Every year, the lists of the best drivers, the best irons and other golf clubs are updated with the latest models of the current generation and the latest technology from sporting goods manufacturers. However, some clubs are simply irreplaceable and remain in the golf bags of amateurs until they are battered and damaged and no longer serve their purpose.
Although we all develop a preference for different clubs throughout our golf careers, there is usually one that stands out from the rest. With that in mind, I asked members of the Golf Monthly team to list their all-time favorite golf club and explain why…
Neil Tappin – Titleist Vokey SM5
My short game has always been my weakness, but I got a wedge fitting (from Bob Vokey, no less) and this is the result. I had no idea what a big difference a good fitting would make and suddenly I had a wedge that I felt worked for me. It transformed my confidence and looked incredible in the bag too! It’s the best wedge I’ve ever used.
Joel Tadman – Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver
I’d probably go with the 2018 Callaway Rogue Sub Zero driver. This big club was an absolute beast – springy, solid off the face, had punchy ball speed and combined low spin with an above average level of stability and forgiveness. You could really go after the ball and know that if you missed, most of the time you wouldn’t be in too much trouble and would get far into the hole. Unfortunately, I lost it on a photo shoot (or someone had similar feelings and stole it) and I struggled to find a driver with similar performance for a couple of years – until the Titleist TSR3 came along.
(Image credit: Callaway)
Nick Bonfield – TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 3-Wood
I can still remember the feeling when I first hit this beautiful club and ten years later it is still my absolute favorite. It is incredibly good from the center and flies off like a rocket when you make the right contact. I also love the white crown and yellow alignment details and whenever I pull it out of my bag I feel confident of making a good shot.
Joe Ferguson – Titleist 975D Driver, 7.5˚
I loved everything about this driver. The thud, the pear shaped head and the fact that Tiger and Sergio both used it when I was a teenager were also major factors! Still one of the most classic heads ever and you could even get it in 5.5˚! It may be a case of “the older I get the better I get” but I felt like I could do anything with this club.
Alison Root – TaylorMade Burner Bubble
The best club I ever owned was the TaylorMade Burner Bubble Driver. Not “the best” in the sense that it worked great, but it worked for me as I was a relative beginner and this was the first proper set I owned, so I felt very confident walking onto the tee with this club in hand. I’ll also never forget the beautiful two-tone gold/beige suede-look headcover.
Matt Cradock – Adams Idea Super Hybrid
The best club I have ever owned and is still in my bag ten years after I bought it is my Adams Idea Super Hybrid. There are many reasons for this but the two main ones are the consistency I get from it, an easy five yard draw and the ease with which I can shape shots and manipulate trajectory. Golf clubs have sentimental value and in the case of the Super Hybrid I holed an albatross with it, hit probably the best shot of my life with it in Buckinghamshire and won an Open event just a week after buying it while using it from pretty much every tee box.
(Image credit: Adams)
Barry Plummer – TaylorMade RAC Chrome
The TaylorMade RAC 60º still holds pride of place in my bag and has proven itself on countless occasions. As a high handicap player, I rely on my short game to get out of trouble. I’ve come to terms with that and this wedge is my favorite club on the green.
On one memorable occasion, in a match play competition, one of my opponents uttered eleven words that have stuck with me to this day: “That is not a shot a high handicap player should be making.” Well, thanks to my trusty 60-degree wedge, I managed to hit a Phil Mickelson-like flop shot over the bunker, leaving a five-foot shot for par on the long par 3. I missed the putt, but let’s forget about that and enjoy the glory of my short game success instead.
David Taylor – TaylorMade M2 7-wood
My go-to club when my driver is no longer playing nice. It also serves me well on long par 3s. Arccos tells me I hit it an average of 160 yards, so I don’t attack many par 5s in two shots, but it’s always reliable and usually gets me roughly on the fairway. Brings some much-needed consistency to an otherwise inconsistent game!
Jonny Leighfield – TaylorMade Stealth Rescue
So I never really “owned” it and it was purely a holiday romance, but what a day we spent together. I got a set of loaner clubs from TaylorMade on my first press trip and got on very well with all of them, but the TaylorMade Stealth 3 hybrid just never missed and proved to be my safety net all around. My final shot on an excellent 18-hole (by my very low standards) was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit. And it came with the aforementioned club.
As I was eyeing the green on my second shot from about 200 yards out on a par 5 (literally unheard of for me), the club whizzed through the ball and I heard the best shot I’ve ever made. My playing partner let out an involuntary “wow” as the clubhead hit the ball – that’s how loud the sound was – and my golf ball landed on the front of the green, which left me truly speechless. Of course, I missed my putt and scored my first ever eagle, but I will never forget that day and what the TaylorMade Stealth 3 hybrid allowed me to do.
(Image credit: TaylorMade)
