Every year, as the Halloween decorations get put away and plans for Thanksgiving get finalized, equipment junkies smile because they know it’s the most wonderful time of the year. As the season of giving (and self-gifting) kicks off, golfers know they’re in for something special — discounts on gear that’s been just out of reach.
The boom in golf participation in 2020 and 2021 created high demand for gear at a time when many brand’s supply chains were stressed, leading to price increases. For the last few seasons, several manufacturers have priced their marque drivers around $600, fairway woods around $350 and sets of game-improvement and better-player irons well over $1,000 for seven clubs.
But for golfers eyeing premium equipment, the holidays mean a chance to grab big savings on top-tier clubs because, with 2025 equipment set to arrive in pro shops and golf specialty stores in the next 60 to 90 days, manufacturers and shop owners want to sell off inventories, drive sales and make room for next season’s gear. That means discounts.
If you are worried that buying a club that is about to be replaced by a newer model could mean missing out on a big performance gain, it’s okay. Improvements to golf equipment are almost always incremental. So, if you work with a good custom fitter and buy a driver or a set of irons that properly matches your swing, it is unlikely that you would see massive gains in distance from the next season’s driver. However, if your driver is five or six years old, you might see a big jump in distance, a tightening of your dispersion pattern and notice more forgiveness on mis-hits, but from one year to the next, the gains tend to be smaller.
A word of caution: Don’t let a discounted price tempt you into buying gear that doesn’t match your game. Getting a 15- or 20-percent discount on the wrong club is no bargain. Have the discipline to work with a good custom fitter to learn whether a discounted club is right for you or not.
Knowing that, here are several great deals on popular woods and irons.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max driver. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $599.99
Now: $499.99 (callawaygolf.com)
Price Drop: 17 percent
Who They’re For: Golfers who want more ball speed and forgiveness on mis-hit drives.
What you should know: After studying hundreds of thousands of shots, Callaway designers used artificial intelligence to create different faces for each of the four Paradym Ai Smoke drivers so they are optimized to enhance distance and protect ball speed.
Excerpt: “Callaway said that thanks to the microdeflections and customized faces, the standard Paradym Ai Smoke Max is 12 yards longer on mishits in the toe, 11 yards longer in the heel and 9 yards longer on shots hit high in the middle of the face over last season’s Paradym.” Read the full review.
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $169.99 (Chrome, Black Satin) / $189.99 (Raw)
Now: $129.99 (clevelandgolf.com)
Price Drop: 24 percent / 32 percent
Who They’re For: Golfers who want to maximize spin around the green from a variety of lies.
What you should know: With different surface-roughening treatments and groove configurations based on each wedge’s loft, Cleveland’s RTX 6 ZipCore wedges aim to increase spin in wet and dry conditions.
Excerpt: “Control is also enhanced by an update to the ZipCore technology that debuted in 2021 in the RTX5 wedges. Instead of making each wedge using the same stainless steel, Cleveland uses a lightweight material that soaks up excessive vibrations. That enhances the feel and shifts more weight to the perimeter for extra stability. The weight saved using the alternative material is redistributed to the heel area in the form of a piece that extends through the hosel and into the lower portion of the head. The bar helps offset the weight in the toe area and allows designers to shift the center of gravity to the center of the hitting zone.” Read the full review.
The Cobra Darkspeed LS driver (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $549.99
Now: $399.99 (cobragolf.com)
Price Drop: 27 percent
Who They’re For: Golfers who want more distance, adjustability and ball-speed protection on mis-hits.
What you should know: Available in three models (X, Max, and LS), the Darkspeed drivers have three different weight systems that allow golfers to obtain the ideal blend of forgiveness, ball speed and spin.
Excerpt: “All three Darkspeed drivers have been made with an internal bar that Cobra calls a PWR Bridge. It is positioned inside the head and connects the heel and toe areas directly behind the face. The PWR Bridge in the Darkspeed drivers is slightly lighter than the one found in Aerojet drivers, but it still lowers the center of gravity and helps reduce spin.” Read the full review.
Mizuno JPX 923 Forged irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $1,313 (seven clubs)
Now: $875 (mizunousa.com)
Price Drop: 33 percent
Who They’re For: Accomplished golfers looking for a compact cavity-back iron that emphasizes feeling and control with some forgiveness.
What you should know: Made for players who may have played muscleback blades in the recent past and golfers who demand control and feel, the JPX 923 Forged irons bring some distance, forgiveness and playability to a better-player’s club.
Excerpt: “The face of the JPX 923 Forged is thinner in every area, which should allow the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact for increased ball speed on well-struck shots and mis-hits too. There is also a milled micro-slot in the sole that is covered by a very thin plating. The slot allows the lower portion of the face to flex more easily, which should deliver better performance on thin shots. The JPX 921 Forged had a micro-slot, but the slot in this updated version is wider.” Read the full review.
Srixon ZX Mark II drivers (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $499.99
Now: $349.99 (srixon.com)
Price Drop: 30 percent
Who They’re For: Golfers looking for more ball speed and a more forgiving hitting area.
What you should know: Srixon ZX5 Mk II, ZX5 LS Mk II and ZX7 Mk II drivers each have a uniquely designed chassis that allows a more significant portion of the hitting area to flex at impact for increased ball speed and distance. The ZX5 Mk II has extra stability, the ZX5 LS Mk II is a low-spin option and the ZX7 Mk II has greater shot-shaping potential.
Excerpt: “The key is a design feature called Rebound Frame. Like other drivers, the seam and area surrounding the face of the MkII drivers is rigid, but behind that is a ring of more-flexible titanium. Srixon said when a shot is hit, the face flexes as it would for other drivers, but the Rebound Frame chassis creates a second flexible zone that allows the whole hitting area to shift back and snap forward. The result is increased ball speed over a more significant portion of the face.” Read the full review.
The TaylorMade Qi10 Max driver (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Was: $599.99 (Qi10 Max, Qi10) / $629.99 (Qi10 LS)
Now: $499.99 / $529.00 (taylormadegolf.com)
Price Drop: 17 percent / 16 percent
Who They’re For: Golfers who want to maximize forgiveness without sacrificing distance (Qi10, Qi10 Max), or players who need a low-spin driver that also delivers shot-shaping and adjustability (Qi10 LS).
What you should know: By making the carbon fiber crown in the Qi10 drivers larger and shifting weight to optimal positions, TaylorMade added company-best forgiveness to its newest driver family while helping golfers gain ball speed and accuracy.
Excerpt: “The ultra-light materials allowed TaylorMade to make the Qi10 Max driver bigger than the Stealth 2 Max from front to back. It’s noticeable when you sole the driver behind the ball. The longer head creates more areas where mass can be positioned – specifically, a 32-gram weight in the back of the sole and internal mass pads behind the face. In terms of stability, the result is the Qi10 Max is the first TaylorMade driver to have a combined moment of inertia of 10,000 g-cm2. That’s what the Qi10 name stands for: Quest for Inertia 10,000.” Read the full review.
Wilson DynaPWR irons. (Wilson)
Was: $799.99 (steel) / $899.99 (graphite)
Now: $699.99 / $799.00 (wilson.com)
Price Drop: 13 percent / 11 percent
Who They’re For: Mid- to higher-handicap golfers who need more ball speed and forgiveness.
What you should know: These game-improvement irons are designed with a very low center of gravity location that promotes a higher launch angle and more carry distance, while also encouraging a steeper angle of descent.
Excerpt: “Wilson designed the Dynapower irons with oversized heads and gave the irons ample offset to allow golfers with a handicap between 10 and 20 to square the face at impact more easily. They also designed the irons with a variable-thickness face that is thicker in the center and gets thinner around the perimeter. That helps broaden the sweet spot, and adding three Power Holes in the sole magnifies the benefits.” Read the full review.
