Last week, I went in hard on the Sugar Daddy III. Not because it’s a bad wedge, but because the price tag is tremendous, and I honestly think that putting it in retail locations is damaging to the brand. At $434.99 CAD, if you walk into a shop, see the price tag, and don’t understand the price tag, you’re probably going to look at PXG as if they’re mad and not worth considering for any future equipment purchase.
Note the qualifier: “and don’t understand the price tag.”
Let’s seek knowledge and understanding, then.
The Sugar Daddy III is a marvel of engineering. Everything was done purposefully, properly, and price was discussed as an afterthought. That’s not how most companies work. Rather, they’ll look at a club they want to bring to market, focus on a price point, and build the best club they can that fits into that mould. A strategy that we, as consumers, accept because it’s all we know.
Starting with the materials, the wedge is made out of 8620 soft carbon steel. A common material among high-end irons, wedges, and putters. It provides that premium feel associated with forged players clubs. It’s a lovely material that is technically a low-alloy steel containing nickel, chromium, and molybdenum. In the industry, it’s known as a durable material that’s still easy to cast, forge, grind, and bend.
This head is then forged, not once, but three times. According to PXG, this creates a tight grain structure that increases its strength, prolonging the life of the grooves and enhancing the overall feel and appearance. That right there breathes life into our understanding. The grooves on this wedge will last nearly twice as long as the grooves on other premium wedges. If you want a Vokey SM11, you’re paying $279.99 at retail in Canada. If you get two seasons out of the wedges, you’re looking at $560 per wedge over the course of four years — instantly providing value to the Sugar Daddy III. Essentially saving you $125 per wedge over equivalent lifespans.
Once the forging is completed, it’s off to the CNC machines. Each head is 100% CNC milled, which looks lovely, but that’s not why PXG has opted for the process. Instead, we’re talking about repeatability. CNC machines can be repeatably accurate down to 0.1 mm, time and time again. What does this mean to the consumer? When it does come time to replace the wedge, you’re getting an IDENTICAL wedge to the one you just had. No subtle differences in grind, leading edge, weighting, toe shape, nothing. You’re getting the same wedge every single time — no other manufacturer can boast such accuracy.
Then we mentioned the weight in the back. This isn’t something to be played with at home after you buy the club, but it represents the fitting aspect of the wedge. With other manufacturers, you’re going to pick your loft, your grind, and that’s your club. If you want to get to a personalized swing weight, you’re doing one of a few things. Tearing the club apart, adding a tip weight, rebuilding it, and consequently moving the center of gravity a tiny bit towards the heel. Option two is adding lead tape onto the back of the club. Again, this will change your center of gravity, it may or may not be the aesthetic you want on your clubs, and there’s always the chance it will just come off during play. Lastly, if you need a lower swing weight, you’re drilling holes or grinding the sole down to remove weight — so you better do it right, because you only get one chance.
PXG decided that wasn’t the way to go. Instead, their fitter has the ability to simply change the weight in the middle of the center of gravity to personalize the swing weight. Then you order your club with that weight in it. No mess, no changing the center of gravity, nothing but perfect personalization.
And lets not forget, PXG has actually brought down the price of this wedge in a dramatic way. The Sugar Daddy II was $599.99 CAD when it released. When was the last time you saw a manufacturer drop the price of something?
If you want to nitpick the club, you can look at the limited grind and bounce options. Point to full-face grooves only being available on the BP grind. Or just point to the price tag in spite of the legitimate reasons that this wedge costs what it does.
I don’t take back what I said. This price point, without understanding, is shocking to the average golfer, possibly even damaging to the brand.
Once you take the time to learn about that price tag, though, the Sugar Daddy III starts to look like a bargain. It’s not — but you can almost justify the price tag!
Ultimately, the only true problem left with the wedge is this… The brand-new grooves are so damned strong they keep tearing up the cover on my golf ball!
XO Go Low,
The Golf Addict has worked in the golf industry in a number of roles. Starting on the turf team he has since worked in pro shops and now as a Master Club Fitter in Ontario. When it comes to writing, his bylines have appeared in over a dozen publications. On the playing side he's put in 6 serious seasons spread out over the last 30 years, he hopes to break Par once more before it's all said and done, but is happier studying and building the equipment than focusing on his own game.
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