The past few years have seen a lot of great new golf club manufacturers pop up across the industry, and one of these you may not have heard much about yet, but should get to know, is Argolf.
A French-based manufacturer, Argolf’s principals originally came together in 2010 through a meeting of two aeronautical industrialists, Olivier and Sebastien Colas, and a golf professional, Emmanuel Carlier, with the goal of achieving peak performance with show floor level design and a commitment to the highest possible quality.
Combining CAD-aided industrial design with French artistry and engineering expertise, Argolf’s irons, wedges and putters are developed using the principles of fine jewelry, and the beauty is in the details that come together seamlessly for a world-class aesthetic and perfect performance. From the red, white and blue ferrules that adorn their irons and wedges to their precision-crafted cavity backs and patented C-CLAWS grooves, they are an absolute work of art.
While obsession with beauty can lead to functional shortcomings with many other brands, Argolf doubles down on performance through high-quality materials and processes that also ensure incredible results. They sell putters and wedges carved from a single block of titanium, for example, and use only the best stainless steels and leathers in manufacturing. This devotion to utilizing elite materials is a direct result of their aeronautical engineering background and can be easily seen and experienced across their product lines.
Argolf uses a tri-dimensional metrology machine (similar to fine jewelry) to ensure precision, for example, an aeronautical engineering technique to cancel out reflection of light, and combines mechanical and electrolytic preparations to prevent corrosion and extend the life of their clubs, just to name a few.
The result is a golf club unlike any I’ve seen or played before, and that I’ve been really proud to have in my bag and show to every equipment junkie I meet.
Available in 52-, 56- and 60-degree lofts, the AR-F18 wedges are forged three times (S20C steel or 8620 soft carbon steel, cavity forged and face-milled) to achieve the exactitude Argolf strives for in every club. The results are spectacular – whether hitting from the fairway, rough or sand, they produce consistently great results.
If you’ve been following along with my writing, I recently wrote a Wedge Buying Guide intended to simplify the process of shopping for new wedges. Frustrated with trying to better understand the terminology and concepts behind wedge selection, I felt it was time somebody broke things down for the layman. Argolf’s leadership was incredibly helpful in this endeavor, assisting me with the more intricate details and ensuring accuracy of my content.
Through all that research, and by feeling out my game with these new F18’s over the past couple months, I’ve come to one wonderful conclusion: They fit my game really well.
Most golf enthusiasts equip their bags with three or four wedges, including a pitching wedge. By going with the Argolf Wedge Bundle, which comes as a set of three clubs for $537 ($597 with dark finish), I have four.
The offsets, lie, length, weight and bounce are all fairly standard when compared to most top-of-the-line wedges, but where Argolf excels with their F18 offering is in feel/performance and aesthetics.
The club’s wide sole design and overall modest bounce numbers lead to an outstanding feel and enhanced playability that is far better than any other wedge I’ve used in the past (including a number of Titleist’s Vokey models and Cleveland’s CG14 and RTX lines). I’ve felt supremely confident over the ball with these wedges on a variety of turfs and lies and have so far achieved excellent results. I’ve even found myself getting desirable backspin/”Tour Sauce” on a good number of approach shots, which is something I’ve dreamt of being able to do but haven’t found consistency with in the past. These wedges have been a real game changer for me.
Argolf’s AR-F18 specs:
| Loft | Lie | Length | Offset | Total Weight | Bounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52* | 64* | 35.5″ | .060 / .050 / .050 | 296 g | 7* |
| 56* | 64* | 35.5″ | 0.050 | 302 g | 12* |
| 60* | 64* | 35.5″ | 0.050 | 306 g | 10* |
Customization:
To help fit the F18 wedges to your specific needs and liking, Argolf offers a number of options for customization, including (the selections used for my set are in bold):
- Orientation: Right–Handed vs. Left-Handed
- Shafts: Steel vs Graphite
- Shaft Models: KBS Tour 105 R (6 options available each for steel and graphite shafts)
- Grips: Argolf Standard, Argolf Midsize, Golf Pride Tour Velvet
- Wraps: 1 wrap
- Length: From 2″ short, to Standard, to 2″ long
- Loft: From 2 degrees weak, to Standard, to 2 degrees strong
- Lie: From 2 degrees flat, to Standard, to 2 degrees upright
- Finish: Silver or Dark ($20/club upgrade for dark/black finish)
One thing worth mentioning is that if you’re considering the dark finish because you’re concerned about light reflecting off the club, don’t. As I mentioned earlier, Argolf’s sulfuric anodic oxidation process (a technique typically used in aeronautical engineering) prevents glare from the clubs’ silver/metallic finish. If you’re looking to upgrade to the dark finish because they’re absolutely gorgeous, on the other hand, go right ahead!
Argolf also offers aesthetic customization, as you’ll see with my own set. Etching starts at $45/club.
If you’re in the market for new wedges, definitely check out Argolf’s AR-F18 wedge offering on their website. And if you’re looking to replace your irons and putter, as well, I couldn’t possibly throw enough support behind this brand. Their artfully designed clubs, customer service (each set of irons is custom-made with the option of consulting with a PGA Pro to ensure you’re getting the right set for you) and uniqueness of their golf clubs make them an equipment manufacturer well worth looking into.
Wedge Buying Guide
Do you need more information on how to shop for your next set of wedges, or are you interested in learning more about what goes into their development? Check out my [simplified] WiscoGolfAddict Ultimate Golf Wedge Buying Guide and feel confident in your next significant club investment:
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