Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Whitebox Testing

[Bob Jerabek]

Well it was a little chilly this morning at 38*.  Ball testing went indoors to my putting studio. Yes I am a solid golf nut. I have a few putting training aids that I use.

 

In case you were wondering there are 4 Scotty Cameron’s, 5 Oddesseys, 7 Pings, 1 Achushnet, 2 See Mores, and 2 US Kids (for the grandkids) putters. There are more ,but, they are really old.

The balls sounded a little clicky.  They roll good and the alignment lines are a nice addition.

 

As the day warmed up I was out to the range and working on the short game.

Don’t think I have ever brought brand new balls into a bunker for practice.  The sacrifices we make.

The results were pretty good.

Once again while chipping the clicky sound was even louder than with the putter.  I had a friend chip a couple and he thought they were loud also.

Tomorrow is a game day. Weather is suppose to be be in mid 60’s.  I plan on playing the same ball as I did the other day to see how durable they are.

[Thegolferdude]

Hi everyone, I had a chance to hit the tour and tour x for about 30 minutes last night.  First thoughts are the tour sounds more muted when hit and the tour x is noticeably louder clicker sounding. I like the sound of the tour better, that being said it seemed like the tour x popped off the face of the club better.  I did not use the launch monitor during this session or any other ball, just want to get a fell for these 2 models. Look for more updates from Juan aka thegolferdude.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

On 2/13/2024 at 5:19 PM, "Mr. 72" said:

Putting and Feel

Alignment Aid:  I hit some putts on my Perfect Practice putting mat. As I said, I do use the alignment aid on a golf ball.

My favorite alignment aid is on the TM Tour Response. I don’t play that ball often, BUT I play in 5-10 scrambles throughout the year, and that's the ball I use most often on the green. It's the easiest to line up, and gives the best feedback when rolled perfectly. The Triple Track is easy to line up as well, but I'll need some on course experience to see where it stands on feedback.

Side note: I mentioned in the last post that stamping more than one line needs to be perfectly done. Unfortunately, in a new dozen of Chrome XLS, the 360 TT isn't centered on the three #1 balls. It's hard to notice in the picture, but I could tell just by looking. You can see how the bottom of the Chevron is closer to the line on the bad ball. I won't use the TT on the bad balls.

Feel: For me, this was a real struggle. I did a blind test which is easy to do because the numbers are red on both models. There were times I thought the CT was softer and other times I thought the CTx was softer. After hitting a TON of putts from 7', I moved up to 2' and hit a bunch of putts up the hill just enough to roll back to me. I still couldn't tell, so I tested a ProV1 and ProV1x at 2'. I could tell the difference right away in those two balls in sound and feel. I went back to the Callaways at 2' and finally felt a bit of difference in sound and feel with the CTx being the firmer ball. They seem SO close in feel to me that my answer might be different if I did the test tomorrow. ...At one point, I started to think that Callaway only gave me one model for a sort of a trick test within the test!

This process was also disappointing because I was set up to record the putting but the test took such a ridiculously long time that I bailed on the video. You also missed a chance to see our dog, Chance, sunning at the front door, so....

Yes, that's a Kirkland driver in the background.

My Take: Both of the models felt pretty soft to me, certainly softer than their ProV counterparts. They both felt good off the putter face. Also, they did not have a clicky feel to them.

If you're someone who has shied away from ProV only because it's too firm, one of these Callaway models could be a really good fit. ...For feel, at least.

Next Up: I was hoping to catch a flier day with some warmer weather, but that's not looking good. Time for a sim session!

Nice write up so far! Btw your dog looks exactly like our old guy Henry that passed a few years back. I had to do a double take

 

On 2/13/2024 at 1:56 PM, TylerC31 said:

Testing Session 1: Putting

I had my first testing session yesterday, where I focused on putting. 

Alignment:

In terms of alignment, I ended up performing approximately the same with each ball. While I visually liked the new triple track better, each performed about the same for me at the end of the day. 

Feel: 

For me, the chrome tour was noticeably softer feeling than the chrome tour x and chrome soft x. It felt much softer off the putter face and had a pleasing feeling no matter the quality of the putter strike. Because I know the ProV1 is the target competitor, I dropped one down and rolled a few against the chrome tour. I think the chrome tour profiles favorably against the ProV1 and feels premium on the putter face. I felt as if the chrome tour x and chrome soft x felt approximately the same. If I were to identify a difference in the putter feel, it would be that the chrome soft x felt a touch clicky compared to the chrome tour x, though I would say that's just nitpicking differences because it certainly wasn't a massive difference. 

Roll: 

All of the balls rolled true. This is not shocking to me, as they have similar covers and the same putter was used for each. None felt as if they were more prone to skidding or skipping and all rolled exactly how they were struck, which was an encouraging result. 

 

Bonus: Driver numbers

I had a little bit of extra time, so I decided to hit some drives with each ball before leaving. The chrome tour and chrome tour x were compared against my gamer, the chrome soft x. I plan to use a spreadsheet to keep running results totals from each session to post at the end of each data session to help remove any random variance in results on a given day. As I start to test other clubs, I will post the running totals at the bottom of my testing sessions. I currently plan to use driver, 5 wood, 6 iron, 9 iron, and 50* wedge for full swing data. If anyone has anything else they'd like to see, drop a comment! Initial results are shown below:

While the chrome soft x had a larger total distance than the chrome tour x, the ball speeds and spin were the same. The chrome soft x launched a degree higher today and thus got a little extra carry. We will see if this is a long-term finding or if it is a one-off anomaly as we keep the data spreadsheet up to date. Both x models were approximately 3 mph faster than the chrome tour, which was an expected finding for me. Interestingly, the chrome tour launched a little bit higher than the chrome tour x, and the overall distance was similar despite equal spin and lower ball speed. All shots were similar strike profiles: 121 mph club head speed, 6 I>O, 2.5 face to path. I have the ball flights under the numbers to help show the similarities and differences in ball patterns, but I tried to only keep data from similar strikes to reduce any noise from my end. I hope to get a full set of data for each swing tomorrow, so stay posted! 

Great write up here keep up the good work

[Bohnson]

Some trackman results. Chrome Tour is close the ProV1. Love the feel of both of those balls. Chrome Tour X was a little shorter on the mid irons and spun more. 

 

[ZackS]

57 minutes ago, 2puttbogey said:

Got on course with them today. I was very happy with the performance of both balls. They both have a soft feeling cover, but do have performance differences. As expected the X is has more of a click to  it off the irons , and a firmer feel off the driver. Around the green they both had a nice feel to them. Off the putter same thing, if I didn’t look I would not know which one I was using. The main differences I saw between them was the trajectory. The X was a noticeably different peak height. I was seeing similar distances from both balls. On paper the X would be a better fit for me, but I was enjoying the regular tour version a bit more, unfortunately I lost 2 of them. They held up well. I did get a scuff on the tour late in the  round from a wedge shot, but unfortunately I lost that ball to show a picture. Overall very pleased with my first experience with them.

 

 

X- Tour X

T- Tour

K- Kirkland 

First  picture was tee shot with driver and got slightly more distance with the Tour model.

Second picture tee shot with hybrid and again the standard tour was longer, with the Kirkland between them distance wise( only picture with Kirkland)

 

Last picture here the X just edged out the standard tour this time. 
 

As you can see for me distance wise is negligible between them. Trajectory was the biggest difference. Hopefully I can get some shot tracer shots of them next week.

Was the X higher or lower trajectory?

["Mr. 72"]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_SHARK said:

Nice write up so far! Btw your dog looks exactly like our old guy Henry that passed a few years back. I had to do a double take

Thank you for the compliment.

He's a 5 yr old rescue that we thought was going to be a 120 lb Anatolian Shepard. He's only 60 lbs.  ...Thankfully!

[2puttbogey]

45 minutes ago, ZackS said:

Was the X higher or lower trajectory?

For me the X was noticeably higher. 

[Hamhandsbill]

On 2/2/2024 at 2:16 PM, Madden B said:

I’m back as a golf ball tester, baby! Kind of feels like I am being type-cast (see my review on the Sugar Golf Ball here - https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/59957-sugar-golf-balls-2023-forum-review/?do=findComment&comment=944294) but I am so grateful for the opportunity to get some more golf balls to put through the ringer. So thank you MGS and Callaway, can’t wait to hit this ball!

A brief intro and what you need to know about me - 14 years old, just passed my mom and older sister in height at 5’7.25” and am super proud of that! I love golf and got my first set of clubs at age 7, a set of InTechs that I brutalized by playing with them so much that all the heads fell off the shafts. I live in Utah and just got my first job at my local golf course as of yesterday, mainly because they know me so well because I have played there almost daily since I was 10.

I am currently playing at a 1 HDCP, been as low as a +1.0 but have been growing and it has messed up my swing a little! I played on my varsity team as a freshman last fall, made state and finished in the top 40 (I was T9 overall after 6 holes on R2 but kind of imploded and still kick myself for it!), not bad for a barely 14 year old kid and the youngest kid at state by over a year. I plan on being in the top 10 this year and making the All-state team, at least that is my goal. I play every day, can’t remember the last day I didn’t swing a golf club. Working on getting my swing speed up, current stock swing on my driver is 101 mph, hoping to have it in the 106-108 range by the time school golf starts this fall.

If you want to see my swing and some of what I work on, I have a little YouTube channel that I post videos to. My dad and I are doing a daily par 3 closest to the pin contest because we got a SkyTrak+ for Christmas, pretty fun stuff. But I am planning on putting more content on there, like some of my “range” sessions to show off my stock yardages. Here is a recent vid, if you are interested!

 

Callaway Golf Ball Test – So here is the plan for testing this ball, I am going to hit it….a lot! I think that a lot of time will be spent on the Launch Monitor to begin with because Utah winter’s are unpredictable. Any chance that I can get outside and play I will, but a lot of time will be spent hitting this ball against my current ball, which is a Chromesoft X. We use the logo versions in the sim because it picks up the spin better, but I have bounced between the Chromesoft and ProV1 balls for a long time. I think it usually comes down to what ball my dad can get a better deal on, but those are the balls I play the most and the 2 that I will be testing against.

I plan on going hitting lots of shots with each club in the bag to get a sense of how I like the feel of the ball. I’ll track all the metrics that I care about, including ball speed, spin rates, launch angle, carry distance, overall distance, and anything else that people are interested. I should have lots of videos over the next few weeks so that you can see the actual numbers. I want this to be a very transparent test and will provide my honest opinion and feedback.

I will putt on my mat in my house unless the weather lets me get to the course. This will be more of a feel test, as well as some alignment testing based on what this ball has for alignment aids.

And weather permitting, I will putt outside at the course and spend a bit of time chipping and playing shots from about 50-60 yards and in. I spin the ball a bit around the greens and want to see how it performs around the green, which is one of my strength areas. And I will also check some bunker shots. I really want to see how well this ball holds up from a durability standpoint as well.

And lastly, I will play some rounds of golf with these balls. I will play 2-3 balls against each other and see which ball wins the round.

I have lots of things that I will/want to test so I can be as thorough as possible in my revies. I really do like Callaway golf balls and feel like they are either 1A or 1B in the golf ball rankings, at least for me. I am hoping to love this ball more than the current one and would be thrilled to put it in play moving forward, but it will all depend on the data and testing results. But I am expecting that this will be another great ball in the Callaway lineup and I can’t wait for it to be delivered! Come on UPS, let’s go!!!

Really love your sugar ball review and the way it’s chronological. I am finding using the forum a bit confusing and how to keep multiple posts or replies as we progress and add how it all stays connected as your review looks. Any advice is welcome

[TSauer]

Slowly getting caught up on these reviews... great stuff so far from everyone!

[ZackS]

2 hours ago, ZackS said:

Was the X higher or lower trajectory?

Makes since but interesting since the LS flew slightly higher than the X. 

[Madden B]

I was supposed to get some video edited with my dad but the course was open today after school and my friend's mom could drive us, so I went and played 6 holes before it got too dark and cold. I wanted to play with the X but grabbed the sleeve of Tours as I ran out the door. And oh boy, I'm glad I did... I ended up 2 under through 6 holes. And I had an eagle putt on the par 5 3rd hole that had a nasty 360 degree lip out! 

I love the Tour on course. It was very long, I had one ball that carried 280. I know because balls were plugging because of course conditions and the hole was 420 and I had exactly 140 left. The feel is great and I felt like I could put it right where I wanted it every time. Seriously, this ball is hot and I really, really liked playing it. I have some videos and data coming, I promise!

.

[Rob Person]

Love reading and the visuals for the  feedback so far!

[climberboy2000]

3 hours ago, Hamhandsbill said:

Really love your sugar ball review and the way it’s chronological. I am finding using the forum a bit confusing and how to keep multiple posts or replies as we progress and add how it all stays connected as your review looks. Any advice is welcome

I'd agree he did a great job on the Sugar ball write-up.  Just read it and would agree with it.  Been alternating between the ProV1x and Sugar Pure all season and love the Sugar balls, especially at half the price.  I'm actually using a Sugar Pure and ProV1x for my testing of the Callway Tour and Tourx.  Figured I would compare the balls I've been playing.

Edited February 15 by climberboy2000
Wanted to add to it.

[2puttbogey]

Has anyone run a check go to see if the triple track is on the balance point? Either that or salt water test for balance? 

[Thegolferdude]

On 2/14/2024 at 5:42 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Appreciate the thoughts so far from all the testers! 

How do you find the durability so far?

So far I’ve hit both balls the same amount of times, probably 50ish hits each. The tour x is starting to show some scuff marks where as the tour ball still look new. As of now the tour ball has the lead of my favorite ball of the 2.  I like the sound when hit and the durability is better. 

["Mr. 72"]

Callaway White Box Review
Ball Tested: Chrome Tour

HDCP - 8, Swing Speed - 95ish?, Strengths - Iron Play and Putting

On Course Test: I stated in my last post that this next test would be on a sim, but I talked a friend into playing today. The starting temperature was 43° with a 10 mph for a "feels like" 37°.  Getting out this time of year in Chicagoland is a bonus. Most courses aren't even open, but I have a course that's four minutes from my garage to the parking lot that is open all year. Put your $20 in metal locked box on the first tee - first come, first served. It's nothing special - a short, sporty course, decent condition, but the greens are always excellent.

This time of year, I never play an expensive ball. The fairways and rough are usually so soft that losing a ball on a plugged drive is common. It's also easy to lose a ball due to the flat sun. Because of this, I might use a found premium or mid-level ball, or one of mine that already has a couple of rounds in it. It might even half a scuff mark. My go to ball has been a Maxfli Tour that I bought for $25 @ dozen. Thanks for the discount code, MYGOLFSPY!

Today, I tested the Callaway Tour. I used the one that has the "paint pimple" blemish. I didn't care if I lost it, so, of course, I didn't.

It was my first time out this year, and it showed. I couldn't find the face of the club and hit almost everything off the toe. One shot was so far off the toe that a red Sharpie mark on the club face wasn't even on the grooves! Not exactly the type of swing you want to have when you're testing a golf ball. HOWEVER....

Distance: I want to preface this by stating that my best drives can reach 265 in normal conditions, and up to 280 on hot days with a firm fairway. TODAY , I only hit two really solid drives. One was 235 yards into a 1 club wind. The other was 225 yards into a 1.5-2 club wind. Not long at all, but I know in these conditions (temp, wind, soft ground) that a Maxfli Tour would have been in the 215 to 220 range for me.

Besides half shots or punch shots, I only flushed two iron shots, and those went the distance that I expected with a mid, penetrating flight - minimal roll out on the one that hit the green with a 7 iron.

Putting: I really like the feel of this ball on the greens. It's definitely softer that ProVs. I also like the triple track. It's makes it very easy to line up putts. I only had to realign a couple of putts, which is a bit less than I'd normally do with a single line guide. I still like the TM 360 better than the TT, but for putting only.

Chipping: Hello, chip yips! I had a lot of opportunities here with only six GIRs. The ball performed well with the solidly struck chips. Again, a soft feel of the face and the balls rolled out nicely. It's not really my game, but I'll try to hit some checkers next time.

Durability: 12 over par. One tree hit. My red Sharpie mark has faded quite a bit, but there is not a mark on the ball. It has lost some of that glossy shine, so it looks a bit duller. You probably wouldn't notice this without comparing it to a brand new ball. Besides that, it looks like I just pulled it from the sleeve. 

Pic and Video: This was the result of a 75 yard punched sand wedge from the fairway. The ball jumped about 2-3' forward and the spun back about three feet from its pitch mark.

Want to watch me butcher a 260 yard Par 4?! (Keep in mind this was the first time that I've recorded myself doing anything, AN Y THING, and I've since learned how to use the pause button. You might have to crank the volume.) "Plugged" IS a tough word to remember.

 

Almost shank the second shot...

Bring on the chip yips. Chunk, blade...  Did I make the 15 footer to save bogey?

O.B on a par 3? Thank you, Frozen Turf!

I hit a good shot from the trash, but missed the 6' par putt.

And finally!

This hole typically plays 30-40 yards longer and the green slopes severely back to front. My buddy didn't know he was in "Director's View " mode - a fun feature to use if you know how to use it.

 

Yes, I did make the putt on the par 4. Sorry for turning three videos into six. It was kind of fun to do these. Might be more in the future.

Next Up: Most likely simulator, but I said that last time.

Edited February 15 by "Mr. 72"
Typo

[Mike10487]

Chipping day for the chrome Tour and Tour X. 

First thoughts- I had no real expectations. I thought the balls looked great, although I am not a huge fan of the Triple Track. Unless you are playing lift clean and cheat, the lines annoy me. For todays test, I aligned every shot.

Tour- Definitely the softer of the 2 balls.  It was firm enough though to not be a turn-off (ie Supersoft), but softer than I prefer. This ball performed very well on the low driving (one hop and stop) chip shot. Actually, surprisingly well. I left nearly every shot short due to the spin.  I had 2 shots that actually came back a couple inches (this never happens).  Using the alignment aid was crazy good. I didn't have a chip more than 3' offline throughout the 20 sets. Like I said, "Lift clean and cheat" lining this up this is a great tool! 

Tour-X-   Firmer ball which was to be expected. I really liked the feel of this ball.  Now for the crazy part. This was a little eye opening for me, side by side on the 10-20 yd chips, the Tour outperformed the X.  The 3-4' of roll out that I expected from the Tour was happening on the Tour X. I wasn't disappointed with the way this ball performed at all. It was very similar to what I am accustomed to with my gamer (Maxfli). A little shocked by this, I moved back to the 35-40 yd range. Eureka!! It seemed like the X needed a little faster swing speed to generate the lock down spin. I only hit a few shots from this range due to time constraints. The Tour had about the same amount of spin and the X definitely picked up in spin rate from that distance. 

I went to the practice green and rolled a few lag putts. The X felt "poppie" and seemed to travel further on 40-50' putts. the Tour was a more muted feel and didn't seem as "hot" off the face. 

 

To be continued...... Friday is the first on the course test.

[golfinnut]

On 2/14/2024 at 5:42 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Appreciate the thoughts so far from all the testers! 

How do you find the durability so far?

Actually the cover on both balls are better than I expected.  I had the CT bounce off the cart path & it must have hit it just right because it took a small bit out of the cover.  It didn't affect the performance of the ball the rest of the round though.  (let me dig in the bag & see if I can find it)  I was lucky enough to play nine holes with the X & the other nine with the CT.  Both balls held up well, even with hitting a lot of wedges.  Surprisingly enough that I could use them again for the next round, which I rarely do.  I usually take out a fresh new ball out of the sleeve.   

[golfinnut]

11 hours ago, Madden B said:

I was supposed to get some video edited with my dad but the course was open today after school and my friend's mom could drive us, so I went and played 6 holes before it got too dark and cold. I wanted to play with the X but grabbed the sleeve of Tours as I ran out the door. And oh boy, I'm glad I did... I ended up 2 under through 6 holes. And I had an eagle putt on the par 5 3rd hole that had a nasty 360 degree lip out! 

I love the Tour on course. It was very long, I had one ball that carried 280. I know because balls were plugging because of course conditions and the hole was 420 and I had exactly 140 left. The feel is great and I felt like I could put it right where I wanted it every time. Seriously, this ball is hot and I really, really liked playing it. I have some videos and data coming, I promise!

.

 

-2 under thru 6?  I need you on my team!  

Ahh ... to be young again 

[TG8]

My internet has been down all week. Hoping to get it fixed today and ill start doing some sim testing. 
The hype on these new balls has me very intrigued   
 

johnny wunder mentioned online last night that the chrome tour series is a lot better than the chrome soft ls.  

[Madden B]

1 hour ago, golfinnut said:

-2 under thru 6?  I need you on my team!  

Ahh ... to be young again 

Come on out to Utah and we can team up!!! As long as the weather is nice, I am at the course playing. And I have lots to learn so I love to play with those that have been around the game longer than I have. Let's Go!!! 

And bring the Chrome Tour balls, you won't regret it!

[golfinnut]

6 minutes ago, Madden B said:

Come on out to Utah and we can team up!!! As long as the weather is nice, I am at the course playing. And I have lots to learn so I love to play with those that have been around the game longer than I have. Let's Go!!! 

And bring the Chrome Tour balls, you won't regret it!

Oh I know  I like them so far.  Definitely better than previous iterations 

[Madden B]

14 hours ago, Hamhandsbill said:

Really love your sugar ball review and the way it’s chronological. I am finding using the forum a bit confusing and how to keep multiple posts or replies as we progress and add how it all stays connected as your review looks. Any advice is welcome

I think that the way my dad and I did that was to take things in stages. We mapped out all the ways we were going to test first and then I had a schedule when it needed to be done. We would test something and record as much as we could and then take our time to put everything together for that test/section. And when that was done, we would just add it to the original post and then add a comment in the overall thread. Not sure if that is how we were supposed to do it but it worked for us to keep things organized. And that is what we are doing this time too, I have a list of things that I want to test and we will update along the way as we can get those sections ready and written up correctly. 

Not sure it that helps but hopefully that you answers your question? Good luck, can't wait to see what you come up with. 

[golfinnut]

I'll be taking these out for another spin on Sunday.  It's going to be chilly, so I'm not expecting the best performance.  But I'll still report back.  That's the only thing I hate about testing balls during winters or the "off season" where the weather can be unpredictable.  By the time the weather warms up & cooperates, I'll be out of balls 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Got out for a bit with these today and gotta say they flat out perform. It was wet so good change and to see some characteristics but was just impressed again.

Bravo Callaway..getting a round in soon for full testing!

[Desous17]

Sim Testing Portion!

My goal is to look at the numbers between Prov1, Chrome Tour, and Chrome Tour X, to see if there are any standouts in ball speed, flight, spin, and dispersion. Will also include subjective thoughts regarding sound and feel. 

Sim used - Full Swing Simulator 

Clubs Used: 

Wedge: Nike SV Tour 60*

Iron: Mizuno JPX 921 HM 7 iron

Driver: Taylormade R580 9.5*

Let the games begin!

^Wedge Shots: All the balls felt pretty nice after 5 shots with each. Like others have mentioned the CTX does have a distinct "click" or a higher-pitched sound to my ears that distinguishes it from the others. All spin numbers are within what I would expect. I don't know what was going on but for wedge shots, I was loving and dialed with the CT. From what I experienced on my brief on-course testing and the simulator validating it, the CT is is my ball when I have a wedge in my hand.

^Iron Shots: This is where things started to get a little interesting... After 5 shots with each, I was disappointed with the numbers I was seeing with the Prov1.  I was really happy with both the CT & CTX as these are the numbers I normally expect with my 7 iron. The next thing I wanted to see was were there any real difference in the numbers for me if I did more shots... So my next step was to hit more of just the CT and CTX.

Starting fresh with another 5 shots of each dispersion map and average numbers from the shots:

And another 5 shots of each, target green was set at 175yds:

So after 10 shots with each of the CT and CTX and looking at the numbers and the dispersion I would be happy with either. I know I leaked a few out the right with the CT and hit a few thin and short with the CTX... but take those 2 shots out for both and we're really cooking. The takeaway I came away with though is that I haven't been able to put my finger on what it is, but I loved hitting the CTX and couldn't get that thing to move once it's on its line. For me, this is a great thing to see as this winter I have been doing a swing change and my new miss is overdrawing the ball to the left, particularly with my irons.  

^Driver Hits: To be fair, I probably was fatiguing a bit at this point since I hadn't taken a break to catch my breath from all the wedges, iron shots, and hybrid sessions that I didn't include because my swing and the numbers were hot garbage, to be frank... Another thing to note with the CT session is that the simulator didn't register my club head speed and ball speed for one of the shots and gave me a "0" so that's why the numbers look really out of whack in the averages for the 5 shots. 

Again, I do not know what was going on that day but I was loving that CTX!!! Believe it or not, that green blob on the dispersion map is my 5 drives. I never, in my golfing life have been that consistent and tight with my driver that I can put a dining mat over those 5 shots... I was incredibly happy with those numbers and dispersion! 

Thoughts from Sim Session: Overall, this test was eye-opening to me, even has me thinking that I may have been playing the wrong ball for my game this whole time... I'm just now starting to understand why MGS recommends looking into getting a proper golf ball fitting... This test got me really excited to try a CTX on my next round of golf. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and I can get some real-world impressions after playing both the CT and CTX out on a real course! The other thing I want to test is possibly bringing a Prov1X to test against the CTX and compare those head-to-head. When I have tried playing with the Prov1X in the past I had always thought that it sounded too hard and didn't give me the feel or response that I was hoping for. Trying out both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X has opened my eyes to what I may have been missing out on! So stay tuned for that as well!

 

[climberboy2000]

First of all...big thanks to MGS for all that you do to help educate us on the equipment we are using.  And providing a great forum for thought, discussion and even a little fun (Love the Run Your Pool competition each week...makes watching a lot more fun).

Intro:  I've been golfing for about a half century (wow that sounds like a long time)!  Grew up in California playing golf, but now live in northern Utah so have had to suffer for months of no golf...until this year.  We had an indoor place open up that is open 24/7, so I've now been able to swing 2-3 days/week during the winter.  I play weekly in one of the largest Men's associations (about 600 members) in Utah at one of the best public courses in Utah...Birch Creek!  If you ever venture up to Cache Valley come play at Birch and you won't regret it.

I also put on one of the largest charity tournaments up here (this year is our 20th year) for http://thefamilyplaceutah.org and so I buy a lot of balls, equipment, clothing for the tournament.  Depending on sponsorship level, every player gets to "shop" before the tournament with $100-$200.  Not a bad deal...free golf stuff, 18 holes, and lots of food!

So I'm always looking for something new I can get for the tournament, which is why I'm excited to test these new Callaway Tour balls.

Long story short...I play a couple times a week, handicap fluctuates between 8-10, currently a 7 in Men's.  I play a lot of charity scrambles in the area and just enjoy getting outside.  When I'm not golfing, I'm climbing, running, hiking, etc...

First Impressions: Looks like Callaway is finally trying to have a ball to compete with the ProV1 series.  And from the look and feel of the ball I think they have done a good job.  I decided that I would compare them to the usual balls I play.  This year I have been alternating between ProV1/ProV1x and Sugar Pure.  On Monday went to Links (indoor) and hit both my 9 iron and driver for a bit before work. 

Below are the results:

The Tour felt good off both clubs, and as you can see above performed, very similar to the other two.  I actually picked up a few yards on the driver compared to the Sugar Pure (which I had my longest drive of the season (290 yd) during a tournament this fall).  Tomorrow, I plan on going back to Links to hit a lot more.  And this afternoon I'm going over to the smaller indoor place that actually has a fairly big putting green.  So more to come.

And looks like it might get to 50 degrees an hour south of me by next week, so hoping to take a day off work and go play outside.

 

[Hamhandsbill]

2 hours ago, Madden B said:

I think that the way my dad and I did that was to take things in stages. We mapped out all the ways we were going to test first and then I had a schedule when it needed to be done. We would test something and record as much as we could and then take our time to put everything together for that test/section. And when that was done, we would just add it to the original post and then add a comment in the overall thread. Not sure if that is how we were supposed to do it but it worked for us to keep things organized. And that is what we are doing this time too, I have a list of things that I want to test and we will update along the way as we can get those sections ready and written up correctly. 

Not sure it that helps but hopefully that you answers your question? Good luck, can't wait to see what you come up with. 

Thanks that helps although I don’t see how to add to my original post but I’ll figure it out lol

[Madden B]

14 minutes ago, Hamhandsbill said:

Thanks that helps although I don’t see how to add to my original post but I’ll figure it out lol

Just hit the 3 dots on the top of the post and hit the Edit option! 

[Wicki]

What a shining golf ball.  I enjoy being a dozen balls, because knowing that some will get lost some where on the course being wet as it is, this time of the year!  I was hoping this weekend to get out, but NOOOO, of course it has to snow here in Virginia! I love my snow, but when you are trying to get out and hit them it makes it tough!  

Fist impression I have of the ball, that it looks like any other Callaway Golf.  The Triple Lines to aid in lining the putt up causes me issues.  I'll line up the ball using the aiming aid, no problem.  It is when I actually line the putter, that's when I get all messed in the head and thinking that I am missed lined-up.  For those that can use it, they stay with it on these.

When I was holding the balls, they felt smaller than normal.  Never before when I have grabbed a golf ball that it felt smaller, unlike these.  It could be just me!  Any how I eager to get out on the course and try them out!  With as wet as it is, I thinking the spin action might be a bit much.  With the soft greens, I am thinking the Tours will perform better and give enough spin.  Wish I had the TourX over the summer where it was DRY!  

With past Chrome Soft golf balls, I tend to have a shorter drive, but no issue of lost distance with my irons.  I am going to be intrigue to see if this holds true with the Tours.  But is will be an open mind, just like when I start off the new golf season not trying to light the course on fire.