Staff WriterIt seems the boffins at Cleveland Golf have been tinkering in their lab coats again—only this time, they may have cracked the wedge code for good.
Introducing the Cleveland RTZ Wedges, the latest short-game offering that could well be the biggest leap forward since grooves were born.
And yes, it’s all thanks to something they’ve cooked up called Z-Alloy. It’s proprietary, it’s rust-resistant, and frankly, it might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about raw wedges.
Let’s get this out of the way early—these Cleveland RTZ Wedges aren’t just another spin on the ZipCore formula.
This isn’t a bit of marketing tinsel on a familiar clubhead. This is a top-to-bottom reengineering, kicked off with a simple, radical question: what if the steel itself was holding us back?
The Birth of Z-Alloy: Because No Existing Metal Was Good Enough
Several years ago, Cleveland’s engineers—led by their in-house Ph.D. metallurgist, because of course they have one—decided that if no known alloy could enhance wedge performance across the board, they’d simply invent one. Thus, Z-Alloy was born: a brand-new metal designed exclusively for golf.
“Led by our in-house Ph.D. metallurgist, our engineers worked hand-in-hand with manufacturing partners and their cutting-edge foundry techniques to create a brand-new metal, entirely optimised for golf club performance,” Cleveland said.
This Frankenstein of metallurgy is 10% softer than traditional 8620 steel on the Vickers scale. That means more feel, better bendability, and—brace yourself—zero rust. Yes, you read that right. Raw look, no rot.
Feel, Flexibility, and the Fight Against Flakes
Let’s face it: golfers love the gritty look of a raw wedge, even if most of us are only halfway sure what it does.
Tour pros like the unplated heads for grinding and glare reduction—but they don’t let their clubs rust. Why? Because rust isn’t charming patina; it’s the enemy of performance.
“Rust erodes groove geometry. Rust is bad for long-term performance. And rust has a negative impact on our spin-enhancing groove technologies like UltiZip and HydraZip,” the brand stated.
So, Cleveland did something no one’s done before: they created a raw wedge that doesn’t rust. It’s still raw in appearance—still that sexy, Tour Rack finish—but now you don’t need to treat your wedge like it’s a cast iron skillet.
Performance Where It Matters: Grooves, Spin, and CG Wizardry
Z-Alloy gives Cleveland’s R&D team about 6 grams of discretionary mass to play with. That may not sound like much, but in golf club design, it’s like giving an artist six new colours on the palette. With that mass, they’ve moved CG placement to precisely where it optimises launch and spin for every loft.
Then there’s bendability. Fitters rejoice—these things bend like Beckham. Cleveland went out of their way to ensure Z-Alloy meets the demands of club builders and serious tinkerers alike, without sacrificing durability. Custom grinds? No problem.
And now the pièce de résistance: durability testing. Cleveland pitted their rust-proof RTZ Wedges against rusted 8620 models and found the rusted grooves wore 87% faster.
Worse still, the rusty boys retained 15% less spin in wet conditions. That’s not just academic—it’s the difference between a ball biting like a Rottweiler or skidding like a stone on water.
“Rust on wedges cause grooves to wear 87% faster, on average,” Cleveland revealed from their lab results.
“The rusted Wedge saw a 15% reduction in wet spin retention compared to our non-rusting RTZ Wedge with Z-Alloy.”
It gets better—or worse, depending on your current wedge collection. In further robot testing, Cleveland discovered that rust leads to wildly inconsistent spin and surface metrics—up to 200% more variability. Translation: one rusty wedge might spin fine, the next might send your Pro V1 rocketing into the next postcode.
Final Verdict: Who Are Cleveland RTZ Wedges For?
If you’re a golfer who values control, consistency, and a wedge that won’t disintegrate every time you get caught in a light drizzle, the Cleveland RTZ Wedges should be top of your list.
They offer the raw look without the raw deal, the spin without the rust, and the performance without compromise.
They’re not gimmicky. They’re not chasing trends. They’re just smartly engineered tools for serious players—whether you’re grinding grooves in the garage or grinding out an up-and-down to save your Saturday four-ball.
The Cleveland RTZ Wedges are the real deal. Traditional where it counts, innovative where it matters, and, dare I say, finally putting the rust myth to bed.
