I Wear Callaway

[Ferdinando Addison]

Iplayed my first round with them today in Rancho Mirage, CA and noticed some wear marks on the sole as well as some wear marks on the face. Don't get me wrong, they performed very well and I didn't hit any trees, play any off the cart path, or even hit out of a bunker. I'm very happy with them and will play another round with them day after tomorrow.

The most important thing is they performed as well as my set back home (T350's) and gave me some added height that helped me hit some greens. Really like the feel and performance. Guess I shouldn't be so picky.

It depends on your definition of "wear". If it's just "no longer pristine?", then I have seen irons show wear after one ball! One round will for sure show slight brushing on the sole and possibly face marks if lousy range balls are hit. Sand on the range balls is another culprit of marking the face. I keep a towel with me when the range is damp so I can keep the sand off the balls when hitting them.

Don't need to be a scratch golfer to look for certain things in an iron and be a serious golfer. I'll give them a try and see if there is anything I like about them. Being a 5 hcp, I want certain things to be there. Just because they aren't what you want doesn't mean they are junk. That being said, I'm a "tools not jewels" guy.

No worries. I wasn't offended. I just think you presume that Callaway (or any OEM) really only don't pay attention to the playability of non-players clubs and I think that it is mistake to think that.

This is my out-of-town set at our vacation home in Palm Springs so they won't get used a lot. However, I've got a set of T350's that are my at-home set and they've been used quite a bit more and are pristine. Not sure if this is because of the sandy conditions here in Palm Springs but to be honest, I've played the T350's here in Palm Springs and they don't show the same wear marks.

Callaways chrome finish on their GI irons has for years been an issue for many. They do show a lot of "wear" after only a few rounds. There are numerous threads about being able to use a certain type of scotch bite pad to polish them back to a better looking condition. For some its a major issue for others no so.

It's been quite a while since my irons had anything shiny about them. They just have what I would call a "dull chrome" patina. A number of years ago I took the polishing wheel to them to brighten them up and make them nice and shiny. I've never made the ball go better because the chrome was bright.

I admit these are superficial but I guess I've never had a set of clubs that showed any marks on the soles or face after 1 round. I should add, I'm 76 years old so it's not like I'm swinging these anywhere near fast.

I think the face wear seams normal too me. I haven't played set of chrome irons in quite a while, at least 8-10 years, so I can't speak on the soles but the wear on the 7 seems to be pretty significant after 1 round. I know sand base courses can create a bit more wear compared to other types of turf.

As I stated before, none of these blemishes affect performance, which has been stellar. However, they were so nice looking before playing them that it's a little disappointing to see them react this way after just one round.

No, I've never hit these off mats outdoors. I did practice with them indoors before bringing them to Palm Springs, but there were no marks on them after hitting on indoor mats. I have a fiberbuilt golf mat and they are not abrasive at all.

I happen to be one of those persnickety types that likes their equipment to look new. I clean the ball and club after every shot and do another cleaning of the clubs after the round. I would not call this unsettling, but it does bother me. If the performance wasn't so go, I'd probably switch to something else, but then again, they are staying at our away-from-home home and will only get used a couple dozen rounds a year.

For whatever reason, I have never really been a Callaway guy, but because I am a social media nut, I have recently found myself paying more attention than ever to the brand. Primarily my increased awareness is due to the fact that Callaway is very active and effective on Twitter. For example, take a peak and you will see many of the top Callaway brass like Chad Coleman and Harry Arnett tweeting regularly in a very conversational manner (something most big companies do very poorly).

Like most big golf companies, the Callaway apparel is fairly traditional, although there are hints of trendy touches like contrasting collars and plackets. Historically, big companies rarely draw too far outside the lines when it comes to fashion; a decision that is probably wise since about 90% of golfers prefer traditional colors and styling, with purchasing decisions based primarily on the fit and price.

For our review we personally looked at two polos and two pairs of shorts. First off, we noticed the shirts run a touch big, nearly a whole size in our opinion. Specifically, Matt (pictured below) was much better suited to wear the medium polos than I was (he typically wears a large while I am a medium).

When you think of Callaway apparel, the names Ernie Els and Phil Mickleson bubble to the top. Both men, while never being accused of being fashion trendsetters, always look sharp and well put together. This is basically where I think the Callaway sweet spot is. Put another way, traditional golf attire with hints of hip.

The two polos we saw were the Simon Polo and Victor Polo. Again, both ran a size big but we were particularly impressed with the Viktor as we dug the offset color on the collar, placket and arm as well as the button down collar. This is a performance blend so it makes for a great choice in warmer temperatures.

The Simon Polo, while also 100% polyester, had a thicker look and feel than most. In fact it looks almost cottonish. Typically, I am not a huge fan of shirts that have contrasting colors on either side, but Callaway pulls it off aided by details like the chest pocket.

We also checked out the Torrell Tech Shorts and the Mikel Tech Shorts. Both had very similar cuts which I would describe as country club conservative with knee-length hems and wide legs. I did particularly like the Torrell houndstooth as a pattern that can add a touch of style when paired with a solid polo. The Mikel come in a solid grey which is obviously a bonus as you can pretty much wear them with any shirt on the planet.

Overall, we thought the Callaway line did a nice job of providing reasonably priced apparel that has the designer look. Interestingly, the Callaway website does not carry much of the apparel but from what I understand, they will be relaunching a whole new apparel e-commerce site later this year. Not to worry, you can find them in big box stores and lots of retail websites. Most of the polos run in the mid $30s and the shorts about $60. Pretty good bang for the buck in our opinion.

Three Guys Golf is a golf blog that seeks to provide a unique perspective for fellow golfers. In addition to golf an lifestyle product reviews, we write long form prose on a variety of topics and feature many golf instructional posts and videos. Three Guys Golf Blog was founded by Adam, Matt and Wade but also has regular contributing writers as well.

This Sunday wraps up what has been the longest, most dense awards show season in recent memory. And for someone like me who loves a red carpet, the prime time hours of most Sunday nights over the last two months have seemed like Christmas morning on repeat.

While I am sure I watched the Oscars growing up, I didn\u2019t become deeply invested in them and their sparkling corollaries until I was in my late twenties, writing about fashion for the New York Post. Part of that gig included reviewing the looks on the carpets at all of the big awards shows. While I love a spectacle, I detest a crowd. So I\u2019d do this by watching the show and the preceding E! style coverage on TV.

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