The 2025 Challenge

Hello all,

I thought I'd make you think a little more than we normally do. Here's the game:

You must select, by December 31, 2019, the clubs you will use for 5 years. You will be in golf bliss for 5 years in a tropical paradise, but they have no way of getting you new sticks. You may not replace the equipment until Jan 1, 2025. Some assumptions:

- You basically have an unlimited budget, and you can make your purchases on anything, including equipment that will be out this year.

- You can have up to 17 clubs (+1 below).

- Don't worry about golf balls, as the Tropical Paradise provides all you need.

- BONUS POINT: While we believe we can replace for fix anything that breaks, what's the one club you would buy two of, because GolfWRX?

- Edit - You are exempt from any groove rules until this is over (2024).

- Edit - You can get a 1-for-1 replacement of anything that breaks, but that takes 30 days via boat (see the +1). Bending ok. Groove wear is not a "brake".

Lock it in... what would you do?

Think I could do a full bag of PRGR with the exception of the irons having a shaft change to Modus 120S.

2 of? Probably my PRGR nabla RS 5 wood 18°. It just works for me. I haven't picked up a PRGR club that hasnt worked well for me that's exquisite on my best days, and exquisite on my worst days. Good stuff.

I don't know, but I'd probably be damn good if I used the same set for 5 years.

5 sets in a year? I’m in!

This maybe cheating, but I’m taking my current (irons are on order) short set.

2017 M1 440 driver

M4 18 degree hybrid

National Custom Works 24, 32, 40, 48 degree irons

National Custom Works 56 degree wedge

Just one putter...hmmm...probably one of my Byron Morgan DH89s

Since that’s 8 clubs, I’ll take two sets and then add a 3rd wedge because I’ll be wearing through those grooves.

5 sets in a year? I'm in!

Ummm.…

Cast Hogan radials 3-pw to last longer and modern enough to play long courses but old school enough to play some persimmon rounds

Sm2 56, 64

Nike pro combo di 18

Sq driver, 3wood

Becu anser

And for my extra few clubs I'd bring a set of powerbilt persimmon woods driver 2, 4 for reminiscing.

I wonder how many of the club ho's are having seizures behind the keyboard now?

To answer the thread question....can't do it, and I'm not even much of a club ho.

Until I joined this site 5 years was a minimum I’d get out of clubs

I can't even.

There should be an actual prize for this.

And the prize is you are banned from the site because you aren’t a real WRXer anymore (kidding)

1. Driver: 2016 M2 (I want to see what the hype is about)

2. 3 wood: old aeroburner maybe, but the razr I have works ok, as does the adams tightlies. One of those three, I could live with it.

3-11 Irons: Hogan Apex ’99 blades, 2-E. (Current gamers) Since budget is unlimited I would buy them as close to mint as possible, or have refinished.

12-14 Wedges: I recently bought some Macgregor VIP black forged wedges that I love. So those. 52-56-60.

15- My current putter isn’t going anywhere.

16- Hybrid: big bertha diablo 2hi 18°. Thing’s a rocket launcher from God.

17. 2014 Big Bertha alpha: If that M2 hype isn’t all that, I’ll have something that I know works.

The bonus replacement club would probably be the hybrid. I rarely hit par 5’s in two, but with that club I have a chance.

That’s where I am, and to be honest I wouldnt be too surprised if my bag does wind up looking like that for a good chunk of the next few years. (Irons and wedges, anyway)

If the damn things would just behave, they wouldn’t have to be replaced so frequently....

By 1/1/2024, don’t we all have to throw away our pre-2010 grooved irons and wedges anyway?

What a great idea! Unfortunately, I can barely go 6 months without looking for a replacement club of some kind. Besides, 1/2 the fun of golf is changing equipment and finding out it's NOT the equipment, it's you.

Since I am happy with what I have now. I will take my current set up, with duplicate 52 and 58 wedges, maybe throw in a 2 driving iron like a gapr. For my +1, I will grab another G400 max. Tropical paradise or not, there is a good chance my driver goes for a swim at least once over 5 years.

By 1/1/2024, don’t we all have to throw away our pre-2010 grooved irons and wedges anyway?

Great point. This experiment is exempt for that extra year.

Not gonna happen. After raising kids and putting them through school. After using hand me downs and cheap clubs for years. It’s time for dad to get shiney new toys when he gets the itch.

is this some kind of sick joke?

Umm no, I cannot tell you what my bag will look like in May.

The same wedges for 5 years while playing in a tropical paradise? Are you mad? Those things wouldn't last a year.

With that said I could probably keep my current irons and upcoming driver in my bag for a while. Do shaft upgrades count?

But my putter is like a revolving door.

This is actually a very good way to think about clubs because you'll need something versatile enough to get through various situations, minor swing changes, body/strength changes etc. You'd want to play it safe without being too careful, an approach which might otherwise be the best way to choose your club commitment.

I'd definitely stick with my 919s and mizuno st180s but I'd change shafts from Hzrdus to something with more spin.

Do we get loft and lie adjustments for our irons/wedges, for those choosing a softer set that will more easily get knocked out of alignment?

If that's a yes.... my irons will be one of my sets of Golden Ram Tour Grinds, 1-PW, with a Ram TG-898 56* and a Maltby M Series 60* that I've grown fond of. I'll likely also carry a Ram Feel Matched 858, for those times I wish to have a 58* wedge in play instead of the 56 and/or 60. Toss in a Maxfli Revolution black dot 1 iron I've gotten fond of, for alternative usage with the Golden Ram 1 iron.

If no loft and lie adjustments allowed... irons will be special order Ping Eye2+, 2-PW, clubheads tweaked so as to not have negative bounce in the long irons as the Eye2 do. Wedges, ISI-S SW, SW2, SW3, and LW. Mix and match!

Iron shafts in either case will be either RIP Tour 115 or Fuji Pro 115 Tour Spec, or maybe something like Ping ZZ65 Cushin, or even the ZZLite with Cushin inserts. Because my elbows aren't getting any younger, and 5 years of golf.

Driver and 3w will be King LTD, set to 43.5" and 42" playing lengths. Since all costs are off, let's go with Fuji Motore Speeder 8.2 and 9.2 TS shafts, with flex set to properly fit my aging self.

Putter will be whoever can give me something that has the head shape of the Cleveland Huntington Beach 2, with a hosel like the Designed By (or 8802, if you prefer) changed my mind, I'll just go with a brand new, Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, black shaft, black Pure Grip standard size, 34.5".

let's do this for real.

let's do this for real.

I agree. I'm going to start by telling my wife I'm buying a whole new bag, bottom to top with everything I'll need for the next 5 years. Is it legal to live in storage units?

Do we get loft and lie adjustments for our irons/wedges, for those choosing a softer set that will more easily get knocked out of alignment?

 

If that's a yes.... my irons will be one of my sets of Golden Ram Tour Grinds, 1-PW, with a Ram TG-898 56* and a Maltby M Series 60* that I've grown fond of. I'll likely also carry a Ram Feel Matched 858, for those times I wish to have a 58* wedge in play instead of the 56 and/or 60. Toss in a Maxfli Revolution black dot 1 iron I've gotten fond of, for alternative usage with the Golden Ram 1 iron.

 

If no loft and lie adjustments allowed... irons will be special order Ping Eye2+, 2-PW, clubheads tweaked so as to not have negative bounce in the long irons as the Eye2 do. Wedges, ISI-S SW, SW2, SW3, and LW. Mix and match!

 

Iron shafts in either case will be either RIP Tour 115 or Fuji Pro 115 Tour Spec, or maybe something like Ping ZZ65 Cushin, or even the ZZLite with Cushin inserts. Because my elbows aren't getting any younger, and 5 years of golf.

 

Driver and 3w will be King LTD, set to 43.5" and 42" playing lengths. Since all costs are off, let's go with Fuji Motore Speeder 8.2 and 9.2 TS shafts, with flex set to properly fit my aging self.

 

Putter will be whoever can give me something that has the head shape of the Cleveland Huntington Beach 2, with a hosel like the Designed By (or 8802, if you prefer) changed my mind, I'll just go with a brand new, Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, black shaft, black Pure Grip standard size, 34.5".

Bending can happen. It's getting you new clubs you can't do. No "new" equipment, including shafts. Broken can be replaced by special order of the Prime Minister. ;)

Bentley Full Set

The same wedges for 5 years while playing in a tropical paradise? Are you mad? Those things wouldn't last a year.

 

With that said I could probably keep my current irons and upcoming driver in my bag for a while. Do shaft upgrades count?

 

But my putter is like a revolving door.

You can get a 1-for-1 replacement of anything that breaks. Worn grooves might decide some things. OTOH, the last pro I caddied for had a dimple on his wedge that might have looked like a ball-peen hammer hit it squarely 3 times where the ball was, and wouldn't change it. Different strokes...

To me this is hard, i replace my wedges every year. If we had an exemption for something like that i would try it.

Driver: 2016 Taylormade M2 8.5

3wood: TEE CBX

Driving Iron: PXG 0311X

3-PW: National Custom MB's

Wedges: Artisan 50/55/60

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Button Back