Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood Review

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Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood (17)

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No nonsense, forgiving, light, traditional.  A solid performer.

Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood (8)

Introduction

Nowadays it seems like most fairway woods are made for either one of two functions.  You either buy a fairway wood to use off the tee, or you’re looking to be able to hit it a mile off the deck to reach Par 5’s in two.  Unless you’re a pretty good stick, it’s uncommon to find a fairway wood that’s good for both shots.  Thankfully Cleveland has the new Cleveland 588 fairway woods out there for the average golfer that’s looking for a multipurpose fairway wood.

Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood (20)

Looks

It seems that there are very few major club manufacturers out there that are making basic black clubs anymore.  It does look like a few are starting to work their way back in that direction, but Cleveland never left.  Cleveland has kept classic styling in mind all along and the new 588 fairway woods are no different.  The crown is a glossy black with no alignment aids that transitions into a mid-size silver face.  When you flip the club over to look at the sole, there’s a little bit of pin striping around the edges and some neat carbon fiber accents.

The shape is designed to be confidence inspiring no matter the shot.  For golfers that prefer the a “pear” shape, this is not the club for you in terms of looks, but it doesn’t look like a mini driver by any means.

Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood (21)

Sound & Feel

I distinctly remember a certain sound that came from metal woods in the late 90’s and early 2000’s when the club manufacturers were really starting to get the space age technologies dialed in.  The sound of that era was more of soft, somewhat piercing, metal ping.  The Cleveland 588‘s sonic characteristics are very similar those traditional metal wood sounds.

The feel of the Cleveland 588 is about as good as any of us mere mortal golfers can ask for.  The face is very forgiving and feels very soft at impact which enhances the sensation of the ball trampolining off the face.

588 FW LM Data

Performance

Once I got dialed in with the Cleveland 588 3 wood we received to test, I found that it was incredibly easy to just go out and hit.  It was refreshing to be able to pick up a 3 wood and just go hit it a long ways and be able to just flat out hit the shot.  If I teed up, no problem, just hit the shot.  To me, that’s the beauty of this club.  It’s nice and straightforward and you can just hit shots.  Maybe that sounds crazy, but I think anyone else that tries to use a 3 wood all over the course will know exactly what I mean.

Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood (7)

Conclusion

We can all agree that the hardest part of golf is most likely the mental part of the game, no?  It’s so easy to stand over a shot and have close to 8 million different things running through your head.  When you have the ability to remove a couple million of those thoughts the game gets a lot easier, and the Cleveland 588 fairway woods should help you do that.  The ball is going to feel good when it launches off the face and you see a nice, straight shot heading toward it’s target.  Whether you’re standing on a tee box, or in a short rough about 250 yards out, you’ll find yourself thinking, “Well that was easy.”

Price & Specs

The Cleveland 588 Fairway Wood retails for $200.

It is available in lofts of 14º, 15.5º, 18º, and 20.5º.  The stock shaft is the Matrix Ozik 6Q3.

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Bill Bush

Co-Founder
Bill is a true golf gear nerd by definition who loves making custom club creations in his garage with tools like sledge hammers, blow torches, and his bare hands. By day, Bill is a technology manager living in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and kids. Bill plays Scott Readman Concepts putters and accessories.

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2 Comments

  1. Michael Caris
    March 4, 2016 at 9:13 am  ·  Reply

    I would like to get a set of Cleveland 588 fairway woods; 3, 5 and 7. Graphite, regular or senior flex shafts. I also need the 588 driver with graphite and regular or senior flex.

    I love the way these clubs set up at address and I need all the help I can get!

  2. Gary Mc
    August 26, 2022 at 8:15 am  ·  Reply

    I’m still using this today !!! 14 degree. It’s a fairway-finding beast that out-drives the majority my playing partners’ drivers all day long!

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