This Is The Biggest Thing I Learned About Golf Gear In 2025

Writing about golf equipment may be the greatest side hustle ever. It may not be universe-altering but it’s fun … so I got that going for me.

Which is nice.

That said, the 2025 equipment year was pretty fascinating. I was lucky enough to game a fantastic player’s distance iron from PING, an innovative marvel from COBRA, a driver that looked like a Dorito and clubs from an OEM that hadn’t released a legit new iron this century.

I also got to test clubs from large OEMs and small direct-to-consumer brands. Hell, I even got to try an illegal (aka non-conforming) driver.

Yeah, 2025 was fun. And as we now are at year’s end, I’d like to share with you, my dear friends, perhaps the single biggest thing I learned since last Jan. 1.

If you know your specs, there’s no shortage of equipment out there that you can play good golf with.

And it doesn’t have to cost a lot.

There’s plenty of value to be had out there

Complaining about the high cost of golf equipment has become a blood sport. No one likes spending $600 for a new driver or $1,500 for new irons.

The lesson here is simple: You don’t have to.

I spent the second half of the 2025 golf season gaming the Maxfli XC2 forged irons. They sold for $999 at launch. Today, you can score a set at DICK’s or Golf Galaxy for $799.98. That’s DTC-level pricing but you can actually try them in a hitting bay and, gulp, get fitted.

The Ben Hogan Fort Worth MB/CB irons are pretty special, too. I played one of my best rounds of the year with those babies in the bag, along with the Hogan PTx hybrid and fairway wood.

The new Takomo Ignis D1 driver is a great value at $319 but the MacGregor Tourney Max at $249 is an even better one.

Will you be customized, maximized and optimized? Probably not. But you can play really good golf with them and you won’t need to sneak anything past the House Ways and Means Committee to get them.

What are your goals?

If you absolutely want to squeeze every possible half-yard of carry and every rpm of spin, custom fitting is the way to go. However, once you have your specs, the world is your oyster.

Let’s say you’ve been fitted for the TaylorMade P790. As long as the type of iron (i.e., player’s distance) is consistent, the fit should apply to almost anything. MacGregor can custom build you a set of its remarkable MACSPD irons – among the most accurate player’s distance irons we’ve ever tested – to those same specs. You’ll pay a ton less and have yourself a dandy set of irons.

If the Sub 70 699 Pro V3 is more your style, company owner Jason Hiland’s team will walk you through the process over the phone to make sure you get exactly what you want.

Takomo, Maltby, Haywood … you name it. The list of clubs you can play good golf with is longer than ever.

Beware the golden handcuffs

Like any other consumer, I value safety and trust. Mainstream OEMs have both going for them (which is also nice). A driver from any OEM, from Callaway to Wilson, is a safe choice. You can demo them, get fitted and trust that there’s a real company behind it all.

That safety and trust has a price tag and the majority of golfers are more than willing to pay it. That, friends, is what we call the golden handcuffs. If you need that safety and trust, you’ll have to pay the freight.

The biggest lesson of 2025, however, is that there is a silver key to unlock those golden handcuffs. It might require a little more work on your part but it can be more than worth it. DTC is all grown up and a truly viable alternative.

Truly, there’s never been a better time to be a golf consumer.

Happy New Year, y’all!