50 Words or Less
The Cleveland RTZ wedge is the complete short game package. A rare combination of elite looks, feel, and performance enabled by exciting new tech.
Introduction
Cleveland has diversified its offerings in a big way as of late and now targets a huge segment of the market with game improvement clubs across the bag. However, the Cleveland name is still synonymous with short game excellence. The new Cleveland RTZ wedge is an emphatic reminder of this brand identity, pairing a brand new material, Z Alloy, with classic shaping and precision milling to produce a set of short game tools worthy of its name.
Looks
With aesthetics and golf clubs, less is often more. Nowhere is this more true than in the short game clubs where shorter swings mean less tech is necessary to help correct human error. This enables OEMs to produce sleek and sophisticated designs that appeal to the eye. While blade-style irons and wedges are usually among the most attractive-looking clubs out there, some stand out above the rest.
That’s exactly what we have here. While there are game improvement wedges on the market (see our review of Cleveland’s latest CBX wedge for a great example HERE) the RTZ is a wedge intended for the better player. So in terms of the shaping you’ll get a fairly compact, classic look. The leading edge has a gentle curvature that inspires confidence when manipulating the face. The back showcases simple, elegant curves and minimal branding.
The Cleveland RTZ wedge is available in three finishes: Tour Satin, Black Satin, and Tour Rack (Raw). I tested the Black Satin and think it’s gorgeous. It has that dark matte look that deadens glare from the sun but isn’t so dark that every mark stands out. Cleveland is also offering some unique customization options in the way of engraving, stamping, paint fills, and more.
Sound & Feel
The feel of a premium golf ball struck in the center of the face is soft but nowhere near mushy. It’s responsive on both chips and fuller swings. You get a great sense of where and how well the ball was struck through the hands.
The sound from the Cleveland RTZ wedge is very pleasant. I would describe it as falling somewhere between a high-pitched ‘click’ and a low-pitched ‘tock’; let’s call it a concise ‘clock’. Less pure strikes understandably trend more toward the lower register.
Performance
While there is a lack of visible tech, there are several big innovations in play that make the Cleveland RTZ wedge perform the way it does.
Z-Alloy is the biggest talking point here. It’s an entirely new steel compound that is softer and less dense than the 8620 steel used in previous iterations of the company’s wedges. According to Cleveland’s R&D testing, the RTZ wedge is 10% softer than the RTX 6 Zipcore wedges, utilizing the Vickers hardness test. Interestingly, this metal is made exclusively for use in golf clubs.
Hydrazip is an intricate system of milling lines on the face engineered to optimize performance in wet conditions. While not every round takes place in rainy or dewy conditions, few happen with completely dry turf so this seems like a technology that could really help aid in consistency.
Another piece of tech that plays a big role but is invisible is Zipcore. Zipcore was introduced with 2020’s RTX Zipcore (review HERE). It’s a proprietary low-density vibration-dampening material injected in the heel and hosel area, which boosts MOI and moves the center of gravity closer to the middle of the face.
The RTZ wedges feature four available sole grinds. Per Cleveland, the FULL sole has the roundest leading edge to help prevent chunking for steeper swingers. The MID sole offers a slightly less round edge for more versatility, and the LOW has the sharpest leading edge, designed for swings with a shallower angle of attack. The new ADAPT grind is similar to the MID sole, prizing versatility and adding full face grooves.
The ADAPT grind is available in 56, 58, and 60 degree lofts. Conveniently, Cleveland’s website features a quiz and a comparison chart to help you select the best wedge grinds for your game, using both questions about your game and your current set of wedges (check it out HERE).
I’ll also note that Cleveland has stuck with the True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner wedge shaft as its stock offering, following the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy. This was a welcome sight for me as I’ve loved the shaft since I first tried it in the OG Zipcore.
Conclusion
From every perspective, the Cleveland RTZ wedges are irresistible. While missing greens isn’t necessarily fun, being creative and pulling off challenging short game shots is and reaching into the bag for one of these will make it even more so. These remind me of a lot of what I loved about the original RTX Zipcore, and Cleveland managed to improve on them in every way. I am excited to game these for the 2025 season, and if you are in the market for new wedges I highly recommend you give them a look.
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Cleveland RTZ Wedge Price & Specs
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7 Comments
Nice review here. Any idea on how they feel/perform compared to PXG Sugar Daddy 3’s?
Hi Kyle,
Thanks for the question. Unfortunately I haven’t had the pleasure of hitting the Sugar Daddy 3 so I can’t comment. I can say the RTZ is up there with the best wedges I have hit though, including the OG Sugar Daddy, though it’s hard to offer a 1 to 1 comparison as it’s been a few years.
Best,
Dylan
I cant confirm it, and would love your input I have noticed that i don’t have to replace my PXG SD wedges as often. I don’t know if it the material they use, but they just seem to hold up longer
Hi Soonapa,
I can’t offer any insight on that, sorry.
Just got my set and love the look and the feel of the new metal. Not that I necessarily mind but in hand they seem a tad smaller and bladey-er than the RTX6 with thinner soles – but I can’t confirm since I traded those in for the new ones haha. I’m curious about it though – do you happen to have an RTX6 to compare?
Mike,
Unfortunately I never tested the RTX6 so I can’t offer a perspective on that. Thanks for reading and for the question.
Dylan
These new wedges look great so I cannot wait to test them but it won’t be with the DG Spinner wedge shaft as that shaft previously gave me the most inconsistent numbers I have seen from any golf club when I have tested it in 2 different wedges, for most players with some decent speed like myself this shaft is completely uncontrollable on full shots especially so the dispersion which I saw both left-right and front-back was super horrific plus I hit several moon balls dead right and the standard deviation on spin was also like 1400 which is absolutely no good for wedge play, with a DG TI S400 or Modus 125 my wedge game is super consistent.