ClubHoUno

Maybe your list should be more like this then: Epon Miura Mizuno - Mass Production Mizuno - Custom Production PRGR Endo Japan Mass Production Endo US Mass Production I don't know anything about PRPG and have only read about Mizuno custom production and Epon irons - but I would guess they would rank like this in terms of softness - and it's only me guessing away here This is ranked from most soft to least soft accordingly: 1. Epon 2. Mizuno Custom Production 3. PRGR 4. Miura 5. Mizuno Mass Production 6. Endo Japan Mass Production 7. Endo US Mass Production The stuff Endo does for Bridgestone US and Titleist US are very clicky in feel - definitely not what one would consider soft at all. The muted sound at impact you get with both Mizuno and Miura irons makes them feel very very soft - no matter if Miura uses spin welded hosels they still manage to produce a top class iron with very soft feel and muted sound at impact.

Can't see the pics...........

I only smoke at parties - besides that I'm a NON smoker :tsg_smilie_smile:

Is that your wife - she looks VERY young - may I ask how old she is :tsg_smiley_embarrassed: Played golf today with a guy I guessed to be in his late 20's - no kidding, he then tells me that he is 46 yars old :tsg_smilie_confused: People tell me I'm a good looker and looks young for my age, but sometimes you meet a person that looks ridiculously young for his/her age :tsg_smiley_yes:

Merry Christmas and happy new year :atsg_smilie_bomb1:

OT OT WARNING Just curious..... Is it your daughter in your avatar ?

I see you're from Toronto. Do you speak japanese og do they all speak decent english in Japan/Tokyo ? I actually consider going on a trip to Tokyo next summer - would like to check out some of their high tech pc and HIFI gear and of course also visit a bundle of golfshops - but don't expect them to be cheaper than TSG prices, so will probably ONLY check it out and not buy golf gear there.

Have you had any chance of comparing the X driver 460 to the beloved Epon 460 driver ? I like the head design of the X-drive WAY more than that of the Epon 460, and if they perform almost equally good, I'll go for the X-drive 460. I'm a sucker for looks. Golf clubs are like girls. The better they look, the harder they are to control and keep in the house/bag :atsg_smilie_chick_brun: :atsg_smilie_chick_blonde: :atsg_smilie_chick_blk: I'm skipping the Epon 460 - beacuse I'm in love with the looks of the Tourstage X-drive 460 :tsg_smilie_cool: It's either the Titty D2 or the Tourstage X-drive 460 for my summer bag 2007 :tsg_smilie_money3: I've already ordered the SuperQuad from Taylor - I love Taylor TP drivers :tsg_smiley_yes:

Thanks Gocchin, now I know for sure that the so called "new" GS Tour wood series from Sonartec are old stuff from the Royal Collection shelfs. Yeahhh....I know they got TV reception NOW - but not 4-5 years ago. And back then it puzzled me to see the demand for phones with outside antennas in Asia. Also the phones from Samsung (I know, it's Korean), Sony and Panasonic etc. all came with outside antenna (and I checked - even the new models in Japan had outside antenna back then, and NO TV reception yet) I buy and sell my mobile phones all the time - and I can't wait for them to get more advanced with new functions and tech stuff. While my friends and family don't like all the new functions in the new phones, I love them. I'm bored if a new mobile phone isn't loaded with new menus, functions and geeky stuff I know the most fancy Japan cars don't get to Europe, but I still miss Japan cars with design like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, Maserati, Porsche, VW, Bentley GT, Jaguar, Aston Martin and so on. Some of the new Lexus 4X4 vans look pretty good though :tsg_smilie_smile:

Wow - thanks for your thorough reply :tsg_smilie_smile: It's great to be a member on this forum - it has really opened my eyes and made me realize that golf equipment are not only produced in the US (though assembled in China) but certainly also in Japan/Asia. I only wish more would take part in the discussions on the board. I know lots of people don't have the time - they just buy golf equipment and play golf. Still I feel that a great deal of guys are lurkers on this forum and that's a shame :tsg_smilie_rolleyes: What the heck is a gold factory putter :tsg_smilie_confused: r I googled it, but the website is in japanese - darn it, I wish I knew how to read japanese :tsg_smilie_wah: Is it hard to learn japanese - I need to be able to read japanese to check out all the nice websites with japanese golf gear :tsg_smiley_laughatyou: You lived there for 4 years - did you learn japanese, Chris ? I'm a 2.8 capper - but still would like to get a set of blades. I may stick to a Mizuno custom grind combo set of Mp-60 and Mp-32 though - but I'm dreaming of buying either a Fourteen T-1000 set or a Tourstage X-blade 3 set - they look so darn purdy those blades and they tell you right away if your swing is OFF.

Holy C_ap - she's gorgeous, but only 43 kg and 1.53 tall - talk about petite asian girl :tsg_smilie_confused: I guess I'm stuck with some taller hot blonde blueyed girlZzz from Scandinavia :atsg_smilie_chick_blonde: :atsg_smilie_chick_blonde:

3 questions for you, Chris Regarding the Epon wedges - can you order them with custom grind option ? How come you don't sell Zodia wedges anymore ? Can you order custom made Black Nickel Mizuno Mp-R wedges with custom grind - and is it possible to order them WITHOUT the terrible looking RUNBIRD logo on the sole of their irons and wedges ?

Hey Chris, Thanks for all your advice - you also sound like a Hightech geek - just like me :tsg_smilie_cool: I've been considering these 1080p Tv's as some of the stations I watch have started broadcasting in Highdefinition. I currently own a 50" Pioneer PDP 507 XD plasma and consider getting myself a 40" Samsung LCD for the bedroom. I'm about to purchase a HD-DVD player, but am a bit disappointed they haven't released one with recording capacity yet :tsg_smilie_sad: I think the big movie companies are afraid of a situation where the consumer can record movies and TV broadcasting in HighDefinition quality. Have you taken the Blueray road or the HD-DVD road ? Regarding HDMI, I already have my Plasma connected using HDMI signal. BTW I'm also a computer geek - I make my own Pc's from scratch - buying CPU's, ram's, harddrives, motherboard, PSU's, GPU's and computer cases and bulding them from scratch is another hobby of mine. I've probably build all of my friends and relatives PC's from scratch - I shouldn't have done this as the phone rings endlessly now and I have to take care of their small problems, usually caused by themselves :tsg_smilie_sad: I would never buy a PC prebuild by a company - I take pride in buliding them myself from scratch - just like I ought to do with my golfclubs Back to golf...... The SF206, you are referring to is not made by Royal Collection, but by Fourteen - correct ? Have you tried the SF206 wood ? What is the H2 wood from Royal Collection - an older model similar to the upcomming Sonartec GS tour ? My plan is to purchase a new bag of JDM equipment (what does JDM mean - Japanese Domestic.....??) - I'll probably order it in march, so it'll be ready for may/june. Since you so kindly give me advice regarding my golf club purchase - here is a list of what I probably would purchase - would you be so kind and point out your favorite in each category, Chris ? Driver: Epon 460 Tourstage X-Driver 460 (may I ask why you still have the X-drive in your avatar, when you actually prefer the Epon 460 driver ?) 3-Wood: G-Field GFT Tourstage X-driver Royal Collection BBD Fourteen SF206 Hybrid: Royal Collection (the new model you're referring to) G-Field CFT Irons MB: Fourteen T-1000 Tourstage X-blade 3 (soon to come, I guess) Irons CB: Tourstage X-blade Cb 2 Mizuno Mp-60 Custom grind satin Epon Type J Wedges: Zodia custom made (how come you don't sell Zodia wedges anymore) Scratch custom made Mizuno custom made black nickel Mp-R Tourstage X-wedge 2007 Epon X-model Putter: I'm sorry, but I'm stuck with my Bettinardi Tour DASS, my Scotty Studio Style Newport 2 and Scotty Red X The honeycomb technology might be outdated, but I like the design of this putter and stainless putters in general. I've tried Odyssey insert putter (talk about crappy craftmanship), YES putters, Rossa AGSI putters and I prefer the basic simple classic design of a putter and NO soft inserts. Don't fancy the G-field putters in particular - I have to like what I see when looking down on a putter, so no matter how great it rolls the ball, I still have to like what I see before I make the putte stroke - and colored plates on an anser style putter is not for me. Regarding the Epon wedges - could you tell me if the Cu finish will rust ? I also wonder if you have tested the Epon HG model - it looks really strange, what is it designed for and why this odd look -is it really great out of bunkers ? I guess you could say that I like the craftmanship of japanse golf gear, but as soon as the technolgy takes over, I'm turned off a bit. I have to love the design of the golf gear I use. I like new technology and evolution in Japan golf gear, if this technolgy is well designed - then I'm a fan ! But if it's ugly bad design it has to be well hidden somewhere inside the golfclub or deep inside the cavity, so I'm not turned off by the bad looks of it. I find that the achilles heel of Japan golf gear is when the technology takes over from the design. Asian people have a another perception of great design than us European guys do. Take a look at cars from Japan - Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, Lexus, Honda etc. - their design is square, boxy and without curves and actual style. They sell well in Europe because Japan makes cars that works for an affordable price - not because of their good looks and beautiful design. Honda did not make a car with good solid design until they were overtaken by Rover and later on BMW. It's these small differences that I find is funny and what differentiates us. I've always wondered why Korean and Japanese people liked their cellulars to have outside big antennas :tsg_smilie_confused: (I know why they love them outside in the US, it's because of LOUSY poor reception) Nokia and Sony-Ericsson had to make several models with outside antennas for the asian market, while the models for Europe has inside antennas

I agree - but if two producst are very close performance wise, then I would always go for the product that has the best resale value and the best design. This is how I can afford to spend $5.000...plus a year on golf equipment. If I had unlimited means, I would literally have a house full of golf equipment - we're talking 10 drivers, 10 woods, 10 iron sets etc. For now I have limited my golf craze to only having 3 full bags at a time - and my girlfriend and my friends still think I'm crazy for having 3 complete bags full of new golf gear :tsg_smilie_money3:

Allow me to BUMP an old thread: Driver: Tourstage, Epon Woods: G-Field, Royal Collection/Sonartec Utility: Tourstage/Bridgestone, G-Field Iron: Mizuno, Miura, Tourstage, Epon Wedges: Zodia, Mizuno, Scartch Putter: Bettinardi Tour DASS

BTW what's you favorite utility hybrid club ? Anyone knows what kind of hybrid Sonartec will be releasing this spring/summer ? Maybe an old Royal Collection hybrid club ? The MD will continue in the Sonartec lineup, so maybe it'll be a mix of the MD and the old TRC hybrid - or a club from Roayl Collection I don't know of :tsg_smilie_whistle: :tsg_smilie_confused: I like a hybrid club with a V shaped sole, that will go through the rough with ease as oppose to long irons. I'm long with my driver, but also pretty oblique. So hit a lot of Par 5 green's from the rough with my hybrid. Don't fancy the look of either the Tourstage nor the Fourteen hybrid clubs - the G-Field looks pretty good though. In fact I like the Bridgestone hybrids very very much - based on looks alone, the Bridgestone J33 hybrid is wayyy better looking than the Tourstage X-UT hybrids. I own two of the Bridgestone J33 hyrbrids, and besides a somewhat wide head, this hybrids is probably the best ever made hybrid for me. I hit it even better than the Taylor Made Rescue Dual TP and the new Titleost 585H hyrids - and they are GREAT hybrids, so this Bridgestone hybrid is not only a great looker but an equally grreat performer - 9.5/10. But as a true club HO's and HIGH TECH freak, I'm always looking for the next new thing. Why do I change my cellular 3-4 times a year when I don't need the extra 2 GB of storage in my cellular and I don't need the extra fast Wireless :tsg_smilie_whistle: :tsg_smilie_money3: Why do I have to buy the next new golf gear, when the old clubs from 2005 still works great :tsg_smiley_laughatyou: :tsg_smilie_money3: Because I'm a club HO and High Tech geek :tsg_smiley_yes: :tsg_smilie_cool:

I have the same "problem" as you do. I'm also picking my driver for the 2007 summer season and the contenders are Epon 460 and Tourstage X-drive 460. The resale value of the Tourstage driver will be FAR better than that of the Epon 460 here in Europe. Perhaps 1000 guys in all of Europe, out of a population of 400 million, know about the Epon brand - and this means resale value is very low. The Tourstage brand is pretty popular among avid golfers in Europe, although it's to hard to get - so resale value of Tourstage is good, but still not great. I have 2 full bags of US equipment - one with Taylor Made driver & woods, Mizuno irons and wedges and Bettinarid Tour DASS putter and the other one with Titleist driver and woods, Ping irons and Vokey wedges and Scotty Cameron putter. But I'm looking for a third bag with some more fancy and limited stuff - a bag full of brands that the weekend golfer will know nothing about. He will not know if the total bag is worth $250 or $4.000 - I like this :tsg_smiley_laughatyou: :tsg_smilie_smile: I'll for sure get the new Taylor Made R7 TP SuperQuad driver this spring. Don't like the black finish though, so I'm awating the "normal" finish to arrive at stores. I really hit my R7 425 with Fuji Rombax great - but if the Epon is such a BOMB, I might go for that. But I'm a design freak, and my bag HAS to look great, not good - and I must admit that the Tourstage design of their clubs looks better than that of the Epon driver and clubs in general. Good luck with your search - maybe in the end we'll opt for the same driver :tsg_smilie_cool:

OT OT OT :tsg_smiley_laughatyou: I'm not normally into asian girls, but who's the girl in your avatar - she's really hot, nice face, nice boobs....oooppppsssss.....sorry..... :tsg_smiley_embarrassed: :tsg_smiley_embarrassed: NB No offense to asian girls - I'm just a bit taller and a bit wider over the shoulders than Ernie "The big easy" - so I look like a freaking monster besides a petite asian girl.....

Wow - so I guessed correctly. Sonartec and Royal Collection have the same kind of relationship as Bridgestone and Tourstage :tsg_smiley_yes: Sonartec gets the old technology from Royal Collection, just like Bridgestone does :tsg_smiley_laughatyou: Do you know what kind of face depth and performance I'll get in the newer Royal Collection BBD compared to the upcoming Sonartec GS Tour ? :atsg_smilie_bbd: Have you tried the new Tourstage X-Drive 3 wood - it should be arriving at stores 12/27-2006 ? How about the G_field 3wood - any love for that @@ TSG: We need some Epon smilies in here to chose from - please make some

I need to find a new 3 wood to go along with a potential new driver for my summer 2007 bag (I'll buy either the Epon 460 driver or the Tourstage X-driver 460 P). I don't particularly like the design and appearance of the Epon 3 wood, but if it performs great, I'll consider it. Sonartec will release a GS Tour next month and I really like Sonartec woods, but don't know if Royal Collection will bring out some new stuff too for the 2007 season :tsg_smilie_whistle: Am I correct when I think Royal Collection and Sonartec have the same relationship as Tourstage and Bridgestone ? I don't like it to be too deep faced, nor do I want it to be too mid faced, it has to be great off the deck AND at least good off the tee. Sonartec SS-3.5 was a bit too deep faced and Sonartec SS-2.5 was too midfaced, am I being picky here :tsg_smilie_wink: Please vote and post your opinions NB I know we have another 3 wood poll in this forum, but only with 4 contenders !

Looking very MUCH forward to your review of the Tourstage X drive 460 especially in comparison to the Epon 460 :tsg_smiley_yes: Who on the Asian and Japanese tour uses the Epon 460 driver and Epon irons BTW :tsg_smilie_confused:

How would you rate the offset in the VIQ irons, Chris ? Is it tolerable to look at from top position ? What is the Epon Pro II irons - a newer version of Type J ? Would love to play a round with you Chris & Plus1 - PM me for further information, when you are in the neighbourhood :tsg_smiley_yes: May I ask why you were in Europe for that long - did you promote your golf store or do have friends or relatives there ? I see that you live in both Italy, Hawaii and Japan - are you originally from Hawaii, Italy or the US ?

Thanks Chris :tsg_smilie_smile:

I like deep faced 460cc driver heads. Which of the two - the Tourstage X drive 460 and Epon 460 Technity - has the deepest face ?

Hello, Thanks for a nice review :tsg_smiley_yes: I also consider getting the Tourstage X driver 460 or the Epon 460 driver. Did you consider getting your Tourstage X drive 460 with an Axiv og other high end shaft - and do you feel right now that you will keep the stock shaft ?