Equipment
TaylorMade Tour Prototype Golf Ball — Project 5
TaylorMade has started its prototype process for a new tour ball, calling it ‘Project 5’ for now.
This is the tour prototype golf ball that TaylorMade Golf Tour Staff Professional Justin Rose put into play at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Prior to the start of the tourney at TPC Boston, Dean Snell, TaylorMade VP of Research and Development was on-site to test the new prototype ball. Rose put the new ball in play for 9 holes and was longer that the current model he was using.
Rose said, “This is what I’m looking for. Balls are staying on line so much better and carrying out longer.”
He liked it so much, he asked if he could play that week in Boston. He played 18 holes in the Pro-Am with the ‘Project 5’ and came back to Dean and said “I don’t how you did it, but outstanding work.”
Dean says “This is the first time in 24 years on tour for me that a player wanted to play a new ball that same day as proto testing. I called the plant, had 4 dozen overnighted and brought them back to him Thursday for the start of the tourney.”
We’ll have to see what the ball is called when it comes to production. Of course the TaylorMade prototype ball can’y just be put into play without USGA approval first, so this has likely been in development for a while. Some screen grabs from the USGA’s approved list are attached.
What do you think, current Penta and Non-Penta users? Click here to discuss in the GolfWRX forums.
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.
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
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
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
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Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
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Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
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...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
mike
Dec 22, 2012 at 12:11 am
OK, I got up enough nerve to use the ball Darren Clarke’s caddie gave me. I didn’t pull it out my bag until the 16th hole because I was spraying my drives all day on a course that has a lot of trouble off the tee. I tee’d it up on a short par 4 with no water trouble. I usually hit my drives with around 230 yds of fly with little to no roll out. The tee shot flew out about 240 with no roll because of the terrain. Very soft coming off the club face. Hit a PW to 6 feet from the pin. Stuck like a dart to the green. Made my straight uphill putt for bird. Both the wedge and the putt very soft off the club face. Put the ball away for 17, because I usually block my drives into the jungle on that hole, which I did again. Took it out again on 18. long par 5. Ripped my drive about 270 with good roll out. Didin’t cautch my 3-wood clean and ending up in a bunker 110 from the green. Hit the green with a 9-iron on and sunk an 80-foot putt for bird. Used the ball on 2 holes and got my only 2 birdies that day. I wish I had a dozen of these balls so I could play a full round with them. Makes me wonder if what you hear is true that golf equipment manufacturers make one set of products for pros and another for us ameteurs.
mike
Dec 10, 2012 at 12:49 am
Darren Clarke’s caddie gave me a Project 5 ball yesterday at the Thailand Golf Championship where I marshalled the 3-ball he was in. Darren was obviously playing this ball that day. He was just as long off the tee as Hunter Mahan and Chapchai Nirat at over 300 yds. These 2 guys are 10+ years his junior. I’m going to play a round with it soon and I’ll post my opinion of the ball. The dimpling pattern is almost identical to the Titleist ProV1x but the ridges around the dimples are a little crisper.
Johnny
Oct 30, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Looks like Callaway Hex Golf Ball Pattern.
Andrew
Oct 17, 2012 at 10:21 pm
I have this golf ball. Justin gave me one. Its pretty sick
Elliott
Oct 9, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Looking forward to winning golf tournaments with it.
Danny
Sep 14, 2012 at 11:38 am
cant wait to game this ball!!!
Brody
Sep 11, 2012 at 10:15 am
This is to be the “Rocket Fuel”, right?
mmontisano
Sep 6, 2012 at 1:12 am
finally a seamless ball from TM!
Mike
Sep 5, 2012 at 7:42 pm
or maybe the Royal Plus 6 from eons ago!
Homer
Sep 5, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Looks like Callaway’s Hex Black Tour
Bryan
Sep 5, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Blah blah blah… 3 months repeat story.