Titleist Performance Institute, Ball Plant III, and Marion Golf Club with Sugarloaf Social Club
As mentioned in The Kittansett Club write-up, I traveled from Charleston, SC to New York City to spend a few days in the city before making my way over to the south coast of Massachusetts for some golf, exploration, and an incredible event. This day came together thanks to Sugarloaf Social Club, who partnered with Titleist to offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the game’s leading ball and equipment company, capped by golf at one of New England’s most historic nine-hole courses. Sugarloaf, founded by Ian Gilley and a small group of friends in Washington, D.C., has grown into one of the most influential voices in modern golf culture. Their focus has always been on preserving the spirit of the game—championing interesting courses, golf history, and the community around it—while keeping things playful and inclusive. That perspective set the tone for the entire experience.
We began at Manchester Lane, Titleist’s gleaming new Performance Institute. Pulling up felt like arriving at golf’s version of NASA—modern, pristine, and buzzing with quiet anticipation. Our group gathered in the lobby before splitting into two, and I headed first to Ball Plant 3 in New Bedford.
The tour revealed just how deep Titleist’s story runs. In the 1930s, company founder Phil Young missed a short putt and decided to x-ray golf balls, discovering flaws in their cores. That quest for consistency led to Titleist’s first golf ball, and nearly a century later, the brand has become synonymous with reliability and performance. It’s no surprise they’re the #1 ball in golf, with more than 80 professional tour wins worldwide this year alone coming from players trusting a Titleist. Watching the manufacturing process up close—each ball going through layer after layer of meticulous checks—brought that dominance into sharp focus.
Back at Manchester Lane, it was time for some hands-on testing. On the range, the new T-Series irons stood out immediately—pure strikes were soft and satisfying, while mishits gave just enough feedback without punishment. The GT drivers impressed as well, blending speed with a stability that made it easy to swing aggressively. The short-game area was perhaps the most fun: cycling through different Vokey wedge grinds on tight lies and bunkers was a reminder of just how much thought Bob Vokey has put into giving golfers options for every type of shot and turf condition. We watched an aerodynamic demonstration with golf balls that had no dimples, dimples on half the ball, and then a standard to illustrate the important roll of the highly scientific dimple pattern design behind a Titleist golf ball.
The final stop was Marion Golf Club, tucked away in coastal Massachusetts. Designed in 1904 by George C. Thomas Jr.—who would later leave his mark on Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club North—Marion is rugged, minimalist, and full of charm. Its firm fairways, windswept corridors, and tiny greens demanded precision, imagination, and a sense of humor. Walking those nine holes felt like stepping into a time capsule of golf’s Golden Age.
The day ended much as it began—with the spirit of Sugarloaf Social Club infused to everything. Their ability to blend reverence for golf’s traditions with excitement for its future made this pairing with Titleist feel natural. Between the cutting-edge science at Manchester Lane, the living history of Ball Plant 3, and the old-world magic of Marion Golf Club, it was a day that perfectly captured golf’s past, present, and future.
The best part of the event was the chance to meet new friends, catch up with some of the Sugarloaf friends I made at their Culver Academies event, and learning more the company that is taking steps to drive golf in to the next era, while honoring timeless traditions of the game.
