Golf Digest Hot List 2010

Scientists, Retailers, Top Amateur Players, Teaching Pros and Mid-Handicappers Serve as Advisors on Year-Long Hot List Evaluation Process

NEW YORK, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Having tried and evaluated 1,339 clubs and balls in the past year, Golf Digest is set to unveil the results of its third-annual Hot List -- a guide to the hottest golf equipment in the game. The Hot List will appear in the magazine's February 2006 issue (on newsstands January 10) featuring profiles of the 130 most exciting products in the marketplace.

The full Golf Digest Hot List can be viewed now at http://www.golfdigest.com/hotlist. While a year-long endeavor, the Hot List's final stage of review and analysis came in a 10-day summit conducted by Golf Digest editors at Marco Beach Ocean Resort and the Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek in Naples, Fla.

"There's so much good technology and equipment out there today that golfers become paralyzed-they don't know where to start," says Jerry Tarde, chairman and editor-in-chief of Golf Digest. "We have five equipment editors who work year-round to understand these new products and help our readers begin to narrow the choice so they can figure out what to buy. It may be the single best service we offer golfers and the industry."

The "Editors' Choice selections for the 2006 Golf Digest Hot List:

Drivers - Nike SasQuatch
Fairway Woods - Callaway X
Hybrids - TaylorMade Rescue Dual
Game-Improvement Irons - Callaway X-18
Super Game-Improvement Irons - Nike Slingshot OSS
Player's Irons - Callaway X-Tour
Wedges - Cleveland CG10
Mallet Putters - Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball SRT
Blade Putters - Ping G5i
Tour Performance Balls - Titleist Pro V1/Pro V1x
Value Performance Balls - Titleist NXT/NXT Tour

The Golf Digest Hot List was compiled by Golf Digest Publications' team of equipment editors from Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf World Business and Golf For Women -- the industry's largest collection of journalists devoted exclusively to covering equipment. Additionally, Frank Thomas, Golf Digest's Chief Technical Advisor and former Technical Director of the U.S. Golf Association, served as a non-voting member of the judging panel. Together, the panel has more than 80 years experience covering the equipment industry.

Golf Digest also enlisted various panels to assist in the evaluation process, which included the 10-day summit. The Academic Advisory Panel included leading scientists in the fields of mechanical and sports engineering from Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan, among others. The Guidance Panel consisted of four groups, including top amateur players nationwide, expert golf retailers, top teaching professionals and for the first time, a group of mid-handicap players. The purpose of these panels was to further the judges' understanding of each product's technology, marketability, performance and playability.

The criteria that comprised the 2006 Hot List is detailed below. Voting is based on a 100-point scale.

* Buzz Factor (15 percent): A product must be in demand. The magazine
looked at market share, tour use and customer satisfaction, as well as
retailer reaction to new products.

* Performance/Playability (25 percent): Using input from its panels and
other sources, the magazine considered two primary questions: Does the
product work in a unique and significant way? Does the stated technology
have a fundamentally practical application?

* Technology/Innovation (30 percent): Based on interviews with the company
and study of its technical documents, as well as discussion with the
Academic Panel, the magazine seeks to answer these questions: Is the
innovation new or different? Is it meaningful? How well does the company
explain its technology?

* Personal Preference (20 percent): Does the look, sound and overall
presentation resonate with the individual judge's interpretations of
what this specific product should be?

* Value (10 percent): What does this product deliver in relation to its
price?

This year the evaluation criteria percentages were adjusted to put more emphasis on Technology and Innovation, and less weight on the Buzz Factor. Also, while an "Editors' Choice" remains for each product category, the previous "Highly Recommended" and "Recommended" distinctions were eliminated.

The Hot List package includes additional sidebars that guide readers through the basics of buying equipment, resale and trade-in values for used clubs, and the clubs that recorded the most victories on the professional tours.