2015 Best of Golf Equipment

As the golf season winds down I wanted to share with you my top picks from the 2015 season. I hope that you have enjoyed my candid reviews throughout the entire 2015 season, my goal was to remain as unbiased as possible throughout the whole process. It has been an absolute pleasure to bring these reviews to you, and it has been a real treat to hit the range and links with so many different products. There are so many great products out there, be sure to check out the product pages for full reviews of all of these products. That said my job to boil it down to a best of list was pretty difficult, but here we go!

As far as Drivers go, the Ping G30 series stood out during my testing. This Driver was my #1 suggestion to friends and fellow golfers when asked, “What Driver should I buy?” The Ping G30, in all 3 of the different versions available, flat out produced great overall results for all types of golfers. I’m not much of a fan of the Turbulators, but the results outweigh cosmetics. Hard to go wrong with this pick.

The Titleist 915 drivers really are a touch of class. Both the D3 and D2 are stunning to look at (easily my favorite looks-wise) with rock solid results for the lower handicap player and mid to higher handicap player. I personally liked the slightly smaller 440cc D3 head over the 460cc D2 head, but both heads flat out preformed at a high level and are a must test for the die hard Titleist fans.

I found the Callaway XR to be exactly what I want from my fairway metals. A simple, clean looking head, easy to launch with a very flat trajectory and solid feel that provides excellent feedback and playability. Whether off the tee, off the deck or in the rough, the Callaway fairway metals have always been solid and the XR model is certainly that.

Like the Callaway XR, the Taylormade AeroBurner really answered the bell and then some. I found this club to be slightly longer with a perfect hot trajectory off the tee and deck, which most of us desire. The White head might scare some away, but results are my bottom line.

Similar to the XR Fairway metal, the XR Hybrid flat performed from anywhere on the golf course. The feel, ball flight and distance won me over, though not your best drop and stop Hybrid if that is your needs. I also like how the Fairway Metal and Hybrid flow together and make it easy to have both in you bag.

Again, the AeroBurner TP Rescue performed much like the AeroBurner TP Fairway Metals with that added distance. Both the TP and non TP versions really preformed excellent for me, but I prefer the slightly open face of the TP version since my miss with a Hybrid is left.

Although the Ping S55 is not quite a true Players iron due to its small cavity and 17-4 stainless steel cast design, the S55 stood out with its crisp feel, excellently controllable ball flight and simple looks. With a well placed Tungsten Toe and Muscle Bound Lower Center of Gravity, the S55 just was pure fun to hit from a clubhead that looks sort of hard to hit.

TaylorMade has incorporated their Slot Technology (Sole and Face) into a Forged Players Design and it is truly worth a good look. The feel of these irons were about as solid as any iron I tested. The looks were stunning and the overall design is very simple. Some players might not find the Face Slot Technology appealing to the eye, but I feel like it framed the face even more. Now it’s in the form of technology instead of just a stamping. One word of caution, the lofts are a bit unique, so please take note.

The whole 2015 Bridgestone line really caught my eye, but the J15 DF were the stand out of the group. I was already a bit taken back by the stunning clean looks of the J15DF before I swung them, but the Dual Pocket Technology from the 1025 Carbon Steel Forged head provided me with a buttery, solid feel that made me stop and think about what just happened. The Dynamic Gold Pro stock shaft only added to the experience since I had never tried that shaft before. Don’t overlook any of the Bridgestone Irons. Excellent clubs.

The i Series replaced the i25 in mid-summer 2015 and I love everything about it. If you are looking for something close to a Players iron appearance but with a much larger sweet spot, look no further than the Ping i Series. I really enjoyed the new shaft offered with the club, the Nippon Modus Pro 105. Ping irons have always been top notch, easy to hit with excellent feedback and ball flight. The i Series is definitely all that.

Just like its forged brother the J15 DF, the Bridgestone J15 Cast provided me with an absolutely terrific feel, excellent distance and with the lighter-weight Nippon 950 shaft it was super easy to swing. While this is a Game Improvement iron it still looks more like a Players Cavity Back Iron head. I’ll say this again, don’t over look the Bridgestone Irons.

It is hard to call these Game Improvement Irons when looking at them, but the cavity is really quite large on these heads. With the addition that these are forged from 1025 Carbon Steel, the JPX 850 are simply a great club to have if your are in need of a larger sweet spot. With an incredible feel to them, these are a surefire standout in this class.

This very oversized iron head was about as easy as it gets for me to swing. With its Speed Channel Face and Dual Cavity design in the 4-8 irons, I was still able to see great results when trying to purposely mishit the face on these heads. Great set of irons for those looking for ultimate forgiveness.

Without a doubt, this is a Super Oversized Iron that really caught my attention. These irons have a few things that differ from what I’ve seen from the industry norm. The stock shaft was very thin which in turn made the grip feel thin as well. However, the feel, the ball flight and just how easy they were to swing, not to mention the overall results easily distracted me from the abnormally thin shaft and grip. The other feature that stood out to me was the lack of the very strong clicking noise that I have experienced with so many other Super Game Improvement heads. For a head this size, with a cavity that big, I was amazed at the sound and feel from the XXOI8 irons.

Srixon Z Star XV

The XV is a slightly firmer version of the two Z Star balls. Both brightness and durability are top notch on this golf ball.

Titleist Pro V1x

A High Performance ball for higher swing speeds. The Pro V1x is a bit more firm feeling with a touch less spin than the Pro V. I find it is excellent off the driver.

Bridgestone e6

This is possibly the best valued ball made for the majority of players out there. It also might be the straightest, too!

Rife V Motion

The Tour level urethane cover on this ball provides an excellent feel with distance and just enough spin. A very nice surprise.

Srixon Z Star

The Z Star is a high performance ball that is one of the brightest and most durable balls out on the market today.

TaylorMade Project(a)

An excellent mid-priced ball that performs at a high level, it even produces surprisingly a fair amount of spin from 60 yards and in.

Titleist Pro V1

The Pro V1 is a high performance ball that always performs year after year, and this version will fit a large group of players.

Srixon Soft Feel

I love the bright white look, super soft feel and overall playability of this ball. Great for a wide range of players.

Titleist NXT Tour S

The Titleist NXT Tour S has great feel for a 2-piece ball, and I loved the yellow version. This ball plays great!

If you really dislike irons, you need to look at this setup. Overall, this hybrid set might have been the easiest set of clubs to swing in all my testing. Adams has always been a leader in the hybrid market and these clubs do not prove otherwise.

To start with the size is perfect. It is not the smallest version on the market, but I found the smaller versions more difficult to hold steady. The 6x zoom will provide you with all you need to be able to locate and scope your target, and you receive a Jolt to confirm a hit of your target. It also offers a Slope option with a removable plate so that it’s still legal for tournament play with many other high end features by far make this my favorite Lazer Range Finder.