2021 Golf Thread

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
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Nov 29, 2005
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Looking to get my dad a retirement gift and he wants a motorized pull cart for his bag. Can anyone give me a recommendation on which model to go with?
We (my sibs and I) chipped in and got my dad an early father's day gift last year: He loved this.

https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/accessories/electric-carts/bat-caddy-golf-x3-classic-caddy-cart/
With it, he can go out and still walk 18 at age 73 while using this, which is PCP loves. (He also finally relented and started playing the senior tees... which brought some enjoyment back into the rounds as well) . I think he rode 4 or so times all of last year (out of maybe 20 rounds played), and those were on the 90*/90% humidity type days.
 

jercra

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If Colorado is worse than NE, then I never want to move to Colorado.

Living in the Midwest was a golfers dream.
There just aren't very many clubs and the good ones are in the $50-100k down and $650-$1000/mo range. There is one that I know that's reasonable ($8k down/~$500/mo), but for me it would be a nightmare to get there during the week. Within a 30 minute drive of my house (downtown Denver is 15 minutes) there are maybe 5 or 6 clubs and the cheapest is around $50k down last time I asked, which was 6 years ago.

“Reasonable” is on a sliding scale too. I meant reasonable for Mass prices, may not be reasonable elsewhere.

Additionally, the public golf here stinks compared to elsewhere. Although I’m golfing in January so I can’t really complain.
We do have a lot of really great public golf here, so that's the flip side of the coin. Even during the hight of the great Covid golf rush you could still walk 18 in under 4.5 hours for between $35-50 generally.
 

jercra

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Looking to get my dad a retirement gift and he wants a motorized pull cart for his bag. Can anyone give me a recommendation on which model to go with?
Does he already have a push cart? If so, I can't recommend the Alphard Club Caddy V2 highly enough. I've had mine since August and it's the best golf purchase I think I've ever made that didn't come off a beverage cart.
 

Phragle

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GCNE has lowered its initiation fee to $27.5k.

I'm probably going to join and would be happy to meet any members. I'm a 21 handicap, so I won't be winning any club championships.
Well congrats on saving 30k!

SkyTrack and Mevo+ are very different animals. SkyTrack is an optical tracker that was designed for light-controlled environments. Because it uses cameras it has some stats like face to path and face angle and such that are pretty accurate. Mevo+ is a doppler radar-based system that doesn't care if it's indoors or out (beyond needing metal dots on the ball indoors) and that does better tracking ball speed, launch angles, club speed, and spin than optical trackers. Sadly, you need to jump up to something like a GC2, GC-Quad, or real Trackman if you want the best of all worlds. If you have an extra $15-25k laying around, that's the way I'd go.

I've been doing lots of research on simulators because this winter in Denver is killing my golf game (snows 1" every weekend and doesn't melt until the following weekend when it snows again) but I haven't pulled the trigger because I keep pushing the price tag up beyond what I'm willing to spend.
Don't think the Mevo+ is good enough?
 

jercra

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Well congrats on saving 30k!


Don't think the Mevo+ is good enough?
Oh, I'm not saying that at all. It's clearly not the same as a GC Quad or a Trackman 4 and I just know that it will drive me crazy if I spend $2k and don't trust the numbers I'm getting, but right now, Mevo+ is the leader on my list of the launch monitors to buy.
 

FL4WL3SS

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We had a massive wind storm roll through Seattle last night that took out power to almost 500k households. I happen to be one of those so I couldn't work today and the sun was out and 50 degrees. Bonus golf day!!!

And to cap off a great day, the power came back on just as I was walking back in the door from the course. Divine intervention today.
 

jercra

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We got your wind today and it finally melted the snow so I could play 9 after a shitload of meetings. 63 and sunny, but with 20-30mph constant and 40-50 gusts (supposed to be 80+ overnight). Great Bandon practice at least.
 

FL4WL3SS

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This was my first round in the past two months that wasn't in 30mph winds. As you know, my course sits right in a mountain-ous valley and it can get pretty windy.

I was relieved to play in generally calm conditions today.
 

jercra

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This was my first round in the past two months that wasn't in 30mph winds. As you know, my course sits right in a mountain-ous valley and it can get pretty windy.

I was relieved to play in generally calm conditions today.
I feel like we should get the @Conigliaro's Potential style hole-by-hole rundown. Doesn't sound like a lot of golf is being played so we need to live vicariously.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Haha I don't have the patience to type that much.

The back 9 was pretty wild though. After being locked in on the first 6 holes, I made bogey on 7 & 8 and then doubled 9 (par 3 all carry over water, flared it into the water) for a 41. I stepped on 10 tee and said "well, guess it's time to shoot 33 on the back".

I par 10, then chip in for par on 11 (after telling my playing partners that it was chip in territory), par 12, then make birdie from off the green on 13 (again telling my playing partners that it was makeable), then birdie 14, miss a 5 foot birdie on 15 (for back to back to back), two putt par on 16, two putt par on 17, and then chip-in birdie on 18 (by this time my playing partners were sick of me calling my shots). Bing bang boom, 33 on the back. Could have reasonably birdied in from 13.

Fun day.
 

jercra

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Now we're talking! Nice round. I'm pretty sure I had a tap in par on 9 for may have been my only par there that day.
 

voidfunkt

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My elbow is still feeling tender from whatever I did to it in the tail end of the 2020 season, but it's a lot better than it was. I started doing some stretches which seem to be helping... I don't cringe anymore when extending it expecting a sharp pain which is good but it still makes a loud popping sound from time to time.

I'm sure it will be fine by April.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My elbow is still feeling tender from whatever I did to it in the tail end of the 2020 season, but it's a lot better than it was. I started doing some stretches which seem to be helping... I don't cringe anymore when extending it expecting a sharp pain which is good but it still makes a loud popping sound from time to time.

I'm sure it will be fine by April.
Get a message, most likely it's your triceps muscles pulling on your tendons.

I've had forearm pain that was a direct result of tightness in my upper back.
 

doldmoose34

impregnated Melissa Theuriau
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re: Bags.. I had a Ping Hoofer that I loved walked with it so much that the strap built into the top of the bag ripped. replaced that with a Callaway Stand that I also ended up pulling the strap off at the top, at least this o.e was attached to a ring that I was able to screw in. I'm now using a Titliest Players 4 that comes with both single and double straps that snap in. it also says Glenmorangie Scotch on the side... it was a raffle prize for the packie I'm spending my retirement working at 1'st anniversary party. Kid who won it was a cook at a local restaurant, I told him it retails for $235 and I've seen it on ebay for $199... if he can't sell it there I'll give him $100 for it. his reply was 'you have the $100? sold
 

TFP

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Played 18 (2 loops) at Cape Ann in Essex on Monday. God what a fun 9 hole course that is. It's rough around the edges but holes 4-8 are outstanding imo.

We had 4 groups out there, skins and stabelford quota game. No one beat their quota, only one guy hit it, everyone else came up way short. For the back 9 it was in the 30s with about 20 mph winds, it was cooooold. Still a fun time though, ended up shooting 87 with an embarrassing short game display. Driver game was on point though.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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Played 18 (2 loops) at Cape Ann in Essex on Monday. God what a fun 9 hole course that is. It's rough around the edges but holes 4-8 are outstanding imo.

We had 4 groups out there, skins and stabelford quota game. No one beat their quota, only one guy hit it, everyone else came up way short. For the back 9 it was in the 30s with about 20 mph winds, it was cooooold. Still a fun time though, ended up shooting 87 with an embarrassing short game display. Driver game was on point though.
Had no idea you were so close. I am like 5 miles from there. I love Cape Ann for what it is, just don't go in July with the greenheads.
 

TFP

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Had no idea you were so close. I am like 5 miles from there. I love Cape Ann for what it is, just don't go in July with the greenheads.
Haha I'm not that close - it was over an hour drive for me to get there.
 

jercra

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Fun article from Golf.com on putting. I'm going to note what my tendencies are next time I play, but I would guarantee I'm not hitting 5 and 10 footers as hard as I should be.

https://golf.com/instruction/putting/how-far-should-you-leave-lag-putts/
Interesting and short article. I have a few quibbles with the comparison of Tour Pros to amateurs in that the pros are playing very similar conditions each week, so it's a little easier for them to dial in their stroke for 10 feet. But, and this will sound funny, the biggest difference between pros and amateurs is that the pros are much better at putting so they can afford to be much worse at putting. What I mean is that pro that knocks one by the hole by 3 feet on a downhill putt is almost certain to make the uphill comebacker, whereas the amateur is much, much more likely to miss. That means pros have the "luxury" of always hitting it past the hole. In other words, I think the basic premise that amateurs think of 10 footers as one putts is flawed. I think most people hope they don't 3 putt from 10 feet.

Edit: That's not to say the overall advice of the article "never up, never in" is wrong in any way.
 

jercra

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So, I just got back from Bandon where we had 4 days of tremendous weather and one day (Sheep Ranch of course) that was bad enough that 3 out of 32 people finished 18 (I was one of them). I'll be back there in October and this is my 20th year of going at least once a year and usually more. But, that last day, man, it was miserable. High 30s, 20-40 mph winds, pouring rain, standing water on the greens... just miserable. Next year the group expands to 44 and it's harder and harder to get into anything but shared rooms and, of course, the price is going up yet again. So, while I love Bandon, my group is ready to try someplace else and I'm looking for ideas. I go to Scottsdale/Tucson/Palm Springs/Etc. for quick weekends all the time, so that's not really appealing as a big trip. Right now, Pinehurst is the leader in the clubhouse. None of us have been there before and the price is pretty comparable. We're looking at March, rather than Jan, because it's fucking cold in NC in Jan. Are there other trips I should be looking at? I've thought of the Robert Trent Jones trail, but none of is will be sober enough to drive from course to course and that sounds like a huge pain in the ass. Looking for warmth and good variety of golf with as little driving as possible.
 

TFP

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Pinehurst is the only other comparable for you, imo. It’s not THAT cold in Jan but March is very doable and more predictable weather-wise than Bandon is. And a legit plethora of courses in a 5 mile radius and is very capable of accommodating a large group. You can’t go wrong and you can all experience the cross country flight we on the east coast endure to get to a golf destination.

Only other thought is Streamsong but I’ve never been so can’t compare.
 

jercra

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Pinehurst is the only other comparable for you, imo. It’s not THAT cold in Jan but March is very doable and more predictable weather-wise than Bandon is. And a legit plethora of courses in a 5 mile radius and is very capable of accommodating a large group. You can’t go wrong and you can all experience the cross country flight we on the east coast endure to get to a golf destination.

Only other thought is Streamsong but I’ve never been so can’t compare.
Well Pinehurst's website sucks. I totally misread their package deal to mean the price for the package when what they really mean is the price per night. 4 nights/5 rounds in Pinehurst is more than double Bandon, and that's staying the Grove Cottages. I'll look into Streamsong, but it looks crazy expensive too. Looks like I'll need to wait a few more years and see if I'm willing to drop $1k/day on golf. Seems unlikely though.
 

TFP

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There’s no way Pinehurst should be double the price of Bandon. Shoot me a PM.
 

Koufax

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Streamsong is like Bandon without the ocean. It's a big dropoff, scenery-wise, but the golf is quite good.

For a group that large, you could hire a bus to take you from site to site on the RTJ trail and you'd still save money over the cost of Bandon. The golf is quite good. When I did it 20 years ago, the accommodations were the challenge. The situation has improved at some of the sites but it may still be problematic.
 

jercra

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Streamsong is like Bandon without the ocean. It's a big dropoff, scenery-wise, but the golf is quite good.

For a group that large, you could hire a bus to take you from site to site on the RTJ trail and you'd still save money over the cost of Bandon. The golf is quite good. When I did it 20 years ago, the accommodations were the challenge. The situation has improved at some of the sites but it may still be problematic.
Sorry if I wasn't clear, but it would only be 6-8 of us who skip Bandon for someplace else. I looked at Streamsong and they get $300/rd. 5 rounds would be $1500, leaving just about $500 to cover lodging and food before it too is more expensive than Bandon. No wonder I don't do many East Coast golf trips.
 

Zomp

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Myrtle? No question the golf, even at the nicest courses, will be a notch below the places you’ve mentioned but a resort like Barefoot has 4 decent courses and some great packages. Or you could stay down south and play TPC, Caledonia, and True Blue.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Sorry if I wasn't clear, but it would only be 6-8 of us who skip Bandon for someplace else. I looked at Streamsong and they get $300/rd. 5 rounds would be $1500, leaving just about $500 to cover lodging and food before it too is more expensive than Bandon. No wonder I don't do many East Coast golf trips.
I dropped 2500-3000 on a Streamsong trip and while it was pretty great, I would def NOT stay on property again. I would stay in Tampa, enjoy the nightlife, casinos, and other extra curricular activities. It's not a bad drive and it's only 3 courses, so doing the drive there and back for three days is doable.

Pinehurst is definitely the play though. Save your pennies and go, you won't regret it.

Of course Zomp recommended Myrtle, but don't go, it's trash. You might as well do Hilton Head instead.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Is this winter travel only?

I’ve played Streamsong on a day trip, and it was nice, but not cheap, especially if you get a caddie.

HH and Myrtle are nice, with lots of course to choose and probably some reasonable lodging options, including condo type rentals.

Vegas would be warm, has a lot of good golf, and I’ve heard can be entertaining at times.

Pinehurst is a great option. Maybe stay off site, but also play some of the other good local courses?

I’d add Whistling Straits. Fly into Milwaukee, and from there. 4 courses if you include the Blackwolf Run courses, and you can likely get shuttle/transportation if you stay at resort. There is a cheaper hotel in the resort than the American Club. But obviously that’s a non starter in winter. And not cheap, but worth it IMO.

Maybe TPC sawgrass and some other courses in area? Sea Pines, GA? Williamsburg, VA? Those will be warm at different times of the year.
 

jercra

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This is a winter/early spring trip which is why I am focusing on the south. I've done Myrtle and Hilton Head and they're both fine but nothing special. I've done Tampa as well and it was great (aside from getting accosted by the police for J walking). Streamsong+Innesbrook could be a good choice. I like the idea of Ponte Vesta Beach but without serious connections, Sawgrass will break the bank. All things considered, ending back up at Bandon wouldn't be so awful.
 

jercra

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I love Az. I even bought property there and will move there in the next few years. But, since I live in Denver, I go there all the time for quick hit weekend kind of trips so I've played just about every course down there and it requires a lot of driving unless you are someplace like Desert Mountain and don't mind having food delivered every day. I think it's between Pinehurst, Streamsong and, of course, Bandon right now. I've looked into Big Cedar Lodge as well, but it's even more expensive than Pinehurst and their website may be even worse. What's with all these "world class" resorts having terrible websites? Bandon's is also terrible.
 

Gunca

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Mar 5, 2020
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I hit balls Monday night and I haven’t been able to get this out of my head since. A friend of mine brought a friend to the trackman bay to join in on a range session. Driving is the best part of my game, and this kid blew me out of the water; he was by my total distance on the fly. 120mph+ swing speed and 180+ ball speed. I almost threw up. Projectile.

Some people just don’t play the same game we play. He’s a former high school state champ who now plays for Assumption college. Little fella, too. I don’t think I’ve ever been so humbled in all the time I’ve played this game.

Like Daniel Cormier once said, “There’s levels to this shit.”
 

TFP

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Playing #2 in 38 degree rain today. Couldn’t be more excited.
 

kelpapa

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@jercra where should I be going around here for club fitting. I was given new clubs as a xmas present last year, but never bought them. Going to do it sometime in the next few months.

I'm planning on playing a lot of golf this year, although I said that before and didn't. Budget for irons is under $1k. I'm a hacker, but would like to get better. I say I'm a 16 handicap but mostly play scrambles, so I don't know what my actual handicap is. Any recommendations for clubs would be great.

I bought a callaway xr driver a few years ago and like it.
 

jercra

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@jercra where should I be going around here for club fitting. I was given new clubs as a xmas present last year, but never bought them. Going to do it sometime in the next few months.

I'm planning on playing a lot of golf this year, although I said that before and didn't. Budget for irons is under $1k. I'm a hacker, but would like to get better. I say I'm a 16 handicap but mostly play scrambles, so I don't know what my actual handicap is. Any recommendations for clubs would be great.

I bought a callaway xr driver a few years ago and like it.
It's a no-brainer around here. Sign up for a complete fitting with D'Lance. You pay once and can get fit again whenever you want for life. Their main offices are down south in Englewood, but Greg is their other fitter and he's at the Sports Stable in Superior, so pretty close to you. He's also a great guy that I just played 18 with on Friday.

Once you're set up and want to play, let me know.
 

voidfunkt

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Looks like a little Spring tease here this week in MA but it doesn't look like it will last until the weekend. I'm getting itchy to swing a club again. I haven't been able to practice since November. Last year before Covid hit I was hitting up CityGolf in downtown Boston daily to get swings in, but without a vaccine I haven't been willing to go this winter.
 

TFP

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Looks like a little Spring tease here this week in MA but it doesn't look like it will last until the weekend. I'm getting itchy to swing a club again. I haven't been able to practice since November. Last year before Covid hit I was hitting up CityGolf in downtown Boston daily to get swings in, but without a vaccine I haven't been willing to go this winter.
Weekend still looks reasonable though. 50 or so.

Just keep it above freezing and we’re golden. Hoping my club opens before the end of the month.
 

voidfunkt

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Weekend still looks reasonable though. 50 or so.
Yea well see. Hoping for a notch upwards as it gets a little closer and more accurate. Really if we can get through the next two weeks we should be good. There's always a freak possibility for late March/April snow... but its rare.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Went in for a fitting at Chris Cote's golf shop in Portland, CT on March 3. Ended up getting almost full new set - 4W, Hybrids 3-6, irons 7-GapW. Kept my Driver, putter and SW for now. Got Callaways - Epic 4W, the rest were Big Berthas. My current irons, Callaway X-22s at are about 10 years old, are lofted a club stronger than my current ones. Not sure I said that right, but the new PW is lofted like my current 9 iron. I had evolved from irons 3-6 to hybrids 3-6 over the last 5 years, and bought used versions of Callways off the interweb (Diablo and Razr) in my quest to cheaply test drive the concept. I seem to hit hybrids the best of any clubs, and the fitter made the same assessment. I was having trouble with the 3W during the fitting so I'm going with a 4W for now, and if things improve where I'm hitting that club OK, I can look into getting a 3W. Seems I'm only at 13 clubs in the bag at this point.

I really should have spent it on lessons, but I do feel inspired, refreshed and perhaps a bit hopeful with the new clubs. I got a mini lesson as part of the fitting, which was free because I made a purchase. They only had 3 of them in stock (4W, 4 and 5 hybrid), and it will take about a month to get the rest. Golf club industry is very busy, it seems. Fittings at this place were essentially sold out for all of March, but maybe that's normal.
 

cshea

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I also got fitted this week, though I just went to Dick's due to convenience.

My previous set was 10 year old Nike's so it was time to invest in a new set of sticks. Demo'd Callaway Mavrik's, Taylormade SIM's and a few PING models. Ended up pulling the trigger on the Callaway Mavrik's, 5-AW. Had the most consistent strike of the bunch I demo'd. The club head and sole are a bit thicker than I'm used to looking after with the Nike's but should help with forgiveness. I was hitting the 7-iron about 165 with a consistent flight and trajectory than some of the other model's I tried. Pretty excited to put them to use with the weather warming up. Also grabbed a Callaway Rogue driver. I hit it better than the Mavrik and it was cheaper so that was an easy call. Though by the time I got to the drivers I was pretty wiped out so I'm sure that impacted some of the results and data I got from the simulator.
 

Plantiers Wart

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I just grabbed Mavrik's as well, over the Mizuno 921s. 4-P. Love them. Feel solid, really forgiving, and the hitting at the same distance. I finally surrendered to aging and replaced stiff shafts with regular. Just can't swing as hard as I used to...And I am going 4 wood, scrapping my 3 and 5 and going with an extra wedge. I hit my 3 hybrid almost as far as I was the 5 wood, and the rare time I pulled the 3W out of the bag and then mishit it means it will not be missed.
 

kelpapa

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It's a no-brainer around here. Sign up for a complete fitting with D'Lance. You pay once and can get fit again whenever you want for life. Their main offices are down south in Englewood, but Greg is their other fitter and he's at the Sports Stable in Superior, so pretty close to you. He's also a great guy that I just played 18 with on Friday.

Once you're set up and want to play, let me know.
Thanks dude. I'll check it out.

First time golfing today in a few months. Golfing at saddle butte in Firestone/Longmont. It was cloudy earlier but it's really nice out now. It's work related and I think there is going to be a lot of that this year.
 

Comfortably Lomb

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I was having trouble with the 3W during the fitting so I'm going with a 4W for now, and if things improve where I'm hitting that club OK, I can look into getting a 3W.
4W (e.g., 16-17 degrees loft) seems to be trendy lately. Marginally shorter but maybe more consistent for a lot of players and easier to hit off the deck. 7W seems to be making a comeback too.