theScore goes behind the scenes with TaylorMade at Torrey Pines
theScore's Eric Patterson was in Carlsbad, California, with TaylorMade for a behind-the-scenes experience during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The trip was in conjunction with TaylorMade's release of its "SIM" line of drivers and fairway metals.
The Kingdom
The Kingdom at TaylorMade headquarters in Carlsbad was the first stop on the trip to Southern California. "Golf's Ultimate Playground" would also work for a name, but the majestic feel to the club-fitting center needed to be captured in its title.
Originally built exclusively as a world-class fitting center for professional golfers, The Kingdom has since opened its doors to anyone willing to pony up $650 for the complete club-fitting experience (excluding the price of the clubs) by booking through a local TaylorMade staff professional.
Home to multiple hitting bays with 3D swing-analysis technology, an immaculate driving range, and a high-tech putting lab, every aspect of a player's game can be analyzed, with the data being used to dial in each club’s exact specifications.
Just ask Jon Rahm.
"There's a little bit of magic to this place," Tom Kroll, director of The Kingdom, told theScore. "Pretty much every time (Rahm) comes here he wins the next week or two afterward. If you want to make a bet, go ahead and pick that cat."
Rahm stopped by The Kingdom a week before the Farmers Insurance Open.
"He gets dialed into the putter. He'll spend a little bit of time in the putter lab and once he gets back to, 'Hey, this is where I need to be,' there's a whole bunch of confidence that gets inspired into these players," Kroll added. "It's cool to see him come and hang out."
While he didn't win at Torrey Pines, Rahm finished as runner-up by one shot and ranked second in strokes gained: putting for the week.
Coincidence? Definitely not.
The putter lab is an engineering masterpiece. The putting surface is constructed to have the ability to tilt in all different directions. Altering the slope of the floor helps replicate all sorts of putt types that players would face on an actual green. Want a downhill putt with a little left-to-right break? No problem. Slightly uphill right-to-lefter? You got it.
There's more: High-resolution cameras pick up exactly how the ball is rolling once it leaves the putter face.
It's no wonder Rahm never seemed to miss a putt last week.
Rahm wasn't the only big-time player to drop in. Rory McIlroy visited The Kingdom on the Sunday before the Farmers Insurance Open to test equipment before making the 20-mile drive south to Torrey Pines. He played in the final group in what was his first start of 2020 and finished tied for third.
It's not only superstars who make appearances at The Kingdom, though. PGA Tour winner and equipment free agent Hudson Swafford was spotted testing a new driver. He wasn't even in the Farmers Insurance Open field but made the trip to Carlsbad anyways, which demonstrates the lengths that players at the highest level will go to find clubs that best suit their game.
Here's some footage from The Kingdom:
Tour Truck
The next stop on our behind-the-scenes journey was inside the TaylorMade tour truck on the grounds at Torrey Pines.
If you've ever had the opportunity to attend a PGA Tour event, you might have noticed a section of the venue's parking lot littered with equipment manufacturers' branded tractor-trailers.
From afar, the scene looks no different than a truck stop on the side of a highway. But if you're lucky enough to casually cruise past security, you'll quickly realize it's a whole lot more.
Players, caddies, and an assortment of others with appropriate credentials and quarter-zip sweaters can be found running in and out of trucks with clubs in hand, ensuring all last-minute changes to a player's setup are perfected before the tournament begins.
Think of it as the PGA Tour's equivalent of pit lane.
In March 2019, TaylorMade unveiled a state-of-the-art, two-story tour truck that towers over the rest. Not only does it boast all the tools required to build a club from start to finish in approximately five minutes, but it also includes two lounge areas that make the short wait for players much more comfortable.
The scene inside? Hectic.
When players like McIlroy are putting new wedges into play every single week, there's never a shortage of clubs to be built. (Regrettably, the ability to use brand new wedges each week is a luxury the average weekend warrior will never have.)
Club builder Wade Liles, who's also been driving TaylorMade's truck since 2000, showed off the insane capacity of his workspace. (Note that there's some loud grinding noise in the third video.)
The truck's purpose isn't only to service the likes of McIlroy, Rahm, Tiger Woods, and Dustin Johnson, but any player willing to put TaylorMade products into their bag.
During our brief tour, New Zealand journeyman Tim Wilkinson wandered in looking for an update on a club he was waiting for. He's not a big name nor a TaylorMade staffer, but he highlights the variety of players seeking club adjustments leading up to a tournament.
Unfortunately, our lap around the tour truck was cut a little short. A phone call came in from the one TaylorMade client who instantly commands full attention from the entire club-building team.
Tiger Woods was on the line, and we had to go.