Who Wouldn’t Want These Augusta-Themed Grips?

We’re just over two weeks away from the Daytona 500 of golf, better known as the Masters.

(I’m not sure if anyone else calls it the Daytona 500 of golf. I do know, however, that no one calls the Daytona 500 the Masters of NASCAR.)

Anyway, the onslaught of Augusta-inspired limited-edition golf gear marches on. Some are cool and some are (pimento) cheesy but we have to tip the cap to Golf Pride. Its new Golf Pride Honorary Starter Collection is all cool with zero cheese. It’s chock-full of green and white but precious little yellow. There are just enough azaleas to make the horticulturist in you happier than a Sunday back-nine eagle.

What is the Honorary Starter Collection?

Golf Pride is dressing up its go-to grip, the Tour Velvet®, in a slick green-and-white outfit. Thankfully, Golf Pride did not go overboard with azaleas. The Honorary Starter is tastefully trimmed with white floral etching plus a single azalea on the cap and another one by the logo.

Golf Pride’s new Reverse Taper® putter grip is the other member of the Honorary Starter Collection. This one isn’t quite as understated as the Tour Velvet® with Augusta-green branding and “springtime in northeast Georgia” artwork. The original Reverse Taper has a kind of dull, antiseptic look to it. This first major-of-the-year makeover is pretty dang sweet.

To round out the collection, Golf Pride is including an Augusta-themed valuables pouch. It’s dotted with artistic imagery from the golf course that shan’t be named (except through officially licensed channels).

Golf Pride excels at limited-edition stuff

Last year, Golf Pride launched several limited-edition grips to highlight its creative design capabilities. The limited-edition Steph Curry grips helped raise money for his Underrated youth golf program. The James Bond-themed tuxedo grips from last fall celebrated the 60th anniversary of the film Goldfinger.

As you have no doubt noticed, everyone even remotely related to the golf industry has some sort of Augusta-related gear, bauble, accessory or souvenir to peddle. The U.S. Open and Open Championship also get limited-edition love (oddly, the PGA not so much). Neither, however, compares to what we see in the spring.

The Masters (we can use the name but manufacturers promoting products can’t) has a special meaning to Golf Pride. Gay Brewer’s win in 1967 marked the first major victory for a golfer using Golf Pride grips. This year, 90 percent of the field at Augusta will be using Golf Pride grips.

(Golf Pride, for the record, doesn’t pay players to use its grips.)

Golf Pride Honorary Starter Limited Edition: Price and availability

The Golf Pride Honorary Starter Limited Edition grips are on sale now. You can find them on Golf Pride’s website and at select retail outlets. The Honorary Starter Tour Velvet® grips sell for $8.49 each, a $2 per grip upcharge over the standard model. The Honorary Starter is available in standard and midsize.

The Reverse Taper® model goes for $34.99 (a $5 upcharge). It’s available in the medium pistol-grip style only. The limited-edition valuables pouch is $29.99. Buy 13 or more Honorary Starter grips and Golf Pride will give you one free.

While supplies last, of course.

For more information, visit the Golf Pride website.