Equipment
Spotted: Callaway’s Great Big Bertha, Alpha 816 metal woods
For Callaway fans, the “Great Big Bertha” name is both historic and nostalgic. At the Quicken Loans National on Monday, we spotted Callaway’s newest version of the Great Big Bertha driver.
A new Great Big Bertha fairway wood, Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond driver and Alpha 816 fairway wood were also released at the Quicken Loans.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Callaway’s new Big Bertha clubs.
Great Big Bertha driver
Great Big Bertha fairway wood
Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond

Callaway’s new Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond forum thread.
Big Bertha Alpha 816 Fairway Wood
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Callaway’s new Big Bertha clubs.
Equipment
Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
Equipment
From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Whats in the Bag
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4

3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms

Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105

Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet






























Jay
Jul 31, 2015 at 10:25 am
Am I missing the gravity core on the 816 DD, or are they moving away from that technology??
Summit
Jul 30, 2015 at 4:49 pm
I have actually seen them in person and they are very good looking and setup great at address. The fairways are a little larger than last year, but I am told they are even easier to hit and really launch the ball with a penetrating flight.
I asked about the sliding weight on the back as it is comparable to their previous big bertha driver and they shifted it more to the heel of the club as toe weighting and adjustability decreases MOI. I asked how this compares to the Taylormade SLDR sliding design and the science is pretty self explanatory… to increase MOI, and decrease spin, put the weight low and away from the face, unlike the SLDRs design with the weight near the face which slightly increases spin.
Callaway is just getting through their phasing in of new platforms and is now on a new release schedule. Drivers and Fairway Woods are now on a 1-year cycle, hybrids, irons and wedges are on a 2-year cycle. This means possible new Apex irons coming over the winter sometime.
In response to the Chevron crown, this is designed to be on the more forgiving drivers for golfers who need all the help they can get including alignment. The raised Chevron is not on the pro models or Alpha 815/816. If you really have a problem with it play one of those. But in all honesty that is being very picky as its hardly much of distraction. It’s simply an arrow. Titleist’s is hardly any different.
Brad
Jul 29, 2015 at 5:46 am
Never mind me, but I kinda like how it looks
Bert
Jul 28, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Heard many positive comments so far from folks who have actually hit it.
redneckrooster
Jul 28, 2015 at 9:34 am
Looks like what was a Mizuno 600 now is Callaway. Running out of ideas huh?
Desmond
Jul 28, 2015 at 10:28 am
Apparently, the Callaway performs, whereas…
golferjack
Jul 28, 2015 at 2:29 am
As I understand it Callaway is in a Transition period and the new Clubs will be coming less reguarly. TM detsroyed the market themselves and look where they are now. I hope Callaway learned from TMs mistake. Don’t see titleist bringing new sticks every 6 months.
Rich
Jul 28, 2015 at 7:07 pm
And yet there the 816 hybrids are just after Titleist have released the 915 hybrids………….
Speedy
Jul 27, 2015 at 7:48 pm
They’re all peeing into the wind with these back to the future over-adjustables.
Balle
Jul 28, 2015 at 8:45 pm
Well, with the COR and CT limits in place now, all they can do is move weights and CG around the head and put weird wind spoilers and stuff. And fine tune with different shafts and grips and kick points and torques. So I hope that pee gets deflected away with these new designs!
Gorden
Jul 27, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Before spending $400 or more for a new driver try going on ebay and take a look at what used drivers a year or two old go for…bidding starting at $.99 … 2 year ago Callaway hot drivers (new $300) go for about $50 used on ebay and many have very few rounds on them and keep in mind every used driver be it a year old or 5 years old was the longest, straightest driver the day it came out….
Speedy
Jul 27, 2015 at 7:52 pm
Before spending $400? It’s never gonna happen here. Deep-discount them to under two bills, then I’ll consider a game of knock-out.
jgpl001
Jul 27, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Come on – another new Big Bertha???
I like Callaway, but now they are becoming the new TM, what a joke
Desmond
Jul 28, 2015 at 9:04 am
What Callaway does, and what TM did not do, is maintain a slimmer inventory so they don’t get sucked down the rabbit’s hole like TM.
Alex T
Jul 27, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Like the fairway- a nice combo of tech and classic, but the great big Bertha looks a bit disappointing. Looks like they just took aspects of the xr, 815 and bba and mixed them together- xr pro sole weight, big Bertha sliding weight, 815 r-moto ribs and the HORRIBLE raised chevron on the crown from the xr. Bit of a mongrel really, not the pedigree it used to be.
Desmond
Jul 28, 2015 at 9:08 am
You forgot the V Series … has its shape in there, although they are all similar. The raised Chevron is not noticeable – blends into the head well, and this is like than the XR — have you hit one or are you just shocking us with the “horrible” remark? When you line it up, the last thing I am thinking about is a slightly raised Chevron, although without the rest of it from the XR, I have no idea of its functional raising – the could imbed it but it is a matte black driver. The R Moto face is very nice… very…