Hello everyone and thanks for dropping by! Now that we are comfortably into December it’s time to start handing out some year-end awards. We’ve got 10 awards to get to so I think we’ll do half today and half tomorrow. So how did we come up with these awards? These awards are based on our own reviews and testing, consumer feedback (customers in our shops), and reader emails. All of the clubs selected were available in 2005 but there are a few (Ping G5, TaylorMade R7 425, Cobra Speed Series) that were released a bit late so they’ll be in the running for the 2006 awards. We just didn’t have enough feedback on them for this year. So without further ado… the 2005 SirShanksAlot.com Awards…
2005 Golf Company Of The Year – Innovex Golf
This award was actually handed out way back in February. Here’s what we wrote then…
These guys were exactly what we were looking for when we designed this award. Their clubs are getting rave reviews and the company is only a year old. Most notable recognition came when their System RLS irons earned a “Best of the Best” award from RankMark.com … the largest golf club review website in the world.
You will not find Innovex equipment in your local golf shop because the company sells everything from their website www.innovexgolf.com . This is a unique approach to selling something that is such a personal thing. Innovex offers a 30-day money back guarantee and will even send you a free iron and/or hybrid to try…. how many companies do that? Watch for an Innovex Golf demo day in your area too!
We were skeptical of a company that sells strictly off the internet… how can the customer be sure that they get what they want? So we tried it. I soon had a set of RLS irons and a RLS hybrid arrive at my door and off we went to do some testing. Everyone that hit these clubs just raved about them.
We liked Innovex Golf for a number of reasons. They make great products and use good materials. They keep their prices low. They have a great demo offer and money back guarantee… something that is unheard of with most golf companies today. But the thing we liked best about Innovex Golf was the personal service. I have personally talked to Innovex Golf President Kevin Downey on numerous occasions both on the phone and via email… not because I have a website… but because he cares. How many of the big golf companies offer personal service like this?
It’s been a very exciting year for Innovex Golf and they have a very bright future ahead of them. Congrats to Kevin and the folks at Innovex Golf!
Best Bang For The Buck – Irons – Cleveland TA6
Our initial review of these irons was ok… but not great. Our testers liked these irons but their slimmer, lower profile design turned some people off. Cleveland moved the TA6 to a lower price point as they released some of their new “CG” models and the TA6 took off. I had a lot of customers that came in looking for a low priced intermediate iron set and leaving with the TA6’s. They loved the fact that they could get a name brand iron like the TA6 without paying the name brand price. Our readers agreed… we got a lot of email in 2005 commenting on the TA6 irons and the value that they provided. There were a lot of quality “value” clubs this year and the TA6 was one of the best.
Honorable Mention – Innovex System RLS, Nike NDS
Best Bang For The Buck – Driver – Innovex CFD
One of the biggest strengths of Innovex Golf is their ability to make quality products at great prices. The CFD driver came out towards the end of 2005 and our testers loved it. The CFD is a great combination of performance, forgiveness and value. Add Innovex’s quality customer service and expanded shaft options and you’ve got a winner.
Honorable Mention – TaylorMade R580XD, Callaway Big Bertha 454
Fairway Wood Of The Year – Tour Edge Exotics
The Tour Edge Exotics line has really developed a cult-like following over the past year. We had heard all the hype around the Exotics fairway woods and we just had to try them. These fairway woods are the real deal. Incredibly long, very easy to hit and extremely forgiving… the price might be a bit higher than other woods but it’s worth it if you ask us. Our testers loved them, our readers loved them and my customers are starting to ask about them. These are worth a try!
Honorable Mention – TaylorMade V Steel, Nike Ignite T60
Hybrid Of The Year – Nickent Genex 3DX Ironwood
It’s amazing what a really good golf club with very little advertising can do. This one really came out of the blue this year. It all started when the 3DX started getting some play on the Nationwide Tour… people started to ask about it, shops started carrying it and a buzz was generated. Nickent started using the Nationwide popularity in a few ads and the 3DX started to fly off the shelves. I really liked how they offered this club in so many different lofts… it made it easy to fit one (or two) into a set. Oh ya… it’s also easy to hit, it feels great and it produces an amazing ball flight. It’s helped SirPuttsAlot’s game so it must be good!
Honorable Mention – Callaway Heavenwood, Cleveland HALO
The first 5 awards are in the books. Tomorrow we’ll have a look at the best two irons of the year, the best two drivers of the year and the golf club of the year. Have a great day.