The Cobra Ultramid Driver
Well, well, well. Look what we have here! My golf nerdom has once again uncovered a legendary piece of golf gear. Some might even call it historic or iconic. I’m talking about none other than the Cobra Ultramid driver. And not just any Cobra Ultramid driver, but the JUMBO Cobra Ultramid! If you’ve never heard of this driver before, you might not be alone. That said, plenty of you might recognize it as the weird interesting driver that John Daly used to win the 1991 PGA Championship while players were in the midst of transitioning from persimmon woods to metal woods. Except this driver is neither metal nor wood.
The Story of the Cobra Ultramid Driver
In the event our whole audience isn’t full aware, John Daly was the big hitter on Tour back in the late 80s through well into the 1990s. NO ONE had his club speed and smacked the ball around like he did. As such, none of the drivers made at the time could hold up to John Daly’s power regardless of what material they were made of. So Cobra Golf was commissioned to try and solve the problem. Their solution was to use a synthetic fiber called kevlar. If kevlar sounds familiar, it’s a bulletproof material often found in bulletproof vests due to its strength and lighter weight. Surely if kevlar can stop a bullet, it can withstand Big John Daly ripping a golf ball.
Looking at the size and shape, the Ultramid is very similar looking to a classic persimmon driver. Of course, the white coloring was pretty non-traditional, but I guess you could say it was ahead of its time. I haven’t tried hitting mine yet, but in doing some digging, it sounds as if the Ultramid is no walk in the park. Apparently after Daly’s ’91 victory, there was a demand for this new exotic driver which was pretty expensive at the time with a $215 price tag and it wasn’t easy to get off the ground. You had to be a pretty big hitter, allegedly. Maybe one day I’ll find out the hard way for myself.
Oh, and one last neat piece of trivia, John Daly gifted his winning driver to Pete Dye following his ’91 PGA Championship victory. Daly’s historic win occurred at Crooked Stick Golf Club Indiana – a Pete Dye design. That very Ultramid driver would later pop up on the Green Jackets auction block many years later.
Final Thoughts – Cobra Ultramid Driver
One thing I didn’t point out but is worth noting is that Cobra made the Ultramid driver in a standard size as well as the Jumbo model that I have here. Jumbo was obviously considered to be oversized, but I love how small the head is compared to modern drivers. I don’t know how rare the clubs were and if Jumbo was less common, but would love to find out. It’s also worth noting that Cobra also made Ultramid fairway woods which I haven’t been able to procure yet!
Regardless, the Cobra Ultramid driver is a really interesting piece of golf history that’s just cool. I’d seen and heard about this club before, but after learning more about it and how weird/unique it was, I knew I had to have one. Now if I can just track down those fairway woods for a steal…
We need launch monitor data!
Ha, we’ll see if I get the courage for it!
I need that in my basement with all my vintage clubs for sure!
Just keep your eyes on ebay…and shoot me an email if you’re bidding on one so we don’t bid against each other.
I have one for sale
One what?
I have the the driver , 3 wood and 5 wood
Cobra ti with Kevlar heads
I just got my hands on the Cobra Ultramid standard size 1, 3 and 5 wood. Plus the Cobra TRD II V-groove AL BR irons!!! and a Cobra B’62 putter at a yard sale. How cool. Your article is a good read. Thanks.
Very nice. I saw a Driver, 3w, 5w set pop up on ebay, but the asking price is way to steep for my blood. That wasn’t you by chance, was it?!
I have a cobra ultra mid driver with the red titanium shaft. What is the worth of it
No idea! Take a look through sold listings on ebay for something similar to your setup and condition. That’s your best bet to get a current value.