This Week in Golf Gear

There’s always something new in golf. New clubs, new apparel, new shoes, new bags and the occasional product that comes completely out of left field. Rather than cover every launch with a standalone story, This Week in Golf Gear is a quick look at the new releases, collaborations and products that caught our eye.

Sun Mountain Matchplay Ballistic Luggage

Sun Mountain has been busy lately, and its newest release takes the brand well beyond golf bags.

The new Matchplay Ballistic Luggage Collection includes a rolling carry-on, backpack, duffel and shoe bag, all built from 1680D ballistic nylon with reinforced corners, heavy-duty zippers and plenty of storage. The material is the headline here. Ballistic nylon was originally developed for military use, and 1680D is substantially heavier-duty than the fabrics Sun Mountain uses in its golf bags and travel covers.

The collection starts at $100 for the shoe bag, with the duffel at $250, backpack at $300 and carry-on at $465. The backpack gets 14 pockets, while the carry-on includes 11 pockets and a TSA-approved locking system.

Cheap? Definitely not. But this looks like Sun Mountain taking what it already knows about durable golf travel gear and applying it to luggage you can use well beyond the course.

FORRESTER’S X PAYNTR RS2

FORRESTER’S and PAYNTR have teamed up on a limited-edition version of the RS2, and if the last drop is any indication, these probably won’t hang around long.

The RS2 uses PAYNTR’s RAINSHEDDER waterproofing system and PMXNitro+ cushioning through the footbed and midsole. The latter is designed to improve comfort and energy return, while the waterproofing is built to hold up without turning the shoe into a sauna.

Style-wise, this one leans very modern and utilitarian. They look awesome.

The last FORRESTER’S x PAYNTR release went quickly, so if you like these, get them while you can.

Chamber Putters

Chamber Putters is taking a pretty different approach to fitting: start with where you’re actually aiming.

Founder Vikash Sanyal says that, after testing thousands of players over the years, fewer than one percent of Tour pros he’s worked with actually aim where they think they do. Chamber’s A-LOC fitting system uses a magnetic laser and a series of interchangeable alignment inserts to show you exactly where the putter face is pointed. From there, you can figure out whether your eyes respond best to white lines, white shapes, colored lines or colored shapes.

Barba went through the fitting himself and found that his aim changed significantly depending on the insert. His eventual match, a black insert with a single red line, got him lined up dead square and was validated by SAM PuttLab.

The Chamber Justice Mallet comes in heel- and center-shafted versions, uses dual 90-gram tungsten weights for stability and includes the full A-LOC fitting kit. The putter and kit sell for $700 and come with a 60-day “Demo and Decide” return program.

It’s a very fitting-heavy concept, but I like the simplicity of the idea: before worrying about stroke type, torque or MOI, figure out where you’re actually pointing the thing.

Maxfli Tour X Halloween Golf Balls

Maxfli is feeling spooky with this limited-edition version of the Tour X, and I’m a sucker for novelty golf balls like these.

The performance is still pure Tour X: cast urethane cover, a 336-dimple design, dual ionomer mantle and a 100-compression construction. The difference is obviously the Halloween treatment with four different motifs: a jack-o-lantern, candy corn, black cat, and skull.

They’re $39.99 per dozen, which is the same price as the standard Tour X.

If you already play the Tour X and want something fun for October, these are an easy pickup. And if you lose one in the leaves, at least it’ll be seasonally appropriate.