We’ve already looked at the Golf Company Of The Year, Best Bang For The Buck Irons, Best Bang For The Buck Driver, Fairway Wood Of The Year and Hybrid Of The Year so let’s keep the awards coming!
Iron Of The Year – Low Handicap – Mizuno MP-60
One of the best iron manufacturers in the world really delivered in 2005. The better players of the world like the performance of a blade but most like the added forgiveness of a small cavity. Some companies have figured out how to combine the two but none have done it as well as Mizuno. Their “Cut Muscle” technology gives the better play exactly what they want without sacrificing a traditional look. The MP-32 was a great iron but the MP-60 is even better.
Honorable Mention – Callaway X-Tour, Titleist 735CM
Iron Of The Year – Mid to High Handicap – Callaway Big Bertha
I’ve been in the golf business for over 11 years and I’ve never seen an iron as forgiving as the Callaway Big Bertha. 2004 was a solid year for the Big Bertha and 2005 was no different. Mid to High handicappers loved this iron despite it’s bulky appearance. Low handicappers bought a few Big Bertha irons to replace their lower irons. Funny how the 2006 verison looks a lot like the current one… why fix it when it’s not broken?
Honorable Mention – Ping G2, TaylorMade RAC OS
Driver Of The Year – Low Handicap – Nike Ignite
This driver came in two different sizes… the 410CC was a favorite among better players but the 460CC version gained some popularity as the season went on. Everyone we talked to loved this driver. The 410CC head looked great at address and it was one of the best “non-460CC” drivers out there. Both versions were forgiving and very long. The Ignite showed us that not all great drivers had to feature movable weights or composite tops.
Honorable Mention – Cleveland Launcher COMP, TaylorMade R5 TP
Driver Of The Year – Mid to High Handicap – Cobra SZ
Cobra Golf has the average golfer figured out… they know what these players want, they know how much these players want to spend and they make great clubs accordingly. Cobra had one of the best drivers of 2004 and they rode the wave of popularity right through 2005. The company added a 460CC version early in the season to keep the momentum going. They have a firm grasp on the game improvement category and let’s hope their next driver doesn’t confuse consumers with different clubs rated on ball speed…. oh wait… nevermind.
Honorable Mention – Big Bertha 454, TaylorMade R5 Dual
Ok so we don’t have a drumroll feature on the site but if we did I’d queue it up right now. We’ve got one award left and it’s the big one. The golf club that our testers, readers and staff felt was the best club of 2005.
SirShanksAlot.com Golf Club Of The Year 2005 – Tour Edge Exotics Fairway Woods
I think we’ve said all that we can say about these fairway woods. The Exotics line by Tour Edge golf is quickly becoming a player in the premium golf club market and these fairway woods have been the centerpiece of the collection. If you’ve tried them… you’ve probably bought one. If you haven’t tried them… you probably should.
Honorable Mention – Mizuno MP-60 Iron, Callaway X-Tour Iron