I love it when two things are true at the same time. It brings balance to the universe and I like balance.
That Patrick Reed is the most polarizing figure in golf (and, according to our own Sean Fairholm, the 2nd most-hated) is true. That Patrick Reed is also one of the hottest golfers on the planet right now is also true.
Will the fact he’s left LIV and is earning his way back to the PGA Tour by ripping up the DP World Tour help his reputation? Conventional wisdom has its doubts but conventional wisdom has been known to be wrong.
With all of that going on, we’re losing sight of what’s really important.
What the heck is with those irons Patrick Reed is playing?
Well, fellow GolfSpies, it’s time to meet Grindworks.
Who and/or what is Grindworks?
You could file this under Yesterday’s News but we prefer the It’s Never Too Late To Catch Up folder. Grindworks is a Japanese boutique forging brand founded in 2015 by Kiyonari Niimi, a 40-year veteran of Japan’s golf industry, with extensive experience in club design, manufacturing and fitting. In 2014, Niimi was inducted into the International Clubmakers Guild Hall of Fame.
Niimi’s partners include Kenji Kobayashi, former president of Japan’s famed Endo forging house and founder of Epon Golf (Endo’s retail arm). He and Niimi collaborated to design Epon’s original forged irons. A third partner, Tario Cham, is also an industry veteran who, according to the Grindworks website, has worked with several “top Japanese brands.”
Reed has been working with Grindworks since 2018, not long after his endorsement deal with Callaway ended. He did not, however, use Grindworks gear in his 2018 Masters victory. As a free agent, Reed’s bag at that Masters featured a PING G400 LST driver, a NIKE VR Pro fairway wood, a Titleist T-MB driving iron, Callaway MB irons and wedges from Artisan Golf and Vokey.
Reed collaborated with Grindworks to develop personal prototype irons which he first put in play in December of 2019 at the Hero World Challenge.
The Grindworks Patrick Reed irons
The Grindworks iron offering is limited to muscle-back blades and cavity-backs but it is Patrick Reed-centric. Reed himself is playing a set of customized Grindworks forged irons based on the company’s PR-101A blade (5-iron through PW) and PR-202 cavity-back (4-iron). The “PR,” of course, is for Patrick Reed, as both irons are a collaboration between Reed and Niimi.
The consumer line features the PR-202 cavity-back irons and the MB-101A muscle-back blades, which are based on the limited-edition Patrick Reed versions. Both iron sets are forged from S20C carbon steel, which is the Japanese Industrial Standard equivalent to 1020 carbon steel. The blades sell for $1,795 for a seven-piece set. The cavity-backs sell for $1,395. A combo set is also available as are utility irons.
There’s no real stock setup but Grindworks does offer a variety of standard and premium shafts and grips.
The wedges are another Niimi-Reed collaboration called “The Barrett Collection.” Also S20C forged, the Barrett wedges are sold in a set of three (51-, 57-, 61-degrees) for $625. A 48-degree wedge is sold separately for $225.
Grindworks rounds out its offering with metalwoods and putters. The Equinox metalwood line features a 19-degree hybrid and a 15-degree fairway wood (both adjustable) as well as three driver lofts. Oddly, they’re available in 9.5-, 10- and 10.5-degree options. The drivers are designed for the better player, with an open face and a published MOI of 4,000 g-cm2, placing it alongside some of the low-spin mainstream OEM models in terms of forgiveness.
The hybrid runs $299, the fairway $399 and the driver $750.
While Grindworks is a Japanese company, its U.S. sales, distribution and assembly are headquartered in Texas.
Grindworks and Patrick Reed: Final thoughts
Partnering with Patrick Reed is a curious choice. He’s been embroiled in various rules controversies and reportedly clashed with teammates during his college career. Right or wrong, Reed is portrayed as a “villain” in the golf press and by much of golf fandom. His move to LIV was met with a collective yawn followed by a “good riddance.”
To put it kindly, he’s polarizing. Which makes you wonder how well Patrick Reed’s signature merch on the Grindworks website is selling.
Beyond any formal deals with Grindworks, Reed is the ultimate free agent in equipment and apparel. His former LIV team, the 4Aces, had a sponsorship deal with Under Armour but we’re not sure where that deal stands now. We do know he’s been wearing Under Armour shoes and apparel on the DP World Tour. Reed has also been tied to Hublot watches and Equity Prime Mortgage,but neither has a confirmed deal for 2026.
His arrangement with Grindworks may, in fact, be one of convenience for both parties. Reed gives the fledgling brand a bit of notoriety and Tour validation. Meanwhile, Grindworks allows Reed to co-design his own irons.
Outside of the company website, Grindworks gear is pretty hard to find. You can find used sets on eBay and we did locate a set of MB-101A irons at Mike’s Pre-Owned Golf Outlet. The website does not list any authorized fitters in the U.S. It does encourage golfers to contact the company directly for help in choosing custom options.
As it stands today, you can consider Grindworks a niche, boutique brand. Given the bona fides of all the principals involved, we don’t doubt the quality and performance of the equipment. Whether it’s something that appeals to you may, in fact, rest entirely on how you feel about Patrick Reed.
Turtlehacker
4 months ago
The irons are pretty but not something I could play. As far as Patrick Reed goes, a very wise ‘Man’ once said that if you yourself wants to be forgiven, then you must forgive others. And while you’re at it, please forgive yourself too so that nothing weighs you down going forward.