Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Whitebox Testing

[Wicki]

I got out on an overcast chilly 53* day.  Pretty excited to be on the course again with the chance to be playing a golf ball that I am asked to review.

On the 10th tee box.  Getting excited to try it the Callaway Tour and X out.  To ensure the golf swing is not going to fail me, I decided to hit a Pro V1 along with the Callaways.  Hit a little fader with the Pro V to start things off into the fairway.  Next came the TourX, and piped that straight towards the green, just slightly right into the green side bunker.  Lastly the Tour, and that was a little draw into some loose dirt.

I really liked the feeling of the TourX and how it just pooped off the driver face!  The Tour felt good, but just didn't get the same poop feeling as I did the X.  As I was walking up to the golf balls, Tour first to grab it and play it from the Pro V spot to try and compare the two.  Hit the Pro V a little thin to the back of the green.  The Tour nicely onto the green, and got about 5 yards of roll after it hit the green.  The Tour X gave me the chance to see how it reacts hitting it out and onto the green.  Here I was impress that this ball rolled about 5 yards.  The spin action was nice.

The 11th hole is up.  Hit the Tour X left.  Had me in the position to play a shot that I had to work it around the tree, and avoid the OB on the left.  These types of shot, usually trying to work a fader around the tree, would either go straight into OB or right into the tree.  Not this time.  Was able to work to left to right around the tree, the ball being below the feet on the side of a little hill.   And put it right behind a tree again!

Now trying these boys out on 185 par 3 shot!  Miss hit the Tour and was able to notice it in contact.  The Tour X performed like you always wanted your shots to do.  Land on the green and not roll a bunch.  This was a 6i shot in today's condition.  I used the triple line alignment to help with lining up the tee shot.  It actually helped.  I never done anything like that before.  I'm testing out golf balls, so I wanted to see if it would help with aligning my shot.

By the 4th hole, I noticed that the balls were looking scuffed and used.  I usually get mostly a round in before I start noticing the wear and tear on the balls.

The Pics show me using the triple alignment to tee off, and the scuff on the Tour after the first tee shot.

Have to say I am impressed how they are performing.  I have to say I was not expecting the ball to be performing the way they did.

["Mr. 72"]

Ball Tested: Chrome Tour X

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

Chrome Tour X Day 2 on Course Test: In my introduction post, I mentioned the first course that I ever played almost 50 years ago. I still play it, and it opened for a few days this week because of the decent weather. Here's a picture of the old clubhouse, former home of the best hot dog of all time, that is still standing, now off the 9th green. 

Here's a picture from the 18th fairway of the new clubhouse. 

Now, onto the testing....

Durability: The durability was very good today. The ball used for basically the entire round just had a couple of barely noticeable marks. 

I did hit a low rope hook with a druver that caught a cart path. I will say that I don't think I've ever seen this bad of road rash before. However, even though the cart paths are smooth to ride and walk on, if you look closely, you can see why they can do this much damage to a ball. 

THIS would be a good ball to cut in half.  

Checker Chip Shots: I did try to hit a few of these. I used a 54° Callaway Jaws with about 345 rounds under its belt, AND this shot is not really my game. However I was able to pull the shot off a few times we decent success. The ball did check up, but it still rolled out a few feet. It didn't come to a screeching halt. I'm sure this was more about me than the ball. I tried to video this shot twice, but those shot attempts were epic fails.

Wind: Another windy day in Chicagoland, shocker, but at least it was a bit warmer - mid 50s. I'm glad that the wind was in the 13-15 mph range to further test the CTX. The ball performed better today than last time. Although the ball flight is a bit higher than the CT, it was still a piercing flight. Here's a controlled PW that I hit with the wind coming in to me at about 4:30. I was taking dead aim at the pin - right side of the green. I struck the ball well, but blocked the shot 15' right of the flag, pin high. The fact that the ball didn't move offline at all is pretty impressive in my book. Also, listen to the sound of the ball coming off the club face. THAT is a good sounding ball.

Bottom Line: I liked the CTX before today, and I like it even better now. Again, I'm looking forward to playing the ball in the summer months. Based on of the way the two models react in the wind, the CTX is probably the more "workable" model of the two. 

At this point, if I had to choose one model, I would choose the Chrome Tour. Thankfully, I don't have to.

Next Up: More on course testing

[MuniGolfer]

15 hours 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?

I used to play the Chromesoft x, and shifted out, due to durability. I have had no such problems so far. I will be doing some further tests on Saturday and will post pictures of the balls after.

[MuniGolfer]

Today, I wanted to test the triple track feature, as is something I have never used before. It was just a 9-foot, straight putt on my home practice mat, but I compared make rates against my usual line through the ball model, and using a blank portion of a ball. I also was comparing feel and sound against a ProV1x, Maxfli tour and tour x.

I went through my usual routine, lining up the ball to a spot a foot or two in front of the ball and checking the line from behind. I hit putts back and forth to the full size hole and the ball sized one. My make rates were as follows:

1. Triple track = 63%
2. Drawn line = 56%
3. Blank = 25%
 

This was interesting for me. I made all but one putt each on the normal hole with the line and triple track, but made more on the little hole with the triple. The interesting part was the blank ball. I noticed all I was focused on was line and totally let go of speed. I left a lot of putts short. With the other two, I felt I could align my putter to the line on the ball and then just visualize the putt and speed. The alignment was set it and forget it. The triple track was easier to confirm the putter matched the ball alignment, though. I also noticed that the triple track gave me feedback on whether my eyes were too far inside or outside the line. My stroke seemed a little more consistent. That, and a more confident alignment, probably led to the more made putts on the small hole. I am excited to repeat this test on breaking putts, which I will do in the next week.

Feel

 Previously I tested feel without hearing to see if I could tell a difference. Today, I had no headphones and wanted to see what all my senses gathered. The Chrome Tour and Tour x were very close. Almost indistinguishable. However, I started to notice a slightly clickier nose and firmer feel with the x. It’s so slight, though, I think you could go back and forth without noticing. Compared to the ProV1x and the maxflis, they were both a bit softer feeling than the ProV1x. The Maxfli Tour x was a little firmer than the chrome tour x, while the Maxfli tour came in feeling a little bit softer than the chrome tour. They seem to sit fairly in the middle. Both good feeling balls.

 Saturday, I will be testing spin rates throughout the bag, so I can give some mid-test thoughts. I am hoping it will give me a better idea of which ball might be a better fit for me. 

[Rob Person]

7 hours ago, "Mr. 72" said:

Ball Tested: Chrome Tour X

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

Chrome Tour X Day 2 on Course Test: In my introduction post, I mentioned the first course that I ever played almost 50 years ago. I still play it, and it opened for a few days this week because of the decent weather. Here's a picture of the old clubhouse, former home of the best hot dog of all time, that is still standing, now off the 9th green. 

Here's a picture from the 18th fairway of the new clubhouse. 

Now, onto the testing....

Durability: The durability was very good today. The ball used for basically the entire round just had a couple of barely noticeable marks. 

I did hit a low rope hook with a druver that caught a cart path. I will say that I don't think I've ever seen this bad of road rash before. However, even though the cart paths are smooth to ride and walk on, if you look closely, you can see why they can do this much damage to a ball. 

THIS would be a good ball to cut in half.  

Checker Chip Shots: I did try to hit a few of these. I used a 54° Callaway Jaws with about 345 rounds under its belt, AND this shot is not really my game. However I was able to pull the shot off a few times we decent success. The ball did check up, but it still rolled out a few feet. It didn't come to a screeching halt. I'm sure this was more about me than the ball. I tried to video this shot twice, but those shot attempts were epic fails.

Wind: Another windy day in Chicagoland, shocker, but at least it was a bit warmer - mid 50s. I'm glad that the wind was in the 13-15 mph range to further test the CTX. The ball performed better today than last time. Although the ball flight is a bit higher than the CT, it was still a piercing flight. Here's a controlled PW that I hit with the wind coming in to me at about 4:30. I was taking dead aim at the pin - right side of the green. I struck the ball well, but blocked the shot 15' right of the flag, pin high. The fact that the ball didn't move offline at all is pretty impressive in my book. Also, listen to the sound of the ball coming off the club face. THAT is a good sounding ball.

Bottom Line: I liked the CTX before today, and I like it even better now. Again, I'm looking forward to playing the ball in the summer months. Based on of the way the two models react in the wind, the CTX is probably the more "workable" model of the two. 

At this point, if I had to choose one model, I would choose the Chrome Tour. Thankfully, I don't have to.

Next Up: More on course testing

That sounded so soft off the face.  I like it!

[JRDuck40]

Full outdoor testing with the Chrome X

Little warm up video. 

Overall, conditions were ideal for a day in late February for Wisconsin. We are usually under 2 feet of snow and temps in the teens if not below zero. This was a treat so I was 100% fine burning a vacation day to get out and do some testing. 

Onto the first hole. Par 4 - 325 slight dogleg left. Hit 5 wood to 90 yards and change left to hole. 

YES that IS snow to the left of the green. It's February in WI people. We're lucky to be outside. Let along being able to play. 

Ended up lipping out the 10 ft bird. Onward and upward. 

2nd hole - Par 5 - 515 yards. 

Pulled the drive off to the left hand side and clipped a branch. After a punch 4i to 145 yards, here is the approach with my 7i. First shot was with the Sirxon, second with the Callaway. 

Hitting the approach into the 2nd. 145, wind coming left to right. Hitting a knocked down 7i to keep it out of the wind. 

Ended up making par with both the Sirxon and Callawy. Chrome ended up spinning back around 10 to 12 feet again. 

3rd hole - Par 3, 157. Slightly downhill with wind directly into our face.  Hit 7i to around 25 feet and made the bird! Boom!!!

Onto the 4th. Longer par 5, 535 with trouble on both sides. OB right with a FW bunker that is driveable. Water left of fairway. Here's the tee shot. 

After hitting 5wood. I had around 70 yards to the middle of the green. Pin was front middle, total yardage of the shot was around 50-52 yards. (I know, I know.. I don't have a laser for this round. Only using my Garmin for yardage). 

Both my current gamer, Z Star XV and Callaway checked up nicely, the Callaway did stick and stop, versus the Z releasing out. All in all, I'm quite impressed by the Callaways. New few holes it was a little too soggy to take vid. Par 4 - 5th. Dogleg right with the green uphill. Hit 3 wood to the right and needed to punch it uphill. Ended up hitting a small branch and the cover on the Callaway held up! This was not true with ANY prior version of the Chrome family that I played prior. That ball would've been in the 5 gallon bucket of death in my garage at the end of the round. 

On the par 4 6th, Hit driver - 5 iron. Ended up getting up and down for a par. The Chrome performed great on the greenside again. Slight chip downhill and the ball checked up and stopped around 12 feet. 

7th hole - Par 3 - 170. Hit 6i into left side of green. Ended up 3 putting and making bogey. 
One criticism of the Chrome at this point. The ball is almost too soft for it's own good for putting. Anything downhill, it was tough to get a good feel for it. If I played this for a few weeks and got some additional practice sessions on the greens in, I'm sure I would make it work, but that's just one thing I'm noticing by this point. 

Onto the par 4 8th - 390 slight dogleg left. Hit driver then 9i. I'm seeing some slight gains on distance vs the Z Star, but it's too cold / early in the year to tell. I will be doing some additional driver testing next week on the sim. (Stay tuned!)

Went 9i and was not able to get in for par. Onward to the 9th. 

Par 4, 395 to finish the front 9. 

Hit driver with 120 left to front of green. 

Ended up leaving my 9 very short and ended up with a 40 total for the front. All in all, I was quite impressed by the Chrome. I put the ball through the ringer. I did not use more than 1 Callaway and one of my Sirxon's for the entire front and both held up quite well. The updated cover on the Callaway was light years better than the prior gen. 

Some points of interest.... 

1 - Spin rate. The Chrome X is a spin machine. Buyer beware. 

2 - Sound off of fairway metal. Not a big fan. I let one of the guys in our group hit one a few times and it sounded very 'dead' off of his Ping G425 Max. Same went for the sound and feel off of my TSR2. Not something that deter me away from playing them, jut a nit pick thing that caught my attention. 

3 - Cover. Holy crap was this impressive. After all the things I put that ball through, it held up. And held up all day long. I played the X all 18 holes and it is still a playable ball afterwards. Not something I can always say about my XV's, older AVXs or even the Maxfli Tour X that i recently picked up late last year. 

4 - Putting. This was a concern and still is. The ball is almost too soft to a fault on and around the green. For chipping, it sticks. Which is good. For putting, it almost feels like hitting a 'bouncy ball'. Very springy off of my Scotty Cam GoLo S. If i spent a little more time on the putting green before the round, I'm sure I would've gotten a better feel for the ball, but nonetheless, it was tough to gauge speed on the green with the X. 

VS the Sirxon Z Star XV - 16.5 out of 20 - Chrome X / 18.5 Z Star 

For distance, spin, iron feel and cover durability, the Chrome X was great compared to my Z Star. Where it feel a bit short for me was putting, Driver / FW Metals feel and sound.  It was a big difference in feel and it was difficult to get used to the softer feel of the Chrome vs XV. Epically off the tee and putting. 

On The Course - 17.5 out of 20 

For overall performance. The Callaway did admirably. On cover performance alone, it was stupid good. Hit a few branches and the ball damn near did not have a scratch on it.  

Iron play, it felt great. It was quite possibly the closet ball to a ProV1x that I've ever hit. I honestly prefer the ProV, but Titlesit priced themselves out of the market when they charge nearly $60 a dozen IMO.... Back the Chrome. It very much felt good off the face and performed as good as the Z Star. The approach on the par 4, 15th I had around 120 uphill with wind at my back. Hit a PW to 10 feet and stuck it.  Loved the feel and performance. 

Driver / Fairway metals - This is where I wasn't all that big on the Chrome X. Because of all the spin, it did have a tendency to get sideways. My typical ball flight it a slight fade and lower flight. While the Callaway did go a little further, it also had a tendency to get a little too high for my liking. 

Tee shot on the par 11th. 

It was one of the better drives of the day, but the sound was not what I am accustomed to. Still, beggars can't be choosers and this was a great shot. 

Greenside / chipping. They stick. That's all I can say about it. They just hit, stick, stop and back the F%$# up. I was shocked by the stopping power. If you have a tendency to need more feel / spin around the green, 30 yards and in, these babies just stop. 

Putting - Like i said previously, they almost have a dead feel / too soft of a feel for me. That's where they lost me. 

Overall, this test gave me a big insight into where Callaway is going with their new ball lineup. And the finial word is up. Way the heck up. This test defiantly put Callaway back in the mix for purchasing balls in the future. Before, I would not even consider them for replacing my current setup. Now, they have a legit shot. Just don't go all Titlesit and charge $60 a dozen. 
Good - Spin, Iron Play, Greenside, Cover, Feel on wedges. 
Ok - Long iron shots and feel off of hybrid

Bad - Putting and sound off of Driver / Fairway metal. 

Overall score / performance score - 16.5 / 20

 

[Ryan Luke]

Hello All!

Does anyone know if Callaway offers any program like Titleist does with their loyalty deal with buy 3 dozen get one free with ball number and verbage customization?  So far based on my testing I would buy more Callaway Chrome Tour and Tour X to use in warm weather for a better comparison to my ProV1x's and continue to test/report findings.  

I greatly appreciate if anyone knows more about Callaway's offerings if any so thanks in advance!

[Desous17]

Midway Through Thoughts:

Overall, I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the new Callaway Chrome Tour and Tour X balls. As someone who hasn't had much experience with the golf ball offerings from Callaway (only Supersoft, due to price), this has been a fun surprise. My biggest takeaway thus far in my testing is the quality and durability of the ball/cover, it's impressive to see that these balls will put the Titleist offerings to shame. I think this may be a bold claim but I think this might be the best cover in the game right now. Granted, I haven't seen anything on the new TP5/X balls but I still stand by my claim. 

This Chrome Tour was after 18 holes, a Wedge torture test, and then 2 1-hour sim sessions (warm up and then 18 holes). The Tour X had 6 holes of use and 2 1-hour sim sessions (warm-up and then 18 holes)

For me and my game, I initially thought that the Tour was going to be my ball of choice, and to an extent on my irons and wedges, I would have to say that I prefer the spin and feel of the Tour. Everything outside of that though, the Tour X is the standout. I have found no areas that I find it lacking and it just performs slightly better for me than the Tour on driver, woods, and putter. 

I am hoping to do a side-by-side comparison of the Tour and Tour X on the course next week!

[Indy_Oz]

1 hour ago, Ryan Luke said:

Hello All!

Does anyone know if Callaway offers any program like Titleist does with their loyalty deal with buy 3 dozen get one free with ball number and verbage customization?  So far based on my testing I would buy more Callaway Chrome Tour and Tour X to use in warm weather for a better comparison to my ProV1x's and continue to test/report findings.  

I greatly appreciate if anyone knows more about Callaway's offerings if any so thanks in advance!

This was in my local Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday. They were getting ready to put out on the shelves. 4 dozen for the price of 3. I would guess Callaway will do similar via the website at some point (I haven't looked).

[Ryan Luke]

32 minutes ago, Indy_Oz said:

This was in my local Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday. They were getting ready to put out on the shelves. 4 dozen for the price of 3. I would guess Callaway will do similar via the website at some point (I haven't looked).

Thanks Indy! Nothing on Callaway Website on Chrome Tour deals that I saw so far but hoping they do something similar to Titleist's loyalty program real soon!

[Guest-0]

3 hours ago, JRDuck40 said:

Full outdoor testing with the Chrome X

Little warm up video. 

Overall, conditions were ideal for a day in late February for Wisconsin. We are usually under 2 feet of snow and temps in the teens if not below zero. This was a treat so I was 100% fine burning a vacation day to get out and do some testing. 

Onto the first hole. Par 4 - 325 slight dogleg left. Hit 5 wood to 90 yards and change left to hole. 

YES that IS snow to the left of the green. It's February in WI people. We're lucky to be outside. Let along being able to play. 

Ended up lipping out the 10 ft bird. Onward and upward. 

2nd hole - Par 5 - 515 yards. 

Pulled the drive off to the left hand side and clipped a branch. After a punch 4i to 145 yards, here is the approach with my 7i. First shot was with the Sirxon, second with the Callaway. 

Hitting the approach into the 2nd. 145, wind coming left to right. Hitting a knocked down 7i to keep it out of the wind. 

Ended up making par with both the Sirxon and Callawy. Chrome ended up spinning back around 10 to 12 feet again. 

3rd hole - Par 3, 157. Slightly downhill with wind directly into our face.  Hit 7i to around 25 feet and made the bird! Boom!!!

Onto the 4th. Longer par 5, 535 with trouble on both sides. OB right with a FW bunker that is driveable. Water left of fairway. Here's the tee shot. 

After hitting 5wood. I had around 70 yards to the middle of the green. Pin was front middle, total yardage of the shot was around 50-52 yards. (I know, I know.. I don't have a laser for this round. Only using my Garmin for yardage). 

Both my current gamer, Z Star XV and Callaway checked up nicely, the Callaway did stick and stop, versus the Z releasing out. All in all, I'm quite impressed by the Callaways. New few holes it was a little too soggy to take vid. Par 4 - 5th. Dogleg right with the green uphill. Hit 3 wood to the right and needed to punch it uphill. Ended up hitting a small branch and the cover on the Callaway held up! This was not true with ANY prior version of the Chrome family that I played prior. That ball would've been in the 5 gallon bucket of death in my garage at the end of the round. 

On the par 4 6th, Hit driver - 5 iron. Ended up getting up and down for a par. The Chrome performed great on the greenside again. Slight chip downhill and the ball checked up and stopped around 12 feet. 

7th hole - Par 3 - 170. Hit 6i into left side of green. Ended up 3 putting and making bogey. 
One criticism of the Chrome at this point. The ball is almost too soft for it's own good for putting. Anything downhill, it was tough to get a good feel for it. If I played this for a few weeks and got some additional practice sessions on the greens in, I'm sure I would make it work, but that's just one thing I'm noticing by this point. 

Onto the par 4 8th - 390 slight dogleg left. Hit driver then 9i. I'm seeing some slight gains on distance vs the Z Star, but it's too cold / early in the year to tell. I will be doing some additional driver testing next week on the sim. (Stay tuned!)

Went 9i and was not able to get in for par. Onward to the 9th. 

Par 4, 395 to finish the front 9. 

Hit driver with 120 left to front of green. 

Ended up leaving my 9 very short and ended up with a 40 total for the front. All in all, I was quite impressed by the Chrome. I put the ball through the ringer. I did not use more than 1 Callaway and one of my Sirxon's for the entire front and both held up quite well. The updated cover on the Callaway was light years better than the prior gen. 

Some points of interest.... 

1 - Spin rate. The Chrome X is a spin machine. Buyer beware. 

2 - Sound off of fairway metal. Not a big fan. I let one of the guys in our group hit one a few times and it sounded very 'dead' off of his Ping G425 Max. Same went for the sound and feel off of my TSR2. Not something that deter me away from playing them, jut a nit pick thing that caught my attention. 

3 - Cover. Holy crap was this impressive. After all the things I put that ball through, it held up. And held up all day long. I played the X all 18 holes and it is still a playable ball afterwards. Not something I can always say about my XV's, older AVXs or even the Maxfli Tour X that i recently picked up late last year. 

4 - Putting. This was a concern and still is. The ball is almost too soft to a fault on and around the green. For chipping, it sticks. Which is good. For putting, it almost feels like hitting a 'bouncy ball'. Very springy off of my Scotty Cam GoLo S. If i spent a little more time on the putting green before the round, I'm sure I would've gotten a better feel for the ball, but nonetheless, it was tough to gauge speed on the green with the X. 

VS the Sirxon Z Star XV - 16.5 out of 20 - Chrome X / 18.5 Z Star 

For distance, spin, iron feel and cover durability, the Chrome X was great compared to my Z Star. Where it feel a bit short for me was putting, Driver / FW Metals feel and sound.  It was a big difference in feel and it was difficult to get used to the softer feel of the Chrome vs XV. Epically off the tee and putting. 

On The Course - 17.5 out of 20 

For overall performance. The Callaway did admirably. On cover performance alone, it was stupid good. Hit a few branches and the ball damn near did not have a scratch on it.  

Iron play, it felt great. It was quite possibly the closet ball to a ProV1x that I've ever hit. I honestly prefer the ProV, but Titlesit priced themselves out of the market when they charge nearly $60 a dozen IMO.... Back the Chrome. It very much felt good off the face and performed as good as the Z Star. The approach on the par 4, 15th I had around 120 uphill with wind at my back. Hit a PW to 10 feet and stuck it.  Loved the feel and performance. 

Driver / Fairway metals - This is where I wasn't all that big on the Chrome X. Because of all the spin, it did have a tendency to get sideways. My typical ball flight it a slight fade and lower flight. While the Callaway did go a little further, it also had a tendency to get a little too high for my liking. 

Tee shot on the par 11th. 

It was one of the better drives of the day, but the sound was not what I am accustomed to. Still, beggars can't be choosers and this was a great shot. 

Greenside / chipping. They stick. That's all I can say about it. They just hit, stick, stop and back the F%$# up. I was shocked by the stopping power. If you have a tendency to need more feel / spin around the green, 30 yards and in, these babies just stop. 

Putting - Like i said previously, they almost have a dead feel / too soft of a feel for me. That's where they lost me. 

Overall, this test gave me a big insight into where Callaway is going with their new ball lineup. And the finial word is up. Way the heck up. This test defiantly put Callaway back in the mix for purchasing balls in the future. Before, I would not even consider them for replacing my current setup. Now, they have a legit shot. Just don't go all Titlesit and charge $60 a dozen. 
Good - Spin, Iron Play, Greenside, Cover, Feel on wedges. 
Ok - Long iron shots and feel off of hybrid

Bad - Putting and sound off of Driver / Fairway metal. 

Overall score / performance score - 16.5 / 20

 

This is the problem I have had with almost every ball they make, they feel like I'm hitting a marshmallow!!! I cannot stand a soft feeling with driver. I prefer the smash of ProV1 or XV and the reason my putters have a soft mill is to feel the "click" not the mush. I think it boils down to preference as the data suggests the ball speed and distance is on par or better than the popular offerings. Iam going to try them as soon as I find a wayward one but can tell by what I'm hearing they are not for me!! Thanks!!!!

[JRDuck40]

5 hours ago, Ryan Luke said:

Hello All!

Does anyone know if Callaway offers any program like Titleist does with their loyalty deal with buy 3 dozen get one free with ball number and verbage customization?  So far based on my testing I would buy more Callaway Chrome Tour and Tour X to use in warm weather for a better comparison to my ProV1x's and continue to test/report findings.  

I greatly appreciate if anyone knows more about Callaway's offerings if any so thanks in advance!

Only manufactures that run the buy x get 1 free are TaylorMade, Sirxon and Maxfli. Titleist did run a two dozen for $100 for ProVs around Christmas this year. I do not think Callaway has a program like this... But if they did, I'd most likely be game to purchase a buy 2 get 1 of the Chrome X. 

[Ryan Luke]

2 minutes ago, JRDuck40 said:

Only manufactures that run the buy x get 1 free are TaylorMade, Sirxon and Maxfli. Titleist did run a two dozen for $100 for ProVs around Christmas this year. I do not think Callaway has a program like this... But if they did, I'd most likely be game to purchase a buy 2 get 1 of the Chrome X. 

Hi JRDuck!

For years now Titleist has run buy 3 get one free with free customization of name, logo, etc. along with choose your number between 0 to 99.  Makes each dozen about $40 bucks each with the freebie dozen so well worth it to get custom ProV1x balls for that price point in my opinion.   If Callaway did the same I would 100% buy the Chrome Tour/Chrome Tour X for 2024 and really comapre them to the few dozen ProV1x's I still have left over from last year.  Hopefully they will consider doing just that as I think the balls are comparable in many ways but the triple track alignment for me stands out really nicely to line up putts and off the tee too. 

[JRDuck40]

1 hour ago, Marlin Dave said:

This is the problem I have had with almost every ball they make, they feel like I'm hitting a marshmallow!!! I cannot stand a soft feeling with driver. I prefer the smash of ProV1 or XV and the reason my putters have a soft mill is to feel the "click" not the mush. I think it boils down to preference as the data suggests the ball speed and distance is on par or better than the popular offerings. Iam going to try them as soon as I find a wayward one but can tell by what I'm hearing they are not for me!! Thanks!!!!

My biggest beef with the ball was putting. I tried them with my scotty's, a ping and a Odyssey i have lying around. All 5 the ball felt like it was just popping off the putter face. 
Playing this past Wednesday, anything downhill was just blasting past the hole. I'm typically not doing that... but it was also the first time playing outdoors since November for me. But again, I do not do that with putts. The one very big thing I do like is that they are making these triple track. Huge for alignment and less time I have to mess around with putting my alignment line on each ball I buy. (But I do find that cathartic some days. haha) 

The sound / feel off the driver... it's just odd. The only way I can describe it would be "mechanical". If that even sounds right. It honestly almost felt like there was a small metal ball within the Tour and Tour X. It also made a very odd clunk sound vs the crisp sound of my Z Star XV, AVX or event a ProV. 

I could learn to live with the putting feel. I'm sure a little practice outdoors will go a long way 

The one VERY big gain was the spin / control greenside and irons. Holy crap. If you have issues making the ball stop, give these a try. Also the cover held up like a champ. 10 / 10 for the new cover. 

 

3 minutes ago, Ryan Luke said:

Hi JRDuck!

For years now Titleist has run buy 3 get one free with free customization of name, logo, etc. along with choose your number between 0 to 99.  Makes each dozen about $40 bucks each with the freebie dozen so well worth it to get custom ProV1x balls for that price point in my opinion.   If Callaway did the same I would 100% buy the Chrome Tour/Chrome Tour X for 2024 and really comapre them to the few dozen ProV1x's I still have left over from last year.  Hopefully they will consider doing just that as I think the balls are comparable in many ways but the triple track alignment for me stands out really nicely to line up putts and off the tee too. 

Is that direct through Titleist? Because I've never seen that promo! HOW AM I MISSING OUT!?!?

[Ryan Luke]

13 minutes ago, JRDuck40 said:

My biggest beef with the ball was putting. I tried them with my scotty's, a ping and a Odyssey i have lying around. All 5 the ball felt like it was just popping off the putter face. 
Playing this past Wednesday, anything downhill was just blasting past the hole. I'm typically not doing that... but it was also the first time playing outdoors since November for me. But again, I do not do that with putts. The one very big thing I do like is that they are making these triple track. Huge for alignment and less time I have to mess around with putting my alignment line on each ball I buy. (But I do find that cathartic some days. haha) 

The sound / feel off the driver... it's just odd. The only way I can describe it would be "mechanical". If that even sounds right. It honestly almost felt like there was a small metal ball within the Tour and Tour X. It also made a very odd clunk sound vs the crisp sound of my Z Star XV, AVX or event a ProV. 

I could learn to live with the putting feel. I'm sure a little practice outdoors will go a long way 

The one VERY big gain was the spin / control greenside and irons. Holy crap. If you have issues making the ball stop, give these a try. Also the cover held up like a champ. 10 / 10 for the new cover. 

 

Is that direct through Titleist? Because I've never seen that promo! HOW AM I MISSING OUT!?!?

My local pro shop sends out emails when Titleist runs the promo and I order directly via the link in the email which is basically direct to Titleist I believe.  I haven't received any email for 2024 yet but I've been buying my Titleist balls for many years this way now.  

[JRDuck40]

3 minutes ago, Ryan Luke said:

My local pro shop sends out emails when Titleist runs the promo and I order directly via the link in the email which is basically direct to Titleist I believe.  I haven't received any email for 2024 yet but I've been buying my Titleist balls for many years this way now.  

Gotcha. That may be a local thing then. Best deal we have around here is end of year sales from a few pro shops. All the larger retailers, Dicks, Golf Galaxy, PGA SS etc. just run the national programs. If you local track ships out of state, please let me know. I would be VERY interested in a buy 3 get one 1 Titleist program. 

[Ryan Luke]

9 minutes ago, JRDuck40 said:

Gotcha. That may be a local thing then. Best deal we have around here is end of year sales from a few pro shops. All the larger retailers, Dicks, Golf Galaxy, PGA SS etc. just run the national programs. If you local track ships out of state, please let me know. I would be VERY interested in a buy 3 get one 1 Titleist program. 

You may be correct on the local deal but I thought I have spoken with Titleist directly about it and it did not sound like a local only deal so I'm honestly not sure.  If I get the link and can share it I will. 

[Bohnson]

Got my first on course action with the balls today! Played nine in Florida in some serious wind. The Chrome Tour was great. Never thought I would say that I might like something better than a ProV1. This is close! Was able to flight some shots and distance was good. Cover of the ball was a bit more worn than I like. 

https://share.icloud.com/photos/022o59TGTr4DO0rRRcfoHzvVg

 

 

[Erin B]

Windy day today. The balls performed well though.

[Indy_Oz]

On 2/21/2024 at 10:15 PM, 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.

 

Ball Test 2: Turn The Spin Up To 11 Edition

Balls:

Bridgestone Tour BX-S x2

Taylormade TP5, 1 each 2023 & 2024

Callaway Chrome X x2

Titleist ProV1x x2

Test:

Clubs: Driver, 7-iron, lob wedge

5 shots with each ball. Ran down the above list twice- so 5 with one of each ball type, then back down the list with 5 each of the second ball. 
That gave me 40 shots with each club and 10 for each manufacturer/ model (5 each for each TP5 ball). 

How it went: driver and 7-iron were solid, particularly driver.  Lob wedge was awful. Swing was out of sorts with shorter clubs again today- fall swing changes have been great for longer clubs, but I’ve picked up bad habits with shorter clubs. 

The Subjective Stuff:

Chrome Tour X feel and sound: I really like the sound of impact with the Tour X. I like last year’s TP5X for that reason too  off the driver and 7iron the TX was nice  - the kind of feel and sound I would want in a gamer. I’m a higher swing/club head speed player (~108-111mph driver) so my concerns are around the higher spin of the TX  on course testing will help determine which suits me best  

Tour X feel and sound (on sim): 9/10

I’ll be very interested to compare the data from today with the last test data  

I will save my ratings for the Tour X with each club for when the data is in. 

=========================================================

2/24/24: Data! Unfortunately, only the driver data came through. Well that and TWO 7-iron shots. So I will re-do the 7-iron and wedge data tomorrow morning (my next booked sim session when I was planning to just play a round with the Chrome Tour balls).

Setup: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS, 9* head set to 8*. Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft (std length).

All balls teed up at the same height (same tee models in approx same location on the artificial turf hitting mat).

So, driver data...

Here's the E6 software averages of ALL driver shots with all 'high spin' balls from this latest test.

For the following tables, I took out the bad shots (short and low spinning pulls).

Average table for ALL BALLS*- so an update with data added for these "higher spinning" balls... new test data in green.

(* I've removed the slower ball speed average data sets from the first driver test to focus on broadly comparable data)

Take-aways:

- This wasn't the expected result. From the description on Callaway's product info, I thought the Tour X would be too spinny with the driver, but there really isn't anything between the balls based on the limited data set averages. More testing needed to compare the two.

- With the driver, there really isn't much between the balls tested, but the Chrome Tour and Tour X would appear to just edge it on averages. The Tour would likely have 'won' with the same CHS as the X, but the ProV1X would have been very close with an added 1.2mph CHS.

- Smash factor for all balls averaged close to 1.5 (1.47-1.5), so I was hitting them fairly well. Just need to work on club path and face angle at impact to be more consistent overall.

- I fractionally prefer the Tour X on feel and sound, so if the driver distances continue to compare closely to the Tour, I would likely go for that if I had to choose between the two.

Top 20 individual shots across all balls (both tests), sorted on carry distance:

Takeaway: Impressive showing from the Chrome Tour and Tour X with 10 of the longest 20 drives between them (out of a total of 80 total drives).

 

For those curious, the following chart is E6 'all data' for drivers from the two sessions on a single chart. With this you can see my there really isn't much difference in scatter and carry for the two data sets. However, there appear to be more red data points at the longest distances, which are the 'higher spin' balls from this latest test session.

I'll hold back on overall scores until I have the 7iron and wedge data completed. Ideally I would wait until I have played both on course, but that's not going to happen tomorrow now. Dammit.

Tomorrow's on-course test cancelled due to weather (snow on ground this morning and tomorrow tee time due to be 40f, 'feels like' 32f with 15mph wind)

Next Test: Tomorrow I will re-do the 7-iron and wedge data set for the 'high spin' balls.

Edited February 25 by Indy_Oz
Adding driver data

[GolfSpy_APH]

Great seeing the responses so far! I have done catch up reading to do!

[Thegolferdude]

Hi everyone I’m Juan aka thegolferdude with another round of testing the chrome tour and tour x golf balls. 
 

SkyTrak data 

Today I hit shots with SkyTrak data.  The balls in today’s comparison test are the Srixon Z-Star yellow, Calloway Chrome Tour and Calloway Tour X. I did a warm up session of 30 shots with each ball.  I then performed a 10 shot test with all 3 to compare them.  My findings where the chrome tour and tour x performed better than my current ball the Srixon Z-star. As far as the tour and tour x goes the data collected was vey similar.  If I had to pick a ball to put in play I’m going with the chrome tour.  I like the softer feel, the sound at impact and the durability of the tour ball better than the tour x.  Both balls are excellent and performed better than my gamer ball.  Im actually going to put the chrome tour in the bag as my gamer ball this year.  I’m hoping to be able to play a round with these balls soon, stay toured for that test. Thanks for the opportunity to be a tester I’ve enjoyed comparing and testing this product and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome so far. Thegolferdude

["Mr. 72"]

Callaway White Box Review 

Ball Tested: Chrome Tour Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X

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

I have a question for everyone. When you're testing a ball or getting fit for a ball, do you look at averages, or do you look at how the ball performs with your best ball strikes? Unlike when getting fit for clubs, the latter makes sense to me, but I'm not sure if that's correct.

Simulator Test - Foresight Sports GC Quad Launch Monitor: It's all about the numbers! I mentioned in my intro that I'm not a range rat and never have been. I'm on a simulator even less than that. I have a rudimentary knowledge of the numbers.

I seem to hit a lot of half wedges which are probably more like 3/4 wedges during a round, so I tested this shot on the sim. I also tested full 7 iron shots. 

The golf balls used were a ProV1, ProV1x, Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X. I hit five shots with each ball.

I used my 4 year old Callaway Jaws 54° and my 4 year old 2019 Titleist T300 7iron.

This first ball used innthe first picture is a ProV1. The other balls used are listed by name in the first column. 

I should have deleted that first shot in this last picture to keep the bottom line averages accurate.

I'm not sure how much I learned from this test. I think I was pretty consistent in ball striking, but tough to tell. I was surprised how much spin I got out of the CT compared the the other balls., although this was the ball that I spun back on the green with this type of shot during my first on course test.

My guess is that I can pretty much hit any ball on this type of shot and be satisfied. 

The 7 iron test was interesting. What I was looking for here is a ball speed of 110 - 115 mph, launch angle in the 16° - 19° range, the spin rate around 5500, decent angle of 45° - 50° and a peak hight around 85' - 90'. It looks like the CTX performed the best here. It wasn't  that close. However, I didn't really hit a great shot with the ProV1x.

The middle three shots have pretty good numbers for me in that last picture even though the middle one was a bit spinny.

Bottom Line: I'll have to get on this sim again before I try to return a double box of ProV1x to Dick's!

[Guest-0]

14 hours ago, Indy_Oz said:

Ball Test 2: Turn The Spin Up To 11 Edition

Balls:

Bridgestone Tour BX-S x2

Taylormade TP5, 1 each 2023 & 2024

Callaway Chrome X x2

Titleist ProV1x x2

Test:

Clubs: Driver, 7-iron, lob wedge

5 shots with each ball. Ran down the above list twice- so 5 with one of each ball type, then back down the list with 5 each of the second ball. 
That gave me 40 shots with each club and 10 for each manufacturer/ model (5 each for each TP5 ball). 

How it went: driver and 7-iron were solid, particularly driver.  Lob wedge was awful. Swing was out of sorts with shorter clubs again today- fall swing changes have been great for longer clubs, but I’ve picked up bad habits with shorter clubs. 
 

The Subjective Stuff:

Chrome Tour X feel and sound: I really like the sound of impact with the Tour X. I like last year’s TP5X for that reason too  off the driver and 7iron the TX was nice  - the kind of feel and sound I would want in a gamer. I’m a higher swing/club head speed player (~108-111mph driver) so my concerns are around the higher spin of the TX  on course testing will help determine which suits me best  

Tour X feel and sound (on sim): 9/10

I’ll be very interested to compare the data from today with the last test data  

I will save my ratings for the Tour X with each club for when the data is in. 

[DATA TO FOLLOW ONCE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD]

 

Next test: Sunday- on course test with both balls

 

That is some really interesting data!! Seeing a ball hit at a higher launch angle with a lower peak height and substantially less carry makes you wonder what's up with the Bridgestone??? The old ProV is a tough go as who knows bit that Taylormade appears to have some serious pop as does the Callaway pretty good consistent shots launch wise and peak. Hard to do!! I love it put a gold star on your forehead A+

[Erin B]

Final Review: The Callaway Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X.

Hello MSG Troops and 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'm 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 golf 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. 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 tour, local tournaments, and recreationally in Cheyenne WY where I reside.

Most of my golf career I have played the Titleist family of 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. I just was not getting the results with them that I once was, but I’ve never had a let-down with Titleist, so I was leaning on going back to Titleist. Then I was selected to test these new Callaway golf balls. So, let's see where the Callaway’s shake 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! Drum Roll Please...

The Arrival

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 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)

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 a higher end golf ball so 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.

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. The balls were more even on the course though, so take the sim with a grain of salt.

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. This changed on the course. The balls were much closer in distance in real play. I hit the Chrome Tour 185 with a 6 iron (pin high and it held) on a par 3, I hit the Chrome Tour X 190 (over the green, on the fringe but it held there) with the same 6 iron. There were some times when I hit the X a little farther, but I think those were outside the norm. For instance, I was 245 on my second shot into a par 5 and I wanted to see how the long iron handled the ball. I hit the Chrome Tour X 236 with a 4 iron. I had to use a 17-degree fairway wood to get that with the Chrome Tour. Again, not a big deal, I think I pured the 4 iron.

Callaway Chrome Tour (16 / 20)

Callaway Chrome Tour X (18 / 20)

On The Course

I found both balls to feel good off the tee and in the fairway. The Chrome Tour was not as long as the Chrome Tour X but was closer than I thought. The sim did not do the Chrome Tour justice. I started to like it on the course. Not as much as the Chrome Tour X, but more than I thought I would based on sim numbers. Both balls were exceptional around the greens.

Driver

Callaway Chrome Tour: This ball was less than what I get out of the Titleist and OnCore balls. I was not as impressed with the Chrome Tour off the tee as I was with the Chrome Tour X. Recall what I said about the Chrome Tour being heavy in the sim? Well on the course the ball seemed a bit livelier. Not as long, had more spin than the Chrome Tour X, but it was pretty good; pretty darn good!

Callaway Chrome Tour X: This ball played very similar to the Titleist Pro V1X and OnCore Vero X2. 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 in the sim. This same feeling was noticed on the course. This ball can go KABOOM!!!

Irons

Callaway Chrome Tour: The ball felt better in real play. In the sim I didn’t like the spin; I didn’t like the feel at impact. That all changed on the course. The ball felt good. Like REAL GOOD, and it didn't disappoint on approach to the green. (Yeah, I have a warm fuzzy for this ball now.)

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. Approach shots were good as well. 

Both balls had good flight off the clubs. I really didn’t notice much difference in ball flight. Both balls handled the wind, but the Chrome Tour X was better in the wind. I think it's because it has a lower spin rate for me. I felt that I was getting the same spin on the course that I saw in the sim. The wind was high on this day, and I am glad it was. It gave me a good test.

Chrome Tour (17 /20) 

Chrome Tour X (19 / 20)

Wedges / Putting

Wedges

Both balls felt very similar in the short game. I didn’t see much of a difference in distance from 100 yards. What I did see was a lot of ball checking. The guy I was playing with was in disbelief on how both balls checked. The Chrome Tour had a bit more spin, but both held the green. Low or high shots still generated spin. 

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. This showed its ugly head on the course. I was two putting all day, made 1 ten-foot putt but most every putt was long. I still don't think that's going to be a huge issue for me, it is winter golf but these balls are firm.

On The Course

Chrome Tour (7 / 10) Distance is the mark down here. The ball played well, just not as long as I am used to.

Chrome Tour X (9 / 10) I was bombing this ball. Even in the wind! The ball just flies! That coupled with the fact that it holds greens almost as well as it's sister, well, I'm buying not selling.

The Good, the bad, the in-between

Callaway Chrome Tour (7 / 10) On a shorter course I would play this ball. The sim lied to me darn it, it LIED! It isn't the red headed stepchild of the Callaway line up. It's pretty good.

Callaway Chrome Tour X (9 / 10) Ok, ok, ok, I am buying these. Distance is not as long as my gamer, but it's not too far off. This being winter golf I think these are going to play even better. I really like them.

Play it or trade it

Callaway Chrome Tour (15 / 20) I wouldn't turn them down, but I'd buy the X's over these. I did not like this ball in the sim, I like this ball on the course. I would play this ball on courses around 6500 yards or shorter. It plays better outdoors than in the sim.

Callaway Chrome Tour X (18 / 20) Get ready pro shops, department stores, and Callaway website, I will buy these thank you! 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? That depends if the store has these Callaway or Titleist, and what the price is. If I am saving $10 dollars over the Titleist, then the answer is yes.

In conclusion

I like the Chrome Tour X more than I do the Chrome Tour. I will buy the X over the Tour but that doesn't mean the Tour is a slouch, just that the X fits me better. 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. The most impressive thing both balls do is hold the green. I was in awe by how both balls checked up. Especially on hard winter greens. I haven't seen this type of performance in a firm golf ball in like, ever. If you like Callaway balls, these are a must. If you are looking for a better ball than your gamer, give these balls a shot. You want lower spin, go with the Chrome Tour X. If you are looking for more spin, then the Chrome Tour may be your new ball.

Final Score

Chrome Tour (80 / 100)

Chrome Tour X (91 / 100)

Thanks again for this opportunity MGS and thank you MGS Troops and golfers for reading! Happy Birdie Hunting!

Edited February 26 by Erin B
Punctuation

[Rob Person]

Great review and data points!  

[Indy_Oz]

2 hours ago, Marlin Dave said:

That is some really interesting data!! Seeing a ball hit at a higher launch angle with a lower peak height and substantially less carry makes you wonder what's up with the Bridgestone??? The old ProV is a tough go as who knows bit that Taylormade appears to have some serious pop as does the Callaway pretty good consistent shots launch wise and peak. Hard to do!! I love it put a gold star on your forehead A+

Thanks!

Yes, the Bridgestone data is odd. I have a couple of alternate 'fresh from the box' B-X and BX-S balls in my bag ready for some additional hitting just to see if the results are the same. I used two of each ball anyway, so it should be 'real' differences between balls. Both the BX and BXS are marketed as suiting swing speeds >105mph. I wonder if my 108-110 is not high enough for some reason. I don't think it should make a difference really.

The Taylormade TP5X '24 ball does feel/ sound different to last year's and the numbers are very good- somewhat consistent with the marketing hype.

[Erin B]

1 hour ago, Rob Person said:

Great review and data points!  

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it. It was my first test, but I’m really still reviewing them after the review. I got to tell you, I was completely taken by surprise with the Chrome Tour. In the sim, it sucked. On the course, it was great; not as great as the Chrome Tour X, but still great. Fantastic around the green. I will have to adjust to putting though.

[Indy_Oz]

19 hours ago, Indy_Oz said:

Ball Test 2: Turn The Spin Up To 11 Edition

Balls:

Bridgestone Tour BX-S x2

Taylormade TP5, 1 each 2023 & 2024

Callaway Chrome X x2

Titleist ProV1x x2

Test:

Clubs: Driver, 7-iron, lob wedge

5 shots with each ball. Ran down the above list twice- so 5 with one of each ball type, then back down the list with 5 each of the second ball. 
That gave me 40 shots with each club and 10 for each manufacturer/ model (5 each for each TP5 ball). 

How it went: driver and 7-iron were solid, particularly driver.  Lob wedge was awful. Swing was out of sorts with shorter clubs again today- fall swing changes have been great for longer clubs, but I’ve picked up bad habits with shorter clubs. 

The Subjective Stuff:

Chrome Tour X feel and sound: I really like the sound of impact with the Tour X. I like last year’s TP5X for that reason too  off the driver and 7iron the TX was nice  - the kind of feel and sound I would want in a gamer. I’m a higher swing/club head speed player (~108-111mph driver) so my concerns are around the higher spin of the TX  on course testing will help determine which suits me best  

Tour X feel and sound (on sim): 9/10

I’ll be very interested to compare the data from today with the last test data  

I will save my ratings for the Tour X with each club for when the data is in. 

=========================================================

2/24/24: Data! Unfortunately, only the driver data came through. Well that and TWO 7-iron shots. So I will re-do the 7-iron and wedge data tomorrow morning (my next booked sim session when I was planning to just play a round with the Chrome Tour balls).

Setup: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS, 9* head set to 8*. Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft (std length).

All balls teed up at the same height (same tee models in approx same location on the artificial turf hitting mat).

So, driver data...

Here's the E6 software averages of ALL driver shots with all 'high spin' balls from this latest test.

For the following tables, I took out the bad shots (short and low spinning pulls).

Average table for ALL BALLS*- so an update with data added for these "higher spinning" balls... new test data in green.

(* I've removed the slower ball speed average data sets from the first driver test to focus on broadly comparable data)

Take-aways:

- This wasn't the expected result. From the description on Callaway's product info, I thought the Tour X would be too spinny with the driver, but there really isn't anything between the balls based on the limited data set averages. More testing needed to compare the two.

- With the driver, there really isn't much between the balls tested, but the Chrome Tour and Tour X would appear to just edge it on averages. The Tour would likely have 'won' with the same CHS as the X, but the ProV1X would have been very close with an added 1.2mph CHS.

- Smash factor for all balls averaged close to 1.5 (1.47-1.5), so I was hitting them fairly well. Just need to work on club path and face angle at impact to be more consistent overall.

- I fractionally prefer the Tour X on feel and sound, so if the driver distances continue to compare closely to the Tour, I would likely go for that if I had to choose between the two.

Top 20 individual shots across all balls (both tests), sorted on carry distance:

Takeaway: Impressive showing from the Chrome Tour and Tour X with 10 of the longest 20 drives between them (out of a total of 80 total drives).

 

For those curious, the following chart is E6 'all data' for drivers from the two sessions on a single chart. With this you can see my there really isn't much difference in scatter and carry for the two data sets. However, there appear to be more red data points at the longest distances, which are the 'higher spin' balls from this latest test session.

I'll hold back on overall scores until I have the 7iron and wedge data completed. Ideally I would wait until I have played both on course, but that's not going to happen tomorrow now. Dammit.

Tomorrow's on-course test cancelled due to weather (snow on ground this morning and tomorrow tee time due to be 40f, 'feels like' 32f with 15mph wind)

Next Test: Tomorrow I will re-do the 7-iron and wedge data set for the 'high spin' balls.

I have updated the above post with the driver data from the most recent testing (Tour X, TP5, ProV1x, BX-S). The results surprised me- the Tour X is very close to the Tour with the driver.

Wish I could test out both balls on course tomorrow, but the weather defeated me this weekend. So after tomorrow's sim session data is available I'll draw my conclusions and then test on course when I can.

Pretty impressed by the improvements Callaway have made with these balls!

[BallsLeon]

@JRDuck40 the sound off that Ping 1A is crazy, love that!

Great reviews everyone!