AlohaPineapple WITB 2023...

[AlohaPineapple]

Current WITB (6/20/23):

• Titleist TSR3 9.0* w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 6x
• TaylorMade Stealth 2+ 15* w/ Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
• Titleist TSR2 16.5* w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 7s
• Titleist TSR3 19* w/ Fujikura Ventus HB Blue 8s
• Titleist T200 4-iron w/ Fujikura Axiom 105x
• Artisan 720HM 5-PW w/ Nippon Modus 115x
• Artisan 50* S-grind w/ TT Dynamic Gold S200
• Artisan 56* SB-grind w/ TT Dynamic Gold S200 
• Vokey Wedgeworks 60* LBK-grind w/ TT Dynamic Gold S200
• Scotty Cameron Tei3 Newport Two

 

 

 

=========================================

 

long time club addict here, ever since I was a junior golfer (lived through the TM bubble shaft era).  got pretty active on BSG when it was around, also spent some time at TSG and of course, here on WRX (I think my original account closed during one of the overhauls).

 

took a break from golf starting ~2005ish and recently picked back up end of 2022, so this bag is a bit of a time capsule from where I left off.  will be following up with how I've updated my bag (dangerous combo of now being a working adult with the same junior golfer obsession 😆) 

 

as for my game, used to be scratch, now probably around a 7-8 handicap.  driver swing speed cruises around 105 and up to 110 if I try to really step on it.  ball speeds in the high 150s, occasionally touching 160, definitely want to try to improve on this as a personal goal.

 

End of 2005 Season bag:

 

Driver: Titleist 905S 8.5* w/ Graffaloy Blue Pro S. 

There's something magical about this combo, even being the shaft snob that I am, this performed so well off the rack I never thought to upgrade it.

 

3-wood: Taylor Made V-Steel 15* w/ Speeder 757X

I recently read some TM marketing material that referenced "not your dad's old V-steel", that made me feel nice and old 😅.  Always loved the Speeder 757 shaft and the TP graphics were a cool touch (yes it's a real speeder)

 

2-9-iron: Titleist 690.MB w/ DG X-100

Forged muscleback Titleist were always my grail (my bag was heavily influenced by Tiger).  These were a "tour issue" set that I ordered through a pro, weighted to D4.

 

48/56/60: Vokey 248.06, 456.14, 260.06

The 456.14 has a unique shape but I've gotten so used to it, probably my oldest club in the bag.  I remember the 260.06 was a special pickup as I had really wanted raw wedges but at the time Vokey did not offer any to retail until this line was released.

 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport 2

My ultimate prized possession as a junior golfer, gifted to me by my late grand uncle, who also introduced me to the game.  Was able to get it stamped at the shop through Jim at TableRockGolf (back when they were one of few exclusive SC distributors)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some other oldies I can remember gaming:

• Drivers
  • Titleist 975J (UST ProForce, GD YS-7, GD Purple Ice)
  • Nike SQ 
  • Taylor Made r580 tour issue (Speeder 661 Tour Spec)
  • Callaway Steelhead Plus
  • Taylor Made Firesole
• Fairways/Hybrids
  • Titleist 970
  • Titleist PT
  • Taylor Made Burner
  • Taylor Made Rescue
  • Mizuno Fli-Hi
  • Callaway S2H2
• Irons
  • Mizuno T-Zoid Pro-II
  • Nicklaus Air Bear

 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[DE-ILLINI]

Your bag brings back some memories.  That putter is a classic.

[robleighlefty89]

Love it - great stuff.

 

And the bag itself? An old ping or? 

[AlohaPineapple]

2 hours ago, robleighlefty89 said:

Love it - great stuff.

 

And the bag itself? An old ping or? 

thanks!

 

definitely rocked a hoofer back in the day, but this one was a cheap no name weekend bag from Amazon.  was living in the city at the time and needed everything super compact.  its convenient to have, but carrying 14 clubs is a stretch.

 

[AlohaPineapple]

First club to be updated is the driver.  Figured forged blades don’t really change much and the driver is where a lot of the new “tech” is.  
 

Titleist TSR3 9.0* w/ Ventus Velocore Black 6S
 

Tried out a few different heads and ended up with a TSR3.  The Stealth put up some good numbers but I found it to look odd at address.  Definitely partial to Titleist drivers and I’d say this TSR still has that “DNA” from the older models I’m used to. 

 

My swing produces a decent bit of spin so I found the TSR3 head to be better suited and preferred the headshape vs. the TSR2.  The TSR4 is intriguing but part of me feels like I should max out CC for any added touch of forgiveness.

 

 

Came with the Tensei Black 1k in Stiff, which felt a little soft for me.  I’ve always liked Fujikura shafts, big fan of the Speeder series, so had to take a look at what the Ventus hype is all about.  Grabbed a Black 6s pull from the classifieds and swapped it out.

 

 

This driver and shaft combo is awesome!! Gives me so much confidence off the tee. Nice classic profile at address, crisp sound, tight dispersion, and phenomenal off-center strike performance.  The ball speeds are slightly faster than my old driver but the forgiveness is where I notice the greatest benefits.

Edited March 28, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[nitram]

Killer Bag man . . .

[AlohaPineapple]

Updated the fairway wood, found a good deal on a TSi3 on eBay that I couldn’t pass up.  

 

Titleist TSi3 15* w/ Ventus Velocore Black 7S

 

I find fairway woods to be pretty finicky, it’s got to have just the right face and sole shape to match the swing.
 

Purchased this without demoing but the price was good enough I felt like I could demo and resell if needed.  This one came with a Tensei White, which was really solid.   Happen to see a good deal for a Ventus Black 7S around the same time and the curiosity to see how it would perform was too much to resist 😆

This thing is a cannon! Off the tee some of my shots are getting close to my driver (and sometimes my SS with this is higher? 🤔).  Liking the sole and interaction with the turf so far. 
 

Edited March 28, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

This one was a bit short lived, Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 (2020)

 

Couldn't help but notice all the Phantom putters in play on tour, plus those oversized Super Stroke grips, which are all completely new to me.  This one came with a SS2R grip.  Had some fun with red paint to give it a customized look.

 

 

Gamed it for a few rounds and definitely noticed the club path feeling more consistent, but could never get good distance control with it.  I initially blamed the grip and switched to a classic pistol style but still had issues.  I’m thinking it's the aluminum face, I realized the newer ones are all stainless steel.  Should’ve known since I had an OG aluminum Futura long ago and had similar issues with feel and distance control.  No longer in play.  Still curious to try a newer phantom with a stainless face.  Going back to a Newport style for now.

Edited March 29, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Came to terms with the fact that I don’t swing it quite like I used to, dropped the 2-iron (thinking I could probably drop the 3 too for an extra wedge) for a Titleist TSi3 Hybrid 20* w/ Ventus Velocore HB Blue 8S

 

 

Haven’t had a ton of experience hitting hybrids, so took a little time getting used to the shape and how best to swing it.  
 

Finding this club to be super versatile, able to punch it down as a stinger as well as loft it up for soft landing.  And of course, much easier to hit than long irons.  
 

This one came with a Fujikura Atmos Blue Tour Spec 8S originally, which was a nice shaft but found the Ventus Blue to feel a bit more lively.  Had to search high and low for the proper OEM weight to get this to my target swingweight (for some reason there are no generics available).

Edited March 29, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Been a fan of Scotty Cameron putters since middle school, when I joined a Yahoo group for Scotty Collectors.  A group of folks that I still see active across various golf communities.

 

Despite being a fan, I’ve only really owned one Scotty, the pro platinum (actually, also a 1st gen Futura, but short lived).  They were pretty out of reach for me as a junior golfer, spent many hours lusting over them in pro shops.

 

So this is a bit of me living out my middle school dreams, the same classic putters that I remember:

 

Newport Gun Blue

Newport 2 TeI3

Newport 2 Pro Platinum

Newport Studio Stainless

 

 

The TeI3 has found a place in the bag, love the feel and feedback on it.  
 

Circle T/Tour putter to come someday in the future, just can’t get myself to pay inflated flipper prices.

Edited March 29, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[PARETO]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:58 AM, AlohaPineapple said:

long time club addict here, ever since I was a junior golfer (lived through the TM bubble shaft era).  got pretty active on BSG when it was around, also spent some time at TSG and of course, here on WRX (I think my original account closed during one of the overhauls).

 

took a break from golf starting ~2005ish and recently picked back up end of 2022, so this bag is a bit of a time capsule from where I left off.  will be following up with how I've updated my bag (dangerous combo of now being a working adult with the same junior golfer obsession 😆) 

 

as for my game, used to be scratch, now probably around a 7-8 handicap.  driver swing speed cruises around 105 and up to 110 if I try to really step on it.  ball speeds in the high 150s, occasionally touching 160, definitely want to try to improve on this as a personal goal.

 

Driver: Titleist 905S 8.5* w/ Graffaloy Blue Pro S. 

There's something magical about this combo, even being the shaft snob that I am, this performed so well off the rack I never thought to upgrade it.

 

3-wood: Taylor Made V-Steel 15* w/ Speeder 757X

I recently read some TM marketing material that referenced "not your dad's old V-steel", that made me feel nice and old 😅.  Always loved the Speeder 757 shaft and the TP graphics were a cool touch (yes it's a real speeder)

 

2-9-iron: Titleist 690.MB w/ DG X-100

Forged muscleback Titleist were always my grail (my bag was heavily influenced by Tiger).  These were a "tour issue" set that I ordered through a pro, weighted to D4.

 

48/56/60: Vokey 248.06, 456.14, 260.06

The 456.14 has a unique shape but I've gotten so used to it, probably my oldest club in the bag.  I remember the 260.06 was a special pickup as I had really wanted raw wedges but at the time Vokey did not offer any to retail until this line was released.

 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport 2

My ultimate prized possession as a junior golfer, gifted to me by my late grand uncle, who also introduced me to the game.  Was able to get it stamped at the shop through Jim at TableRockGolf (back when they were one of few exclusive SC distributors)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some other oldies I can remember gaming:

• Drivers
  • Titleist 975J (UST ProForce, GD YS-7, GD Purple Ice)
  • Nike SQ 
  • Taylor Made r580 tour issue (Speeder 661 Tour Spec)
  • Callaway Steelhead Plus
  • Taylor Made Firesole
• Fairways/Hybrids
  • Titleist 970
  • Titleist PT
  • Taylor Made Burner
  • Taylor Made Rescue
  • Mizuno Fli-Hi
  • Callaway S2H2
• Irons
  • Mizuno T-Zoid Pro-II
  • Nicklaus Air Bear

Legit players bag. Lead tape on the vSteel is the secret sauce. 🤘that’s a bag that you don’t play money games with. 

[AlohaPineapple]

Miura CB-201 (3-5) / Tournament Blade (6-P) w/ DGS X-100

 

Miuras have always had a kind of a mythical quality to me.  Especially back when I was playing competitively, the brand wasn’t as well known, except for the niche JDM fan, I’m surprised how much more awareness there is today.

 

 

Part of that mystique for me were rumors (now debunked) that Tigers set of 681s were Miura forged.  A few other popular “tour issue” sets were also supposedly from Miura, a TM RAC comes to mind as well as some Nikes.

 

Had to give ‘em a try and found a nice used CB/MB combo set for a good price.  Also really love the retro logos on these irons!  They feel great, it’s not just a straight softness (which I think Mizuno might be a tad softer) but very “solid” feedback.  Hard to describe, a different feel vs my 690.MB as well.

 

The CBs do give a noticeable touch of forgiveness, which is much appreciated on the longer end.  The MBs are quite compact at address but aren’t too hard to strike.  The sole grind might take a little time getting used to, initial thoughts are it’s a little sharp for my current swing (find myself catching the ground a little more than I’d like occasionally)

Edited March 31, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Miura Tour Wedge 52* w/ DG S400

 

 

Miura K-grind 2.0 54* w/ Fuji MCI 125 MILD

Miura K-grind 2.0 60* w/ Fuji MCI 125 SOLID

 

 

 

Added some wedges, 52 gap to match the irons and a pair of 54 and 60 for green side.  Got a deal on that pair, was initially thinking going 48/54/60 but then came across the 52.  Will need to reassess gapping.
 

Normally a Vokey guy but these K-grinds were intriguing.  Need more course time to evaluate this grind.

 

Another new thing I’m testing are graphite shafts in the 54 and 60.  One came with a Fuji MCI 125 wedge already installed, and I liked the initial feel, so threw it in the other.  Finding the ball to spin real well, though I didn’t really experience this specific head with steel as a comparison.  Will need some course time to fully assess.  The 54 has a lower spinning shaft vs the 60, as it sees fuller swing approaches.

Edited April 8, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Made a few additional updates to the bag…

 

T200 4-iron w/ TT AMT Black

TSR2 16.5* w/ Ventus Black 7s

TSR3 18* hybrid w/ Ventus Blue HB 8s

 

 

 

 

[AlohaPineapple]

I heard these guys are pretty good at making golf clubs…

 

 Artisan LS 720HM 5-PW w/ Nippon Modus 115x

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[Nic1972]

Those irons are gorgeous!! 

[Shanks2424]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:09 AM, AlohaPineapple said:

I heard these guys are pretty good at making golf clubs…

 

 Artisan LS 720HM 5-PW w/ Nippon Modus 115x

 

 

 

😱  WOW JUST AMAZING

[shoot4par]

You have like the early 2000s dream bag - V-Steel, 690s, 905R. Those Artisans are lovely. I have been following them since they emerged, plan on getting there at some point. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by shoot4par

[Phabs]

Those artisan irons good grief.  My player number is still a ways out but I’ll probably have mixed cb/mb set when the numbers called.   So so nice

[grinder1320]

Wow! You jumped back in with both feet! Very nice gear.

 

Hard to imagine you quit and stayed out of the game that long.

 

Good to be back.

[AlohaPineapple]

On 4/11/2023 at 11:05 AM, Nic1972 said:

Those irons are gorgeous!! 

 

On 4/12/2023 at 1:00 PM, Shanks2424 said:

😱  WOW JUST AMAZING

 

thanks!!

 

On 4/15/2023 at 7:42 AM, shoot4par said:

You have like the early 2000s dream bag - V-Steel, 690s, 905R. Those Artisans are lovely. I have been following them since they emerged, plan on getting there at some point. 

 

On 4/15/2023 at 11:36 PM, Phabs said:

Those artisan irons good grief.  My player number is still a ways out but I’ll probably have mixed cb/mb set when the numbers called.   So so nice

 

been really loving these irons, has more forgiveness than the miuras and an addictive feel.  jealous that you have a player number!  I'm playing catch up, need to get one created for myself sometime this year... 

 

On 4/16/2023 at 3:15 AM, grinder1320 said:

Wow! You jumped back in with both feet! Very nice gear.

 

Hard to imagine you quit and stayed out of the game that long.

 

Good to be back.

 

you never quit being a wrx'er, you just take extended breaks 😄

[AlohaPineapple]

Feeling good about this setup for the season.  Got a few rounds in and these irons definitely have earned a spot in the bag.  The lofts are a touch stronger than the Miuras and 690s, so I’ve seen a bump in yardage.  Loving the feel of the shaft and head combo, effortlessly releases exactly when I want it to and with good forgiveness.

 

 

Haven’t had much time with the T200 4-iron on the course.  Was looking forward to it but the shaft broke on me during a range session, not sure how that happened. Maybe overclamped during a regripping?

 

Wasn’t super impressed with the stock AMT shaft anyways so good opportunity to upgrade. New Fuji Axiom came in the mail the other day, just waiting to get it installed.  No real opportunity to demo this so just going for it based off specs.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Experimenting with some wedges.  Wanted a 50 for better gapping since the new PW is 46.  Interested in playing around with some different grinds and bounces (vs having two of the same grind/bounce). Got a good deal on a pair of Artisan wedges and found a hand ground low bounce K, which I’ve read is most similar to my beloved 260.06

 

Artisan 50* Standard grind

Artisan 56* Square bevel grind

Vokey WedgeWorks 60* Low bounce K grind + pre-worn leading edge & trailing edge relief

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[bhard315]

How do the Modus 115x shafts in your irons compare to the X100s you used to play? I know of the weight difference between the two, but has it had a noticeable change in your ball flights or distance?

[AlohaPineapple]

On 5/19/2023 at 2:48 PM, bhard315 said:

How do the Modus 115x shafts in your irons compare to the X100s you used to play? I know of the weight difference between the two, but has it had a noticeable change in your ball flights or distance?

It's hard to say because my new irons have stronger lofts than my previous sets that had the X100s.  I would say it definitely feels livelier, and I think the ball flight is a tad higher as my iron trajectories still feel "right" despite those stronger lofts.  distance-wise it's probably about the same, I'm seeing ~5-10 yard increase but not sure what to attribute that to.  the biggest difference for me though is these feel much easier to load.

Edited May 21, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[AlohaPineapple]

Finally got the 4-iron back from reshafting with the Fuji Axiom, only got one round with it but loving it so far.  Very forgiving and feel has really improved vs. the previous TT AMT shaft (which felt really dead).  While I know the head is hollow, it’s got a solid strike.

 

 

Snapped a pic of the current setup this morning.  Got a tee time at Bethpage Black coming up so these will certainly be put to the test!

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[Enjoi]

How’s the 4 iron with the new shaft been holding up? Love the bag!

[AlohaPineapple]

18 hours ago, Enjoi said:

How’s the 4 iron with the new shaft been holding up? Love the bag!

thanks!  it's been great, for me this 4-iron fits perfectly as a consistent 200yd carry club, with the option to squeeze out a few more yards if I close it down a little.  the t200 is stupid easy to hit, lots of confidence over the ball, which honestly has been really helpful as I've always had a tiny tiny hint of doubt when standing over longer irons.

[AlohaPineapple]

really impressed with the stealth 2+ fairway, it’s a beast with the weight shifted forward and still quite forgiving.  toed a few on the range and saw them draw back in.  the sound is also unique, less metallic than the TSR2, a nice solid thwack. the shaft is performing, tho it doesn’t seem to have as much feel as the ventus.  will likely rotate between this and the TSR2 depending on course length and setup, though I could just shift the weight back on this and get a nice high launch… looking forward to more rounds with this one

 

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by AlohaPineapple

[robleighlefty89]

Did you sell the old kit, or still keep it to use for fun?