The 2018 Team Titleist Ultimate Experience

By Rick V., Team Titleist Staff On 15 November 2018 Balls Clubs

This past week, Team Titleist had the pleasure of welcoming two very special VIPs to our Golf Club Operations in Carlsbad, California - Joe and John Malach. As this year’s winners of the Team Titleist Ultimate Experience, Joe and John headed west from their homes in North Carolina to join us for the trip of a lifetime and what we like to think of as golf’s version of the Golden Ticket.

Joe’s winning essay recounted a very special Christmas morning, shortly after his parents had relocated from Rochester, NY to the Sandhills of North Carolina. Joe's father, John, had suffered a heart attack the year before and Joe expressed beautifully the gratitude he felt that day being able to play a round of golf again with his dad, the man who introduced him to the game.

Happily, Joe and John have shared many more rounds since then and a number of other great golf experiences. We were thrilled to be a part of their latest chapter and had the pleasure to help document their trip. So sit back and scroll through the images below to check out their Team Titleist Ultimate Experience.

Joe and John kicked of their Ultimate Experience...
Joe and John kicked of their Ultimate Experience with a visit to the Scotty Cameron Gallery in Encinitas, where Scotty's expert staff provided a VIP tour of the one-of-a-kind putting boutique..1/33
No matter where you turn your head in the upscale...
No matter where you turn your head in the upscale Gallery, there’s something interesting or inspiring to catch your eye, from Scotty’s tools of the trade… 2/33
…to finished works of functional art.
…to finished works of functional art.3/33
It was early to bed on Day 1 because we had a full...
It was early to bed on Day 1 because we had a full day scheduled for Joe and John at the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, CA. 4/33
Day 2 started off with a tour of the facilities by...
Day 2 started off with a tour of the facilities by Glenn Mahler, Supervisor of the Titleist Performance Institute and one of the most highly-regarded fitting experts in the industry. Here on the golf ball testing range, all test balls are housed in this climate-controlled refrigerator to ensure that test conditions are consistent from trial to trial.5/33
To test equipment performance in the short game,...
To test equipment performance in the short game, the Titleist Performance Institute boasts a number of immaculate green complexes. These greens utilize a wide range of grass varieties and different styles of bunkers to simulate just about any course condition imaginable.6/33
Last stop on the tour - the main fitting tee at...
Last stop on the tour - the main fitting tee at Oceanside, where Glenn introduced Joe to his Club Fitting expert, Lucas Bro…7/33
…and John met his Fitting expert, Joe Saewitz.
…and John met his Fitting expert, Joe Saewitz.8/33
Mike Gibson, Titleist’s Manager of Preferred...
Mike Gibson, Titleist’s Manager of Preferred Player Promotion, heard about the Malachs’ visit and stopped by to say hello. A fine instructor and fitter in his own right, Gibby shared some great stories that set a fun tone for the morning.9/33
Every club head and shaft combination imaginable...
Every club head and shaft combination imaginable is at the fitters’ fingertips, ensuring that every golfer who comes to the Titleist Performance Institute is fit into a setup that will help them get the very best out of their games.10/33
After the guys warmed up, Joe S. took a look at...
After the guys warmed up, Joe S. took a look at John’s iron game, quickly dialing in a 718 AP1 head with a light-weight graphite shaft.11/33
Meanwhile, Lucas started Joe off with the driver....
Meanwhile, Lucas started Joe off with the driver. Joe’s old driver had a previous generation HZRDUS shaft, so the new HZRDUS Smoke shaft, a stock option for new TS metals, was a great place to start.12/33
The numbers don’t lie! Joe’s dispersion with a new...
The numbers don’t lie! Joe’s dispersion with a new Titleist TS2 driver (purple ellipse) was much tighter than with his existing driver (white ellipse) and he saw remarkable gains in ball speed (6.8 mph), carry distance (24.3 yards) and total distance (27 yards). 13/33
Yeah, Joe, we’d smile at those numbers, too!
Yeah, Joe, we’d smile at those numbers, too!14/33
John then shifted gears to his TS Driver fitting…
John then shifted gears to his TS Driver fitting…15/33
… while Joe and Lucas dialed in irons. In Joe’s...
… while Joe and Lucas dialed in irons. In Joe’s case, the right combination was 718 AP2 with Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts. Joe had been in a softer shaft that was 1/2 inch long. Standard length improved Joe’s strike quality without any loss in distance and the firmer shaft tightened up his dispersion.16/33
Throughout their fittings, Joe and John kept a eye...
Throughout their fittings, Joe and John kept a eye on one another and every now and again some good-natured needling would come out. John was ready for anything his son could dish out… all in good fun.17/33
Joe and Lucas finished up testing long game gaps....
Joe and Lucas finished up testing long game gaps. They tried a T-MB 4-iron, but the angle of descent was a little too shallow for Lucas’ liking. The solution? TS2 fairway metals (15°, 18°) and a 23-degree 818 H2 hybrid, which Joe simply hit too well to leave it out of the bag. 18/33
Next stop, the short game area where Joe S....
Next stop, the short game area where Joe S. provided a master class on bounce and Vokey grind options. 19/33
The Vokey SM7 60-degree K-grind was a clear winner...
The Vokey SM7 60-degree K-grind was a clear winner for John out of the bunker…20/33
… while Joe found that for his game, an SM7 58.14...
… while Joe found that for his game, an SM7 58.14 K-grind was a more versatile option than a 60° lob wedge.21/33
We had one last surprise for the guys before...
We had one last surprise for the guys before leaving the Titleist Performance Institute - new 2019 and Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls! These models were just released on the PGA TOUR the previous week, and now Joe and John would be among the very first golfers to put them in play.22/33
Day 3 began at Titleist Club Operations in...
Day 3 began at Titleist Club Operations in Carlsbad, where Bryan Lamb, VP Golf Club Operations, gave the guys a tour of our Club Assembly and Quality Assurance Operations.23/33
The teams build clubs in assembly pods, like this...
The teams build clubs in assembly pods, like this one for custom club orders. Club shafts are cut to size and secured to club heads. Lofts and lies are dialed in, grips are installed and the new sets are boxed up for shipment.24/33
The facility also serves the Golf Club R&D...
The facility also serves the Golf Club R&D team and technicians are constantly testing clubs and components. The crowns of these TS driver heads were showered with abrasive material to test the durability of the finish and these iron heads were subjected to an extended corrosive bath to test their resistance to rusting. 25/33
Last stop on the tour - Vokey Wedge Assembly,...
Last stop on the tour - Vokey Wedge Assembly, where we learned that only five Titleist employees are experienced enough to hammer in custom wedge stampings like these. One is Aaron Dill, Vokey Wedge Representative on the Titleist Tour Van. And another is the man himself, Bob Vokey.26/33
We had told Joe and John that custom club orders...
We had told Joe and John that custom club orders typically take a few days, but when the guys came out of their tour we had a surprise waiting.27/33
One day turn-around, courtesy of the Titleist Golf...
One day turn-around, courtesy of the Titleist Golf Club team!28/33
John and Joe were fully geared up now for a...
John and Joe were fully geared up now for a fitting end to their trip…29/33
…a round of golf with brand new Titleist equipment...
…a round of golf with brand new Titleist equipment at beautiful LaCosta Resort.30/33
The Legends Course was in pristine condition and...
The Legends Course was in pristine condition and the weather was perfect, even by Southern California standards.31/33
Josh Talge, Titleist Vice President of Golf Club...
Josh Talge, Titleist Vice President of Golf Club Marketing played host and shared some great insights into Titleist Golf Clubs. Josh was also very generous with local course knowledge, making good rounds better and providing a spectacular finish to a memorable trip.32/33
On behalf of everyone at Titleist,...
On behalf of everyone at Titleist, congratulations, Joe and John and thank you for being members of Team Titleist. We hope the TT Ultimate Experience was as much for you as it was for all of us!33/33

Congratulations, Joe and John! It was wonderful spending time with you both and we look forward to hearing about many more golf get-togethers for your family in the future.

Finally, we'd like to extend a sincere thank-you to all of the Team Titleist members who entered this year's Ultimate Experience contest. Your dedication and passion for the game is an inspiration to all of us here at Titleist!

Check back soon, as we'll have many more exciting opportunities coming up in the future.

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