Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Whitebox Testing

[TG8]

Super pumped! My wife surprised me with a round at paynes valley this sunday so hopefully I can get the courage to game the test balls. 

["Mr. 72"]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Great updates so far! 

Anyone get much time in the wind and see how they perform there? 

Yes, My last two reviews included some info about windy conditions. The Chrome Tour performed exceptionally. The Chome Tour X didn't perform quite as well, but more than satisfactory. 

[Erin B]

The Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X mid test write up.

Hello MSG Troops and all fellow golfers. This is my ball test of the Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls. This is my first test ever for MGS and I feel fortunate that I was selected to test these versions of the Callaway golf balls. I’ve been a member of MGS for under a year so believe me, this is a big responsibility. But just because I am new doesn’t mean I haven’t been active. I have done some informal testing and review of several golf related products on MGS to include New Level irons and Newton graphite shafts. I have also run some polls on the forum, so I am learning my way around MGS.

A little about myself and my golfing experience. I picked up golf when I joined the U.S. Air Force. I immediately fell in love. I never had the opportunity to play golf in my youth, my dad said a golf course is just wasted pastureland. You see, I was raised on farms and ranches, so land was viewed differently and sports, well, that was football. I did convince him to let me run track, to prepare for football. Back to the point, I played my first round of golf at Kirtland AFB NM, and I was hooked! That was in 1994 and I haven’t looked back. I now play on the Veteran Golfers Association vgagolf.org, local tournaments, and recreationally in Cheyenne WY where I reside.

Most of my golfing experience has been playing the Titleist family golf balls, but a couple of years ago I started playing OnCore. I decided to give them a try because of Josh Allen. He is a hero here in Wyoming and a spokesperson for OnCore. So, I figured why not? I have played OnCore for almost 3 years but have slowly become dissatisfied with them. I just was not getting the results with them that I once did when I started playing them, but I’ve never had a let-down with Titleist, so I was leaning on going back to them, then I was selected to test these Callaway golf balls. We shall see where Callaway shakes out.

Let’s talk about my game. I have a steeper swing than most golfers, I learned to play irons only and played that way for a couple of years. I was taught to pinch the ball, hitting it first before the turf. Then I learned how to hit the woods and driver. My drive is around 260 now that I am older with a ball speed of about 150. I hit my 7 iron about 170 with an average ball speed of 115mph. The weakest part of my game is getting off the tee, and my strongest part is my short game. I also scramble very well. I am hitting a Ping 410 LST driver with a stiff Steadfast shaft, I carry the TaylorMade BRNR mini in stiff (A MUST HAVE CLUB), Titleist PT 17 steel shaft, New Level 902 PD irons in Project X IO Xstiff shafts, PXG wedges, and PXG Bat Attack putter.

There you have it, a little info about me. With that, let the carnage begin…

 

Drumroll please—they’ve arrived!

 

First impressions were that they remind me of every other Callaway Triple Track golf ball. I am neither here nor there with aiming aids. The ball felt like any other higher end golf ball. I decided to inspect them and found no blemishes, no warts, no scars on them which tells me Callaway golf balls go through a pretty good quality assurance review.

 

The next thing was to get measurements…

Then on to the scales…

These ladies did not complain at all about the measurement/weigh in and I was pleasantly surprised that I received no back and forth about it. The balls were all the same weight and measurement. I don’t have a durometer so I couldn’t measure the hardness.

If you recall I received both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X models. Every ball was equal in every way except for the labeling designating them as Chrome Tour or Chrome Tour X and were numbered either with a 1 or a 4. I was only given six balls of each flavor.

The balls retail on the Callaway website for $54.99 and from Callaway you can personalize them with three lines of text with 8 color choices. You can also get them in the Triple Track version or the clean version.

 

First impressions (9/10)

These balls look great. They had no imperfections so the only thing I can complain about is the Triple Track itself. Not much of a complaint, I can take or leave it. Not much more to say about that.

 

Aesthetics (9/10)

I like the Callaway logo and lettering. It is clean and represents Callaway and their attention to detail. Again, the QA on these balls is outstanding.

 

The Numbers

This is where the Chrome Tour and the Chrome Tour X separate themselves. Both balls felt firmer than the OnCore Vero X1/X2 and the Titleist Pro V1/1X/1X Left Dash balls. Both balls were hit in the sim and I saw some interesting numbers. The Chrome Tour ball felt heavy compared to the Chrome Tour X. What I mean by that is the Chrome Tour didn’t feel very lively. The Chrome Tour X felt like it jumped off the face and that feeling resonated with every club except the putter. Both balls felt the same when putting.

With a 7 iron I generated an average of 6200RPM with the Chrome Tour while I averaged 5800RPM with the Chrome Tour X. That affected the distance. The Chrome Tour X was longer by 15 yards with a 7 iron. Mind you, that was in a sim. I haven’t been able to play a course yet with these balls.

Callaway Chrome Tour (10 / 20)

Callaway Chrome Tour X (18 / 20)

NOTE*** I haven’t played these on a course yet. Therefore, these numbers are preliminary.

 

On The Course

I have not played these on the course yet, just in the sim.

 

Driver

Callaway Chrome Tour: This ball was less than what I get out of the Titleist and OnCore balls. I was not impressed. Again, it felt heavy off the clubface.

Callaway Chrome Tour X: This ball was nearly identical to the Titleist Pro V1X and OnCore Vero X1. It did feel a little firmer than the above mentioned but I didn’t mind too much. It felt like the ball jumped off the clubface.

 

Irons

Callaway Chrome Tour: The ball just felt like any other ball. I didn’t like the spin; I didn’t like the feel at impact.

Callaway Chrome Tour X: 

The ball fired off the clubface and it felt like it was going to go forever. I love the way this ball feels off the irons.

Both balls had good flight off the clubs. I really didn’t notice much difference in ball flight.

 

Wedges / Putting

 

Wedges:

Both balls felt very similar in the short game. I didn’t see much of a difference. 

 

Putting:

Both balls felt firmer than what I am used to in the OnCore and Titleist flagship balls. Both balls felt hotter off the face of the putter and if I game them I would have to adjust a bit. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, just different for my putting stroke.

 

On The Course (0 / 0)

I haven’t had a chance to get them on a course yet.

 

The Good, the bad, the in-between:

Callaway Chrome Tour (3 / 10)

Callaway Chrome Tour X (8 / 10)

 

Play it or Trade it?

Callaway Chrome Tour: This ball will not find it’s way into my bag. It does not work for me at all. I do know a golfer who it will work for, so He’ll get 6 balls.

Callaway Chrome Tour X: Now this ball is a different story. I really like this ball. I like the feel and the liveliness. It is staying in the bag and being played. Will I buy them over the OnCore? Yep, most definitely, but will I buy them over Titleist? Meh, that depends if the store has these Callaways or Titleist, and what the price is. If I am saving $10 dollars over the Titleist, then the answer is probably yes.

 

Play it or trade it?

Callaway Chrome Tour (5 / 20)

Callaway Chrome Tour X ( 17 / 20)

 

In conclusion

I am going to play these on the course Friday, so more to come. Callaway gave me two types of ball to test. One was outstanding and one was not. The Chrome Tour was not a good fit for me; however, I love the Chrome Tour X! I think Callaway hit a home run with the X. I would buy it over my current player, the OnCore  Vero X2 and it competes with the Pro V1 family. If you like Callaway golf balls, give it a go.

 

 

Final Score (TBD)

[gregh729]

Played my first round with these balls today!

Chilly start (37*) but rose to 47* by the time we finished. Not too bad. Our county runs 9 courses and said that studies show that playing on frost covered grass and greens does not damage them. The ground was frozen for half of the front 9. The picture of the course shows the remaining snow from last weekend.

TESTING METHODOLOGY:

I hit the Tour Chrome first and used it for scoring on the front 9. Then reversed it and hit the X first and scoring on the back. I hit both off the tee on every hole and dropped both balls at 75 yds on every par 4 and 5 for wedge shots.

RESULTS:

Front 9:
Chrome Tour scoring and first off the tee.
Fairways hit 4 of 7
Greens hit 5 of 9
Score 38

Back 9:
Chrome Tour X scoring and first off the tee
Fairways hit 6 of 7
Greens hit  4 of 9
Score 39

OVERALL:
10 of 14 fairways hit. 9 Greens.  77

I hit each ball off every tee, just flipped the order. I measured distance using my Bushnell range finder and a GPS unit. Not monitor accurate, but real world numbers

Tour Chrome
8 of 14 fairways hit. No horrible misses. Most misses within 10 yards of the fairway.
Distance average 248.4 yards

Tour Chrome X
10 of 14 fairways hit. Again, no horrible misses. All balls in play. 2 drives were considerable longer than others.
Distance average 251.6 yards

SUMMARY:

Both are exceptional balls. I could easily play either of these balls for the rest of the year and be happy. The Tour definitely felt softer than the X although the X was not a hard ball by any means. I loved the consistency of each ball. They did exactly what the product description from Callaway said. The X was firmer, spun a tad more, and flew a bit higher (not ballooning).

I loved the muted “Thwack” of the Tour off the driver. The ball felt great off the irons, even on mishits. Chips ran out the correct distance and putting control was excellent.

The X had more of a click at contact and felt firmer. I averaged 3 yards more off the tee with the X. Mishits with irons felt harsh and lost more distance. Chips checked up a little quicker. Maybe 10 feet less roll out. Puts felt firm, but not hard off the putter.

Both of these balls are exceptional. They both looked brand new after todays round. I kept them separate in my bag so I can use them again tomorrow to test their durability. The picture of the balls in the back of my vehicle is post round.

After this first day of testing, I prefer the comfort and consistency of the Chrome Tour, but it is close. I am playing again tomorrow morning and will give another summary.

[Randall Robbins]

Testing today was quite good - both models performed as I have noticed previously - the tour ball flies higher, while the tour x is much lower, and had a lot of run for me.  Both exhibit good feel and stopping ability, and the feel when putting is excellent.  My distances with these balls is on a level with the AVX or Pro Vs that I play, so I'm quite satisfied with that result.  Right now I would tend to lean towards the tour x, but after a couple of more rounds I will have a final determination. Played over 3 rounds with each model, with normal wear.  Time to fire up a pair of new balls to see if I get any jump in performance on Friday.  More after that.

["Mr. 72"]

MY TAKE SO FAR

HDCP - 8, Swing Speed - 90ish, Strengths - Iron Play and Putting

Minor Issues: I don't like where the model name is placed. I really don't like that both models have red numbers.

Feel: I struggled to tell the difference between the two balls on a putting mat, but eventually found the X to be a bit firmer, but not by much. Both models feel soft to me in the short game in comparison to ProV1 and ProV1x. Both models feel great with irons and woods. The CTX has a heavier feel with woods especially on mishits. 

Durability: After a couple of rounds with each ball, I found the CT to be more durable than the CTX. I estimated that I could get 3 from a CT 2 rounds from a CTX before I'd want to take them out of play.

Wind: Both models fared well in very windy conditions producing a penetrating ball flight, especially the CT.

Distance: This is tough for me to judge because of the colder temps and softer conditions in my area right now. Not surprisingly, the CT has been longer than the CTX for me, but I wouldn't be surprise me if that switches in the middle of the summer. I definitely hits some longer drives than I expected by a 5 yards or so.

Spin: I was able to control the spin around the green with several really good chip shots. A couple of wedge shots jumped forward and spun a couple of feet past the pitch mark, but typically the ball ended up within a foot of the mark. Mid and long irons did not roll out excessively. 

Triple Track: As someone who already uses an alignment aid while putting, I do like the TT. It's certainly easier to use and inspires more confidence than a single line. I still like the TM 360 a bit more though.

The Bottom Line: Forget the minor issues. The Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X are premium golf balls and are worthy of the premium price. I would put the CT in my bag right now for these weather conditions alone. I want to do more testing with the CTX in warmer/firmer conditions in which I'm confident it will perform very well for me.

We're halfway there. (My game's) livin' on a prayer.

[Bob Jerabek]

2 week summary:

The pros: Both balls are extremely durable and maintain the sharp white they started with. I tried barkies , top shots, and cart paths, all still looked good. The only test they couldn’t pass was my float test.  Unfortunately a Chrome Tour is now in a beautiful greenside pond.  

Both balls played extremely long off the tee. They may be a little longer than a prov1x.  

Both balls rolled very true and I found the lines really help on inside 15 feet.  Outside that I don’t use lines to line up the ball.  Old eyes you know.

Cons: Here again I thought that both balls sounded clicky on the greens. Didn’t notice that with full shots.

The Chrome Tour X didn’t spin well with approach shots.

The Chrome Tour had an adequate amount of bite on the greens.

Had a tough time with chipping with both balls and I have a pretty good short game. The lack of spin on bunker shots hurt there too.

Will be doing some head to head testing against other balls in the next couple of weeks.

Overall, I would say both balls are great balls and are near the top of the pack. They are a significant improvement over the Chrome Soft Family.

 

[JeremyD]

I played 9 holes with both balls this past weekend. I even included a ProV1x on some approaches, tee shots, and putting to compare how it looked and felt. Today's round did include some trees as well. More than one for each ball. 

First hole started well. Hit the green with one ball. Yes, downhill with a wedge, but I'm happy with the spin

This video shows 3 woods. All pretty much the same. You can see carry, swing, and ball are all comparable. Ball 1 is the Callaway Tour X. Ball 2 is the Callaway Tour. Ball 3 is the ProV1x.

Here's what I found. Spin and distance that I look form what I hit, compare very well  to what I'm looking for. As for durability, they exceeded the ProV1x and compare to my normal gamer, the Maxfli Tour X. 

Here is a durability video. As you can see, I hit a tree on the previous video with the 2nd ball, which is the course's 3rd hole. I hit trees on holes 5, 6, and 9.

As for putting, these balls both felt firm. I had some longer comebackers than I was use to. Honestly, I'm usually leaving balls very short, and these balls felt a little firm to me. Could this just be one off for the day? Maybe. I did take them to Pinehurst CC last weekend as well, and putted ok on the putting course. 

As for scoring, I really enjoyed playing them, and had one of my better scores in recent weeks. 

[Indy_Oz]

On 2/16/2024 at 10:55 PM, Indy_Oz said:

Sim Ball Comparison Test 2/16/24:

Managed to dip out of work this afternoon and get almost two hours of sim time in the book with the Chrome Tour and Tour X balls. This is my second session on the sim- last Sunday I had an hour of trying out both Tour and Tour X alongside a selection of other balls. Too many for anything meaningful other than initial impressions. My first ball test, so I've learnt I need to narrow down comparison testing to smaller group tests with the time I have available.

Sim: Flightscope rear-positioned radar launch monitor.

Balls Selected: For today's session, I focused on the "low spin"/ "distance" models:

- 2x Chrome Tour

- 2xBridgestone Tour BX

- 2x Taylormade TP5X (one from last year, one of the new '24 ball)

- 2x Titleist ProV1s (not sure of vintage, but likely from a year or two ago).

In my warm up I developed a little shankitis with the short clubs,lol, so quickly moved on to long irons, fairway woods and driver to get some swings in to gauge feel and sound.

It'll take a few days for the data to be available online, but for now...

Test plan:

Each club- 5 shots per ball, in the following order (top to bottom, L then R columns in pic above):

Tour BX - '23 TP5X - Chrome Tour - ProV1

T BX - '24 TP5X - CT - ProV1

When the data is in, I'll pick best/ most comparable three shots from each set of 5 and use that for the average. I'll edit this post with the findings.

Clubs used and CHS for those with similar:

- Driver (Callaway Rogue ST Max LS, 9* head set to 8*, Ventus Blue TR 6X Velocore shaft)

  - For the first set of four balls I tried to hit my 'cruising' (regular on-course) swing speed, which is around 105mph CHS (give or take). Second set of four I swung a little harder, but still not quite all out. I hit a couple >110mph, but not regularly enough for good comparison this time.

- 7-iron (Taylormade P790, w KBS Tour C-Taper Lite XS shaft)

  - Full 7-iron (30.5* loft for a P790). Approx 90-92mph CHS, I believe.

- 60* lob wedge (TM MG2 TW grind, w S300 shaft)

  - Not quite a full shot. Aiming for a good solid swing to gauge how the CT behaved and felt.

Initial feel/ sound:

I never really liked the Chrome Soft, or Chrome Soft X LS as (to me) they felt almost heavy on contact with how soft they are. I much prefer the Chrome Tour. It has a lighter, crisper sound and feel on impact compared to last year's model- getting closer to the TP5X I game. The CT is maybe a lighter sound, but pleasing to the ear and a nice feel. Really liked the sound off the driver face. The Tour X is firmer based on last week's few swings, so it'll be interesting giving that a better test next with the other higher spin balls.

I can't be definitive until I have the data, but I was impressed with the distance and flight numbers I was getting for the Chrome Tour. Pretty happy.

Callaway may now have a ball I'd consider buying. More to follow...

Follow-up on comparison test on the sim 'range':

The data finally populated online!

Below tables are summaries showing averages for each measured values. Most of the bad shots/ shanks removed I think. I ran out of time during the wedge phase at the end and don't have wedge shots with all the balls.

I was limited on sim time and crammed in as much testing as I could for the session with a selection of comparison balls. Hopefully the comparison balls provide useful info for my fellow spies.

Note: as stated in the above previous post, I don't know the age/ year of the ProV1s I used. They are on-course/woodland finds.

 

Driver (Callaway Rogue ST Max LS; 9* head set to 8*; Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft) summary data:

 - This initial screenshot is from the E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the driver in the session, warts and all, lol.

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with a couple of bad shots taken out. Blue rows are the higher (second round) sets of shots after I was warmed up. Grey rows are my attempt at an easier 'cruising' speed early data set.

  - Observations: Clearly for me, the Chrome Tour is a beast with the driver. Highest smash factor, lowest average spin leadng to 3 yards added carry compared to the 2024 TP5X (which was fractionally faster club head speed).

  - Note: yes the spin numbers could be a tad lower, but I've always had issues keeping spin down with the driver. I'm not unhappy with these numbers at all.

7-iron (30.5deg loft; 2018 P790; KBS C-Taper Tour Lite X-stiff shaft) summary data:

 - As with the driver, this screenshot is from the E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the 7-iron in the session.

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with some bad shots taken out.

  - Observations: Slightly disappointing to see the Chrome Tour not be closer to the top. However, the higher side spin suggests I didn't strike some of those shots very well. I may remove the worst and see how that changes things. May also re-do the test when I'm hitting irons a bit better.

Lob wedge (TM MG2 TW 60*; S300 wedge shaft) summary data:

 - E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the lob wedge in the session. Let's pretend the hosel rockets aren't there... LMAO

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with some shanks taken out.

  - Observations: Distance isn't so much relevant for me for this data set as spin rates to give control on the green. For lob wedge spin rates, the Chrome Tour clearly does very well! It will be interesting to compare the Tour X.  I wasn't hitting wedges well at all, so I should really check standard deviation and the individual shot data for each. May re-do this test with these same balls when I'm hitting wedges better. This is encouraging though.

 

Callaway Chrome Tour: Test conclusions:

 - Driver: Initial score 10/10: The Chrome Tour is a very good option to get the maximum distance off the tee. I was hitting the driver pretty consistently and the spin numbers and ball speed for the Chrome Tour are very encouraging.

 - Mid-iron: Initial score 5/10: maybe more data or a review of this data set will paint a different picture, but I was expecting it to be higher ranking (on carry) after seeing the driver data and with it being the lowest spin rate average in this test. Low smash factor/ ball speed may be due to a bad shot or two that could be removed to give a more equitable comparison with the other balls.

 - Lob wedge: Initial score 8/10: Solid choice ball to give control and stopping power on the greens. The caveat is my wedge shots weren't consistent through the test and another test may give different results. Food for thought though.

 

NEXT TEST: I have another sim session on Friday afternoon where I'll do the same test with the Chrome Tour X, TP5, Tour B-XS and ProV1x balls and will report back.

 

[JRDuck40]

UPDATE from WI 

WE PLAY OUTSIDE! No joke. It was 60 and sunny today. In February from the land that typically is so cold right now that it hurts your face! Was happy to burn a vacay day and get out. 

Any way, I was able to do quite a bit of testing on the Tour and Tour X the last 48 hours. Tour inside, Tour X out. My favorite input so far on the X was qutie possibly from the first hole today. 
Short par 4, 330 with slight dog leg left. Hit 5 wood to 92 yards to pin. Took a knock down 52 deg, and the Chrome landed 15 feet past the hole. Then proceeded to spin back to 5 feet below the hole. It was a slight incline. And I say SLIGHT. I have not seen a ball pull back like this in quite some time. These babies are SPIN FACTORY all the way. Wow!

[JC from SA]

12 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Great updates so far! 

Anyone get much time in the wind and see how they perform there? 

I found them to be very reliable in the wind. I played a recent round with gusts up to 35-40 mph. Even though I was making a conscious effort to flight the ball low, the grab on the greens was excellent. I even thinned one uphill approach shot and thought for sure it ran through the back of the green. When I got up the hill, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was still on the putting surface.

[Guest-0]

2 hours ago, Indy_Oz said:

Follow-up on comparison test on the sim 'range':

The data finally populated online!

Below tables are summaries showing averages for each measured values. Most of the bad shots/ shanks removed I think. I ran out of time during the wedge phase at the end and don't have wedge shots with all the balls.

I was limited on sim time and crammed in as much testing as I could for the session with a selection of comparison balls. Hopefully the comparison balls provide useful info for my fellow spies.

Note: as stated in the above previous post, I don't know the age/ year of the ProV1s I used. They are on-course/woodland finds.

 

Driver (Callaway Rogue ST Max LS; 9* head set to 8*; Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft) summary data:

 - This initial screenshot is from the E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the driver in the session, warts and all, lol.

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with a couple of bad shots taken out. Blue rows are the higher (second round) sets of shots after I was warmed up. Grey rows are my attempt at an easier 'cruising' speed early data set.

  - Observations: Clearly for me, the Chrome Tour is a beast with the driver. Highest smash factor, lowest average spin leadng to 3 yards added carry compared to the 2024 TP5X (which was fractionally faster club head speed).

  - Note: yes the spin numbers could be a tad lower, but I've always had issues keeping spin down with the driver. I'm not unhappy with these numbers at all.

7-iron (30.5deg loft; 2018 P790; KBS C-Taper Tour Lite X-stiff shaft) summary data:

 - As with the driver, this screenshot is from the E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the 7-iron in the session.

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with some bad shots taken out.

  - Observations: Slightly disappointing to see the Chrome Tour not be closer to the top. However, the higher side spin suggests I didn't strike some of those shots very well. I may remove the worst and see how that changes things. May also re-do the test when I'm hitting irons a bit better.

Lob wedge (TM MG2 TW 60*; S300 wedge shaft) summary data:

 - E6 sim software showing the data for all shots using the lob wedge in the session. Let's pretend the hosel rockets aren't there... LMAO

 - The following table gives averages for each ball with some shanks taken out.

  - Observations: Distance isn't so much relevant for me for this data set as spin rates to give control on the green. For lob wedge spin rates, the Chrome Tour clearly does very well! It will be interesting to compare the Tour X.  I wasn't hitting wedges well at all, so I should really check standard deviation and the individual shot data for each. May re-do this test with these same balls when I'm hitting wedges better. This is encouraging though.

 

Callaway Chrome Tour: Test conclusions:

 - Driver: Initial score 10/10: The Chrome Tour is a very good option to get the maximum distance off the tee. I was hitting the driver pretty consistently and the spin numbers and ball speed for the Chrome Tour are very encouraging.

 - Mid-iron: Initial score 5/10: maybe more data or a review of this data set will paint a different picture, but I was expecting it to be higher ranking (on carry) after seeing the driver data and with it being the lowest spin rate average in this test. Low smash factor/ ball speed may be due to a bad shot or two that could be removed to give a more equitable comparison with the other balls.

 - Lob wedge: Initial score 8/10: Solid choice ball to give control and stopping power on the greens. The caveat is my wedge shots weren't consistent through the test and another test may give different results. Food for thought though.

 

NEXT TEST: I have another sim session on Friday afternoon where I'll do the same test with the Chrome Tour X, TP5, Tour B-XS and ProV1x balls and will report back.

 

Love to see the Srixon XV in that driver test and maybe keeping the SS the same with all of them

[Mike10487]

20 hours ago, climberboy2000 said:

I would take low 60's...woke up to this today!  Does Callaway make a flashing/glowing Tour ball so I can find it in all the white?  

Ughhhhhhh. We don't measure sunshine in inches! It won't be long before summer is upon you!

[Mike10487]

19 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Great updates so far! 

Anyone get much time in the wind and see how they perform there? 

The Chrome Tour is a superstar in the wind. The Tour X not so much for me. It seemed very hard to control in the wind. It was difficult to flight it down, even with the 2 iron.  Chrome Tour 9/10   Tour X 6.5/10 in windy conditions.

[Spartan01]

Congratulations testers,  hopefully see some spin performance 

[Bohnson]

Headed to Orlando from Ohio this weekend! Excited to test the balls. 
 

Emergency trip to test golf balls!!! Got a lot of trackman data. Need to get em on the course. 
 

Suggestions on where to play? 

[Bohnson]

@Spartan01 I’ll share all of my trackman data. Pretty good spin numbers. My Prov1 seems to spin a little more on shorter wedge shots on the Sim. Super close across the board though. 

[buckpillar]

Have any of the testers feel that the test balls play better than previous models so far during testing?

I'm curious about the durability, has anyone had any issues so far?

Edited February 22 by buckpillar

["Mr. 72"]

7 minutes ago, buckpillar said:

Have any of the testers feel that the test balls play better than previous models so far during testing?

I'm curious about the durability, has anyone had any issues so far?

Durability has been pretty good with both models so far, especially with the Chrome Tour. 

[TylerC31]

Mid-Test Review

 

So far, I have been very happy with the new Callaway balls. As someone who previously played a similar Callaway ball (fit into by Ballnamic), I am not overly surprised that they've fit my game. I chose to use the previous ball because of wind performance, launch window, and flier prevention. I accepted that I would have a touch more spin than I truly wanted and accepted that as a consequence of the ball. I expected the same to continue with the new balls. What has been a pleasant surprise, however, has been the overall improvement in the quality of the cover of the ball and the optimization of the ball's properties at higher speeds. While I used to get overly high spin on my driver with the old Chrome Soft X, I've found that the Chrome Tour X is a much more consistent spin window, and one that is more appropriately in the 2100 rpm backspin range as opposed to the 2500+ I could get before. I also get a more appropriate spin value on wedges and irons. I used to have the problem of over-spinning full swing approach shots and leaving myself farther away than desired. I have found that the new balls stop and spin much more consistently and never excessively. That said, on partial wedge shots I still feel I have appropriate stopping power and do not experience my short shots leaking away from the hole. I have found that the things that drew me to the old ball, peak height, landing angle, wind performance, etc, have all stayed the same while the other numbers have optimized. I'm not sure it's really faster than the old ball, but it is not slower, so the reduced driver spin means the ball has gone 2-3 yards farther for me without other sacrifices. 

 

I have previously posted about the durability, but this is another area I really want to touch on again. One of the major reasons so many people have migrated to Titleist over the years is the perception of durability and quality. While I never thought my old Chrome Soft Xs had poor covers, I did not think they were as robust as Titleist balls. I believe that the new cover is top of class. I do not think there is a ball on the market with a cover that is better than this. It is definitively a top-quality cover and I want to make sure I commend Callaway for that. 

 

I have another review from on-course testing coming tomorrow, so be on the lookout for that! 

[Indy_Oz]

9 hours ago, Marlin Dave said:

Love to see the Srixon XV in that driver test and maybe keeping the SS the same with all of them

I’ll see if I have an XV in my container of miscellaneous course find balls. 

[Digiburdie]

Part 2.5 - The "Midway" Review... or The "So-Far" Review... or The "Half Way There Review"... or The "Findings to Date" Post...   you pick. Anyway, I wanted to give my thoughts so far on the new golf ball offerings by Callaway. The Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X!

As a loyal Titleist AVX user, I was very interested to see how these new golf balls would potentially help my game, and trust me, it needs help. When I first received the classic "White Box" in the mail I was excited to hit these since I had already started seeing the marketing from Callaway for these balls. I also had lots of questions. What makes these different from the current Chome Soft line? Will they be similar in the naming convention as Titleist and their ProV1 and ProV1x models? Can they promise a low-flight ball like the AVX is giving me currently? So I had to get testin'! 

Because of the wonderful weather we have in Pittsburgh, PA, I haven't been able to get these outside. I was able to hit them into a net one day and get some mental data from that session, but I didn't have a tracker set up or anything really giving me numbers, it was just a "feel" test. 

I was however able to get all of these weighed out and cut open to see what tech was inside. As you can see below the weight of each ball was 45.** grams. Of all 12 balls weighed, there was less than a gram of variation in weight. That was great to see and reassuring proof of the recent quality control updates coming out of Callaway. 

Then I was able to get these on the putting mat to test out the sound and feel of these balls compared to a few other balls I had lying around. You can watch and listen to this test here: 

 

And that's where I am in my testing so far. Quick hits into a net, spec test, dissection of 2 balls, and a putting test. I'll give you my thoughts so far.

What Is Good:
The quality control on these is great. Very minimal (less than a gram) of weight variation.

In the two balls I sacrificed to cut open, they were PERFECT in their core distributions. None of those previous "Callaway Off-Center issues " happening there. So it looks like they've addressed that problem and fixed it! This builds confidence for me to consider the CT line.

The feel off the putter, especially for me, the Chrome Tour X is awesome. I get the right amount of CLICK off the putter face, nice smooth rollout. 

I did hit a few irons shots off a mat into a net felt great but without numbers I can't really tell the action I'm getting from them. 

What is Not So Good: 
The Not-So-Good is pretty minimum so far. I did notice a couple tiny cuts on the balls that I was hitting with my newly sharpened wedges. I honestly epxect that with urathane covers. So while it shows that there could be some issues with durability, I don't feel it's not an issue with this type of ball across the board. 

I hope what I've done so far can help with a decision if you're in the market of a new, pro level golf ball. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! 

More to come! 

Edited February 22 by Digiburdie

[Erin B]

15 hours ago, Bob Jerabek said:

2 week summary:

The pros: Both balls are extremely durable and maintain the sharp white they started with. I tried barkies , top shots, and cart paths, all still looked good. The only test they couldn’t pass was my float test.  Unfortunately a Chrome Tour is now in a beautiful greenside pond.  

Both balls played extremely long off the tee. They may be a little longer than a prov1x.  

Both balls rolled very true and I found the lines really help on inside 15 feet.  Outside that I don’t use lines to line up the ball.  Old eyes you know.

Cons: Here again I thought that both balls sounded clicky on the greens. Didn’t notice that with full shots.

The Chrome Tour X didn’t spin well with approach shots.

The Chrome Tour had an adequate amount of bite on the greens.

Had a tough time with chipping with both balls and I have a pretty good short game. The lack of spin on bunker shots hurt there too.

Will be doing some head to head testing against other balls in the next couple of weeks.

Overall, I would say both balls are great balls and are near the top of the pack. They are a significant improvement over the Chrome Soft Family.

 

Interesting! I haven’t been able to play these outside yet. Hopefully tomorrow. Seeing what you have experienced is what I’ve been thinking would be the case other than the Chrome Tour. distance. Sim wise I’m just not seeing that in the Chrome Tour. I’m excited to get outside and see what happens. With the Pro V1 and 1x I don’t see a big distance loss. Glad to read your feedback!

[JRDuck40]

So the outdoor testing yesterday on the X was insane. These balls are just leaps and bounds above the prior gen. 

I did get a tic squirrelly with 3 drives. One on the 2nd hole, Par 5 and missed the FW to the left and struck a branch. Second, on the 6th hole, again miss left with clipping the top of another tree. Last was on the 17th. Did not finish my swing and ended up hitting it OB right and putting a little road rash on the ball. Same ball was used all day. This was not possible at all with ANY prior Chrome Soft I have ever come across. In fact, see the attached photo of the 2022 Chrome Soft that I was playing recently at my weekly sim league. This was not the first, nor 2nd time either myself or a playing partner had a ball crack. 

 

That being said, the new gen was a trooper. All of these mis-hits did not phase the ball whatsoever. Even the scuff on the 17th was cleaned up after rubbing it down for a few moments.  Callaway made some huge leaps and bounds with the durability of the cover. 

Cover durability score - 10 out of 10! I have been playing for 30+ years and cannot recall ever hitting cart path / pavement / darn near any hard surface and having a ball almost be completely free of any burr, marking or discoloration. Shocking! 

I'll be loading up quite a bit more content and a hole by hole run down later on. Stay tuned! 

[Rob Person]

2 hours ago, JRDuck40 said:

So the outdoor testing yesterday on the X was insane. These balls are just leaps and bounds above the prior gen. 

I did get a tic squirrelly with 3 drives. One on the 2nd hole, Par 5 and missed the FW to the left and struck a branch. Second, on the 6th hole, again miss left with clipping the top of another tree. Last was on the 17th. Did not finish my swing and ended up hitting it OB right and putting a little road rash on the ball. Same ball was used all day. This was not possible at all with ANY prior Chrome Soft I have ever come across. In fact, see the attached photo of the 2022 Chrome Soft that I was playing recently at my weekly sim league. This was not the first, nor 2nd time either myself or a playing partner had a ball crack. 

 

That being said, the new gen was a trooper. All of these mis-hits did not phase the ball whatsoever. Even the scuff on the 17th was cleaned up after rubbing it down for a few moments.  Callaway made some huge leaps and bounds with the durability of the cover. 

Cover durability score - 10 out of 10! I have been playing for 30+ years and cannot recall ever hitting cart path / pavement / darn near any hard surface and having a ball almost be completely free of any burr, marking or discoloration. Shocking! 

I'll be loading up quite a bit more content and a hole by hole run down later on. Stay tuned! 

That's awesome! I will be searching for the 2024 yellows soon!

So I've seen some say CT is good for one type of player, and CTX good for another, but from both sides of each ball.  

Is it all boiled down to preference,  swing speed,  club selection? Is there any definitive way to categorize which ball is for which type of player? I saw the Callaway image for the specs above. Is it accurate so far for each of you?

["Mr. 72"]

4 hours ago, Rob Person said:

That's awesome! I will be searching for the 2024 yellows soon!

So I've seen some say CT is good for one type of player, and CTX good for another, but from both sides of each ball.  

Is it all boiled down to preference,  swing speed,  club selection? Is there any definitive way to categorize which ball is for which type of player? I saw the Callaway image for the specs above. Is it accurate so far for each of you?

Currently, I carry both the ProV1 and ProV1x in my bag. This is the reason why I really don't like that Callaway uses red numbers for both models. I carry both because I like the versatility of both balls. I like a less spinny ball on windy days for more control.

I think both balls were probably geared towards higher swing speed players, but we all know MGS mantra by now. 

I would say it's not so much the type of player as it is what the player is looking for in a ball. So far, the CT has performed incredibly in the wind. The CTX has a bit more spin and might be slightly longer. ...I hope this answers your question to at least some degree.

[Indy_Oz]

For anyone looking, Dick’s Sporting Goods is stocking up on multipacks already. 
The Truvis ones (along with the plain white and yellow) are out on the shelves already too in single dozen boxes. 

[golfinnut]

Very limited time with these this week so far.  Just on the putting mat.  I have a tee time Sunday morning finally.  Maybe this time it won't get cancelled by GolfNow.  

[JC from SA]

Test results to date

Overall, I really like the balls. For my swing speed and my personal preference for feel, I prefer the Tour. The stopping power of both balls is impressive, as I’ve been playing on hard, sparse winter greens. For those asking about a comparison to previous versions, these are a definite improvement over the Chromesoft of a couple of seasons ago. Much better grab on the greens and more controlled ball flight.

As someone who doesn’t have a simulator, I regret that I haven’t really been able to judge them fairly with the driver. I’ve played a couple of rounds in 35- to 45-degree weather. One round I didn’t swing the driver well and the other was very windy. As a Srixon z Star diamond player, the Callaway gives me similar performance from 100 yards in. If I can get more pop with the driver, I will consider changing to the Tour full time. 

Lastly, and as I’ve posted previously, the triple track is not for me as far as putting. It gives me something else to focus on, when I’m trying to focus on less things! It’s aesthetically very appealing. It just doesn’t help me with putting.

Hoping for warmer weather soon on a weekend when I’m off work! 

 

Edited February 23 by JC from SA
Misspellings

[gregh729]

2nd Round

Another cold start, but at least I finished before the rain. The course I played was longer, more open course today. Driver on every hole

TESTING METHODOLOGY:

Same as yesterday, but I hit the Tour Chrome X first this time and used it for scoring on the front 9. Then reversed it and hit the Chrome first and scoring on the back. I again hit both off the tee on every hole and dropped both balls at 75 yds on every par 4 and 5 for wedge shots. Spin was similar for both at this distance

RESULTS:
Front 9:
Chrome Tour X scoring and first off the tee.
Fairways hit 5 of 7
Greens hit 4 of 9

Back 9:
Chrome Tour scoring and first off the tee
Fairways hit 6 of 7
Greens hit  5 of 9

OVERALL:
11 of 14 fairways hit. 9 Greens. 

I hit each ball off every tee, just flipped the order. I again measured distance using my Bushnell range finder and a GPS unit. Not monitor accurate, but real world numbers

Tour Chrome
11 of 14 fairways hit. No horrible misses. My misses were within 10 yards of the fairway.
Distance average 251.1 yards

Tour Chrome X
9 of 14 fairways hit. Again, no horrible misses. My misses were within 10 yards of the fairway. Distance average 252.3 yards

SUMMARY:

I again loved the consistency of each ball. They did exactly I was expecting.  The X again felt a little firmer and again spun a tad more.
I loved feel off the irons with the Chrome Tour, even on mishits. Chips ran out the correct distance and putting control was excellent. I’ve had my best putting days in a year with the Chrome Tour.
Durability has been incredible. Both still look great. I took another picture from the back of my Pilot like yesterday and it is hard to find a difference between one round and two rounds of use. I am playing again Monday and will post another update

Both of these balls are great, but I seem to be in the my with the other testers and prefer the Chrome Tour by quite a bit. I can see playing this ball all year. I just have a comfort level with the Tour that I do not have with the X.

Edited February 23 by gregh729
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