Cobra KING F8 Driver Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

I played the Cobra KING F8 driver on some pretty tough courses this year.  If you don't hit the fairways on tracks like Harbour Town and Oakland Hills your hurt will be endless.  On other courses like Firestone South and Shinnecock Hills distance off the tee is always going to be your best friend. 

 

No matter what course I stepped onto this season, the F8 gave me complete confidence that I could hit the ball as far and as accurately as I needed to.  Sure I hit some shots that were blooper reel material, but for combined distance, accuracy, and forgiveness, the F8 was still one of my top-3 drivers of the year.  And in one of those rare instances in golf, I can honestly say the F8 made me a better overall driver of the ball.

Titleist Players 4 Golf Stand Bag Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

I used to be that dude who had to play with a staff bag because well, I thought it looked insanely cool.  And then the day came when I played a course that only allowed walking, and lugging around that full size bag over my shoulder made me realize I'm definitely not Kratos from Gods of War.  It was time for a stand bag. 

 

The Titleist Players 4 checked off all the boxes in what I was looking for in a stand bag.  It was lightweight, and turned out to be season long durable.  It had plenty of pocket space (and you'd be surprised how many companies miss the boat on this one), giving it ample storage room.  And most importantly, it was very comfortable to carry.  Overall, you'll be hard pressed to find a stand bag that's better looking or more functional than the Players 4. 

Cleveland Golf RTX-4 Sand Wedge Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

Golf is a frustrating game.  Always has been, always will be.  From tee to green, the variety of unpleasant shots we're forced to hit and ridiculous lies we're compelled to escape from can be downright traumatic.  And the bunker shot might be the most menacing of all.  Unless you're hitting the new Cleveland Golf RTX-4 sand wedge. 

 

More golfers have probably sworn off golf from the bunkers than any other location on the course.  It's not just escaping them to favorable locations that's so maddening, it can just  be escaping them period.  The RTX-4 makes it easy to dominate from the sand thanks to incredible spin, intelligent sole grinds, and exceptional balance and weighting.  Oh yeah, and they're also pretty versatile from the fairway and rough. 

5th Annual PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway: Aldila, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, CRU, Mitsubishi, Srixon, Titleist, Wilson, and More!

It's time again for my PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway, and it's going to be wilder and bigger than ever friends.  That's because this year has been wilder and bigger than ever, and I have you to thank for that.  We have equipment and gear from Aldila, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, CRU Golf, Mitsubishi, Srixon, Titleist, Wilson, and more! 

 

Before we get into the details on how to enter and what you can win, and even before I recap some highlights of the year for you like I do every year, first I want to say thank you. 

Go Big or Go Home: COBRA PUMA Expanding Presence at 2019 PGA Merchandise Show

Cobra PUMA Golf will have its largest presence ever at a PGA Merchandise Show this upcoming January in Orlando, and you better believe it's more than just chest puffing. 

 

Riding an incredible wave of momentum over the last three years, and have expanded their industry footprint with some absolutely fantastic clubs and cutting edge technologies, Cobra PUMA is looking to keep its foot on the gas and make 2019 perhaps one of the most significant in company history. 

A Legend Returns: 2019 Callaway Golf Big Bertha Irons and Hybrids Preview

The Big Bertha name has always been synonymous with innovation, technology, and fun.  And this epic name might be pushing the boundaries of what's possible to such an extent that it could transform an entire category of golf clubs. 

 

Callaway Golf will be releasing their next generation Big Bertha irons and hybrids as soon as the calendar flips to January, and if you're a player looking for maximum distance, launch, and forgiveness all in one package, these easy-to-hit clubs promise to meet your every single need. 

Fast and Furious: Cobra KING F9 Speedback Driver Preview

Last year the Cobra Golf's KING F8 driver was all about accuracy with the first CNC milled face in a driver.  This year however, Cobra is all about distance.  And the new KING F9 Speedback drivers promise to launch high, spin low, and provide never before seen speeds from a Cobra driver. 

 

Cobra is calling the F9 the King of Speed, and the most aeroficient driver they've ever made.  Of course aeroficient isn't really a word, but they're using to to explain the blend of aerodynamics and transfer of energy in the F9 drivers.  Let's take a closer look at three of the key technologies in this driver that's scheduled for release in early January 2019. 

FIRST LOOK: Cobra Golf KING F9 Speedback Driver

Some big embargo dates are lifting tomorrow in the equipment world, but today we got a sneak peak of one of the new clubs coming in 2019.  The Cobra KING F9 Speedback driver appeared on the USGA's list of conforming driver heads earlier today, and there's plenty of information there to sort through if you can't wait until tomorrow to learn all about it. 

 

I've included a picture of the new Speedback driver, as well as similar views of the F8 and F8+ drivers so you can get a better ideal of what's coming, and more particularly, how the F9 Speedback will be different. 

Double Impact: FootJoy Tour-S Dual BOA Golf Shoes Preview

The new FootJoy Tour-S Dual BOA golf shoes are everything you've come to expect from the Tour-S, with the added adjustability and responsiveness of a double BOA system. 

 

You could just as easily call this a zonal BOA system because the two BOA dials tighten the upper area of the shoe separately from the instep and heel lock.  Although a double BOA system may seem complicated or arbitrary to some, the result is a precision fit like you've never experienced before.

White Heat: Ben Hogan Golf Ft. Worth WHITE Irons Preview

Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company has introduced a complimentary line of custom, hand-crafted forged irons that answer widespread golfer demand for a traditional nickel-chrome clubhead finish called the Ft. Worth WHITE Irons. 

 

These new blade-style irons join the popular Ft. Worth BLACK irons, one of Ben Hogan Golf's most successful product lines which featured a unique Diamond Black Metal (DBM) finish. 

Ricksy Business: Cobra Golf 2019 KING Forged CB & MB Irons Preview

Cobra Golf has announced a new line of players irons designed with the help on Rickie Fowler that promise buttery soft feel and unrivaled precision.  The new high performance KING Forged CB/MB progressive iron set utilizes a sleek design and tour-proven technologies that consistently deliver the workability and shot-shaping control needed to be competitive on course. 

 

The Forged CB/MB set flows from a forgiving players cavity-back (CB) shape in the 4-6 irons to a traditional muscle-back (MB) shape in the 7-PW, and is designed to deliver more playability compared to the full MB prototype set Fowler has in the bag. 

Australian Amateur Golfer Sinks Two Holes In One in Same Round

Jim Grant has been golfing for about 15 years and carries a respectable 14 handicap.  But yesterday Grant admits he was just on the course with some friends to have some fun.  And Grant took fun to an entirely new level making not one, but two hole-in-ones in the same round. 

 

The odds of making two aces in the same session are 67 million-to-one.  Not quite the 1 in 292 million offs of winning the 1.5 billion Mega Millions lottery from a few nights ago, but still pretty crazy - all things considered.  Only three golfers have recorded two holes-in-one in the same round on the PGA Tour. 

TaylorMade Golf Pulls Out of 2019 PGA Merchandise Show

TaylorMade Golf announced today it will not attend the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, instead focusing on support for PGA professionals and other growth initiatives that CEO David Abeles believes will "create an even greater value for the game of golf." 

 

The last time a buzz-generating, anchor exhibitor pulled out of the Show (Nike Golf), it wasn’t long before they shut down their equipment business. 

Oakland Hills Country Club Play With Pete Invitational Giveaway

If you follow me on twitter and Instagram you know this weekend was the stuff of dreams come true.  I was out at historic Oakland Hills Country Club playing and reviewing the course, and on Sunday decided to surprise 3 players and invite them with me to play this hallowed ground.  Pretty sure that's never been done before, and the experience was as memorable as it gets. 

 

Some sent me their golfing resumes hoping to join, others were willing to hop on flights from Florida, California, and even another country to walk in the footsteps of Hogan, Palmer, Hagen and the biggest legends in golf.  Oakland Hills Country Club is a one of the greatest courses in the world and its history is unrivaled. 

Transforming Speed: Titleist TS2 and TS3 Driver Preview

The new Titleist TS2 and TS3 drivers are the result of Titleist's two-year mission to design greater speed into every detail of driver technology.  TS stands for Titleist Speed (although I've seen some call it Tour Speed), and you've already seen them in play on the PGA Tour.  I can tell you however, that TS could and "should" just as easily stand for "transforming speed," because these new drivers are going to blaze a trail with both better players and slower swing speed amateurs alike. 

 

The TS drivers and fairway woods won't be available to buy until later this month, but I went to a local demo day earlier this week and was absolutely blown away by the results.  I gained more carry and total yards with both TS models than a current driver I play from another OEM, and the improvements were supersonic compared to an older Titleist driver I still take out every once in awhile. 

Fancy Footwork: Callaway Golf 2019 Skyline Golf Shoes Preview

Callaway Golf stepped back into the golf shoe game in a strong way in 2018 with new models boasting technology that delivered unrivaled comfort, traction, and stability.  The La Grange and Swami 2.0 were two of my favorite and highest rated golf shoes of the season, and performed well in both dry and wet conditions. 

 

Callaway is now expanding their spikeless shoe collection for 2019, and the new Skyline shoes promise an excellent combination of performance, comfort, and affordability.  Scheduled to be released in October, the Skyline have their roots in technological performance, with an appearance that's clean and contemporary. 

Cleveland Golf RTX-4 Wedge - First Look Preview

Cleveland Golf is releasing the new RTX-4, their most tour-authentic wedge ever created.  Enhanced with fourth generation Rotex, the new wedges will launch September 14th, 2018.  Cleveland held nothing back during RTX-4 development, creating a made-for-Tour wedge in its purest form. 

 

Cleveland utilized its latest face technologies, Tour-preferred shaping, expanded its grind options to design what they're calling their most Tour authentic wedge of all time. 

Ben Hogan Birthday Giveaway: Ben Hogan Tour Authentic Golf Visors

It's Ben Hogan's birthday today, and to celebrate the legend I'm giving away three (3) Ben Hogan Tour Authentic Visors. 

 

You can enter on twitter and Instagram.  On twitter just RT my giveaway announcement and be sure you're following both me and Ben Hogan Golf Equipment on twitter @BHGolfEquipment. 

Firestone Country Club - South Course Review: Back-9 (2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

I only needed to play the front-9 of the South Course at Firestone Country Club to learn this is a course that's as testing as it is beautiful.  Trees help mark the true lines of play, fairways have right sides and wrong sides, and undulating greens are heavily defended with bunkers - particularly on the front and sides of the putting surfaces.  I'd reflect more on my experience once the entire round was over, but I couldn't help but think about a few more things as I made the turn to the back-9. 

 

The South Course won't ever be mistaken for a C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, or A.W. Tillinghast design.  But the South Course's charm is laying it all out right in front of you.  South shows you what shots you have to hit, and then rewards you or punishes you depending on your execution.  Wide fairways give players more options off the tee yes, but it's just as much a test of skill to hit straight drives on South's narrow fairways as it is to work the ball more on wider ones. 

Firestone Country Club - South Course Review: Front-9 (2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational)

The South Course at Firestone Country Club is as much a part of the PGA Tour's fabric as any course in history.  South has hosted a Tour event in 64 of the last 65 years, including PGA Championships, World Golf Championships, and the World Series of Golf.  Giants of the game have played here and won here - which speaks to the integrity of and respect for this iconic course. 

 

I played South the week prior to this year's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and it's classic, timeless design is challenging to both professionals and amateurs.  I can also tell you right now - South deserves to, and should host a future U.S. Open (more on that later).