Cleveland & Srixon: The Complete Brand Guide for Golfers (2026)

Cleveland and Srixon are technically two separate brands, but they share a parent company, an engineering team, and a factory. Understanding them means understanding how one organization attacks the golf market from two angles — Cleveland for wedges and putters, Srixon for everything else.

It's an unusual structure in golf equipment, and it creates both opportunities and confusion for golfers shopping for clubs. The 2026 lineup represents a significant shift in how these brands are positioned, so let's break down the full picture.

At Golf Club Brokers, we see a heavy volume of both Cleveland wedges and Srixon irons. Both hold their value well, and for different reasons, both are among the best values in the used club market.

The Cleveland & Srixon Story: Two Brands, One Team

Cleveland Golf was founded in 1979 by Roger Cleveland in Huntington Beach, California. The company built its reputation on one category: wedges. Roger Cleveland was a club designer who believed the short game was the fastest path to lower scores, and his wedge designs became some of the most copied in the industry.

Srixon, meanwhile, grew out of SRI Sports Limited in Japan. The Srixon brand launched in 2005 (the name is derived from the Japanese words for "precise" and "accurate"), but the parent company's golf heritage stretches back much further through the Dunlop brand in Japan.

The two brands came together when SRI Sports (later renamed Dunlop Sports) acquired Cleveland Golf, Srixon, and the XXIO brand. Today, all three operate under Dunlop Sports, which itself is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries — a Japanese company with $8 billion in annual revenue.

The engineering and design teams are shared. Research happens at the Srixon/Cleveland Innovation Center in Huntington Beach, California, while manufacturing is split between Japan and facilities worldwide. When Cleveland develops a new groove technology for wedges, that research often influences Srixon's iron grooves and vice versa.

Brand Positioning: Who Does What

This structure means you can build an entire bag from the Cleveland/Srixon family: Srixon driver, fairway woods, hybrids, and irons, paired with Cleveland wedges and a Cleveland putter. Many Tour players do exactly this.

Cleveland & Srixon Timeline

Cleveland Wedges: The RTZ and CBZ

Cleveland's wedge lineup for 2026 centers on two models that represent the best the brand has ever produced.

Cleveland RTZ Wedge

The RTZ (Rotex Zone) is Cleveland's Tour-level wedge, designed for golfers who want maximum spin and workability. It's a forged 8620 carbon steel design with a narrow sole and tight leading-edge radius that lets skilled players manipulate trajectory and spin on every short-game shot.

The key technology is Cleveland's UltiZip grooves — their sharpest, most precisely milled groove pattern ever. Combined with a laser-milled face texture between the grooves, the RTZ generates spin numbers that rival (and in some tests exceed) the Titleist Vokey SM10 and Callaway Jaws Raw.

Four grind options cover every playing style:

• Low — Minimal bounce, for firm conditions and shallow swings
• Mid — Versatile, suits most conditions and swing types
• Full — More bounce, for softer conditions and steeper swings
• X-Low — Very low bounce, specialist grind for hardpan and tight lies

Available in 46° through 62° in 2-degree increments, with raw (unplated) and satin chrome finishes. The raw finish develops rust over time, which actually increases surface friction and spin — a feature that Tour players specifically request.

Cleveland CBZ Wedge

The CBZ (Cavity Back Zone) is Cleveland's answer to golfers who want wedge performance with more forgiveness. It features a cavity-back design with perimeter weighting that stabilizes off-center hits — something the RTZ doesn't offer.

The CBZ uses the same UltiZip groove technology as the RTZ, so spin performance is nearly identical on center strikes. The difference is what happens when you miss the sweet spot: the CBZ loses significantly less spin and distance on mishits.

Available in 46° through 60° in a single versatile grind. It's ideal for mid-to-high handicap golfers who want Cleveland's spin technology without the precision demands of the RTZ.

Srixon ZXi Iron Family

Srixon's 2026 iron lineup has expanded to four models, covering every skill level with a consistency of design philosophy that's impressive.

The ZXi Tour is a compact forged blade that competes directly with Titleist T100 and Mizuno M-13. It's all about feel and shot-shaping control for elite players.

The ZXi is Srixon's best-selling iron and the one you're most likely to see on Tour. It's a players cavity-back with tungsten weighting in the toe for stability. Clean enough at address to satisfy single-digit handicappers, forgiving enough to help mid-handicap players who strike it well.

The ZXi Max adds Srixon's SUP10 face material — a high-strength steel alloy that's thinner and hotter than standard faces. More ball speed, higher launch, more forgiveness. It's the sweet spot for golfers who want performance without the game-improvement look.

The ZXi Max Lite is designed for slower swing speeds and higher handicaps. Lighter overall weight, wider sole, maximum offset, and the hottest face in the lineup. It's Srixon's entry point, and it's significantly better than what they offered in this segment five years ago.

Srixon Drivers and Woods

Srixon's metalwood lineup has matured significantly. The ZX5 MK III and ZX7 MK III drivers represent the brand's strongest entry in the driver market.

The ZX5 MK III is the forgiving option — high MOI, draw bias available, and a focus on straight distance. The ZX7 MK III is the low-spin, workable option for better players who want to shape their tee shots.

Both use a titanium body with a carbon crown and Srixon's Rebound Frame technology — a multi-layer face structure that creates a trampoline effect for ball speed. Independent testing puts them within a few yards of TaylorMade and Callaway's flagships, at a lower retail price.

Srixon fairway woods and hybrids use similar technology scaled to their respective categories. They don't get the attention of Titleist or TaylorMade metalwoods, but they perform at a very high level and depreciate faster — making them excellent used purchases.

Cleveland & Srixon on Tour

The combined Cleveland/Srixon roster has grown significantly in recent years. Notable players include:

• Hideki Matsuyama — 2021 Masters champion, full Srixon/Cleveland bag
• Shane Lowry — 2019 Open Championship winner, Cleveland/Srixon staff
• Brooks Koepka — Four-time major champion, longtime Srixon iron player
• Keegan Bradley — PGA Championship winner, Cleveland/Srixon staff
• Inbee Park — Seven-time major champion on LPGA Tour
• Hannah Green — Major champion, rising LPGA star with Srixon

Cleveland wedges also appear in the bags of players who aren't on the Cleveland/Srixon staff. The RTX (and now RTZ) line has been used by players from multiple equipment companies — wedges are the category where non-staff usage is highest, and Cleveland consistently ranks in the top three for wedge count on major tours.

Buying Used Cleveland & Srixon Clubs

Here's what we see at Golf Club Brokers and what you should know about the used market:

Cleveland wedges are the best used wedge value in golf. A used Cleveland RTX ZipCore in good condition often sells for 40-50% less than a comparable used Vokey, despite matching or exceeding Vokey spin numbers in independent testing. The brand name doesn't carry the same premium on the resale market, and that's great news for buyers.

Srixon irons are the market's best-kept secret. The ZX5 and ZX7 irons from previous generations are outstanding clubs that sell for significantly less than comparable Titleist T-series or TaylorMade P-series irons. If you care about performance over brand cachet, used Srixon irons are hard to beat.

Srixon drivers depreciate quickly. Similar to Mizuno, Srixon doesn't have the driver reputation of TaylorMade or Callaway, so their drivers lose value faster. That depreciation makes them excellent used purchases — you can find a nearly-new ZX5 MK II driver for well under half its original retail price.

Wedge condition matters enormously. Wedge grooves wear down with use, and worn grooves mean less spin. When buying a used Cleveland wedge, check the face closely. Light sole wear is cosmetic; face groove wear directly affects performance. If grooves are visibly worn, the wedge may still be good for full swings but will underperform around the greens.

Golf balls are part of the equation. Srixon's Z-Star and Z-Star XV balls are Tour-quality options that cost less per dozen than Titleist Pro V1 or TaylorMade TP5. They're not "used" in the traditional sense, but they're worth knowing about if you're already in the Srixon ecosystem.

Cleveland & Srixon vs. The Competition

Choose Cleveland/Srixon if: You want Tour-quality equipment at a slightly lower price point than the Big Four. You value wedge performance above all. You appreciate a brand that earns its reputation through quiet engineering excellence rather than marketing volume. You're a smart shopper who cares about value per dollar.

Consider alternatives if: Brand prestige matters to you (Titleist has the edge). You want the absolute deepest product lineup across every category (TaylorMade, Callaway). You need extensive fitting options and custom builds (Ping's fitting system is more comprehensive). You want cutting-edge putter technology (Odyssey, Scotty Cameron are stronger here).

Our take: Cleveland wedges are the most underrated equipment in golf. If you're playing a Vokey because "that's what Tour players use," do yourself a favor and hit an RTZ side by side. You might save $30-50 and get equal or better spin. Srixon irons, meanwhile, deserve far more attention than they get. The ZXi family competes with anything from Titleist, TaylorMade, or Mizuno, and the used values are exceptional.

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