Golf Monthly
UK magazine, season-long testing
“felt really solid for a driver that's supposed to be marketed as budget”
A shockingly premium sub-£200 driver that actually produced more ball speed than the Titleist and lost only nine yards when paired with a Pro V1, though the stock combo spun wildly for him.
+ the facts · 5 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Nearly 1 mph more ball speed than the far pricier Titleist
- +Premium components: Project X EvenFlow shaft, Lamkin grip, quality leather head cover
- +Carbon crown, titanium sole and adjustable hosel mirror premium tech
- −Paired with the Kirkland ball it spun nearly 4,000 rpm and cost him about 30 yards of carry
- −Soft stock shaft is the likely culprit and may need upgrading for faster players
For: Price-conscious golfers, ideally pairing it with a premium ball
Rick Shiels
The biggest golf channel on YouTube
“I think the driver's solid”
Solid on-course performance at GBP 180, but the stock stiff shaft let him down when he swung harder.
+ the facts · 2 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Produced good fades and long drives, nearly drove a par four
- +GBP 180
- −Stiff shaft not suitable when he went after it, causing two wayward drives
- −No custom fitting options
For: Golfers with average swing speeds who fit stock specs.
James Robinson Golf
Mid-handicap everyman reviews
“if you hit it purposely out of the toe, it'll perform nicely”
Number five: the Costco driver still runs out to 250-279 yards for around £200, but spin is quirky enough that it performs better off the toe than out of the middle.
+ the facts · 3 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Around £200 with a carbon crown and a nice traditional shape
- +Still produced a 279-yard drive on test
- +Playable distance even on poor strikes
- −Spin too high (around 4,000 rpm) on centred strikes; it oddly performs best out of the toe
- −Shaft swap only made a small difference
For: Recreational golfers who only play a few times a year
Club Champion (TXG)
Tour-level fitting studio
“it sits very shut there's no there's no get away from that”
Has the material makeup of the big brands but it sits badly closed, ballooned with high spin, and was roughly 30 yards behind the reviewer's fitted gamer.
+ the facts · 3 pros · 4 cons− the facts
- +Titanium sole and face with carbon composite crown at around $199
- +Comes with an adjustable loft sleeve and a True Temper EvenFlow Riptide shaft
- +Could suit slower swing speeds that need spin and some left help
- −Sits roughly four degrees closed even turned down from 10.5 to 9.5
- −High spin and ballooning flight
- −Very long front to back and triangular looking
For: A beginner or slower-swinging player who needs launch and a draw bias on a budget.