Rife Golf Clubs Reviewed – Who Makes Them? Are They Any Good?

Rife Golf Clubs Reviewed – Who Makes Them? Are They Any Good?

Like so many small-scale golf club companies, Rife operates on the fringes.

Yet they refuse to completely go away. Since 1997, the company has mainly been known for their putters.

Some even consider them a major influence on the way most putters are engineered today.

But in 2023, they make a lot more than just putters. So are their other clubs any good?

I tested a handful of them to find out. But first let’s take a look at the story of Rife Golf.

A Brief History of Rife Golf

Rife Golf was founded in 1997 by Guerin Rife.

The company quickly made a name for itself by innovating the way putter faces were designed.

The claim is that Rife was the first  company (or one of the first companies) to use horizontal grooves on putter faces.

Their 2Bar putter was a smashing success and featured this innovative groove technology. Their putters were played on the PGA Tour.

They built on their putter’s success by branching out into golf apparel, accessories and other clubs.

But the company ran into trouble and sales began to slump.

After a couple of years, Guerin Rife sold Rife Golf to International Leisure Group Limited which has bought out a number of small golf manufacturing companies.

International Leisure Group Limited also owns majorgolf retailer American Golf, where Rife Golf clubs can be purchased today.

Who Owns Rife Golf And Where Are Their Clubs Made?

As of 2023, International Leisure Group Limited still owns Rife Golf.

When Guerin Rife founded Rife, it was a US-based company. Today, it is unclear where Rife golf clubs are manufactured.

However, many of the brands that International Leisure Group Limited controls have manufacturing plants in Asia.

Rife RX2 Golf Club Set Review

Selling points

• Includes stand bag
• Oversized irons
• Aerodynamic woods

The Rife RX2 golf club set includes a 10.5 degree driver, #3 fairway wood, 4H, 5H, irons 6-SW and a semi-mallet putter.

Bag has a 6-way top divider with 3 full-length slots. The whole set is geared towards beginners and high handicappers.

Performance

The woods have deep face profiles so thin shots aren’t punished very harshly.

They are also light and seem to cut through the air very well. The hybrids have a squat profile.

They play long and offer a lot of forgiveness from heel to toe.

The irons have a cavity back design with a deep undercut. They are forgiving and launch high but offer very little workability.

But they feel solid and the face plays consistent from heel to toe.

The putter is perimeter weighted and features Rife’s Roll Groove technology.

Forward roll does start pretty quickly; but the feel isn’t very soft or responsive.

Who is it for?

The Rife RX2 golf club set would be a great choice for new players who have been taking lessons and are ready to get out on the course.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Forgiving clubs
• High-launching irons
• Two hybrids

Cons:

• Hybrids have poor turf interaction

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Rife RX7 Irons Review

Selling points

• Flex channel
• Perimeter weighted
• Rounded toe

The Rife RX7 iron set includes irons 5-SW. However, periphery options are limited. It is only available as a right-handed set with a steel shaft in regular flex.

Performance

The Rife RX7 irons have a moderately thick top line but a short blade length.

These are cavity back irons that provide a good mix of forgiveness and workability.  But the best thing about these irons is that they play long.

They are 2-piece hollow body irons which allows the face to flex a lot. I was getting really  fast ball speeds and as a result, excellent distance – an average of 156.1 yards of carry with the 7-iron.

Who is it for?

The Rife RX7 irons would probably suit handicappers in the 16-25 range. They play long, provide moderate forgiveness and even some workability for mid handicappers.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Excellent distance
• Strong lofts
• Foam-injected core

Cons:

• Limited feedback

Overall Score: 97/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

RX4 Graphite Irons Review

Selling points

• Graphite shafts
• Ultra-wide soles
• Hollow-body design

The RX4 Graphite irons have a 5-SW configuration and a super game improvement profile. The stock shafts are graphite – definitely geared towards beginners.

Performance

The RX4 Graphite irons have super-wide soles.

They produce towering launch and cut  through the turf smoothly. They have a hollow body design with a 431 stainless steel body so they play long and feel stable and consistent across the face.

The top line is thick and the sweet spot can’t be missed. These are as helpful as super game improvement irons get.

Who is it for?

The RX4 Graphite irons are ideal for beginners who, in particular, are struggling to get the ball airborne.

The RX4 Graphite irons also have a ton of offset to make it easier for new players to turn the club over and square the face at impact.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• They look very forgiving at address
• The soles prevent digging very well
• Very affordable

Cons:

• A bit too much flex in the shaft

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Rife RX5 Golf Club Set Review

Selling points

• Roll Groove technology putter
• Includes two hybrid clubs
• Stand bag included

The Rife RX5 golf club set consists of a 460cc driver, a 3-wood, 4H, 5H, irons 6-SW, semi-mallet putter and a stand bag. The set also includes head covers for the woods and the hybrids.

Performance

All of the woods in this set are forgiving. Are they the longest woods on the market?

No. But they will help high handicappers and beginners gain confidence and learn the fundamentals.

The hybrids are a nice bridge between the fairway wood and the large irons. They are exceptionally forgiving and produce a mid trajectory.

I liked that the hybrids launched the ball within a very reasonable window – they got it up in the air but I didn’t have to worry about ballooning.

The irons have an oversized profile with a healthy undercut. This helps them launch the ball high and the long blade length provides a lot of lateral forgiveness.

The putter has the Roll Groove technology that has made Rife famous. It feels smooth and the feedback is very clear.

Who is it for?

The Rife RX5 golf club set would be a good choice for players who are still learning the basics of the game.

Every club in the bag is forgiving and the price is perfect for players who aren’t sure they’re actually going to keep playing golf.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Durable head covers
• The bag has plenty of storage space
• Graphite iron shafts available

Cons:

• The woods lack some distance

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Is Rife A Good Brand? – Final Thoughts

Throughout my testing, one thing stuck out to me: there were no clubs that would work for skilled players.

So looking at Rife with the knowledge that they make clubs for high handicappers and beginners, the brand isn’t too bad.

They could strengthen the lofts of some of their woods to make them longer for high handicappers; but the price point at which their clubs are sold make them a viable option for golf neophytes.