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laying the Ocean North or Ocean South Course at The Resort at Pelican Hill® is always a treat, but the round becomes even more memorable when players are armed with the best possible gear for their game. Glenn Deck, director of instruction at the Pelican Hill Golf Academy, recommends this year’s new equipment for players wanting to up their skills. “To improve your swing, your game and your handicap, these items allow you to take advantage of the absolute latest technological advancements in golf clubs and golf balls,” said Deck.
Shave off a few strokes at Pelican Hill® with the help of some of the most promising gear of the year. For his own test drive, Deck hopped into a golf cart with a selection of his favorite new products in tow.
PING’S G400 MAX DRIVER houses extreme high-density tungsten rear weighting in its deep-profile, multiple-material 460cc clubhead. This driver is designed for maximum forgiveness. It has a textured, thin crown with turbulators; a low center of gravity; and a thin, strong forged face that flexes at impact to increase ball speed and thus distance. Deck: “A perfect driver for higher handicaps who need more carry distance. The 453-yard, par-4 No. 18 on the Ocean South Course hits you with a forced carry off the tee and a fairway bunker beyond the carry. The more you can maximize your distance off the tee, the better your chances for landing in the clear and setting up a second shot that’s easier to manage.”
TITLEIST’S 818 H2 HYBRID is compact and shaped like an easy-to-hit offset iron. It’s actually loaded with driver technology that aims to rev up ball speed and launch angle while maintaining spin. It features adjustable loft and lie, so that you can fine-tune your ball flight. Deck: “This is an ideal club to help you escape Pelican Hill’s fairway bunkers. I’m immediately reminded of the 443-yard, par-4 first hole on the Ocean South Course. There are fairway bunkers on the right that often come into play. With this hybrid, you have a club to help you get out of trouble and get the ball on or near the green. It’ll help achieve a nice high ball flight. Plus, it’s always good to start your round with a great score or maybe even par on the first hole.”
CALLAWAY GOLF’S ROGUE FAIRWAY WOODS feature the popular Jailbreak technology behind the clubface that enhances ball speed and distance. An ultra-low forward center of gravity promotes high launch and low spin — the magic elixir for achieving long, soaring shots. Deck: “Enhancements to the design of these clubs make them even more player-friendly than earlier Callaway woods. It will now be easier for the average golfer to hit a long shot into a green, and misses are going to be a lot narrower. For example, on the 558-yard, par-5 No. 17 of the Ocean North Course, where the second shot requires you to strike a tight ball flight to a small landing area at an angle, playing this fairway wood will definitely be a benefit. It may even give you a chance for birdie.”
COBRA’S KING F8 irons were designed for the golfer seeking distance and accuracy with best-in-class feel. They feature an optimized sweet spot that helps to produce more ball speed on off-center hits. A forged, milled clubface is thin and fast to generate distance. The 4- through 7- irons are hollow, with a shorter hosel, wider sole and low center of gravity, all of which help to create higher ball flight. The short irons have a longer hosel and high center of gravity for a more piercing ball flight. Each grip comes embedded with a smart chip to track all shot distances and location in a smartphone app. Deck: “Solid, forgiving irons are key to playing well on both of our courses. These Cobra irons will come in handy on holes like No. 7 of the Ocean South Course. It’s a par-3 with a demanding bunker to the left and water to the right. You have to keep it straight with a mid-iron here. By using new, stronger irons, you can hit one less club off the tee and feel more confident when you face this challenging hole. And, let’s face it, confidence is critical in situations like these.”
ODYSSEY’S EXO PUTTER emits that satisfying click at impact that golfers love to hear and feel. The ball takes off on an immediate roll toward the cup thanks to the new White Hot Microhinge face insert. The putter’s finish and details are simply luxurious. Deck: “At Pelican Hill, golfers often face long putts — a good example would be the double-tiered green of the No. 6 hole of the Ocean North Course. Any time you have a putter head that can correct for off-center hits and misses, you tend to get better results and your speed control improves. The most common challenge on our greens is speed control, so a putter with a bigger sweet spot is going to allow you to drain more putts per round.”
TITLEIST’S TOUR SOFT BALL has the largest core ever in a Titleist ball, which means it yields responsive, soft feel and lots of speed on tee shots. While that can generate long drives, the ball also delivers a lot of backspin on shots into the green; its ultra-thin, four-material grafted cover will stop your wedges and chip shots quickly instead of running off the green. Deck: “The benefit to this new Titleist ball is using your driver to get maximum distance — which we all can use — and then being able to face tight greens and score with confidence, because now you have a ball that’s receptive to more feel and spin. Combining these attributes will make playing either course at Pelican Hill easier and benefit both average and experienced golfers.”
