Never one to shy away from taking the latest gear for a spin, ARN presenter and former Golf Digest Middle East editor Robbie Greenfield put the club through its paces in a review for eGolf TV at Trump International Dubai’s TaylorMade Performance Studio.

“The club I’m holding in my hand is one that’s creating a lot of buzz in the market for 2023,” he says. “I have to say, it’s a beautiful looking club. 

“Let’s start with an overview of the TaylorMade MG4 Wedge. It’s fourth generation, which means there were three preceding it. And the story really started with inspiration and insight from, for my money at least, the greatest short-game exponent of all time, the legendary Tiger Woods. 

“It was he who really inspired this ‘Milled Grind’ design and a lot of his input, a lot of his insight was instrumental in developing the quality wedge.

“It has been taken on by today’s great players: Collin Morikawa is one of the key testers for this wedge, Rory McIlroy has so much faith in it that it’s gone straight in his bag. 

“It’s packed full of great technology. It’s a serious wedge in this market.” 

Robbie is quick to point out that the familiar TaylorMade technology is present on the face of the MG4.

“The raw face technology which we found in the MG3 is back,” he adds. “It’s got that almost-rough, almost-sandpaper quality to it. It’s something you notice straight away with this club. When you remove the sticker brand new out of the shop, it begins to oxidise. And that raw face technology is extremely effective at getting spin rates up regardless of whether that’s around the green or with full shots as well. It’s a very noticeable aspect to this club and it’s going to appeal to a lot of players who are looking to generate spin. 

“What is new for the MG4 is laser-etching technology. Think of it, if you like to dumb it down a little bit, as a groove within a groove. It’s a channel which allows more water, more fluid, to escape when conditions are wet, when it’s wet underfoot. Now, you might be thinking: ‘We’re in the Middle East here. It barely ever rains. Surely this isn’t relevant.’ I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve teed off early in the morning. It’s very dewy. The clubs do get very wet and of course that’s going to affect spin rates. And what we’re trying to achieve is consistency across the board, no matter the conditions with our spin rates. 

“Now, sure, there will be a slight drop-off when it’s wet underfoot, but this laser-etching technology is very effective at bridging the gap between those spin rates from dry conditions to wet conditions.” 

Robbie also finds the MG4 very pleasing to the eye.

“The changes are subtle, but they’re there nonetheless,” he says. “And what you’re looking at really is a smoother profile, a slightly softer, more tour-inspired head shape here. And this works just for when you lay the club open flat to play one of those high, lofted flop shots or if you’re playing a standard shot with a nice square face at address, it looks great. And it comes in two different finishes, a satin chrome and a matte black. 

There are loads of different bounce and grind options. And of course, when you go for your fitting at eGolf Megastore, you can tailor specifically the wedges in your bag to best suit your game. That is important, but the key thing is you’ve got the options here with the TaylorMade MG4.

“Immediate things that I notice having hit a few shots down in the bay to a flag of around 80 yards, the spin is impressive. The ball is stopping, it’s grabbing, which is what we want to see when we’re hitting a wedge. I was getting over 10,000 rpm on the TrackMan, which are great numbers for me, very happy about that. And the other thing is the flight, obviously we want to keep the ball down. We want it to fly a little bit lower, a little bit more penetrating and consistent with a wedge. And I was really happy with what I was seeing here. Some really good trajectory on these wedges. Couple that with some good spin and that’s a winning combination. 

“So all in all, both off the mat of course, which is much easier and off the much more difficult turf. I’m getting a really nice response from the MG4 wedges. 

“It is another impressive launch by the company for 2023 and as with any club but specifically wedges, it’s really important for you to head down to the eGolf Megastore and get fitted when it is when it comes to choosing the different grind options, choosing the different bounce options. Everyone has different specifications that’s going to get the best out of their game. And a fitting is essential when it comes to purchasing a new wedge.”

Wise words, Robbie. Wise words.

Images: Supplied

The post Robbie Greenfield puts the TaylorMade 2023 MG4 Wedge through its paces appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The show’s hosts, who describe themselves as “tragically obsessed with the game at every level”, will welcome a new guest on the podcast each week, for insights into the behind-the-scenes stories that we don’t see on TV.

Robbie Greenfield and Zane Scotland. Supplied

Serendipitously, The First Tee launched last week with an interview with New Zealand star Ryan Fox, who would then go to land the biggest victory of his career just days later at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. “Clearly we are a good luck charm, and we hope Ryan is generous enough to spread the word that if you come on the show, you are guaranteed a trophy,” commented Scotland, tongue placed firmly in cheek.

“As a former tour player himself and now a highly respected instructor, Zane brings a lot of professional credibility to this partnership,” says Greenfield. “I bring unbridled enthusiasm for the game and as I hope my long and so far unsuccessful battle against the chipping yips demonstrates, some amateur perspective!”

The podcast is a collaboration between the DP World Tour and Dubai Eye 103.8’s Off Script Extra Time show, that will see the station ramp up its golfing coverage as we approach November’s season-ending finale at the DP World Tour Championship.

Fans of golf can find the show on Apple and Spotify, with regular episodes running all the way through until next year’s revamped Desert Swing.

This week’s second episode, which was released on Tuesday, features a comprehensive Ryder Cup preview with Claude Harmon III and interview with Italian three-time tour winner Guido Migliozzi. Future guests include Tommy Fleetwood and G4D world ranked No.1 Kipp Popert — the first disabled golfer to qualify for the British Amateur.

Episode 2 is available here:

or click this link for Apple

Claude Harmon III. Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The post Listen in to The First Tee podcast as Claude Harmon III previews 2023 Ryder Cup with Robbie and Zane appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It is the dream of many amateurs – the chance to test yourself in a fully fledged professional event. Do you have the mental fortitude, much less the game, to draw it back on the first tee and then make it all the way to the 18th without, you know, embarrassing yourself?

Former Golf Digest Middle East editor Robbie Greenfield got that rare chance in the final round of the MENA Tour’s inaugural Jordan’s Ayla Golf Championship in Aqaba Saturday. Not only did he play as a marker, he did so for former Open champion and Ryder Cupper Darren Clarke.

So how did the seven-handicapper, now one half of Dubai Eye’s Sports Tonight team, fare around Ayla G.C.? We’ll let Clarke take up the story:

One good swing away from taking 100ds off Darren Clarke and this is what happened ?? . #golf #choke #darrenclarke #legend #jordan #aqaba #golfcourse @chrismchardy19 @barrycotter

A post shared by Robbie Greenfield (@robbie_greenfield) on Oct 7, 2017 at 4:42am PDT

Greenfield, ever the good sport, took Clarke’s good natured ribbing on the chin but the #Choke label seems a tad harsh when you sign for an 84, presumably playing off those distant championship tees with little range time to prepare beforehand given all the late nights that go with your day job (reports that Dubai Eye 103.8 Head of Sport Chris McHardy is a whip cracker have yet to be substantiated by Golf Digest Middle East).

It should be noted that Greenfield’s score wasn’t the worse posted in the final round – that unwanted distinction owned by the English professional Joshua Grenville-Wood who had a quintuple bogey nine in his closing 85. It was also an improvement on his 88 the previous day when Greenfield “hit the ball way better” but couldn’t get his putter to cooperate.

He really didn’t have to go to all that trouble @themenatour ? ・・・ HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussein of Jordan watches on as @dubaieyesport @robbie_greenfield makes his debut in a professional golf tournament! @aylaoasis #aylaoasis #aylagolfclub

A post shared by Robbie Greenfield (@robbie_greenfield) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:14am PDT

We look forward to hearing more from the founding editor who clearly enjoyed the experience. It’s not every day you to play with a major champion after all:

Day two of life “on tour”… and a tee time with an @theopen champion and Ryder Cup legend! . #golf #jordan #darrenclarke #menatour #legend #sport

A post shared by Robbie Greenfield (@robbie_greenfield) on Oct 7, 2017 at 1:22am PDT

As Greenfield said on the eve of arguably the most stressful round of his life, anything under a 100 would do. A collective doff of our cap to you, Robbie. We’re happy for you, but not half as delighted as we are now knowing that you will have to give us a bundle of shots the next time we tee it up. It’s what any self respecting “tour pro” would do.

Nice spot to make my debut in a professional golf tournament tomorrow. Anything under ?is the goal… don’t forget to look over your shoulder @zanescotland ? . #golf #jordan #menatour #golfcourse #aqaba

A post shared by Robbie Greenfield (@robbie_greenfield) on Oct 5, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

The post Dubai Eye radio host tees it up with former Open champion in pro event, inevitable ribbing ensues appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.