Tour Edge Golf has forged a name for itself as a producer of technologically advanced golf clubs that are hand assembled one set at a time and sold at affordable prices. Its distribution spans five continents and relies primarily on promotions through golf shops. Earlier this summer they started making a lot of noise with the release of the Bazooka 320 J driver. In fact, in the month of June, the 320 J was used to win two ReMax Long Drive qualifying events. The four-piece, forged, super-beta titanium driver features an extremely thin face that offers a USGA legal "springlike effect."

"We tested the 320 J against its illegal counterparts and know the club hit the ball as long or longer. As a result, we thought it might test ‘non-conforming,’" said Tour Edge marketing director Jay Hubbard. Developed in conjunction with Tour Edge Golf’s Japanese operations, the super-oversized 320cc club head distributes weight to the outermost perimeter of the head for a larger sweet spot and maximum forgiveness. Hubbard noted, "Our staff tested the club and noticed the club had a lower trajectory and the ball seemed to hit the ground running, adding additional distance." One of the interesting features of the driver is a super, ultralight 48-gram shaft. The shaft is 46.5" long and designed to generate fast club-head speed for golfers with slow to mid-range swing speed. For golfers with fast swing speeds the UST ProForce Gold 75 should be used. "We’ve had 100 percent customer satisfaction with the driver which is unheard of in this business. We’ve already sold out our first two orders and are eagerly waiting for more, we could have sold another half dozen today," said Jess Usher of Golfer’s Discount Clubhouse. The suggested retail price is $600, but local golf shops have offered it for $399.

The company who can claim the Metalwood as its birthright is being reborn. Taylor Made Golf unveiled three industry-unique drivers. Titled the 300 Series (300ti, 320ti and 360ti), the clubs help individual players use their specific swing characteristics to their advantage. The 300 Series works with the player’s natural swing to optimize launch conditions. The clubs will drive a whole new look for Taylor Made, a look that made its debut at the PGA Championship. The 300 Series drivers come with a gunmetal gray (men’s) and gunmetal light (women’s) club heads. The shot-shaping 300 Series Metalwoods conforms to USGA guidelines. And they’ve already made an impact in the professional ranks. According to the Darrell Survey, the 300 Series drivers are the fastest-growing drivers on the PGA Tour, the club has won every major tour and racked up nearly 40 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour alone. The line will be available on a limited basis to key retailers starting in fall 2000. Suggested retail price is $399. The company expects full distribution in early 2001.

Mizuno made waves earlier in the year with its forged titanium drivers and woods. Now, Mizuno is introducing new technology into its classic blade designs. Mizuno has been the #1 iron on the PGA Tour for the past six years and its MP series of irons has become the iron of choice for many of the top players in golf. Using extensive input from PGA Tour players and advanced computer aided design, Mizuno has designed the MP-33, the first forged muscle back iron it has introduced in seven years.

The MP-33 has several design enhancements including a computer optimized sweet spot and sole camber. The location and flow of the sweet spot provide ideal workability and trajectory control. The sole shape includes a rolled leading edge and a beveled trailing edge to minimize turf digging and turf drag. Other enhancements include a slightly larger hitting area and added mass behind the hitting area for a more solid feel. The suggested retail price for a set of MP-33 irons is $1,132 (3-PW). The new MP-33 irons were introduced in October and the MP-29 irons will be retired. Mizuno will continue to offer its MP-14 irons through the custom club department.

Maxfli has introduced a new midsize iron that will help good golfers play better. The new Maxfli Revolution MidSize irons feature the same multilayer technology as the Revolution irons, with a soft nickel inner compound for soft feel and a hard chrome outer layer for improved consistency. This combination gives them the consistency of cast clubs, with the soft feel of forged clubs. Three distinct features that make the Revolution Midsize irons unique: 1/4" longer blade length making the club more forgiving of mis-hits near the toe, progressive offset to promote a higher ball trajectory and a lower center of gravity makes the clubs easier to play.

First introduced in 1997 as the new measure of distance with tour-like performance, the Titleist Tour Distance quickly became one of the world’s best selling golf balls. Now Titleist introduces the next generation Tour Distance SF, modified and improved from center to cover to provide softer feel and improved wedge and half wedge spin, while maintaining its acclaimed distance.

Designed for golfers of all abilities seeking long, straight tee-to-green distance with soft wound ball feel and shot-stopping control, improvements to the new Tour Distance SF include the use of Titleist’s exclusive advanced thermoplastic liquid-filled center wound technology. The thermoplastic center and high-energy elastic windings combine to generate high initial velocity off the driver, and a low, penetrating in-flight trajectory for exceptional tee-to-green distance.

The combination of low golf ball compression and a new softer cover, delivers improved wedge and half wedge spin for enhanced greenside control and performance. The new Titleist Tour Distance SF will began shipping to golf shops in September with a suggested retail price of $44 per dozen.

Last year, Wilson Golf introduced the Smart-Core Professional Distance golf ball for golfers seeking soft feel and exceptional distance. This year they have improved the ball to provide more distance and feel. They reengineered the ball by increasing the size of the core by 13 percent. Softer, more reactive Smart-Core material improves both initial velocity off the tee, and produces a softer feel. At the same time, increasing the core size results in a cover thinner than the original to enhance feel.

"The ultimate performance of the new golf ball was achieved by balancing the soft, reactive core with the thinner Surlyn-blend cover," said Jeff Christensen, business director, Wilson Golf Ball Division. "In blind player testing, the new ball was preferred 4-to-1 vs. the original Professional Distance." The new Smart-Core Professional Distance will be available at golf shops in September with a suggested retail price of $44 per dozen.

The company that brought you Softspikes has delivered again with an innovative product. The DriStix raincover may be the perfect Christmas gift. What distinguishes DriStix from conventional raincovers is the Reflex Technology allowing golfers one-hand access to their golf clubs, whereby the front flap of the nylon hood springs back into position after a club has been either removed from or returned to a golf bag. DriStix fit any size golf bag by utilizing impact-resistance clips and Velcro closures to hold the hood securely in place during wind and rain. The hood is rather large and roomy; however, it folds up for easy, compact storage. The suggested retail price is $29.