2018 Official Forum Member Review - Wilson C300 Irons

[ole gray]

I had these out for one final round of 9 holes with my son and my father before I dive into my Stage 2. The power holes are still 100% A-OK - no loss of the inserts or any issues whatsoever on that front.

 

I let my 67yo father hit them on a few holes, he liked them but didn't feel any difference between them and his Cobras. In fact, he actually hit the C300s lower than his FP irons, however that's only 3-4 shots out of thousands that he has on his Cobras. 

 

I'm going to see if I can sneak out to the range one more time and grab my D200s for one last head to head comparison as well. 

 

67 year old father huh.....    Heck I could be your Daddy....lol 

[tony@CIC]

67 year old father huh..... Heck I could be your Daddy....lol

And I could be your older brother.

 

 

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[russtopherb]

67 year old father huh.....    Heck I could be your Daddy....lol 

 

LOL!

 

Yep, 67 and with 2 left knee replacements. So he's lost a lot on his swing due to not really being able to shift his weight and post up on his left side. That's why I wanted him to try the C300s with their improved height/distance claims to see if he noticed any different ballflight. 

[ole gray]

LOL!

 

Yep, 67 and with 2 left knee replacements. So he's lost a lot on his swing due to not really being able to shift his weight and post up on his left side. That's why I wanted him to try the C300s with their improved height/distance claims to see if he noticed any different ballflight. 

 

I'm 67 with two right knee replacements so yea, you could still be my son.    lol   I'm thinking he would love em because I'm really digging my SGI irons that I'm currently testing.  Geritol junkies need a little extra forgiveness unless they were born with the silver spoon of golf talent. 

[tony@CIC]

LOL!

 

Yep, 67 and with 2 left knee replacements. So he's lost a lot on his swing due to not really being able to shift his weight and post up on his left side. That's why I wanted him to try the C300s with their improved height/distance claims to see if he noticed any different ballflight.

At 71 and no knee replacements (yet) I'm loving my C300s. Stage 2 report should be coming shortly

 

 

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[Nunfa0]

At 71 and no knee replacements (yet) I'm loving my C300s. Stage 2 report should be coming shortly

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

Oooo stage two's soon, can't wait

[russtopherb]

My Stage 2 has now been posted!

 

Please fire away with any questions you have on my followup, I'll be happy to answer with as much detail as I can.

 

Enjoy the (long) read!

[GB13]

My Stage 2 has now been posted!

 

Please fire away with any questions you have on my followup, I'll be happy to answer with as much detail as I can.

 

Enjoy the (long) read!

Great stage 2! Very well stated and clearly a lot of thought went into it. I apprectiate the time and effort to write a though review.

[bardle]

Stage Two - The Review 7/16/2018

 

Wilson/Staff C300 Irons (cast) – Official MGS Forum Review by russtopherb

 

Intro

 

Wilson/Staff has always been known to bring excellent looks, technology, and pricing with all of their product lines. While some purists may look askance at that statement about looks while pointing at the “power holes” in the C300 line (and its predecessor the C200s), one can't help deny that the new C300 line of irons are some darn good looking and performing clubs.

 

Before we jump into the nuts and bolts of this Stage Two review, I want to recap my game, as that may help you get a better understanding of my thoughts as you're reading. I'm currently sitting at a 21 handicap, and usually play around 20 rounds per year - many of which are 9 holes. I'm a bit of a range rat, usually getting in 2 sessions per week when possible. I moved to the cast C300s after gaming their chunkier, more forgiving older brother in the D200 line for almost 2 seasons. So not only did I get to move to a sweet new set of sticks, I also moved up a category from SGI to GI.

 

Let's see how things went!

 

Looks (6 out of 10 points)

 

The C300 irons have a clean look that is immediately appealing, especially when you're coming from a larger iron like I did. The “power holes” stand out, especially against the shiny chrome finish, but once you've swung the irons a few times, you never notice them again.

 

The cavity graphics are MUCH improved over the previous C200 line. The simple chrome and black paintfill give the C300s a look of, dare I say, elegance when compared to some other irons in this category.

 

Unfortunately, the score here takes a definite hit on two specific issues.

 

First, the paint has been coming off of the badges on nearly all of the irons since the first few weeks I got them. Now, I don't expect paintfill to look perfectly new forever, but the speed of which the paint began to disappear is disappointing, and it's a sentiment echoed by some of my fellow testers.

 

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Second, the chrome finish has been scratching noticeably for me on both the face and the soles. Here's a link to a post I made about how scuffed up my 7i face was getting. While the scuffing eventually went away for the most part thanks to elbow grease and a Magic Eraser, the soles and faces seem to mark up very easily. If you like your irons to look brand spanking new for quite some time… this may be a concern.

 

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Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

 

I'm pleased to say that the solid “thwack” sound that was introduced with the C200s is intact with the C300s. So much so that I had a golfer peer over into my bag at the range once and ask what I was hitting after hearing a number of iron shots. And let me tell you, that sound is ADDICTIVE. When your bucket is done, you have to resist the urge to go buy another just so you can hear how awesome those irons are.

 

I was fit into the KBS Tour 90 shafts when I got these irons, and the overall feel of the combination of shaft and head is very nice. The face of these irons feel more lively than my D200s, which is to be expected. When I catch one on the toe, I can tell from the feel and the slight pitch change in the sound. The feel there can be harsh, but that's the price you pay for a miss-hit.

 

Thin shots are noticeable as well in your hands, far more so than my D200 irons. But not all is bad here - you get the same sound, just a lower ballflight that still almost ends up near where you were expecting the ball to be.

 

Range Performance (15 out of 20 points)

 

The C300 line promises more consistent distance and height vs. it's competitors, and for the most part that's been very true in my experience. Good shots are rewarded with towering ballflight and soft landings, with a medium trajectory that takes off before climbing up to it's apex.

 

Fat shots, as I discovered on the range and later on the course, tend to be problematic if that is your miss. The sole doesn't excel at cutting through the turf like some other models do. I've learned to work around that, simply by paying more attention to my own swing and weight transfer. Higher handicappers, or folks who have more of an arm swing due to lack of flexibility and weight transfer, may see this as more of a concern.

 

I'm honestly not at the point where I can really draw or fade the ball on command. However, I will say that with a little work I was able to move the ball in both directions. Sometimes even on purpose.

 

Some golfers talk about those mythical “hot spots” on some iron faces. Thankfully, I can say that's most certainly not a problem with the C300s that I observed. These irons are very consistent when it comes to distance; while I may have dropped balls further left or right of a flag on the range than I wanted, the distances were very consistent across all of the irons. Wilson/Staff talks about how the power holes help turn the entire iron face into one giant hot spot, and the consistent distance I've seen backs that claim up. In this picture below, you can see where 5 shots were hit on the club. All of them went pretty much the same exact distance, save for the one out on the toe that was perhaps 6-7 yards shorter.

 

IMG_3631.jpg

 

Given that these irons are designed to give you excellent launch & height, I've found it more difficult to flight the ball lower on purpose, such as when you'd need a punch shot to get out of the woods.

 

On-Course Performance (25 out of 40 points)

 

I made a point to hit some Par 3 courses with the C300s so I could focus exclusively on iron play. My first few times out I was missing long due to getting acclimated with them, as I found them to be anywhere from 5 to 7 yards longer than my D200s on well struck shots. Once I settled down, I found that I was able to pull clubs successfully based on the distance I needed to hit, without too much indecision. Again, consistency with these irons for distance is fantastic.

 

The biggest area of concern for me out on the course with the C300s is dispersion. This became apparent the more I played them from various lies, vs. just bashing balls from a perfect lie at the range. Is most of that on me for not being able to play more often, and have more skill in getting out of trouble? Absolutely. However… for someone in my shoes, you want an iron that'll do it's best to get you out of trouble quickly, and in a good spot for recovery. I didn't personally find that to be the case with the C300s, even in the shorter scoring irons, whereas my D200s give me max confidence that I can escape trouble relatively easily. I found that my main swing flaw, the fat shot, was far more penal out on the course than it was with my D200s, which continued what I saw on the practice range.

 

The unexpected pleasant surprise for me in this whole set is the Gap wedge. It's performed a number of roles for me on the course, and quite admirably. I've used it for chips around the green from various distances, and 50-70 yard shots where I needed to land the ball in a small area and have it stop relatively quickly. I got used to gripping down on the GW and taking half or three-quarter swings to give me the distance and trajectory I needed, and it's been a pleasure to hit.

 

Teeing off with the longer irons is extremely easy, and I had no problem pulling the 4i or 5i on tight par 4s or doglegs. Having long irons that you have confidence in is huge, even if you may only use the 4i for tee shots or punch outs.

 

I was a bit apprehensive about playing these irons on a links style course. That concern was unfounded, as I was able to hold my line in some stiffer winds. I didn't see any ballooning on the course at all thanks to the height the power holes provide, and I purposely used balls ranging from the W/S Duo all the way through the TP5 to gauge how the performance may or may not have been affected by the ball in combination with the irons. Just based on my own swing, these irons plus a lower compression ball work great together in all conditions.

 

Play it or Trade it? (15 out of 20 points)

 

Here's where I need to be brutally honest with myself about the state of my game, and with you, the reader who may be looking to purchase these irons.

 

These are some excellent irons - the performance is there, and they have a great price point in comparison with some other iron sets currently on the market. They look good for the most part, and with the amount of shaft and grip options at your disposal you shouldn't have any problem coming up with a combination that'll work out great for you if this category of clubs fits in your bag.

 

That being said, here are my concerns with the set.

 

Wear & Tear - As noted above, these irons showed wear quickly. The soles, the faces, the paintfill… and to me, that's pretty disappointing. If I spent $800-$900 on these irons brand new and I saw that happen, I'd be miffed. I've always wiped the irons down on the range and course, and I use warm water with some detergent and a toothbrush to clean them thoroughly after every round. The chrome finish and paint just haven't held up in my opinion.

 

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IMG_0214.JPG

 

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Forgiveness - The sole design on these irons, for my swing, is not forgiving. I feel that a lot of other higher handicappers may be in the same boat. If I chunk a shot with these irons, the sod is flying and the ball isn't, and boy can you feel it. With my D200s, the ball's not going as far, but it's still out a lot further than fat shots with the C300s. Pickers may have no problem with these soles, but if you take a divot routinely, keep the sole/turf interaction in mind.

 

Consistency - I never had a problem worrying about distance with these irons on the course. The end results were almost always correct when it came to pulling the right club for the right yardage. If I put a good swing on the ball, it went the expected distance nearly every time. The dispersion, however, was much more exaggerated for me than with my D200s.

 

I don't pin hunt - I always aim for the center of the green. With the C300s, after 10+ rounds and numerous range sessions, I still wasn't sure if I was going to put the ball in the center, on the fringe, or well off to the side. Yes, some of that is definitely on me and my swing.

 

However I can't discount the fact that the same shot from the same location with my D200s usually ended up far closer to where I was aiming. I would would play two balls and purposely alternate which iron I used first, so as not to take a bad swing first then make a better one once I was more comfortable with the lie and distance. The D200 was closer to where I wanted the ball to land in nearly every instance.

 

The weighting of the club may have something to do with the consistency, as I cannot get a good feel for where the clubhead is during the swing. I have a fairly light shaft in these with the KBS Tour 90 and the midsized grips shouldn't be that much of a factor either, given that I've played midsized for at least 3 seasons now. However I definitely “lose” the clubhead on the downswing, which may be playing a big part in all of my side to side misses.

 

I'm going to reiterate - these are some great irons. Excellent height without ballooning, extremely consistent distance, and very nice sound and feel. They are, in my opinion, solidly in the Game Improvement category when my game really needs Super Game Improvement irons. The C300s may be perfect for me down the road after I have more practice and rounds under my belt. They may be perfect for you right now if you're a mid-teens handicap who plays every week. However, as an involved dad with 2 kids and a desk job that doesn't allow me to play during the week… the C300s haven't been the best fit. I erred on the higher side with the score here, because I don't feel it's fair to fault the irons for doing or not doing something given my main misses & swing flaws.

 

One good thing for me with the C300s in the bag the past few months is that they made me focus more on making a good swing. When I get on the course though, I want to be thinking about the ballflight and my score, not whether or not I'm going to leave the ball well short after a chunk, or if I'm guaranteed to be stuck in one of the greenside bunkers because the ball isn't going close to where I'm aiming. In short, I want to be worrying about playing golf, not playing golf swing.

 

Conclusion

 

The Wilson/Staff C300s irons bring some exciting and proven technology in a well priced, sharp looking package. If you're looking for consistent height and ballflight, along with solid looks and sound, the C300 cast irons should absolutely be on your “must try” list. Based on my own experiences with this line of clubs, I feel they are best suited for improving players with handicaps in the mid teens to single digits. If the state of your game requires you to have a set of irons that are “point and shoot”, you may want to try these before you buy them.

 

If you prefer your irons to look as brand new for as long as possible, you might want to consider iron covers and whether or not you want to spend the time wiping down the clubs with a wet towel after every single shot. The chrome finish and paintfill look beautiful in the bag and in hand, but they will both wear quickly.

 

The C300s are a great all-around package for a large segment of golfers who like clean looks along with a great feel & sound to go with consistent distance. If you're in the market for Game Improvement irons, don't discount the shield when you're out looking for your next iron purchase - demo the C300s, and you'll be glad that you did!

 

Final Score: (69/100)

 

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Good review. Great detail and obviously very well thought out. It really is disappointing how quickly they showed wear though.

 

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[cnosil]

My Stage 2 for the C300 Forged is up. Link: Stage 2

 

Let me know if you have any questions or want me to add/investigate something else.  

[cnosil]

My Stage 2 has now been posted!

 

Please fire away with any questions you have on my followup, I'll be happy to answer with as much detail as I can.

 

Enjoy the (long) read!

 

sorry to see the durability issues that you described.  Other than the paintfill starting to come out,  they are holding up very well for me.   It is interesting seeing different peoples take on basically the same clubs;  I love the sole and thing they help me when I hit the ball fat.  

[russtopherb]

sorry to see the durability issues that you described. Other than the paintfill starting to come out, they are holding up very well for me. It is interesting seeing different peoples take on basically the same clubs; I love the sole and thing they help me when I hit the ball fat.

I wonder if it's a swing speed issue with the soles. I want to say you're around 5-7 mph faster than I am, maybe my slower swing just isn't allowing the sole to really cut through?

 

For me, the dispersion is just as much of an issue to be honest. So much so that I am considering swapping out the grips to see if that helps me feel the heads more. I don't want to add weight, being a slower swinger.

 

 

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[Wedgie]

Nice job guys. These reviews are hard to do and all of you have done a great job being very descriptive which really helps the reader.

 

 

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[ole gray]

 

Stage Two - The Review 7/16/2018

 

Wilson/Staff C300 Irons (cast) – Official MGS Forum Review by russtopherb

 

 

Conclusion

 

The Wilson/Staff C300s irons bring some exciting and proven technology in a well priced, sharp looking package. If you're looking for consistent height and ballflight, along with solid looks and sound, the C300 cast irons should absolutely be on your “must try” list. Based on my own experiences with this line of clubs, I feel they are best suited for improving players with handicaps in the mid teens to single digits. If the state of your game requires you to have a set of irons that are “point and shoot”, you may want to try these before you buy them. 

 

If you prefer your irons to look as brand new for as long as possible, you might want to consider iron covers and whether or not you want to spend the time wiping down the clubs with a wet towel after every single shot. The chrome finish and paintfill look beautiful in the bag and in hand, but they will both wear quickly. 

 

The C300s are a great all-around package for a large segment of golfers who like clean looks along with a great feel & sound to go with consistent distance. If you're in the market for Game Improvement irons, don't discount the shield when you're out looking for your next iron purchase - demo the C300s, and you'll be glad that you did!

 

Final Score: (69/100)

 

 

 

I love a good down home honest review.   Well done Russ!

[Reesedw]

Great job.. you all seem to be enjoying the testing as well as the clubs.. thanks

[russtopherb]

Great stage 2! Very well stated and clearly a lot of thought went into it. I apprectiate the time and effort to write a though review.

 

 

Good review. Great detail and obviously very well thought out. It really is disappointing how quickly they showed wear though.

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

 

Nice job guys. These reviews are hard to do and all of you have done a great job being very descriptive which really helps the reader.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

 

 

I love a good down home honest review.   Well done Russ!

 

Many thanks everyone. I wanted to do these irons and MGS justice with my final review. As I noted, these irons may not be the right fit for me, but that doesn't mean they're not a great fit for YOU. That's why I reviewed and scored them the way that I did. 

[Nunfa0]

Awesome stage two's guys, so it's 50/50 on the play or trade so far. I also take from this that Wilson make a great iron but need to look at the finish for a longer lasting good impression.

[cnosil]

I wonder if it's a swing speed issue with the soles. I want to say you're around 5-7 mph faster than I am, maybe my slower swing just isn't allowing the sole to really cut through?

 

For me, the dispersion is just as much of an issue to be honest. So much so that I am considering swapping out the grips to see if that helps me feel the heads more. I don't want to add weight, being a slower swinger.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Doubt it is swing speed, I would guess angle if attack or shaft lean at impact with the ground.

 

Improving Dispersion was my number 1 Objective with these clubs and I feel like I did that. I am glad I had the club champion fitting earlier and was able to get shaft that was best for me. The heavier tour shafts really seem to work for me.

[kingcscott]

Well done. Great read.

 

 

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[Shankster]

Every time I see this I keep thinking it is the JPX reviews. Let's try to fix that.

 

[cnosil]

Every time I see this I keep thinking it is the JPX reviews. Let's try to fix that.

 

IMG_3476.JPG

Fix what? It is clearly a picture of the C300 forged irons.

[cnosil]

Fix what? It is clearly a picture of the C300 forged irons.

Sorry, see what you are doing after reading the cobra thread . I don't look at the thread picture so I don't know what is currently displayed.

[StrokerAce]

great stage 2's so far...  interesting how there is such a disparity in the cast vs forged versions.

 

really liked how well you both compared them to your gamers...well done gentleman!

 

I hit both at a demo day and after doing so the cast weren't a consideration but I would look hard at the forged.

[StrokerAce]

Every time I see this I keep thinking it is the JPX reviews. Let's try to fix that.

 

IMG_3476.JPG

 

...are you using the mobile app?  which one is causing this behavior?

[Shankster]

...are you using the mobile app? which one is causing this behavior?

Yes the app.

[cnosil]

great stage 2's so far... interesting how there is such a disparity in the cast vs forged versions.

 

really liked how well you both compared them to your gamers...well done gentleman!

 

I hit both at a demo day and after doing so the cast weren't a consideration but I would look hard at the forged.

Thanks.

 

I hit both at a demo day as well and each had their strong points. The non forged were just plain long. I found that each had a different sound. I ultimately chose he forged because I thought it would best fit my goals. For me I think the shaft provided me with what I needed which was heavier weight to help manage tempo. It would be interesting to reshaft my current irons with the KBS tours.

[tony@CIC]

My stage 2 is posted!  

[ole gray]

Stage Two - The Review – July 2018

 

Bottom line if you want forgiving irons with great feel, classic looks, and high ball flight these may be the irons for you. 

 

Final Score: 91 out of 100 - Definitely an A-rating for me. 

 

Great job cnosil!     Lot's of work put into this review and these irons are definitely a sharp looking set. 

[ole gray]

Stage 2 Wilson C300 Irons.

 

In spite of the cosmetics, I will continue playing with them since they are a bit longer and have a higher trajectory than my G20's AND I really do like playing with them!. Additionally, my scores are better by about 5 strokes since I started playing with them. While I can't definitively attribute the better scores sole to the C300s, they haven't hindered my game either. At some point I'll replace the grips with my preferred GP MCC and as mentioned previously will try to buff out the scuff marks on the sole.

 

With a Total Score of 84 out of 100 next time you're in the market for new clubs at your local fitter, you should consider the C300 and not totally discount them in favor of the other brands.

 

 

Attaboy Tony and Thanks for putting in the hard work and bringing us a quality review!

[cnosil]

 

A couple of missing features I consider ‘nice to have': I did order the clubs with Golf Pride grips. In the photo you can see the comparison between grips. On the bottom is the Golf Pride MCC on my G20, in the middle is the Wilson branded Golf Pride grip and on top is the Golf Pride grip that came with my Ping G400 #3 Crossover. Hmmm what's missing? How about an alignment aid to help us higher handicappers.  The other ‘nice to have'; the Pings not only have a tool mark on top of the club but also on the face. FYI, as part of my pre-shot routine, I check the alignment and double check to make sure I pulled the right club out of the bag, so I consider both to be important and yes, I have hit the wrong club.

IMG_5307.JPG

 

 

 

Nice review.  You lost me on this paragraph.  What kind of alignment aid are you looking for?  I use the little tick marks on the top and bottom of the grip for alignment.   And what is a tool mark?