlining the Field: Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Na Yeon Choi, I.K. Kim and Jessia Korda.
European Tour
Portugal Masters
Dates: October 10-13
Venue: Oceanico Victoria Golf Club, Vilamoura, Portugal
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Headlining the Field: Matteo Manassero, Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Peter Uihlein, Thomas Bjorn, Alvaro Quiros, Francesco Molinari, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Nicolas Colsaerts.
Someone stole a three by three foot, 200 pound golf ball sculpture from The Memorial golf tournament (pictured courtesy of the city of Dublin, OH). The ball is a sculpture, one of several, which is on display until the 2014 Memorial tournament. The sculpture is one of 18 which were sold to sponsors.
The Memorial is offering the thief(s) a mulligan. If they turn the 200 pound golf ball back, undamaged, by midnight Saturday, no questions will be asked. Otherwise, the culprit will be subject to a $2,500 fine.
Questions
Is this golf ball longer off the tee?
Does the driver need to be bigger than 460cc’s?
Is this a four piece ball with a gradational core and soft urethane cover?
Does the ball perform great around the greens and feel soft off the putter?
How big is the green repair tool needed for this ball?
Today is my birthday (please do not send golf gifts hehe). I’m certainly not getting any younger. Each year I lose a little distance off the tee and start wondering if I’ll need to use any of those “male products” which are always advertised on Golf Channel. I’m not talking about buying a Lexus.
So far so good. No Lexus. No enlarged prostate. No balding. No erectile dysfunction. No getting up multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom…
The only problem seems to be my short game, which recently has gotten worse. Perhaps I’ll spend some time today practicing my chipping before my Wednesday afternoon men’s league round with my buddies.
I wonder if my buddies will let me win today? Probably not.
After golf I’ll play with my new baby Seve, who is a little over 11 months old. He is such a joy and makes me feel much younger (except when he screams during the night and wakes everyone up). After Seve goes to bed I’ll enjoy a nice dinner with the fantastic and lovely lady. Wine and a cigar later…
All good.
I guess Cleveland Golf knew my birthday was this week, so they sent me a shiny new Smart Square putter! Click the image below to see more Smart Square putter photos.
I can see the benefits of this putter already. I tend to setup my putting with very square lines. Feet are parallel, eyes, shoulders, hips, toes. All square.
Plus, for those who seem to have a hard time hitting their putts “square” this may be the ticket!
I’ll start my review process asap. Not much season left here. Stay tuned for my review of the Cleveland Golf Smart Square Putter coming soon…