BOMB: Today was hump day at the Hot List--not only because it's the halfway point in the two-week Summit meeting, but because it’s the most arduous day our testers face all week--forming opinions on golf balls, drivers, blade putters and wedges. All on a day in the high 80s with no breeze. A round of applause to our panelists, all who held up well. And to the massage therapist we brought to the range to make sure backs, necks and shoulders stayed in working order.
The day, however, got off to a rocky start, didn't it pardsy? As we left the hotel at 6 a.m. to head to the golf course for setup, we encountered a driver who decided a little road rage was the way to work off his all-night bender, gambling losses or likely both. Thankfully, we didn't get a Jack Nicholson 9-iron to the hood of our car, but instead received a non-deserved middle finger. The luck with cars did not get better when Ian Fettinger, one of our invaluable support staffers, got into a fender-bender while transporting one of our panelists to the course.
On the range, difficulty also arose--as in the degree of difficulty deciphering drivers. Bags were stuffed with 238 drivers when all lofts and shaft options were taken into account. But it wasn't the sheer numbers that had our panelists grinding over every tee ball. It was the fact that virtually every driver had something to offer. "I honestly don't know how you’re going to do it," said Donnie Luper, one of our player panelists and one of only two that have been on our panel all four years. "It used to be that you could discount at least five to eight drivers after hitting them. This year, they're all good."
Yes they are. It's why they're here. But while our job may be harder in terms of deciding what clubs get on the Hot List, it's also why it is more imperative than ever that we discover those shades of excellence and provide our readers with a list of the most significant products available. And here's a hint: Not all may come from the biggest names in golf equipment.
GOUGE: Don't worry about the lunatic in the yellow Escort this morning. I'm pretty sure you could have taken him. Pretty sure. And I've got your back. But really, what's that worth? Right. Not much. Still, like the unexpected highway dust-ups, today was a lot more of (cue the Jack Buck Kirk Gibson highlight voice), "I can't believe what I just saw." It happens every autumn at the Hot List Summit. The players here certainly saw a lot of the familiar, like the old standbys of Titleist Vokey and Cleveland wedges, a 24-pack of Anser-like putters and the usual full-throttle assortment of TaylorMade and Callaway drivers (we had seven drivers from these two companies reach us here in this, our so-called money round). But it's the unexpected pleasures that gave our players (and let's face it, us judges, too) much to ponder. Smallish companies like Bobby Jones, Hippo and Snake Eyes showed that a quality driver need not be restricted to the handful of usual subjects. And few of our players had heard of Zen Tour RDE or David Whitlam putters before today. They know them now. And in the wedge category, why wouldn't you take a second look at the samurai precision of a Miura forged wedge? Who knows if any or all of these unknown products will end up on our final list, but there are plenty of party crashers at this year's Hot List Summit.
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