Cleveland Golf has spent decades building its reputation around the short game. The company has made drivers, irons and nearly every other club category at different points in its history, but wedges remain the product most closely connected to the Cleveland name. Their new RTZ 2 lineup clings fiercely to that lineage, but it does so in a very forward-thinking way.
Cleveland Golf founder Roger Cleveland returned to work directly with the company’s engineers and tour players during development, revisiting the shaping and sole geometry of the entire blade wedge family. The lineup also brings back the 588 Grind, connecting RTZ 2 to one of the most recognizable designs in the company’s history.
“I’ve been fortunate to design wedges that have been trusted by generations of golfers, but the work is never finished,” Cleveland said. “RTZ 2 Wedges reflect everything we’ve learned along the way, combining classic wedge design principles with modern performance to help golfers play their best scoring shots.”
That is the larger story behind RTZ 2. Cleveland Golf isn’t just applying a new face treatment or changing the badge from the previous RTZ. Roger Cleveland’s return gave the company an opportunity to reconsider how each wedge should sit behind the ball, enter the turf and respond to the shots golfers are likely to play with it.
Roger Cleveland and the Return of the 588 Grind
Roger Cleveland’s influence on modern wedge design is difficult to separate from the company that bears his name. Iconic is a word that gets used too freely at times, but it perfectly describes him.
His original designs were built around shape, sole geometry and predictable turf interaction, and the 588 Tour Action wedge became the clearest expression of that philosophy. Its compact shape and versatile sole helped establish expectations that still influence almost every wedge design today.
For RTZ 2, Cleveland worked alongside the engineering and tour teams to revisit every grind in the lineup. Cleveland Golf says transitions were refined, turf interaction was cleaned up and leading-edge geometry was tuned for more predictable contact.
The return of the 588 Grind is more than a name placed on a new sole. Cleveland describes it as an exact recreation of the original 588 sole, with a full profile, moderate bounce and subtle trailing-edge relief. Increased bounce in the toe adds some protection on chips played with the handle raised, while reduced heel bounce allows the face to open more easily. It will be offered in 54-, 56-, 58- and 60-degree lofts with eight degrees of bounce.
The grind is aimed at moderate to shallower deliveries and moderate to firm conditions, although its full sole should provide more forgiveness than Cleveland’s dedicated low-bounce option.
“There isn’t a single wedge that works for every golfer, Players have different swings, play different conditions, and see different shots around the greens. RTZ 2 Wedges are built around that reality.”
Roger Cleveland
Five Grinds with Different Jobs
RTZ 2 includes five sole grinds: MID, FULL, LOW, 588 and ADAPT.
The MID Grind remains Cleveland’s broadest fitting option. Its V-shaped sole and moderate trailing-edge relief are intended to work for a wide range of swings and conditions. It carries 10 degrees of bounce and is available from 46 through 60 degrees.
The FULL Grind uses a higher-bounce sole for golfers with steeper deliveries or those who regularly play from softer turf, thick rough and bunkers. It is offered from 54 through 60 degrees with 12 degrees of bounce.
LOW Grind is the narrowest and most specialized traditional option. Heel, toe and trailing-edge relief give skilled players room to manipulate the face, particularly from firm conditions and with shallower attack angles. It carries six degrees of bounce and comes in 58-, 60- and 62-degree lofts.
ADAPT Grind is the most visibly different wedge in the family. It uses an extended high-toe shape with full-face grooves and an eight-degree sole. Cleveland added a raised, flattened bounce chamfer at the leading edge to help prevent digging when the face is square or opened. If you followed our journey with the original RTZ line, you’ll know that ADAPT holds a very special place in our hearts.
The grind lineup is substantial, but it avoids becoming difficult to understand. MID serves as the starting point. FULL adds bounce and stability. LOW provides maximum relief. The 588 combines a traditional full sole with useful versatility, while ADAPT is the full-face option for players who regularly manipulate the club around the green.
ZipCore iQ Changes with Every Wedge
ZipCore has been part of Cleveland’s wedge construction for several generations, allowing the company to reduce weight in the hosel and reposition mass elsewhere in the head. RTZ 2 introduces ZipCore iQ, which takes that process farther by tuning the internal hosel core for individual loft and grind combinations. Rather than using one core structure throughout the lineup, Cleveland varies its shape and weight according to how each wedge is most commonly used.
Lower-lofted wedges are primarily struck with a square face on fuller swings, so Cleveland optimizes their mass and sweet-spot locations around those impact patterns. In the higher lofts, where golfers strike the face across a wider area while opening and closing the club, mass is repositioned to raise the sweet spot and support more varied contact.
The product guide shows different internal structures for the 46- to 48-degree, 50- to 52-degree, 54- to 56-degree and 58- to 60-degree loft groups. Cleveland also varies the core by grind, creating a large number of specific head configurations rather than treating loft as the only variable.
The intended result is tighter dispersion and more dependable spin and distance when impact moves away from center. That is especially relevant with wedges, where a slight change in strike location can alter launch, spin and carry enough to affect the outcome of a scoring shot.
Z-Alloy Returns for a Second Generation
RTZ 2 remains built from Cleveland Golf’s proprietary Z-Alloy, now entering its second generation of use in the company’s blade wedges. Compared with the 8620 steel traditionally used in wedge construction, Cleveland says Z-Alloy is 10 percent softer. The material is also less dense, giving engineers more freedom to redistribute mass without dramatically changing the wedge’s exterior shape.
Durability remains an important part of the material story. Cleveland’s testing claims 15 percent better wet-spin retention and an 87 percent reduction in groove wear compared with 8620 steel after simulated bunker use.
Our experience with RTZ seems to back up those durability claims. We’ve seen exceptional spin retention over the time we’ve had them in the bag.
The face combines three familiar Cleveland technologies. HydraZip uses loft-specific face blasts and laser-milled lines to retain spin in wet conditions. UltiZip grooves are designed with sharper edges and additional volume to move grass, sand, dirt and water away from the strike. Rotex Milling adds another layer of surface texture between the grooves.
Tour Rack Customization
Tour Rack wedges begin with a raw Z-Alloy head and can be modified with different leading-edge, trailing-edge, heel and toe treatments. Golfers can select loft and lie adjustments, shafts, grips, ferrules, paintfill and engraving. The program also includes different leading-edge profiles for neutral, steep and shallow deliveries.
The standard Tour Satin and Black Satin models use a True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue shaft. Tour Rack builds come standard with the Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400.
Complimentary personalization will be available during the preorder period from August 4 through the September 4 retail launch.
Our Take – Cleveland RTZ 2 Wedges
Roger Cleveland’s involvement gives RTZ 2 an identity that goes beyond a normal product-cycle update.
The return of the 588 Grind provides the obvious connection to Cleveland Golf’s history, but the more substantial work is spread throughout the lineup. Each grind has received its own leading-edge and sole treatment, ZipCore iQ changes according to loft and grind, and ADAPT gives the company a true full-face option without forcing that shape across every model.
The fitting process is easy to understand. Golfers can begin with MID and move toward more bounce, less bounce, a more traditional full sole or a dedicated open-face design based on their swing and course conditions.
RTZ 2 still looks like a Cleveland blade wedge, but there is considerably more variation beneath the surface than the clean shape suggests. Pairing Roger Cleveland’s approach to shaping and turf interaction with Cleveland Golf’s current materials and mass-placement technology gives this release a legitimate connection between the company’s past and where its wedge program is heading.
Cleveland RTZ 2 Wedges Pricing and Availability
Cleveland RTZ 2 wedges will be available at retail beginning September 4, 2026, with preorders opening August 4, 2026. Tour Satin and Black Satin models are priced at $199.99 per wedge, while customized Tour Rack wedges begin at $219.99.
The lineup includes lofts from 46 through 64 degrees across MID, FULL, LOW, 588 and ADAPT grinds. Finish and handedness availability vary by loft and grind.
Additional information, complete specifications and customization options will be available on their website.
