Bravo to “The Year of The Wedge”

Posted by: Sean Weir in News April 22, 2010 0

While we focus on putters here at PutterZone.com, we sometimes roam around the fringe to talk about wedges and other facets of the golf experience.

Last year, Nick Taylor of Golfland Warehouse wrote on PutterZone.com about the impending USGA groove ruling on wedges, which has since come to pass—as evidenced by Tiger Woods’ pitch shots flying past the green at Augusta.

Yet despite an avalanche of media coverage on the subject, many recreational golfers remain confused about the new rules for grooves and what these rules mean to their game.

Basically, it comes down to this: As of January 1, 2010, the top professionals are no longer allowed to play with sharp “U” grooves on their wedges. Meanwhile, the top amateur circuits have until 2014 before they need abandon the sharp grooves, and the rest of us have until 2024, even though manufacturers must stop producing clubs with the sharp grooves by the advent of 2011.

Got that? Jeez, no wonder people are confused.

Well, thanks to a new Cleveland Golf marketing campaign—the Year of The Wedge—we have a cool tool for making better sense of it all.

Sure, it’s essentially an advertising effort to sell you more Cleveland wedges before the end of the year, but it’s also the best consolidated explanation we’ve seen of what wedge grooves—and the new groove rules—mean to you and your game. The campaign’s site at YearOfTheWedge.com offers crystal-clear visuals, timelines and wedge fitting insights.

This is nothing new for Cleveland Golf and its sister brand, Never Compromise. For example, the Never Compromise web site features a section called “Fundamentals,” which gives you the lowdown on a variety of putter fitting factors.

So bravo to Cleveland Golf for, once again, combining smart marketing with meaningful education for the average recreational golfer.

P.S. To stock up on Cleveland wedges before it’s too late, visit our friends at Golfland Warehouse, who have them on sale for $99.