Is Cleveland the most under rated OEM today?

[Zach Attack]

I swear, Cleveland has some of the most BEAUTIFUL looking clubs in their line up right now. The 588 line is one of the best player's lines of clubs I have seen in a very long time, yet, I have not seen/heard very much buzz about them from anybody outside a very limited amount of talk here on WRX.

 

 

Add to that some great, affordable custom putters from Never Compromise and wonderful golf balls from Srixon, you'd think Cleveland would be one of the most talked about and played clubs out there. But they're not. Why is that?

[serveitup911]

Loving my Tour Mashie hybrid! Great performance, sound, & feel. I like how they have gone to Miyazaki as stock shafts in lots of their offerings.

[SoCalTitleist]

Cleveland and Adams are very underated.

[Gus_13]

I love Cleveland stuff. I'm trying to decide now whether or not to pull the trigger on 588 CBs. I dunno how well I will hit them. My brother in law swears I could hit them. I hit AP2s and Adams CB1s very well but those are a different animal. May as well go for it. I can always put em on BST ha ha.

[stimpmeterp]

[quote name='serveitup911' timestamp='1332473464' post='4560874']
Loving my Tour Mashie hybrid! Great performance, sound, & feel. I like how they have gone to Miyazaki as stock shafts in lots of their offerings.
[/quote]

+ 1

[leftypga]

I wouldn't say Cleveland is underrated. They have some ok equipment. I loved the original 588s and the TA3. Just not anything that stands out performance-wise over all of the other options. Actually, I think the new 588 line looks a bit chunky and cheap looking. Cleveland rarely takes chances with their designs, and when they do, it's usually a flop. Again, I'm not saying their clubs are bad, just that there is almost always a better choice when I'm looking for a new club.

As for Adams, I would say that if anything, they are overrated. They used to make some great clubs, but now they're relying too hard on gimmicks. I can't buy into the silver-headed woods and the speed slots. Looks like they are a good match for the Taylormade purchase.

[Thrillhouse]

No, bridgestone is way more underrated than cleveland. The only place bridgestone gets any love is on this site. Everywhere else people are all "why would I want a set of clubs from a tire company?" and im all, "shut up, eat your mozzarella sticks, and leave bennigans!".

[southpaw72]

My bag will soon be all Cleveland except for the putter for now atleast. Cleveland classic order, cg1's in the bag, cleveland wedges and planning on getting a hibore fairway off the bay soon. I believe they are the most underated company. Srixon balls are great as well. Having miyazaki shafts as a stock shaft is a great move by cleveland as well.

[wobgon]

[quote name='leftypga' timestamp='1332474420' post='4560970']
I wouldn't say Cleveland is underrated. They have some ok equipment. I loved the original 588s and the TA3. Just not anything that stands out performance-wise over all of the other options. Actually, I think the new 588 line looks a bit chunky and cheap looking. Cleveland rarely takes chances with their designs, and when they do, it's usually a flop. Again, I'm not saying their clubs are bad, just that there is almost always a better choice when I'm looking for a new club.

As for Adams, I would say that if anything, they are overrated. They used to make some great clubs, but now they're relying too hard on gimmicks. I can't buy into the silver-headed woods and the speed slots. Looks like they are a good match for the Taylormade purchase.
[/quote]

Not bad clubs. A step above Nike.

[HISPL]

Bridgestone are definitely more "underrated" IMO.

Amazing product, it just needs some better marketing!

[Par Fore]

Bridgestone more underrated,soft forging great feel and forgiveness in their irons. Low spin drivers all around solid everything.

[square]

Overrated, maybe.
I thinj the new Classic line of drivers has too deep of a face and the retro look of faux insert seems like a reach.
Last years 270-290-310 drivers have a great head shape and nice clean top, but the impact sound is a little hollow, tinny.
The Srixon balls have a nice soft sound, but I think that comes from low compression. The problem, with low compression balls has always been inconsistent carry distance control.
Awhile back I lost some respect for Cleveland when the company's President was doing t.v. commercials pushing non-conforming wedges.
In my opinion Ping is the underrated golf company right now. Ping does many things so much better than any other company it is remarkable.



[quote name='Zach Attack' timestamp='1332472491' post='4560774']
I swear, Cleveland has some of the most BEAUTIFUL looking clubs in their line up right now. The 588 line is one of the best player's lines of clubs I have seen in a very long time, yet, I have not seen/heard very much buzz about them from anybody outside a very limited amount of talk here on WRX.


Add to that some great, affordable custom putters from Never Compromise and wonderful golf balls from Srixon, you'd think Cleveland would be one of the most talked about and played clubs out there. But they're not. Why is that?
[/quote]

[kitsoasis]

[quote name='square' timestamp='1332477171' post='4561168']
Overrated, maybe.
I thinj the new Classic line of drivers has too deep of a face and the retro look of faux insert seems like a reach.
Last years 270-290-310 drivers have a great head shape and nice clean top, but the impact sound is a little hollow, tinny.
The Srixon balls have a nice soft sound, but I think that comes from low compression. The problem, with low compression balls has always been inconsistent carry distance control.
Awhile back I lost some respect for Cleveland when the company's President was doing t.v. commercials pushing non-conforming wedges.
In my opinion Ping is the underrated golf company right now. Ping does many things so much better than any other company it is remarkable.
[/quote]

The Cleveland dribble aside.

How can Ping, one of the most universally loved golf brands, be underrated?

[SurfinTurf]

[quote name='SoCalTitleist' timestamp='1332473679' post='4560892']
Cleveland and Adams are very underated.
[/quote]
Adams is on it's last legs now. Thank you Taylormade.

Cleveland still rocks though. I bag their old wedges and love them. I'm looking into those black pearl irons right now. Hotshot at the clubhouse uses a Cleveland driver with some light-weight Miyazaki shaft and kills it.

[square]

"Cleveland dribble"?


[quote name='kitsoasis' timestamp='1332477575' post='4561188']
[quote name='square' timestamp='1332477171' post='4561168']
Overrated, maybe.
I thinj the new Classic line of drivers has too deep of a face and the retro look of faux insert seems like a reach.
Last years 270-290-310 drivers have a great head shape and nice clean top, but the impact sound is a little hollow, tinny.
The Srixon balls have a nice soft sound, but I think that comes from low compression. The problem, with low compression balls has always been inconsistent carry distance control.
Awhile back I lost some respect for Cleveland when the company's President was doing t.v. commercials pushing non-conforming wedges.
In my opinion Ping is the underrated golf company right now. Ping does many things so much better than any other company it is remarkable.
[/quote]

The Cleveland dribble aside.

How can Ping, one of the most universally loved golf brands, be underrated?
[/quote]

[leftypga]

[quote name='wobgon' timestamp='1332475162' post='4561036']
Not bad clubs. A step above Nike.
[/quote]

You've obviously not hit any of the recent Nike offerings. I was a Titleist man for years, but Nike has infiltrated almost my entire bag. The irons are some of the most solid I've ever hit. I probably wouldn't have tried the woods if they weren't given to me, but I'm so glad I did. I'm not completely sold on the putter yet, but It just performs. TM wedges aren't going anywhere for a long time. While Nike is stepping up their game to challenge the big boys, Cleveland is simply fading away.

[leftypga]

I do have to agree with the Ping comment. They have been innovators from the very beginning and hands down have the best custom fitting in the industry. Yet lately I can't think of anyone at my home club except for myself (and that's only 3 days old) that plays a single Ping wood, iron, or wedge. You don't even see many players using Ping putters anymore. What gives? I know for me, I tend to buy clubs after they have gone down in price a bit, but Ping clubs just seem to hold their value better than others. Still, I remember not so many years ago when nearly half of the golfers I played with used Ping irons.

[Colonel_Mustard]

[quote name='leftypga' timestamp='1332480655' post='4561382']
I do have to agree with the Ping comment. They have been innovators from the very beginning and hands down have the best custom fitting in the industry. Yet lately I can't think of anyone at my home club except for myself (and that's only 3 days old) that plays a single Ping wood, iron, or wedge. You don't even see many players using Ping putters anymore. What gives? I know for me, I tend to buy clubs after they have gone down in price a bit, but Ping clubs just seem to hold their value better than others. Still, I remember not so many years ago when nearly half of the golfers I played with used Ping irons.
[/quote]

Pings are good, solid clubs that do the job they're supposed to do. Their problem is that a great many people find them incredibly ugly and there are plenty of good, solid clubs that do the same job as Pings but just look a lot better and are often cheaper too.

I keep wanting to buy the S56 but every time I am about to pull the trigger on them I try and find some excuse for not doing so and I am sure that this is due to their appearance.

[SurfinTurf]

I was a full-on ping fanboy. No longer..

Just to re-iterate..

[b]Cleveland rocks!![/b]

[Thrillhouse]

Man I can't believe people are saying they don't see anyone playing ping clubs, ping irons are probably the most popular iron around here, tons of people playing them.

[cmrl1986]

I love everything Cleveland. Had full Cleveland bag once. Adams also makes great equipment and I agree with the op, they are both underrated. I have adams irons, Cleveland wedges, and now a Cleveland classic #7 has kicked the mil spec out of the bag for the time being. Oh, and I should be receiving my cg7 tour heads tomorrow, they may find there way in the bag as well. I love Cleveland because they make just as good of quality equipment as anyone else, but keep their prices realistic.

[Rustynuts]

Cleveland is like Burger King, tastes ok but is certainly not fine dinning. I had a good look at the new retro classic driver and I thought it was horrid. They somehow managed to ruin the 588 wedge, something about it is not quite right. Irons look ok except for massively jacked up lofts.

[ceasterb]

[quote name='Gus_13' timestamp='1332474212' post='4560944']
I love Cleveland stuff. In trying to decide now whether or not to pull the trigger on 588 CBs. I dunno how well I will hit them. My brother in law swears I could hit them. I hit AP2s and Adams CB1s very well but those are a different animal. May as well go for it. I can always put em on BST ha ha.
[/quote]
I hit the 588 cbs at a demo day recently. It's really a great feeling and looking clubs that I feel is fairly forgiving. Try'em and I bet you'll like 'em. My one surprise is that they looked a bit bigger than I thought. Very much a "players club"look, but not as small as say my old MP32s are.

On a side note, I use the Mashie 2 and 4 hybrids an love them. Easy to hit and the sound is great. I'm ambivelant about the retro look, but it does not bother me. The clubs just work.

[Ranger Rick]

I think most companies these days are great, there are very few companies you couldn't bag from driver to putter. Adams woods and hybrids have been great for a long time, WRXers love their irons, wedges are a touch lacking but apparently the Pugiellies can hold their own and Yes! putters are great. Cleveland too, Nike, Callaway, Titliest all fit the bill. Cobra don't have putters but their equipment is solid, the list goes on. I don't think there is a thing as under-rated in golf anymore. Just under marketed.

[jokerusn]

[quote name='Ranger Rick' timestamp='1332495792' post='4561666']
I think most companies these days are great, there are very few companies you couldn't bag from driver to putter. Adams woods and hybrids have been great for a long time, WRXers love their irons, wedges are a touch lacking but apparently the Pugiellies can hold their own and Yes! putters are great. Cleveland too, Nike, Callaway, Titliest all fit the bill. Cobra don't have putters but their equipment is solid, the list goes on. [b]I don't think there is a thing as under-rated in golf anymore. Just under marketed.[/b]
[/quote]

This. But because companies market poorly or only for a specific type of product (Cleveland wedges, Adams hybrids, TM woods, etc) their other products are thought of as inferior. Lately, I've seen more ads/commercials from companies for their entire line which IMO is going help fix that perception.

[jeffrey r]

[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1332482539' post='4561454']
Man I can't believe people are saying they don't see anyone playing ping clubs, ping irons are probably the most popular iron around here, tons of people playing them.
[/quote]

Gotta agree--Ping clubs are very popular at my club, whether Zing or Eye 2 irons, the i or G series irons, Rapture and G series woods, you name it. It's pretty much Ping, TM and Callaway, with a sprinkling from some other brands like Mizuno. And of course Cleveland wedges are always popular and prevalent, as they should be.

[Myherobobhope]

[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1332482539' post='4561454']
Man I can't believe people are saying they don't see anyone playing ping clubs, ping irons are probably the most popular iron around here, tons of people playing them.
[/quote]


Lots of people play Ping... I think they also tend not be golf ho's. My dad has had 4 sets of Pings over the past 20 years. I think he has g10 woods as well and possibly a g15 driver.

They make solid clubs that last forever...

[J13]

[quote name='SoCalTitleist' timestamp='1332473679' post='4560892']
Cleveland and Adams are very underated.
[/quote]

I feel Nike and Bridgestone hold the title.

[mantan]

Cleveland is still trying to recover from the clip it unloaded in their foot a few years ago.

It wasn't that long ago that Cleveland was a well respected brand with a great line across the board. The Cleveland Launcher/Comp drivers and woods, the TA7, TA5 and TA3 line of irons and of course whole thing was anchored by the venerable wedge line.

But they went astray with the ill fated Carbon Metal Matrix (CMM) experiment for a few years. That resulted in a bunch of marshmallow feeling/poor wearing irons and wedges that killed their momentum. They emerged from that mess with a their reputation beat up a bit. Even scarier, the market had changed dramatically with a LOT more solid GI offerings out there at the same price point and even worse, Callaway and PING prices easing down from the 'premium' prices they used to have. And worst of all, the wedge market had more than caught up with Vokey becoming the flagship wedge and other designs (like the stuff Roger Cleveland was putting out at Callaway) getting as much buzz as what Cleveland rolled out.

It seems like they've struggled to find that 'killer product' that got the buzz of the 588, TA5, TA7, Cleveland Comp, V-Steel woods in the past. They have resorted to cheap marketing gimmicks like the 'get your next iron upgrade free' or 'please let us mail you this CG16 demo 7 irons, PLEASE!' to try to get market traction. I try them every demo day and their their stuff seems like a grab bag of just decent to pretty good.

The idea of a forged 588 is brilliant. But frankly it's about 5 years too late. It's gotten to the point where even the 588 has lost the luster....heck, a lot of younger golfers don't even know how big it used to be. Overall I think they are properly rated. A decent company that makes some good golf equipment, but nothing that really stands out in a crowded market place.

[blt2280]

Nice post and timeline Mantan. I for one am excited about the 588.cb, cleveland classic driver. Hopefully they will get back into the game with those.