2020 Hot List

Am I missing something? I just received a Golf Galaxy flyer in the mail touting the Golf Digest 2020 Hot List clubs. But I don't see the actual Hot List posted anywhere. It's not on Golf Digest's website. It doesn't pop up when googled.

Are GG and GD in "Cahoots"? Did GG buy the rights to early info release???

I read something back in early December I believe from one of the guys who participated in the testing. His article led me to believe that the testing occurred in November. All the manufacturers know where their clubs landed on the Hot List. They probably time it all to allow Golf Digest to finalize their results prior to marketing time for their new clubs. Clubs are then announced at the PGA Show to create buzz and then manufacturer and retail store marketing all syncs up as the clubs make it to retail. I know the Hot List usually drops near the end of January so it'll probably be next week or the following for it to be on Golf Digest's site. But I'm sure all the major stores and definitely all the manufacturers have known for a while where the clubs rank on the Hot List. I'm just curious how long the Hot List can survive with the spies doing a little better with the most wanted lists.

Aren't all of the spots based bidding? Gold clubs typically donated the most money to Golf digest?

They are "in cahoots" to the degree that GG and/or the OEMs have likely paid GD for the right to use GD's ratings in their advertising.

The hot list release has to take into account print lead times, but the results are known well before that. Just like equipment pics and info, there are surely NDAs and embargo dates for the hot list. Everyone is trying to line up to a date - likely the PGA show in this case - but with mass mailings, delivery times can be all over the map.

Does your GG flyer by any chance say something along the lines of "Postmaster, deliver after" a certain date?

It does not have anything related to "deliver after", etc.

If I were GD, I'd be pissed that GG released before the mag did.

This isn't the first time someone has jumped the gun on these things.

If they feel that strongly about it, they'd have some consequences built in for jumping the gun.

While they may not be thrilled, it would also be tough to demonstrate how GD was "damaged" by this.

It creates some buzz around the hotlist.

Print media in general isn't what it once was, so driving away advertisers/licensees the size of Dick's is something to be weighed.

It's not like it's costing them subscription sales. As it is, they've had the hotlist posted on their web site (for free) before print editions show up.

I used to wait for the Golf Digest Hot List issue with bated breath. But now I see it for what it is. It's a marketing con, and it really just needs to go away. Instead, Golf Digest should skip the phony ratings/reviews and just come out with annual equipment issue, highlighting all the new products for the year.

In case anyone still cares... 2020 Hot List | Best Golf Clubs & Balls - Golf DigestI find it INSANE that the Ping 410 series didnt make gold or silver for drivers, woods or hybrids. Ping is in there for irons, even with the 2 year old iBlade, how did their woods not make the cut?!

I thought the same thing! All were on the list last year. It can't be that they are not new because the Titleist offerings from last year are on the list. Very strange!

Has anyone even really paid attention to the HL in the list decade? I mean for real club buying information?

I haven’t... got bored and looked at it this year. No useful information and the top brands all got gold. It’s decent as a list of new releases, I guess.

Believe that someone posted elsewhere that if a product has had a price reduction it's no longer included.

Of course the TS drivers have had a price reduction and they're still there. Maybe Titleist held off of theirs until they knew the list was locked down?

why do people even care about the hot list lol? It is very obviously paid advertising.

If you want actual analytical information about the best equipment you should use that one website cough M.G.S cough that actually does extensive testing and provides analytics.

It should be a list of who paid the most advertising dollars.

The list is nothing if not predictable.

Loved how the Hot Metal was 4.5 stars for 'innovation', but the HM Pro was only 4.

Ping might not have sent them for 'testing'.

My GD came with the GG flyer.

Totally agree. When the Hot List first came out years and years ago I believed the ratings in it at first but realized it was just a marketing scam soon after. I used to be a subscriber to GD since I started golfing in most of the 2000s but as soon as it was less of a Golf magazine and more of a Golf version of TMZ I stopped subscribing. To me it is so bad now I hardly even download a PDF version of their issues for free from my private Bitorrent site.

Hot list is a joke. People would obviously be better joining WRX, but even youtube would be a better use of time.

I'm done with the Golf Digest Hot List. Ping 410 driver should have been there for 2020. I don't care if there was a price drop. I'll stay with reading Golf WRX which showed the best drivers for 2019. Looking forward to 2020 to check out the best of the best.

I remember when the Hot List would give the measurements of the sole and top lines of the 6 irons, loft #’s of each pitching wedge. I used to look forward to it. Not anymore, it’s just pictures and prices now.

Wait, people actually think m.g.s. is a valuable 'information' source? 'Non biased' yet peddle complete garbage...

I haven't seen them ever be partial to any brand or give anything but statistic backed information. So unless they are fudging the stats they are giving I have no reason to think they aren't the best source of objective information.